By Tiffany Williams –
Week 1 of the college football season provided an early look at where teams stand, where questions remain and which programs wasted little time making an impression.
Across the CAA landscape, opening weekend featured everything from games decided in the final minutes to dominant defensive performances and high-scoring offensive battles. Maine survived a second-half comeback by Towson, Stony Brook nearly erased an 18-point deficit against Delaware State, UAlbany controlled New Hampshire on the ground, and Campbell needed a late response to finally put away ETSU.
Elsewhere, Rhode Island capitalized on Merrimack’s mistakes, Hampton overwhelmed Virginia-Lynchburg, Morgan State rallied in the fourth quarter against North Carolina A&T, Bryant pulled away from Stonehill, and Monmouth couldn’t keep pace with Tennessee Tech.
It was only Week 1, but there was already plenty to take away from the opening weekend.
Maine survives Towson’s second-half comeback
Maine appeared to be on its way to a comfortable opening-night victory after building a 21-0 advantage over Towson.
Instead, the Black Bears needed their defense to preserve a 21-18 win.
Maine scored all 21 of its points during the second quarter. Eddie Buehler threw touchdown passes to Malik McNeely and Nick Laughlin, while Rashawn Marshall broke loose for a 32-yard touchdown run.
Towson began changing the direction of the game just before halftime.
Andrew Indorf connected with Cleveland Charlton for 56 yards before finding Aaron Enterline for a four-yard touchdown. Enterline converted the two-point attempt, sending Towson into halftime trailing 21-8.
The Tigers continued cutting into the deficit during the second half.
Indorf found Charlton for a 59-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and Zaydaan Faridi’s 39-yard field goal with 12:18 remaining in the fourth brought Towson within 21-18.
Towson eventually drove inside the Maine 5 with an opportunity to tie the game or potentially take the lead.
That’s when Maine’s defense delivered.
Brayden Isaiah dropped Indorf for a 14-yard loss, forcing Faridi into a 37-yard field-goal attempt that missed.
Towson received one final opportunity with 1:50 remaining.
Indorf moved the Tigers out from their own 9 and eventually connected with Charlton for an 18-yard gain. Sam Oppenheimer forced Charlton to fumble, and Jake Kucera recovered for Maine.
That sealed it.
Towson finished with more total offense than Maine, 379-329, and Indorf threw for 267 yards. Charlton caught four passes for 136 yards and a touchdown.
But Maine’s defense produced six sacks, an interception and the decisive late fumble.
The Black Bears left Towson with a 21-18 victory, but Week 1 also showed how quickly a seemingly comfortable lead can disappear.
Stony Brook nearly completes an 18-point comeback
Stony Brook’s 41-34 loss to Delaware State was one of the most dramatic games of the opening weekend.
The Seawolves trailed 24-6 during the second quarter and 31-13 during the third.
They still found a way back.
Quarterback Quinn Boyd led the comeback, throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for another score.
After Delaware State extended its advantage to 34-20 late in the third quarter, CJ Hester scored on a two-yard touchdown run.
Stony Brook’s defense then stopped Delaware State on fourth down early in the fourth quarter.
Boyd took advantage.
He eventually connected with Keiden Gutierrez for a nine-yard touchdown, and the extra point tied the game at 34 with 11:25 remaining.
Delaware State responded with the drive it needed.
Starting at its own 20 with 7:36 remaining, the Hornets marched 80 yards in 11 plays.
Ui Ale made several important third-down completions before Sean Weston Jr. broke through for a 16-yard touchdown with 1:54 remaining.
Delaware State led 41-34.
Stony Brook nearly answered.
The Seawolves drove all the way to the Delaware State 9.
With 14 seconds remaining, Boyd connected with Seth Sweitzer in the end zone for what initially appeared to be the tying touchdown.
An offensive pass-interference penalty erased it.
Stony Brook couldn’t score on the remaining snaps, allowing Delaware State to escape with the seven-point victory.
Boyd finished with 323 passing yards and accounted for four touchdowns.
Hester rushed for 91 yards and a score.
Delaware State countered with 514 yards of offense, including 255 rushing yards, and Ale produced 341 total yards between passing and rushing.
