Atlantic 10 Week 4 Preview

[JMU Duke Dog]

Standings
North Division
Rhode Island (1-0, 3-0)
New Hampshire (1-0, 2-0)
Massachusetts (1-0, 2-1)
Hofstra (0-0, 2-0)
Maine (0-1, 1-2)
Northeastern (0-1, 0-3)
South Division
Villanova (1-0, 1-1)
Richmond (1-1, 1-2)
Delaware (0-0, 2-0)
James Madison (0-0, 2-1)
Towson (0-1, 2-1)
William & Mary (0-1, 1-2)

Schedule
Dartmouth at #2 New Hampshire 12:00
Towson at Northeastern 12:30
Liberty at #16 William & Mary 1:00
#17 Hofstra at #9 Furman 2:00
#25 Rhode Island at #24 Massacushetts 6:00
Penn vs. Villanova 7:00 (at Franklin Field in Philadelphia)
Holy Cross at #6 Delaware 7:00
Richmond at Vanderbilt 7:00
Off This Week: #7 James Madison, Maine

[LetsGoNova]

Villanova plays Penn at Franklin Field on Saturday night.

[JMU Duke Dog]

Villanova plays Penn at Franklin Field on Saturday night.

Sorry about that mistake. I got my information from the A10 website, and they apparently forgot to post that game. http://www.atlantic10.org/sports/football/schedule.asp

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Villanova plays Penn at Franklin Field on Saturday night.

Really? Hmm, maybe if nothings going on Saturday i'll go to the game since Lehigh's down at VMI. My friends might call me a loser for going to a 1-AA game by myself on a Saturday night :rolleyes: . Not that i'd really care though, the bar will still be open after the game :nod:

[DTSpider]

A trip down to VMI would be worth your while. It is my favorite place to catch a game. Real spirit from the stands and a great drive out there as well.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

A trip down to VMI would be worth your while. It is my favorite place to catch a game. Real spirit from the stands and a great drive out there as well.

Yeah i've been in Lexington once, stopped there to grab something to eat after a NASCAR race in Martinsville. The drive down is awesome in mid to late October when the leaves are at their peak in that part of Virginia. I would love to go down to the game but given my college student budget and Lehigh-Harvard next week up in Boston i might have to cut my losses. Driving 6+ hours to see a game that could be over by halftime is also cutting into my ambition level to make the trip.

[TigerFan17]

We are totally better than W&M!

[JMU Duke Dog]

This weekend shall be interesting to watch what happens in the A10 as there will be two games featuring matchups of top 25 teams. One can never predict too accurately what will occur on any given Saturday but here are my projected winners marked in bold.

Dartmouth at #2 New Hampshire
Towson at Northeastern
Liberty at #16 William & Mary
#17 Hofstra at #9 Furman
#25 Rhode Island at #24 Massacushetts
Penn vs. Villanova 7:00 (at Franklin Field in Philadelphia)
Holy Cross at #6 Delaware

[umassfan]

This weekend shall be interesting to watch what happens in the A10 as there will be two games featuring matchups of top 25 teams. One can never predict too accurately what will occur on any given Saturday but here are my projected winners marked in bold.

Dartmouth at #2 New Hampshire
Towson at Northeastern
Liberty at #16 William & Mary
#17 Hofstra at #9 Furman
#25 Rhode Island at #24 Massacushetts
Penn vs. Villanova 7:00 (at Franklin Field in Philadelphia)
Holy Cross at #6 Delaware
UMass has won six straight games vs. Rhode Island at McGuirk, last falling in 1991, 17-14 .

[blur2005]

UMass has won six straight games vs. Rhode Island at McGuirk, last falling in 1991, 17-14 .
Even more reason to think URI's skid could end.

[blur2005]

I'm gonna make my picks:

Dartmouth at #2 New Hampshire 12:00
Towson at Northeastern 12:30 (Upset special)
Liberty at #16 William & Mary 1:00
#17 Hofstra at #9 Furman 2:00 (I will be cheering hard for Hofstra, of course)
#25 Rhode Island at #24 Massacushetts 6:00
Penn vs. Villanova 7:00 (at Franklin Field in Philadelphia)
Holy Cross at #6 Delaware 7:00
Richmond at Vanderbilt 7:00

[umassfan]

Even more reason to think URI's skid could end.
I love it... the more you sleep on the minutemen the more we will shock you. At least Matt has it right in his predictions :)

[wild4nova]

