WASHINGTON — While we’ve got a few FBS teams in the extended D.C. area, we’ve got even more FCS squads. From the District to Harrisonburg, see what’s in store for our local schools this year.
James Madison (14-1, 8-0 CAA, FCS runner-up) will find out how much of coach Mike Houston’s magic over the last two years was the byproduct of quarterback Bryan Schor, who leaves via graduation. Houston’s options this fall are former backup Cole Johnson and Pitt transfer Ben DiNucci. Whoever gets the nod will have plenty of weapons at his disposal: Running back Marcus Marshall is a preseason all-conference pick, while receivers Riley Stapleton and David Eldridge each notched 42 catches last fall.
Five starters return on defense, as well, and the unit that allowed an FCS-low 11.1 points per game boasts a difference-maker up front in Darrious Carter (8.5 sacks in 2017), as well as ball-hawking cornerback Jimmy Moreland (eight interceptions last year). Special teams are highlighted by Australian punter Harry O’Kelly, who finished second in the CAA in punting average as a freshman.
The Colonial Athletic Association is loaded again this year, with six schools in the preseason top 25. The Dukes’ slate plays as well as it can — while they won’t face No. 16 Delaware, there’s a midseason gauntlet that has JMU facing No. 13 Elon, 19th-ranked Villanova, No. 22 Stony Brook and ninth-rated New Hampshire on four consecutive Saturdays. We’ll know if the post-Bryan Schor era offers up a smooth or shaky transition during that stretch, and if the 2018 Dukes are contenders or pretenders.
Richmond (6-5, 4-4 CAA) was on the FCS Tournament bubble last fall until a 2-3 finish doomed the Spiders’ at-large hopes. They have a huge hole to fill, as CAA Offensive Player of the Year Kyle Lauletta is off to the NFL after throwing for 10,465 yards and 73 touchdowns in his college career. Kevin Johnson does have experience — not only did the redshirt junior throw for 761 yards in 2016, his three starts came in the FCS Playoffs. So the kid from Atlanta is battle-tested, to say the least. He’ll have the trio of Cortrelle Simpson, Dejon Brissett and Tyler Wilkins that ranked second, third and fourth in the CAA in receiving yards last fall. Returning leading rusher and Capital Cup MVP Xavier Goodall is another year removed from his ACL injury, and in theory will help provide a little more balance than the 2017 ground game that ranked 11th in the conference.
The defense struggled at times last year (11th against the run, 10th overall in the CAA), and if the Spiders are going to return to the FCS Playoffs, they’ll need to make strides on that side of the ball. Senior defensive end Andrew Clyde led the conference in sacks and will be looked upon to provide leadership to a unit that returns seven starters.
On special teams, senior kicker Griffin Trau led the CAA with 73 points while making a conference-best 80 percent of his field goal attempts.
Richmond begins the season at Virginia — a place where they won two years ago. The Spiders will find out early if 2018 is a rebound year with home games against James Madison and Delaware coming before Columbus Day.
Towson (5-6, 3-5 CAA) wrapped up its 2017 season on a strong note by winning its final two games last November. Quarterback Ryan Stover is one of nine returning starters on offense, and one hopes his last-place finish in passing efficiency among conference qualifiers was due to the fact that he was a freshman in 2017. That Stover also led the team in rushing points to the fact that he didn’t have a ton of help last year. There’s another signal-calling option in Western Michigan transfer Tom Flacco (yes, the younger brother of Ravens QB Joe). Whoever emerges as the starter will look to senior wide receiver Jabari Greenwood (53 catches for 616 yards in 2017) to ignite what was a dormant attack last year that finished seventh in passing, ninth in rushing and 10th in scoring.
Defensively, the Tigers return six starters to a unit that rated last in the CAA against the run but was behind only Maine and James Madison in stopping foes on third down. They lose force of nature Kanyia Anderson (league-high nine sacks) on the defensive line, but return key cog Diondre Wallace at linebacker.
Towson starts the season with three straight road games — even though the opener is at nearby Morgan State. Coach Rob Ambrose will be hard pressed to return the Tigers to the level where they were contending for conference titles earlier this decade.
William & Mary (2-9, 0-8 CAA) proves this year that “all good things must come to an end.” Jimmye Laycock will step down this fall after his 39th season at the helm. He’s guided the Tribe since they were a Division I-A independent and won conference titles in the Yankee and Atlantic Ten Conferences before adding a pair of CAA trophies to the school’s mantle. His 245 wins (and counting) at the school will likely stand for all time — especially given today’s world of coaching carousels.
While the Tribe return seven starters, gone is last year’s quarterback Tommy McKee … who led the offense to a league-low 15 points per game. Shon Mitchell started three games last year (the first true freshman to start at W & M since 1975, five years before Laycock arrived in Williamsburg) while Brandon Battle played in three games. Of the four starters back on defense, linebacker Nate Atkins and safety Corey Parker are difference-makers.
The nonconference slate sends the Tribe to Bucknell and Virginia Tech first two weeks … they can’t catch the Hokies in a hangover after their Labor Day game against Florida State, right? Barring a miracle run, the season and Laycock era ends Nov. 17 at home against Richmond.
Howard (7-4, 6-2) was the surprise story of 2017 when head coach Mike London took the Bison to the desert and upset UNLV as 40-point underdogs, 43-40. Fortunately, what happened in Vegas did not stay out west, and Howard had its best year since 2012. And they did it with a freshman quarterback.
Granted, Caylin Newton’s skill set doesn’t stray too far from his older brother Cam, but we live in a world where Billy Ripken proves that bloodlines aren’t everything. The sophomore looks to build off a season where he threw for 2,432 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 12 scores on the ground. Wide receivers Jequez Ezzard and Kyle Anthony are back to stretch secondaries after averaging 26.3 and 19.1 yards per catch, respectively. The only question is what sort of support Newton will get from his backs in the running game. Defensive lineman Aaron Motley’s back after leading the team with five sacks as a freshman, while senior linebacker Marcellus Anderson looks to provide equal measures of intensity and leadership.
Early trips to Ohio and Kent State (no word on whether, if they go 2-0, the Bison will be eligible for the MAC East) begin the schedule, and the Bison are picked to finish fifth in the MEAC this year. Coach Mike London has had early success wherever he’s been (FCS title in his first season with Richmond, a bowl berth his second year at Virginia) and last year was no different. The question now is whether London can sustain his early success on the hilltop.
Georgetown (1-10, 0-6 Patriot League) suffered its worst year since the 2009 team went winless. Coach Rob Sgarlata looks to turn around a program that hasn’t had a winning record since 2011 and hasn’t posted a conference victory since 2015. Just as 10-1 seasons are team efforts, so was last year’s one-win campaign. The defense allowed 35 or more points five times in ’17, and after scoring 35 points against Lehigh, the offense tallied just 29 points over the last six games of the season.
Junior quarterback Gunther Johnson looks to build off a 2017 season win, which he completed fewer than 50 percent passes over eight games (four starts). He also led the Hoyas in rushing — a quarterback leading a team that has trouble passing in rushing is akin to a defensive back leading a team that has issues against the run in tackles. Defensively, the Hoyas are led by lineman Khristian Tate (five sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception).
Georgetown wasn’t just picked to finish last in the Patriot League this fall, but by a country mile. Bucknell and Lafayette tied for fifth in the preseason poll. While Georgetown’s last league win came against the Leopards, the Hoyas travel to Easton, PA this year. The Bison come to Cooper Field Nov. 10.
