Four NCAA Championship game appearances

Transcription

1 Conferences

2 CONFERENCES V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L About The Colonial Athletic Association Four NCAA Championship game appearances in four years under the CAA Football banner and more than 47 percent of its games on television...quite a way to begin an era! CAA Football raised the profile of what was once the Yankee Conference and later the Atlantic 10 Conference when it took the reins of the league in Now four years into the CAA s leadership the league has moved from one of the power conferences in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, to argubly the most successful conference in the division in terms of on-thefield success, television exposure, marketability and success of it players at the next level. The league s marketability will only continue to grow as it adds Old Dominion to its roster in 2011, expanding further into the Tidewater market of Virginia, and later Georgia State, based in Atlanta, Ga., in Delaware pushed CAA Football s streak to five-straight National Championship game appearances and seven in the last eight years. The league s non-conference success was evidenced again last season by a 22-6 (.786) mark against FCS foes, while James Madison pushed the league s win total to three over teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the last two years with an epic, 21-16, victory at nationallyranked Virginia Tech. CAA Football has won 10 games over BCS/FBS foes in the last five seasons and 19 contests against the upper level of major college football in the last 10 years. CAA Football continued its stronghold in the national polls, showing seven teams ranked over a nine-week stretch and a total of three teams at No. 1 during the 2010 season. Even more impressive was a four-week stretch from Sept. 20-Oct. 11 when league squads occupied five of the Top-10 spots in The Sports Network poll. An expanded NCAA Playoff field in 2010 allowed CAA Football to extend its streak to fourstraight years of four or more squads appearing in the postseason. Both Delaware and William and Mary earned Top-5 seeds, while Villanova and New Hampshire had to go on the road for their postseason openers. Delaware dispatched of Lehigh and New Hampshire won at Bethune- Cookman to set up an All-CAA Football matchup in Newark in the quarterfinal round. Villanova rattled off 40 unanswered points to come from behind at Stephen F. Austin and advance, while the Tribe struggled to stop the triple-option attack of Georgia Southern and fell to the Eagles in its postseason opener. Delaware and New Hampshire renewed a CAA Football rivalry in the quarterfinal round and a defensive battle ensued as the Blue Hens advanced giving the league a semifinalist for the fifth-straight year. 68 Villanova got a total of five touchdowns from Matt Szczur to upset top-seeded Appalachian State at The Rock and march into the semifinal round. Villanova could not regain its early lead on the road at Eastern Washington and fell to the Eagles, but Delaware forced five Georgia Southern turnovers which helped it advance to the 2011 NCAA Division I National Championship game for the second time four seasons. The Blue Hens dropped a decision to Eastern Washington at the new home of the National Championship game, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The league has earned 75 total playoff berths, including 35 in the last 10 seasons. Getting into the playoffs isn t where the success stops, as evidenced by 50 playoff wins since CAA Football has continued to make its presence felt at the national level by placing nine teams in the national semifinal round over the last five seasons, and advancing a team to the national title game each of those five years as well. Richmond s National Championship in 2008 and Villanova s 2009 title are the most recent championships for the league. In 2004, James Madison claimed the national championship with a triumph over Montana, becoming the first team to reach the title game by winning three road playoff contests since the field expanded to 16 teams in Delaware rolled past Colgate 40-0 to capture the national championship in 2003, becoming the first team to ever post a shutout