This week, there are another 5 CAA teams against FBS teams and one conference matchup. Albany, Delaware, James Madison, and Rhode Island take the week off.
Author: Jamie Williams
Jamie is a proud 2002 graduate of James Madison University. He's witnessed the growth of the program from no one in the stands in 1998, to the hiring of Mickey Matthews, to the 2004 National Championship, to the 2008 team, to the struggles in the early 2010s, and finally the rebuild under Mike Houston. He also allegedly really enjoys Washington, DC-based Stanley Cup winners. Reach him at:
Southern Conference Week 4 Preview
This week’s schedule brings three conference matchups and one out of conference game. Chattanooga and The Citadel both have this week off before eight straight weeks of conference play.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 3
It was week with not a lot of excitement from an upset stand point in the FCS this week. Because of that, there are just small moves here and there in the top 25.
Southern Conference Week 3 Preview
Week three will see our first conference game of the season and six more out of conference matchups with Mercer taking a bye week this weekend.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 3 Preview
Coming up this weekend for the CAA is a big conference matchup and a huge out of conference matchup. All 12 teams are in action with a third of the conference playing FBS opponents.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 2
There were two more FCS over FBS wins this past weekend as Jacksonville State and Duquesne were able to beat FBS foes.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 2 Preview
All 12 teams are in action this week with three conference matchups.
Southern Conference Week 2 Preview
Week two brings eight more non-conference games, with Wofford taking an early bye. Three teams play FBS schools, and one plays a DII opponent.
College Sports Journal Top 25 – Week 1 Ending 9/7/2021
We finally got to stop talking about football and start watching it.
Colonial Athletic Association Week 1 Preview
CAA football is back in the fall! After a postponement of last falls’ schedule to the spring, a semi normal season returns this year.
Southern Conference Week 1 Preview
We are back! Back for a full fall schedule of football.
2021 Southern Conference Season Preview
How performance during the spring season will translate to the fall is completely unknown. The FCS has never had a season like the previous one.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Chattanooga
Their best offensive player, Aylim Ford did not play at all in the spring but should be ready for the fall. Altogether, this should be the team to beat in the Southern Conference
2021 FCS Season Preview: VMI
VMI was the surprise of the spring season. Now the key is: can they back it up?
2021 FCS Season Preview: Wofford
In the Spring, Wofford tried to incorporate more passing into their offensive game plan. The result was a 70 yard per game drop in rushing offense, but only a 20 yard per game bump in the pass game.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Samford
The quarterback battle for Samford was simplified over the summer when Chris Oladokun transferred to South Dakota State. That meant the job was guaranteed to Liam Welch, not that it already wasn’t.
2021 FCS Season Preview: East Tennessee State
The Buccaneers will be a factor in the SoCon title race this year.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Mercer
Going in to their last game against Samford, the Bears had an outside chance to win the Southern Conference if a couple games broke their way. Mercer wound up losing that game, but it gives them hope that they can take the next step this year.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Furman
There were big expectations for the Paladins coming into the spring but they did not live up to them. Furman wound up 3-4 and was never a factor in the conference race.
2021 FCS Season Preview: The Citadel
The Citadel was expecting to make a little jump and be a playoff contender in 2020 after hovering around .500, but the emergence of COVID made for a long fall and spring season, where they played a grand total of 11 games. The Citadel really struggled through their season. But they never quit and played their entire schedule.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Western Carolina
The high level stats show the struggles that Western Carolina has endured. The last three seasons they have allowed 38, 39 and 41 points per game on average while going from 30 scored per game in 2018 to 19 to 18 over the last two seasons.
2021 Colonial Athletic Association Season Preview
The CAA should be strong again in the fall with several teams looking for playoff berths.
2021 FCS Season Preview: James Madison
The Dukes return to action in the fall with a Frisco or Bust mentality. They are loaded throughout the entire lineup and have Cole Johnson returning to be the starting quarterback.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Delaware
This spring, it all came together for the Blue Hens and they went unbeaten in the regular season and won two playoff games before falling in the semifinals to South Dakota State.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Villanova
Villanova has, in recent memory, battled two things: the injury bug and the ill-timed loss. They always have the talent to be one of the top teams in the CAA and FCS, but injuries derail them or they lose to a team they shouldn’t. They’ll need to avoid that this fall.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Richmond
Richmond was down for the last few seasons after the graduation of Kyle Lauletta. But if the spring is any indication, with a strong defense and capable quarterback, the Spiders should contend for a playoff berth all season.