Penn vs. Villanova 7:00 (at Franklin Field in Philadelphia)


Should Nova win their "home" game at Penn's Franklin Field, with a rookie QB, no less, I would hope they'd get some top 25 consideration from the AGS and SportsNetwork voters. According to Sagarin ratings, Nova is #21 in 1aa and UPenn is #4.
I'm beginning to understand how the New Orleans Saints fans must have felt about their last "home" game at GIANTS stadium! ;)

[bkrownd]

I love it... the more you sleep on the minutemen the more we will shock you. At least Matt has it right in his predictions :)

When's the last time you ever looked forward to a Rhody game, eh? I am liking it. Too bad I'll be out in a wilderness preserve helping repair fences and roads during the game...that is if Hurricane Jova don't wash us away.

[saint0917]

Even more reason to think URI's skid could end.

Or continue :D

[Sam Adams]

URI UMASS should be a great game. I'm psyched for this one !!! Fire up the Grill, Ice the beers and lets party !!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[saint0917]

URI UMASS should be a great game. I'm psyched for this one !!! Fire up the Grill, Ice the beers and lets party !!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Your right, It should be a real good game, A good Running O, against a good running D.

[89Hen]

OK, last week I was 5-3 missing the URI and Richmond 'upsets' and thinking NU could actually win away from Parsons.

This week has a couple tough games...

Dartmouth at #2 New Hampshire - OK, maybe this one isn't tough... UNH in a yawner.

Towson at Northeastern - I want TU to win an A10 game, but not at Parsons... NU defends their house.

Liberty at #16 William & Mary - Tribe will be pissed about last week and take it out on Jerry's kids... W&M big.

#17 Hofstra at #9 Furman - Great OOC match-up. Hofstra has looked good, but they looked good last year against Albany and Stony... FU bests HU in a close one.

#25 Rhode Island at #24 Massacushetts - Good rushing team meets a good rushing D. Last year the Rams win at home, this year... UMass eeks it out at home.

Penn vs. Villanova - All the makings of a great game at a great stadium, but will they draw 5K?.... Nova in a boring game.

Holy Cross at #6 Delaware - HC takes UD to the wire leading late, but... Hens prevail on a Zach Hobby FG.

Richmond at Vanderbilt - Vandy 3-0?! Guess what.... Vandy 4-0!

[89Hen]

UMass has won six straight games vs. Rhode Island at McGuirk, last falling in 1991, 17-14 .
Nice to know that the next time the Hens visit McGuirk you will just give them the game. After all they are 10-2 there. :p

[89Hen]

A good Running O, against a good running D.
Hey you thunder stealer! :p

[GannonFan]

Penn vs. Villanova - All the makings of a great game at a great stadium, but will they draw 5K?.... Nova in a boring game.


Not to ever defend anything nova, but in all fairness last year's game between these two played at the same venue drew 16k - I think they'll do a bit over 5k this year. Oh yeah, nova sucks!

[saint0917]

Hey you thunder stealer! :p


;) :D

[89Hen]

in all fairness last year's game between these two played at the same venue drew 16k - I think they'll do a bit over 5k this year.
Still weak IMO for an inter-city match-up. Penn vs Harvard had 15k at Franklin.

[saint0917]

I'll be real disappointed if Umass doesn't draw 17,000+ the weather is going to be real nice. Last week I think the Thunder and Lightning scared some people away. But I've never been happy with the Umass fan base, we have over 22,000+ kids on Campus, all high school games are on a friday night so there's no reason why the surrounding community can't come to these games. :( I have to say I'm jealous of teams like Delaware and Montana who fill their stadiums no matter who you play.

[TigerFan17]

Dartmouth at #2 New Hampshire 12:00
Towson at Northeastern 12:30 :(
Liberty at #16 William & Mary 1:00
#17 Hofstra at #9 Furman 2:00
#25 Rhode Island at #24 Massacushetts 6:00
Penn vs. Villanova 7:00
Holy Cross at #6 Delaware 7:00
Richmond at Vanderbilt 7:00

I just can't pick my TU boys to win. They haven't shown me they can win at this level. :o

[89Hen]

Delaware and Montana who fill their stadiums no matter who you play.
I don't know, I heard there were still about 50 tickets for the Holy Cross game on Saturday. :p

[saint0917]

I don't know, I heard there were still about 50 tickets for the Holy Cross game on Saturday. :p


Make that 49, I'll buy one ticket just to see what a FULL stadium looks like. ;)

[89Hen]

Make that 49, I'll buy one ticket just to see what a FULL stadium looks like. ;)
Maine will most likely be the only non-sellout the Hens play to this year. Next week is Towson; it's their homecoming and it's only 45 minutes from Newark. I expect W&M to sell out too and of course Villanova will be sold out with Hens fans. C'mon Black Bear fans, buy them tickets up.