in the title game. No other conference has had two different teams win national titles in back-to-back years and CAA Football has done it twice ( & ). Massachusetts earned a national championship in 1998, beating perennial power Georgia Southern, Along with the team accomplishments, the conference has accumulated numerous individual accolades. New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos (2006), William and Mary quarterback Lang Campbell (2004), Villanova running back Brian Westbrook (2001), Villanova wide receiver Brian Finneran (1997), New Hampshire running back Jerry Azumah (1998) and Towson running back Dave Meggett (1988) all have won the prestigious Walter Payton Award under the league banner. James Madison linebacker Derrick Lloyd (2001) and defensive lineman Arthur Moats (2009) each received the Buck Buchanan Award. New Hampshire s Sean McDonnell (2005), James Madison s Mickey Matthews (1999 & 2008), Villanova s Andy Talley (1997) and Boston University s Dan Allen (1993) have earned the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award. Delaware s K.C. Keeler (2010), Richmond s Mike London (2008), Matthews (2004), Massachusetts Mark Whipple (1998) and Talley (1997 & 2009) have garnered the American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year honor. Success beyond the collegiate playing field can be measured in numerous ways. CAA Football has had 98 players drafted by NFL franchises dating back to A total of 24 players have been selected in the draft over the last 10 years, including the league s second-highest draft pick ever -- former Delaware Blue Hen quarterback Joe Flacco (18th overall to the Baltimore Ravens). The league has also excelled in graduating student-athletes as 10 programs have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards over the last three years for ranking among the Top 10 percent of the FCS in the NCAA s Academic Progress Rating system. The CAA Football geographic footprint encompasses much of the East Coast with schools located from Maine to Virginia. Current members include Delaware, James Madison, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Old Dominion, Rhode Island, Richmond, Towson, Villanova and William and Mary, while Georgia State will join the fold as a full member in While CAA Football officially began March 1, 2007, its roots date back more than 60 years. On December 3, 1946, the Code of the Yankee Conference went into effect. Established as an all-sports conference for the New England land grant colleges, the six charter members included Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Upon the formation of Division I-AA football in 1978, the league disbanded all sports except football. Delaware and Richmond were admitted to the conference in 1986, Villanova was added in 1988 and James Madison, Northeastern and William and Mary joined the league in The Atlantic 10 assumed operation control of the conference from , with Hofstra becoming part of the league in 2001 and Towson joining the group in 2004.

3 V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L CONFERENCES Commissioner Thomas E. Yeager Tom Yeager played a vital role in the addition of football to the CAA sports roster in 2007, and has continued the league s leadership in building it into the top NCAA Division I Football Championship league in the country. The Allentown, Pa., native has been a guiding force and the only commissioner of the Colonial Athletic Association in its 26-year existence. Since the inaugural CAA Football season in 2007, Yeager has helped the league build a reputation as one of the most respected and well-run conferences in Division I. In just a short time at the helm, Yeager negotiated an enhanced television package for the conference which resulted in a significant increase in both the number of CAA Football games televised and the number of homes the games were broadcast to. He also implemented an aggressive marketing and branding campaign to promote the quality of CAA Football along the East Coast and throughout the country. After its record-breaking Inaugural season, CAA Football has followed suit by garnering national accomplishments in each of the last three seasons. The league placed a record-five