2021 FCS Season Preview: New Hampshire
To lose at home is rare for the Wildcats. They’ve only lost seven total games on their home turf since 2015. That’s an advantage they will look to regain this year. They have two of the teams projected to finish above them in the standings – James Madison and Richmond – at home this year.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Maine
Maine was an uneven 2-2 in the spring but enter the fall season with hopes of returning to the playoffs.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Towson
Towson opted out of the spring season. When we last saw them, Towson had a high flying offense and an improving defense.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Albany
Albany struggled to a 1-3 record in the spring, but that doesn’t really tell the story of what kind of team they have.
2021 FCS Season Preview: William and Mary
William & Mary only played three games in the spring. But what we were able to see from Hollis Mathis showed a lot of potential for growth as we head into the fall.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Elon
Elon had a dreadful spring season going 1-5 with the lone win coming against non-scholarship Davidson by three points. To be fair, the Phoenix were riddled with injuries for the spring and never really had a chance.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Stony Brook
Stony Brook went 1-3 in the spring season before pulling the plug and cancelling their last two games. It was good for the Seawolves to get their players live reps.
2021 FCS Season Preview: Rhode Island
The Rams went 2-1 last spring with overtime road victories against Villanova and UAlbany before having its season cut short by COVID. The glimpse we got of the Rams before the shutdown showed a lot of potential for the fall season.
College Sports Journal Preseason FCS Top 25
The College Sports Journal staff has compiled the College Sports Journal’s Preseason Top 25.
A Look at the Top Ten Programs of the Last Decade of FCS Football
I thought it would be interesting to look back through FCS history to figure out the top teams of the last decade.
2021 Spring FCS Semifinals: James Madison at Sam Houston
With a matchup between two of the top teams in the FCS over the last decade, College Sports Journal went to its two writers who have covered these two teams closely all season.
Spring 2021 FCS Quarterfinal Playoff Preview: North Dakota at James Madison
These two teams both play a similar style. Both like to run the ball on offense to set up the pass.
Spring 2021 FCS Round 1 Playoff Preview: Sacred Heart vs. Delaware
This first round game features the champions of the NEC, Sacred Heart against the champions of the CAA, Delaware.
Spring 2021 FCS Round 1 Playoff Preview: Virginia Military Institute vs James Madison
This game features two teams at opposite ends of the historical FCS spectrum.
Jamie Williams’ FCS Legacy Awards Ballot
This season, I had the honor to be included by Craig Haley as one of the 40 voters in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 for the Spring. Along with the Top 25 vote comes the opportunity to vote for the FCS Legacy Awards: Walter Payton, Buck Buchanan, Eddie Robinson and Jerry Rice.
College Sports Journal Spring Top 25, Week of 4/11/2021
It was again calm at the top and crazy in the middle of the top 25 from last week. Selection Sunday is this weekend. The playoff field will be set and it will be time for the post season.
CAA Preview Week of 4/10/2021: Delaware at Delaware State
This week there is only one CAA team playing. The league has four teams vying for most likely two but potentially three playoff spots depending on what happens around the country.
College Sports Journal SoCon Preview Week of 4/10/2021
Before looking at the games this week, lets look at the playoff picture from a Southern Conference standpoint.
College Sports Journal Spring Top 25 Week of 4/6/2021
It was pretty calm at the top of the Top 25 last week. Most teams didn’t play. But the middle, throw it in a blender. We have two weeks left before selection Sunday.
College Sports Journal SoCon Preview Week of 4/3/2021
VMI is now in the drivers seat for the Southern Conference title. With a win this week against East Tennessee State, they would clinch that berth – and avoid a boatload of potential tiebreaker headaches for the SoCon League office in terms of autobid determination.
College Sports Journal CAA Preview Week of 4/3/2021
James Madison/Richmond was postponed this week “due to CoVID protocols at Richmond”, according to James Madision’s official release, and Delaware/Albany was cancelled due to Albany suspending their spring season due to a very large number of injuries. This leaves two games on the CAA schedule this weekend.
College Sports Journal Spring Top 25, Week of 3/28/2021
Another week, another round of upsets in the FCS. Jacksonville State and Chattanooga were both top 10 teams last week. Both lost. We nearly had a second straight week where our number one team lost, but Weber State got a 50 yard hail mary on the last play of the game to preserve the win. VMI has moved within one win of the Southern Conference title. Our eyes will be on them this weekend.
College Sports Journal Southern Conference Football Preview Week of 3/27/2021
The race for the SoCon title looks to be down to three teams, Chattanooga, VMI and East Tennessee State. ETSU only has one loss and still plays both of the unbeatens. As of now, VMI and Chattanooga do not play.
College Sports Journal CAA Preview Week of 3/28/2021
James Madison returns to action after a two week pause of their own, while a huge clash looms between Delaware and Rhode Island for first place in the CAA North.
