CAA Preseason Poll and All-Conference Team

[smallcollegefbfan]

2012 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Position Name Year Height Weight School
Running Back Terrance West Sophomore 5‐11 223 Towson

2012 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Position Name Year Height Weight School
Linebacker Matt Evans Senior 6‐0 226 New Hampshire

2012 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL‐CONFERENCE TEAM

OFFENSE
Position Name Year Height Weight School
Quarterback Taylor Heinicke Sophomore 6‐1 190 Old Dominion
Running Back Andrew Pierce Junior 5‐11 200 Delaware
Running Back Terrance West Sophomore 5‐11 223 Towson
Fullback Brian Barlow Senior 6‐3 260 James Madison
Wide Receiver Nick Mayers Senior 5‐7 175 Old Dominion
Wide Receiver Maurice McDonald Senior 6‐0 180 Maine
Wide Receiver Nihja White Senior 6‐2 205 Delaware
Tight End Justin Perillo Junior 6‐4 250 Maine
Offensive Line Ricky Archer Junior 6‐2 278 New Hampshire
Offensive Line Chris Howley Senior 6‐3 285 Maine
Offensive Line Dan Shirey Senior 6‐2 280 Villanova
Offensive Line Josh Spearin Senior 6‐4 290 Maine
Offensive Line Earl Watford Senior 6‐4 290 James Madison

DEFENSE
Position Name Year Height Weight School
Defensive Line Frank Beltre Senior 6‐3 250 Towson
Defensive Line Chris Burnette Senior 6‐4 290 Old Dominion
Defensive Line Michael Cole Junior 6‐2 250 Maine
Defensive Line Antoine Lewis Junior 6‐3 275 Villanova
Linebacker Matt Evans Senior 6‐0 226 New Hampshire
Linebacker Darius McMillan Senior 5‐11 210 Richmond
Linebacker Stephon Robertson Junior 5‐11 215 James Madison
Linebacker Craig Wilkins Senior 6‐2 230 Old Dominion
Linebacker Paul Worrilow Senior 6‐0 230 Delaware
Safety Jordan Dangerfield Senior 5‐11 200 Towson
Safety Brian Thompson Senior 5‐11 215 William and Mary
Cornerback Travis Hawkins Junior 5‐10 195 Delaware
Cornerback B.W. Webb Senior 5‐11 180 William and Mary

SPECIAL TEAMS
Position Name Year Height Weight School
Return Specialist Dae'Quan Scott Junior 5‐9 190 James Madison
Placekicker Sean Baner Junior 6‐1 195 Delaware
Punter Jonathan Plisco Senior 6‐0 210 Old Dominion

2012 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH (first-place votes)
1. Towson (12)
2. Old Dominion (7)
3. James Madison (1)
4. New Hampshire (2)
5. Delaware
6. Maine
7. William and Mary
8. Villanova
9. Richmond
10. Rhode Island
11. Georgia State

[MaineFan]

Maine disrespected yet again....9-4 season and many returning players and picked 6th? The conference is deep as always, but Maine should have been picked at worse #4. Again though I guess its just preseason. I think picking Towson #1 was the right choice. Id have JMU #2.

[GlassOnion]

Maine disrespected yet again....9-4 season and many returning players and picked 6th? The conference is deep as always, but Maine should have been picked at worse #4. Again though I guess its just preseason. I think picking Towson #1 was the right choice. Id have JMU #2.

Exactly. There are not 5 better teams in the CAA better than Maine.

[HailSzczur]

My thoughts:

1. Maine is far too low. I'd have them in my top 3. What are they going to have to do to prove they are legit? If a playoff win at the Rock doesn't convince you what will?

