Today is CAA Football media day in Baltimore, and the University of Richmond's representatives will be talking primarily about offense. That's where the Spiders, who are projected to finish in the middle of the 11-team pack, were weak last season.
UR went 6-5, 4-4 in the CAA, and averaged 15.5 points, tied with Towson for last in the conference. Disregard a 28-6 win over Towson, and the Spiders failed to score more than 15 points in any of their other seven league games.
"That's not nearly enough points on offense," said Richmond coach Latrell Scott.
UR played four quarterbacks because of injury, and that affected the Spiders' cohesiveness and productivity. Apart from that angle, Scott has confidence that Richmond will improve on offense because of the return of four starters on the line. Last year, the Spiders had four new starters on the offensive line.
"The ability to run the ball consistently, which we didn't last year with those young guys, is so important," Scott said. "We spent way too much time in third-and-7-plus because of our ineffectiveness on first and second down."
The Spiders converted 34.2 percent of their third-down opportunities, eighth in a 10-team league.
Behind that line, UR brings back Kendall Gaskins, a 6-foot-1, 228-pound junior who is the program's leading returning rusher (402 yards). Gaskins is expected to be named preseason all-CAA, along with senior wide receiver Tre Gray (478 receiving yards last year).
But the return of Aaron Corp, a quarterback from USC who missed most of last season with a knee injury, makes Richmond a possible FCS playoff contender. The 6-3 205-pounder was limited in what he could do in spring drills and will wear a knee brace this season.
"I'm comfortable with him having mobility, based on what he says. Obviously, I haven't seen him," Scott said. "But he says, 'Coach, I feel great.' He's done everything that the team has done all summer."
William and Mary, a playoff participant the past two seasons, and James Madison are expected to be forecast as the top two teams in the league, which adds Old Dominion this season. The Monarchs went a combined 17-5 the past two seasons as an independent, including last year's 8-3 finish. ODU returns a majority of its starters.
Massachusetts will play as a CAA member this season for the last time. The Minutemen are upgrading to the FBS and the Mid-American Conference next season. They are not eligible for the FCS playoffs this year.
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