teams in each of the NCAA Division I National Championships fields in 2007 and Delaware advanced to the 2007 National Championship game but fell to Appalachian State, while Richmond advanced to the 2008 National Championship game and helped the league garner its first championship under the CAA Football banner when it beat Montana, The success from previous seasons carried over to start the 2009 season when Villanova, William and Mary, Richmond and New Hampshire all opened the season with wins over FBS/BCS opponents. Those same four squads advanced to the second round marking the league s second-straight season with four wins in the playoffs opening round. Villanova advanced to the National Championship game where it took down Montana, 23-21, to earn its first-ever football National Championship. The Wildcats victory over the Griz gave CAA Football its second-straight National title and fifth title overall. The 2010 season had its share of highlights including James Madison s victory over thennationally ranked FBS/BCS foe Virginia Tech, The league against sent four teams to the NCAA Division I National Championships and CAA Football extended its streak of two of the final four teams in the NCAA Championships field for the fourth-straight year as Delaware and Villanova each advanced to the semifinals. Dela- 69 ware became the fifth-straight league team to advance to the National Championship game, but came up short to Eastern Washington. The CAA conducts championships in 23 men s and women s sports, with the conference rated among the top 10 nationally in many of them. In , the CAA had 25 teams earn NCAA Tournament berths and 56 student-athletes earn All-America honors in 13 different sports. While his job responsibilities are far reaching, Yeager s major duties include negotiation of championship, sponsorship and television contracts, representing the conference with the NCAA and supervising the 15 members of his staff. Yeager came to the conference office from the NCAA staff in Kansas City, where he was Director of Legislative Services. He joined the NCAA in 1976, spending five years as an investigator in the enforcement department. In 1981, he was promoted to Assistant Director of Legislative Services and in 1984 to Director. In addition to his duties with the CAA, Yeager is also actively involved with NCAA affairs. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the NCAA s college football and men s basketball officiating LLCs. Yeager recently completed a nineyear term -- three years as chair -- on of one of the NCAA s most important committees, the Division I Committee on Infractions, which hears and assesses penalties for violations of NCAA rules. Previously he served as a member of the NCAA Council and chaired the NCAA Interpretations Committee for eight years, in addition to serving on numerous other NCAA committees. Well respected by other commissioners, Yeager is also a former executive vice president of the Collegiate Commissioners Association and is chairing the National Letter of Intent Steering Committee. In April, 1994, the National Invitation Tournament recognized Yeager s contributions to college basketball by selecting him as the NIT Man of the Year joining a prestigious group of past recipients including John Wooden, Bobby Knight and Vic Bubas. Yeager is a 1972 graduate of Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor s degree in physical education and a master s degree in education (1975). As an undergraduate, he was a member of the gymnastics team; as a graduate student, he was an assistant coach for the squad. After earning his first degree, Yeager worked at the YMCA in Allentown, Pa. He then returned to Springfield as a teaching fellow on the physical education faculty. After receiving his master s degree, he remained at Springfield as the assistant director of athletics for the school year.