[Ram Ball]

GO RHODY!!!!
.......road trip!!!!

[blur2005]

I love it... the more you sleep on the minutemen the more we will shock you. At least Matt has it right in his predictions :)
Look...I'm not sleeping on the Minutemen. They still have a spot in my top 25, genius. I'm just saying that I feel Rhode Island is a valid sleeper this year in the A-10, and will do well. How well, I'm not sure, but maybe 7-4. Could be better than that. Get back to me, though, when you don't lose at Colgate when they have like 1200 fans in the stands. Can't think of a weaker opponent's atmosphere to play in. If you win that game, as you should've, UMass would be higher than JMU in my poll, this is certain. We at least lost in a hostile environment, against a team that is probably better than Colgate, though we don't know that for sure.

[89Hen]

Look...I'm not sleeping on the Minutemen. They still have a spot in my top 25, genius. I'm just saying that I feel Rhode Island is a valid sleeper this year in the A-10, and will do well.
Don't sweat it blur, if you say anything that can be at all construed as not shedding the biggest, brightest light on UMass, fan will be all over you. If you say JMU has one of the best parking lots in the A10 you'll get, "yeah but you're forgetting who has the best parking lot in all of I-AA... UMass". :cool:

[saint0917]

If you say JMU has one of the best parking lots in the A10 you'll get, "yeah but you're forgetting who has the best parking lot in all of I-AA... UMass". :cool:

You mean we don't? :D

[bkrownd]

I'll be real disappointed if Umass doesn't draw 17,000+ the weather is going to be real nice.

Has that ever happened in recent memory? (Like since the last time BC came to Amherst) They used to have to cheat and count the 2000 high school band members in the halftime show to make it to 15000 on Band Day.

[GannonFan]

Has that ever happened in recent memory? (Like since the last time BC came to Amherst) They used to have to cheat and count the 2000 high school band members in the halftime show to make it to 15000 on Band Day.

Gotta agree with the skepticism - since 2001 UMass has had 7 crowds over 10k (8 actually counting this years game against Albany which was just over 10k), and only 1 crowd over 12k, and even that crowd wasn't over 17k. Is there any reason to say that this game will have more than 17k?

[bkrownd]

Is there any reason to say that this game will have more than 17k?

It would take a much larger PR/hype campaign than they've tried before. (Fireworks displays are a good idea - gets people's attention, and kids love 'em.) Football isn't high on most people's agendas on a beautiful autumn Saturday in the Pioneer Valley.

[umassfan]

It would take a much larger PR/hype campaign than they've tried before. (Fireworks displays are a good idea - gets people's attention, and kids love 'em.) Football isn't high on most people's agendas on a beautiful autumn Saturday in the Pioneer Valley.
But its a night game with band day and fireworks... there are alot of reasons to go to this game on top of two top 25 teams going up against each other.

[saint0917]

Has that ever happened in recent memory? (Like since the last time BC came to Amherst) They used to have to cheat and count the 2000 high school band members in the halftime show to make it to 15000 on Band Day.

Umass had 16,405 at last years game against Colgate, The record is 20,000 set in 1972 against B.C. With Band day, and the 12 mascots at the game this saturday it should be a large crowd, even if it wasn't Band day saturday it would still be a large crowd.

[89Hen]

OK, last week I was 5-3 missing the URI and Richmond 'upsets' and thinking NU could actually win away from Parsons.

This week has a couple tough games...

Dartmouth at #2 New Hampshire - OK, maybe this one isn't tough... UNH in a yawner.

Towson at Northeastern - I want TU to win an A10 game, but not at Parsons... NU defends their house.

Liberty at #16 William & Mary - Tribe will be pissed about last week and take it out on Jerry's kids... W&M big.

#17 Hofstra at #9 Furman - Great OOC match-up. Hofstra has looked good, but they looked good last year against Albany and Stony... FU bests HU in a close one.

#25 Rhode Island at #24 Massacushetts - Good rushing team meets a good rushing D. Last year the Rams win at home, this year... UMass eeks it out at home.

