{"id":113730,"date":"2023-11-09T12:39:43","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T20:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/?p=113730"},"modified":"2023-11-09T12:39:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T20:39:45","slug":"fcs-football-caa-playoff-race-dsds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fcs-football-caa-playoff-race-dsds\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Sense Of CAA Football\u2019s Tie For First Entering Week 11"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CAA Football<\/a>\u2019s race for its automatic FCS<\/a> playoff bid only became more murky last week with Elon\u2019s 33-27 win over Delaware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Phoenix joined the Blue Hens in the CAA\u2019s five-way tie for first entering the penultimate week of the regular season. UAlbany, Villanova, and Richmond round out the bunch of teams vying for postseason security in a conference that might only snatch two at-large berths this month. Just seven wins total likely won\u2019t be enough for any of the above (more on that to come).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the path to the playoffs for each squad with a 5-1 league record?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with the cluster\u2019s highest-ranked team in the FCS media poll and descend from there, though Top 25 positioning alone is not an indicator of one program\u2019s playoff probability over another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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No. 8 Delaware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overall record: 7-2 (vs. FCS: 7-1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best win: over New Hampshire, 29-25<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worst loss: to Elon, 33-27<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming up: at Campbell, vs. Villanova<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delaware tripped up for the first time in its conference schedule on Saturday, becoming Elon\u2019s second top-5-ranked upset victim this season (the first was then-No. 5 William & Mary on September 30).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blue Hens are banged up, nursing the second-quarter exit of star running back Marcus Yarns in the Elon loss. Adding to the backfield concerns, Delaware has spent the last several weeks almost alternating which of its quarterbacks (Ryan O\u2019Connor and Zach Marker) is hurt and unavailable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marker is more mobile and sure-handed carrying the football, while O\u2019Connor is coming off likely his worst game as a Blue Hen in returning from an upper-body injury (23-of-48 passing for one touchdown, one interception, a lost fumble, and four sacks vs. Elon).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The (healthy) quarterback who can better manage Delaware\u2019s other offensive injuries will have to lead UD to at least one win in its next two games for a playoff ticket. The Hens continue to miss starting wide receivers Chandler Harvin and Kym Wimberly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up next for Delaware is a road tilt at Campbell, a game the Blue Hens would love to have in order to hit eight wins before rival Villanova looks to continue its dominance in the Battle of the Blue series on November 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delaware backed into the bracket last fall while on the skids, crumbling at Villanova in the regular season finale. The route to a more safe bid this time around is there by beating Campbell. A seed is not out of the question if the Hens go 2-for-2 to finish the regular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A loss to Campbell bumps UD to the bubble, which history says will burst in a win-and-in situation vs. Nova. Again: Seven wins (with the exception of a potential Elon scenario outlined below) won\u2019t cut it in the CAA this Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No. 13 Villanova<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overall record: 7-2 (vs. FCS: 7-1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best win: over Elon, 21-0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worst loss: to UAlbany, 31-10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming up: vs. Towson, at Delaware<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Villanova is in prime position for a bid despite the defeat to UAlbany clouding the Wildcats\u2019 path to the automatic qualifier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nova is coming off a win at New Hampshire that matches Delaware\u2019s best CAA triumph. After getting Towson this week, Villanova plays at its BOTB nemesis, and it hasn\u2019t lost at Delaware since 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning out is thus very much in reach and would put the Wildcats among the seed candidates. Splitting the final pair of games in the regular season also assures an at-large bid, but where VU could go in the first round is something of a question given that a hosting bid might not carry overwhelming weight for the \u2019Cats, whereas it\u2019s hard to see a first-round-playing Delaware being anywhere other than Newark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless, Villanova has an inside track to a playoff berth. The Wildcats own a top-5 CAA scoring offense and scoring defense and quarterback Connor Watkins leads the conference in pass efficiency (160.0). Running back Jalen Jackson is third in the league with his 88.3 rushing yards per game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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