2. #8 is probably pretty good for us. It is very possible we could surprise a few people and crack the top half of the conference. It's also just as possible that we finish 2nd to last again. Very safe position for us

3. I was a little surprised to see 2 Nova players not on the list. LB Dillion Lucas I guess I'm okay with because he's only a Soph, and the list is comprised of all JR and SR it appears. However Norman White really slipped through the cracks. Norman was Pre-season All America 1st Team last year, only to take a medical redshirt for a broken foot. It's not like there's a question of whether or not he's healthy, he was ready to go for the last few games, he just decided to wait it out. And you can't argue that QB issues are holding him back, the QB situation going into this season is much more solidified than last season.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Maine disrespected yet again....9-4 season and many returning players and picked 6th? The conference is deep as always, but Maine should have been picked at worse #4. Again though I guess its just preseason. I think picking Towson #1 was the right choice. Id have JMU #2.

Towson may have some talent, but there is no way they end up ranked #1 at the end of the season. Their schedule this year is sadistically brutal, and most of the predictions for their success are based on West, who while solid, might not be the superstar that some make him out to be.

ODU's hopes and dreams rest on Heinicke, who had a breakout season last year, so we'll see if he can repeat.

I'd rank Maine higher than they are, but pre-season rankings rarely reflect the reality of the season in the CAA.

[LeadBolt]

One of the great things about playing in the CAA is the quality of the league from top to bottom, which leads to no team being dominant. I honestly think things could fall in place, or fall apart for any of the teams, well except for the boys from down my way.

W&M at 7 is a solid pick based upon last year. If they solidify at WR and QB with a good pitch and catch combo, the rest of the team is solid, barring injury and will surprise a lot of people, if they don't they will be 7 or less. Much the same can be said about the other teams.

VU is picked 8, and will probably finish low, but had a great recruiting class that will be in their 2nd year and could gel and really go places under Talley's leadership.

TU is picked to finish 1st, but has a brutal schedule. Will West stay healthy and be as dominant the second time around or have a sophomore slump?

ODU is solid, but the same question could be asked of Heineke as is asked of West. Are they looking ahead to FBS or is their head still in FCS?

Will JMU finally overcome the injury/suspension problems of the last few years and live up to their potential? We all know that the Dukes can go all the way.

Does anyone really think Maine is the league's 6th best team? Cosgrove is a real wildcard as a coach, sometimes brilliant and sometimes less so, but they have talent and history.

UNH appears to be poised for a breakout year. WIll they get over the hump and dominate in 2012 or merely be a playoff team?

Delaware is Delaware. They should never be counted out. They have Keeler and talent.

URI has been steadily improving. They have something to prove this year, whether it is going out with a bang or announcing to the world that they belong to stay in the league.

Richmond appears to be re-building, but then again no one expected them to have a lot in 2008 either.

All in all, this is why playing in the CAA is such a great thing. Games are rarely blowouts, the outcome does not always go according to script, and the quality of the players and coaching is at the top level of FCS, but with only 63 scholarships, the fortunes of a team can change with only one or two injuries, disappointing seasons or break out years by key players.

Are you ready for some football?

[UNH Fanboi]

Towson may have some talent, but there is no way they end up ranked #1 at the end of the season. Their schedule this year is sadistically brutal, and most of the predictions for their success are based on West, who while solid, might not be the superstar that some make him out to be.

ODU's hopes and dreams rest on Heinicke, who had a breakout season last year, so we'll see if he can repeat.

I'd rank Maine higher than they are, but pre-season rankings rarely reflect the reality of the season in the CAA.

Terrance West is the real deal, and Towson has plenty of other talent. Also, Towson's extra FBS game has no bearing on their finish in the CAA.

[ccd494]

One thing I think we can all agree on, despite our many differences both philosophical and athletic, is that NO ONE should lose to Georgia State.

[bluehenbillk]

I think the poll is generally OK.

I would've had:

1-2 ODU/JMU (pick the order)
3 Towson (I think they'll be lower than this in reality but where I'd slot them preseason)
4-6 UNH/UD/Maine (pick the order)
7 W&M - they got this right
8/9 - URI/VU (pick the order)
10- UR - I have them as improved this year, well they went winless in league last year....
11- GSU

[BlueHenSinfonian]

One thing I think we can all agree on, despite our many differences both philosophical and athletic, is that NO ONE should lose to Georgia State.

Hear, hear. To Georgia State, the future Valpo of the FBS.