Penn vs. Villanova - All the makings of a great game at a great stadium, but will they draw 5K?.... Nova in a boring game.

Holy Cross at #6 Delaware - HC takes UD to the wire leading late, but... Hens prevail on a Zach Hobby FG.

Richmond at Vanderbilt - Vandy 3-0?! Guess what.... Vandy 4-0!

Let me dislocate my shoulder patting myself on the back for these predictions. 7-0 and a couple on the money. You paying attention JohnStOnge?!

[blukeys]

Let me dislocate my shoulder patting myself on the back for these predictions. 7-0 and a couple on the money. You paying attention JohnStOnge?!

Way to go 89. There are always Physical Therapists for the shoulder problem so you will get over it. For the record Umass has a really great parking lot no matter what Umassfan says. :rolleyes: Personally I think it is one of the great all time parking lots in all of college football and not just I-AA. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I met a girl in that parking lot in '85 who really showed me all the scenery of Western Mass. from Pittsfield to Amherst. If you know what I mean. ;) ;)
Give JSO the week off. He has the hurricane excuse till Wednesday. ;) ;)

[89Hen]

There are always Physical Therapists for the shoulder problem so you will get over it.
I'm gonna need it...


HU will have to just plain outscore FU to win this one IMO. 45-42 ish.

Damn I was on this week. Yeah, HU didn't win, but check out that score!

[charliej]

Let me dislocate my shoulder patting myself on the back for these predictions. 7-0 and a couple on the money. You paying attention JohnStOnge?!


I don't know Hen,you did pick Nova over Penn in a boring game..... :p

[wild4nova]

I don't know Hen,you did pick Nova over Penn in a boring game..... :p


Not only that, but he asked the question, "will they even draw 5,000?" There was nearly FIVE TIMES that many in attendance. (23,257 officially, about 1200 more than the UD-HC game). ;)

[ChickenMan]

Not only that, but he asked the question, "will they even draw 5,000?" There was nearly FIVE TIMES that many in attendance. (23,257 officially, about 1200 more than the UD-HC game). ;)

I hope you Nova guys thanked all those Penn fans for inflating your 'home' game attendence figures... :p

[wild4nova]

I hope you Nova guys thanked all those Penn fans for inflating your 'home' game attendence figures... :p

I love how you guys always have to take shots at Nova's attendance figures. You want to make comparisons, but fail to take the relative size of schools into account (Nova has less than 6,000 undergrads). That said, we've been getting 10,000 into our 12,000 seat stadium on a pretty regular basis. Penn's been averaging about 12,000 per game, so I think the 23,000+ was a pretty evenly split crowd.

[89Hen]

I don't know Hen,you did pick Nova over Penn in a boring game..... :p
It was boring to me.

[charliej]

It was boring to me.


Must be that "Ice water in duh veins" that Mr Chicken is always bawkin about ;)

Me?,I had to change my pants in the parking lot before the ride home. :nod: :D

[89Hen]

Must be that "Ice water in duh veins" that Mr Chicken is always bawkin about
Nah, just boring because I didn't see the in-game score, just the final, which is about what I expected as a margin with VU winning. After hearing about it, I wish I did catch it.

[bkrownd]

Umass had 16,405 at last years game against Colgate, The record is 20,000 set in 1972 against B.C. With Band day, and the 12 mascots at the game this saturday it should be a large crowd, even if it wasn't Band day saturday it would still be a large crowd.

Saturday's 15,xxx was a pretty respectable attendance for McGuirk. I wonder if it meets the athletic department's expectations enough to continue the night games next season?

I spent Saturday in the rainforest up high above Na'alehu, just above Kaiholena hill, helping to clear an old plantation road for the Nature Conservancy. (Fun with machetes!) Between that and coming home to read about Minuteman and Goopher wins, it was a pretty good day. :D

[saint0917]

Saturday's 15,xxx was a pretty respectable attendance for McGuirk. I wonder if it meets the athletic department's expectations enough to continue the night games next season?

I spent Saturday in the rainforest up high above Na'alehu, just above Kaiholena hill, helping to clear an old plantation road for the Nature Conservancy. (Fun with machetes!) Between that and coming home to read about Minuteman and Goopher wins, it was a pretty good day. :D

I was hoping for more, but 15,000+ is O.K. I think they will continue the night games. From what I've been told they need to sell 7,000 tickets to pay for the lights, and they have passed that amount every time. I for one like the night games. But what I don't like is when the sun went down behind the stadium it got pretty darn cold.