4 V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L CONFERENCES 2011 CAA Composite Schedule Thursday, September 1 Temple vs. Villanova :00 p.m. New Hampshire at Toledo... TBA Holy Cross at Massachusetts... TBA Saturday, September 3 James Madison at North Carolina.... 3:30 p.m. William & Mary at Virginia... 6:00 p.m. Richmond at Duke... 7:00 p.m. Morgan State at Towson.... TBA Bryant at Maine... TBA Campbell at Old Dominion... TBA Delaware at Navy.... TBA Saturday, September 10 Central Conn. St. at James Madison... TBA Wagner at Richmond... TBA William & Mary at VMI.... TBA Old Dominion at Georgia State... TBA Rhode Island at Syracuse... TBA New Hampshire at Lehigh... TBA *Villanova at Towson... TBA Maine at Pittsburgh.... TBA West Chester at Delaware... TBA Saturday, September 17 Hampton at Old Dominion... TBA *Rhode Island at Massachusetts... TBA Maine at Albany... TBA New Haven at William & Mary... TBA Monmouth at Villanova.... TBA Delaware State at Delaware... TBA James Madison at Liberty... TBA VMI at Richmond... TBA Saturday, September 24 Villanova vs. Penn... TBA *New Hampshire at Richmond... TBA *Old Dominion at Delaware.... TBA *James Madison at William & Mary... TBA Colgate at Towson... TBA Fordham at Rhode Island... TBA Massachusetts at Boston College... TBA Holy Cross at New Hampshire.... TBA *Old Dominion at Rhode Island.... TBA *Maine at James Madison... TBA Saturday, October 8 Villanova at New Hampshire... TBA *Richmond at Towson... TBA Central Conn. St. at Massachusetts.... TBA *William & Mary at Delaware... TBA Saturday, October 15 *New Hampshire at William & Mary.... TBA *Massachusetts at Delaware... TBA *Rhode Island at Maine... TBA *Towson at Old Dominion... TBA *Villanova at James Madison... TBA Saturday, October 22 *New Hampshire at Massachusetts.... TBA *Maine at Richmond... TBA *Old Dominion at Villanova.... TBA *Delaware at Rhode Island... TBA *Towson at William & Mary... TBA Saturday, October 29 * Rhode Island at New Hampshire... TBA *James Madison at Old Dominion... TBA *Delaware at Towson... TBA *Massachusetts at Richmond... TBA *Maine at Villanova.... TBA Saturday, November 5 *William & Mary at Rhode Island... TBA *Villanova at Massachusetts.... TBA *Towson at Maine.... TBA *Richmond at Old Dominion.... TBA *James Madison at New Hampshire.... TBA Saturday, November 12 *New Hampshire at Towson... TBA *Massachusetts at Maine.... TBA *Richmond at Delaware... TBA *Old Dominion at William & Mary... TBA *Rhode Island at James Madison... TBA Saturday, November 19 *Towson at Rhode Island... TBA *Maine at New Hampshire... TBA *James Madison at Massachusetts.... TBA *Delaware at Villanova... TBA *William & Mary at Richmond... TBA Saturday, November 26 NCAA Division I Football Championship First Round Saturday, December 4 NCAA Division I Football Championship Second Round Saturday, December 11 NCAA Division I Football Championship Quarterfinals Friday & Saturday, December 16 & 17 NCAA Division I Football Championship Semifinals Friday, January 6 NCAA Division I Football Championship Title Game (Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas) Legend * - CAA Football Game Saturday, October 1 *James Madison at Villanova... TBA *Richmond at James Madison... TBA Brown at Rhode Island... TBA *Delaware at Maine... TBA *Massachusetts at Old Dominion... TBA Towson at Maryland.... TBA 70

5 V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L CONFERENCES 2010 CAA Individual Statistics Passing Efficiency Player G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds TD Eff. Pat Devlin (UD) , Kevin Decker (UNH) Chris Whitney (VU) , Kyle Havens (UMass) , Mike Callahan (W&M) , R.J. Toman (UNH) , Warren Smith (UM) , Drew Dudzik (JMU) , Steve Probst (URI) , Chris Treister (UM) Rushing Yards Player G Att Yds Avg TD Long Yds/G Andrew Pierce (UD) , Jonathan Hernandez (UMass) John Griffin (UMass) Jonathan Grimes (W&M) Jamal Sullivan (JMU) Pushaun Brown (UM) Dontra Peters (UNH) Aaron Ball (VU) Steve Probst (URI) Tyler Kirchoff (UR) Receiving Yards Player G Rec Yds TD Long Avg/C Yds/G Anthony Nelson (UMass) Julian Talley (UMass) Norman White (VU) Terrance Fox (UNH) Ryan Moody (W&M) Derek Session (UM) Hakeem Moore (TU) Nihja White (UD) Tre Gray (UR) Dorian Wells (VU) Scoring Player G TD XPT FG 2XP Pts Pts/G Mike Perry (UD) Andrew Pierce (UD) Drake Kuhn (W&M) Chris Whitney (VU) Jonathan Hernandez (UMass) Caleb Violette (UMass) Louis Feinstein (URI) Norman White (VU) Mike MacArthur (UNH) Nick Wallace (UT) Interceptions Player G Int Yds TD Long Int/G Anthony Walters (UD) Dino Vasso (UNH) Tyler Holmes (UMass) Jarrod Williams (URI) Patrick Weldon (UR) Tyrone Grant (UD) Kyle Flemings (UNH) Taveion Cuffee (JMU) Tremayne Graham (UR) Evan Francks (W&M) Tackles Player G Solo Ast Total Avg/G Sack Matt Evans (UNH) Eric McBride (UR) Matt Hansen (URI) Paul Worrilow (UD) Dante Cook (W&M) Mike Mele (UMass) Tyler Holmes (UMass) Donte Dennis (UM) Marquis Kirkland (VU) Pat Williams (JMU) Sacks Player G Solo Ast Yds Total Avg/G Brian McNally (UNH) Martin Parker (UR) Marcus Hyde (W&M) Tyler Holmes (UMass) Marquis Kirkland (VU) Lance Mailloux (UNH) Matt Evans (UNH) Jared Smith (UNH) Matt Morgan (UT) James Jenkins (UNH) Kicking Player G PATs FGs Pts Pts/G Mike Perry (UD) Drake Kuhn (W&M) Caleb Violette (UMass) Louis Feinstein (URI) Mike MacArthur (UNH) Nick Wallace (TU) Wil Kamin (UR) Brian Harvey (UM) Nick Yako (VU) Ben Hopewel (JMU)

6 CONFERENCES V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L 2010 Conference Team Statistics Total Offense Team G Rush Pass Plays Total Avg./P TD Yds/G Massachusetts , Delaware , Villanova , New Hampshire , William and Mary , Maine , Rhode Island , Towson , James Madison , Richmond Passing Offense Team G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds Avg TD Yds/G Massachusetts New Hampshire Delaware William and Mary Maine Villanova Rhode Island Towson Richmond James Madison Rushing Offense Team G Att Yds Avg TD Yds/G Villanova Delaware James Madison Massachusetts Rhode Island Towson Maine Richmond William and Mary New Hampshire Scoring Offense Team G TD XP 2XP DXP FG Saf Pts Avg Villanova Delaware Massachusetts New Hampshire William and Mary Rhode Island Maine James Madison Richmond Towson Total Defense Team G Rush Pass Plays Total Yds/G Delaware James Madison New Hampshire William and Mary Villanova Maine Massachusetts Towson Richmond Rhode Island Rushing Defense Team G Rushes Yards Avg. TD Yds/G Villanova Delaware Rhode Island James Madison Maine New Hampshire William and Mary Richmond Massachusetts Towson Scoring Defense Team G TD XP 2XP DXP FG Saf Pts Avg Delaware James Madison New Hampshire William and Mary Villanova Richmond Rhode Island Maine Massachusetts Towson Turnover Margin Takeaways Giveaways Team G Fum. Int. Tot. Fum. Int. Tot. Margin Delaware New Hampshire William and Mary Villanova James Madison Rhode Island Massachusetts Richmond Maine Towson

7 V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L CONFERENCES Villanova became a member of the Atlantic 10 Football Conference in 1997, ending a 10-year membership in the Yankee Conference when that league s 50-year football legacy came to a close. Following the 2006 season, the 12 members of the Atlantic 10 Football Conference officially joined the Colonial Athletic Association. From 1997 through the 2006 season, the Atlantic 10 held the distinction of being the premier conference in I-AA football. The league produced national champions in both 2003 and 2004 and the 2006 season marked the 16th consecutive year that the A-10 received multiple postseason berths. In 2006, the conference automatic bid was awarded to Massachusetts after the team won the North Division with a perfect 8-0 league record. Massachusetts advanced to the national championship game, while both New Hampshire and James Madison reached the NCAA Tournament as well. New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos became the fifth player in the history of the league to win the Walter Payton Award, presented each year to the most outstanding player in I-AA. In addition, the league had 15 players earn All-America honors in 2006 and three were chosen to play in the East-West Shrine game. The 2005 season marked the 15th consecutive season that the A-10 received multiple postseason berths as New Hampshire and Richmond advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs. Eight teams appeared in the national rankings during the 2005 season and 13 different players earned All-America honors, including New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos, who was runner-up in the voting for the prestigious Walter Payton Award. It marked the sixth consecutive year that an Atlantic 10 student-athlete finished in the top three in the voting. In addition, Villanova s Brian Hulea and Shannon James of Massachusetts were finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the top defensive player in I-AA. For the fourth time in league annals, the Eddie Robinson Award was presented to a head coach in the Conference as Sean McDonnell of New Hampshire became the 19th recipient of the award in Presented annually by The Sports Network to the most outstanding coach in I-AA, McDonnell guided UNH to an 11-2 record and the program s first-ever No. 1 ranking. He joins current head coaches Andy Talley of Villanova (1997) and James Madison s Mickey Matthews (1999) and former Boston University coach Dan Allen (1993) as recipients of the Eddie Robinson Award, giving the Atlantic 10 the distinction of being the only league with three About The Atlantic 10 current head coaches who have won the prestigious honor. In 2004, James Madison claimed the national championship with a win over Montana and in the process became the first program to reach the championship game by winning three road playoff games since the field expanded to 16 teams in With Delaware registering the lone shutout in the 29-year history of the championship en route to capturing the 2003 crown, the Atlantic 10 became the first Conference to have two different teams win the title in consecutive seasons. Massachusetts defeated Georgia Southern, 55-43, to claim the 1998 title. What set the Atlantic 10 Football Conference apart from other leagues is that its success was not limited to select institutions. In 2004, Delaware and James Madison were joined in the 16-team playoff field by New Hampshire and William & Mary, giving the Conference a record four teams in the postseason. Moreover, all four teams advanced to the quarterfinals, a first for any conference. Since the start of the 2001 season, 10 of the league s 12 current members have advanced to the playoffs. Despite long odds, the Atlantic 10 has also enjoyed great triumps over I-A foes. An A-10 team has defeated a I-A program in six of the last eight seasons, including victories by Maine over Mississippi State and New Hampshire versus Rutgers in 2004, The A-10 saw five of its student-athletes named the recipient of the Walter Payton Award - New Hamsphire quarterback Ricky Santos (2006), William & Mary quarterback Lang Campbell (2004), former Villanova standouts Brian Westbrook (2001) and Brian Finneran (1997) and New Hampshire running back Jerry Azumah (1998). In 2001, linebacker Derrick Lloyd of James Madison became the first A-10 player to win the Buck Buchanan Award, marking the first time in history that the winners of the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Awards hailed from the same conference. The Atlantic 10 Football Conference officially assumed operational control of the Yankee Conference on July 1, 1997, marking the end of a 50-year legacy. Yet a new era began in collegiate football. Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Rhode Island, Richmond, Towson, Villanova, and William & Mary made up the 73 Stan Bennett started at offensive tackle as a true freshman for the 1997 Villanova team that went 8-0 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. 12-team membership of the league. The Atlantic 10 Football Conference traced its roots to December 3, 1946 when the Code of the Yankee Conference went into effect. Originally established as an all-sports conference for the New England land grant colleges, the six charter members of the Yankee Conference included Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. In 1973, Boston University joined the Conference as its first non-land grant institution. After the 1974 season, Vermont withdrew from the league. Then, upon the formation of Division I-AA football in 1978, the league disbanded all sports except football. Membership remained stable until 1986 when Delaware and Richmond were admitted. Villanova gained admittance in 1988 and, in 1993, the Conference grew again with James Madison, Northeastern and William & Mary joining the league. Boston University withdrew from the league when it suspended its football program following the 1997 season. Connecticut withdrew following the 1999 season and Hofstra was added beginning with the 2001 campaign. Towson played its first season of Atlantic 10 Football Conference competition in 2004.

8 CONFERENCES V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L Atlantic 10 Championship History ( ) Wide receiver Steve Ward played at Villanova when the Wildcats were a member of the Atlantic 10 Football Conference. Atlantic 10 Champions Year Champion(s) 2006 Massachusetts 2005 New Hampshire, Richmond 2004 Delaware, James Madison, William & Mary 2003 Delaware, Massachusetts 2002 Maine, Northeastern 2001 Hofstra, Maine, Villanova, William & Mary 2000 Delaware, Richmond 1999 James Madison, Massachusetts 1998 Richmond 1997 Villanova Atlantic 10 Playoff History Year Round Result 2006 First Massachusetts 35, Lafayette 14 First New Hampshire 41, Hampton 38 First Youngstown State 35, James Madison 31 Quarterfinals Massachusetts 24, New Hampshire 17 Semifinals Massachusetts 19, Montana 17 Championship Appalachian State 28, Massachusetts First New Hampshire 55, Colgate 21 First Richmond 38, Hampton 10 Quarterfinals Northern Iowa 24, New Hampshire 21 Quarterfinals Furman 24, Richmond First Delaware 28, Lafayette 14 First James Madison 14, Lehigh 13 First New Hampshire 27, Georgia Southern 23 First William & Mary 42, Hampton 35 Quarterfinals William & Mary 44, Delaware 38 (2OT) Quarterfinals James Madison 14, Furman 13 Quarterfinals Montana 47, New Hampshire 17 Semifinals James Madison 48, William & Mary 34 Championship James Madison 31, Montana First Delaware 48, Southern Illinois 7 First Colgate 19, Massachusetts 7 Quarterfinals Delaware 37, Northern Iowa 7 Semifinals Delaware 24, Wofford 9 Championship Delaware 40, Colgate First Maine 14, Appalachian State 13 First Villanova 45, Furman 38 First Fordham 29, Northeastern 24 Quarterfinals Villanova 24, Fordham 10 Quarterfinals Georgia Southern 31, Maine 7 Semifinals McNeese State 39, Villanova First Maine 14, McNeese State 10 First Lehigh 27, Hofstra 24 (OT) First Appalachian State 40, William & Mary 27 Quarterfinals Northern Iowa 56, Maine First Delaware 49, Portland State 14 First Richmond 10, Youngstown State 3 Quarterfinals Delaware 47, Lehigh 22 Quarterfinals Montana 34, Richmond 20 Semifinals Georgia Southern 27, Delaware First Massachusetts 30, Furman 23 (OT) First Troy State 27, James Madison 7 Quarterfinals Georgia Southern 38, Massachusetts First Lehigh 24, Richmond 23 First Connecticut 42, Hampton 34 First Massachusetts 21, McNeese State 19 Quarterfinals Georgia Southern 52, Connecticut 30 Quarterfinals Massachusetts 27, Lehigh 21 Semifinals Massachusetts 41, Northwestern State 31 Championship Massachusetts 55, Georgia Southern First Villanova 49, Colgate 28 First Delaware 24, Hofstra 14 Quarterfinals Delaware 16, Georgia Southern 7 Quarterfinals Youngstown State 37, Villanova 34 Semifinals McNeese State, 23, Delaware 21 Kristian Ward was a member of the 1997 Villanova team that won the Atlantic 10 championship. 74

9 V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L CONFERENCES By moving to the Atlantic 10 Conference for the 1997 season, Villanova University s nine-year membership of the Yankee Conference and the conference s 50-year football legacy came to a close. Under the direction of head coach Andy Talley, Villanova compiled a lifetime mark of in Yankee Conference contests. During their Yankee Conference history, the Wildcats shared the league championship twice, 1991 and 1989, finished second on three occasions, in 1996, 1992 and 1990, and third once in The addition of three college football programs in 1993 (James Madison, Northeastern and William and Mary) made the Yankee Conference the largest NCAA Division I-AA conference, with 12 total members. Each one of the 12 schools competed for the conference title, playing an eight-game league slate. For scheduling purposes only, the league was divided into a New England Division (Boston University, University of Connecticut, University of Maine, University of Massachusetts, University of New Hampshire and the University of Rhode Island), and a Mid- Atlantic Division (University of Delaware, James Madison University, North eastern University, Uni ver sity of Richmond, VILLANOVA UNIVER- SITY and the College of William and Mary). Yankee Conference History Bill Lacey earned first team All-Yankee Conference honors in both 1991 and Also, each individual school had to play each team in its own division, as well as three teams from the other division each year for a total of eight league contests. The Yankee Conference originally developed from the New England College Conference of Intercollegiate Athletics. When Northeastern University offered its resignation from that group, the Land Grant institutions appointed a committee to form a new league. On December 8, 1945, that committee recommended an athletic conference formed by the six New England Land Grant colleges, namely; the University of Connecticut, University of Maine, Massachusetts State College (now the University of Massachusetts), Rhode Island State College (now the University of Rhode Island), the University of New Hampshire and the University of Vermont. On August 24, 1946, representatives from the schools met. A preamble and code of the 75 Yankee Conference were adopted, and became effective on December 3, The first league championships were conducted in the season. In 1978, with the creation by the NCAA of Division I-AA Football, the Yankee Conference disbanded in all sports with the exception of football. Vermont, which had dropped football in 1974, dropped out of the league. As a result, the Yankee Conference, after already adding Boston University in 1973, was six members strong. In 1984, the University of Delaware and University of Richmond joined the league, and became eligible for the league title in 1986, while the Villanova University Wildcats came on board in They became eligible for the league title in The Yankee Conference was one of the original conferences to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs in Since the birth of NCAA Division I-AA, Boston University went to the playoffs five times (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1994); Rhode Island three times (1981, 1984, 1985); Massachusetts three times (1978, 1988, 1990); Delaware six times (1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996); Villanova four times (1989, 1991, 1992, 1996); Maine twice (1987, 1989); New Hampshire twice (1991, 1994); James Madison twice (1994, 1995), William & Mary twice ( ) and Richmond (1987) once. Villanova claimed a share of the Yankee Conference championship in 1989 and 1991.

10 CONFERENCES V I L L A N O V A F O O T B A L L Yankee conference Champions Year Champion(s) 1996 William & Mary 1995 Rhode Island, Delaware 1994 James Madison, New Hampshire 1993 Boston University, William & Mary 1992 Delaware 1991 VILLANOVA, Delaware 1989 VILLANOVA, Connecticut, Maine 1988 Delaware, Massachusetts 1987 Richmond, Maine 1986 Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts 1985 Rhode Island 1984 Rhode Island, Boston Univ Boston Univ., Connecticut 1982 Massachusetts, Boston Univ Rhode Island, Massachusetts 1980 Boston University 1979 Massachusetts 1978 Massachusetts 1977 Massachusetts 1976 New Hampshire 1975 New Hampshire 1974 Maine, Massachusetts 1973 Connecticut 1972 Massachusetts 1971 Connecticut, Massachusetts Year Champion(s) 1970 Connecticut 1969 Massachusetts 1968 Connecticut, New Hampshire 1967 Massachusetts 1966 Massachusetts 1965 Maine 1964 Massachusetts 1963 Massachusetts 1962 New Hampshire 1961 Massachusetts 1960 Connecticut 1959 Connecticut 1958 Connecticut, New Hampshire 1957 Connecticut, Rhode Island 1956 Connecticut 1955 Rhode Island 1954 New Hampshire 1953 New Hampshire, Rhode Island 1952 Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire 1951 Maine 1950 New Hampshire 1949 Connecticut, Maine 1948 New Hampshire 1947 New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine 50th anniversary Team The Yankee Conference 50th Anniversary All-Time Team was selected by a vote of current and former directors of athletics, head coaches, sports information directors and members of the media. QB Greg Landry (UMass, 65-67) RB Rene Ingoglia (UMass, 92-95) RB Paul Lewis (Boston U., 81-84) WR Bill Brooks (Boston U., 82-85) WR Mark Didio (UConn, 88-91) TE Brian Forster (URI, 83-87) OL Bill Durkin (UMass, 90-93) OL Scott Hough (Maine, 86-89) OL Bruce Kimball (UMass, 75-78) OL Bob Speight (Boston U., 78-87) OL Jeffrey Williams (URI, 73-76) PK John Coursey (JMU, 93-96) RS Barry Bourassa (UNH, 89-92) DL Brian Corcoran (UMass, 91-94) DL Mike Foley (UNH, 92-95) DL Steve Furness (URI, 69-71) DL Ed McAleney (UMass, 72-75) LB Steve Doig (UNH, 78-81) LB Curtis Eller (Villanova, 89-92) LB Eric Johnson (UR, 89-92) LB Dwayne Sabb (UNH, 88-91) DB Chris Helon (Boston U., 91-94) DB Brian Jordan (UR, 86-88) DB Mark Seals (Boston U., 85-88) DB Kevin Smith (URI, 87-90) P Gene Vadas (Delaware, 88-91) 76