Stony Brook showed plenty of resilience.
But after climbing all the way back from an 18-point deficit, one late penalty helped determine the outcome.
Elon controls Glenville State from start to finish
There wasn’t nearly as much drama in Elon’s opener.
The Phoenix controlled Glenville State in virtually every phase of a 42-7 victory.
Elon accumulated 452 yards of offense while holding Glenville State to only 133.
The Phoenix finished with 27 first downs compared with nine for the Pioneers and held the football for 36:49.
Quarterback Brady Stober completed 16 of 26 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring on the ground.
Jimmyll Williams rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns, while Kamerin McDowell-Moore added 75 yards.
Elon led 21-0 at halftime.
Glenville State finally broke through during the third quarter when JD Sherrod connected with Kyree Bunny for a two-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 21-7.
Elon immediately responded.
Williams scored his second touchdown to restore the three-score advantage, and Stober later connected with Benjamin Kirsch for another touchdown.
The Phoenix added one final score in the fourth quarter when TJ Crews IV found Jaedon Alford for a 24-yard touchdown.
Glenville State finished with only 50 rushing yards, went 2-for-15 on third down and punted 13 times.
Elon’s 42-7 victory was one of the most complete performances of the opening weekend.
Rhode Island turns Merrimack’s mistakes into points
The final statistics from Rhode Island’s 34-7 victory over Merrimack tell an unusual story.
Merrimack actually outgained Rhode Island 355-297.
The Warriors recorded 20 first downs compared with Rhode Island’s 18 and possessed the football for more than 36 minutes.
But Merrimack committed four turnovers.
The Warriors lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions. They also missed two field goals and failed on two fourth-down attempts in Rhode Island territory.
Those mistakes changed the game.
Merrimack tied the score at 7-7 during the first quarter on Matthias Latham’s two-yard touchdown run.
The Warriors never scored again.
Rhode Island scored the final 27 points.
Alex McClelland scored twice on the ground, while Ty Groff converted two field goals.
The Rhode Island defense delivered two of the biggest plays.
Andre DePina-Gray intercepted AJ Hairston at the Rhode Island goal line and returned it 75 yards, preventing Merrimack from cutting into the deficit.
Then Moses Meus put the finishing touch on the victory when he intercepted Cole Meehan and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown with 45 seconds remaining.
Merrimack moved the football.
Rhode Island made the plays that determined the game.
That was the difference in a 34-7 Rams victory.
UAlbany dominates New Hampshire on the ground
UAlbany didn’t need much from its passing game against New Hampshire.
The Great Danes rushed for 374 yards.
UAlbany averaged 7.1 yards per carry and scored all four of its touchdowns on the ground in a 28-14 victory.
Joey Koch was the biggest contributor.
He rushed seven times for 144 yards and a touchdown, averaging 20.6 yards per carry.
His 79-yard run during the second quarter set up his own three-yard touchdown. Later, a 35-yard run helped set up Aidan Semo’s second touchdown.
Kai Colón added 90 rushing yards.
Rahshan La Mons finished with 62 yards and a touchdown.
Semo scored twice.
New Hampshire managed only 62 rushing yards as a team.
The Wildcats still had an opportunity to make things interesting.
Brooks Bentley threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns, and Ja’Carree Kelly caught six passes for 123 yards.
New Hampshire cut UAlbany’s lead to 21-14 only 37 seconds into the second half.
Later, the Wildcats drove all the way to the UAlbany 3 with an opportunity to make it a one-score game again.
Dillon Dunathan intercepted Tommy McLeish at the goal line.
New Hampshire never reached UAlbany territory again.
UAlbany’s formula was straightforward and effective.
Run the football, control possession and make defensive stops when New Hampshire threatened.
The Great Danes did all three in a 28-14 victory.
Campbell survives an offensive battle with ETSU
Campbell and ETSU produced the highest-scoring game of the group, combining for 86 points and 1,042 yards of offense.
Campbell ultimately prevailed 49-37.
ETSU actually outgained Campbell 528-514, but the Camels did not commit a turnover while the Buccaneers lost two fumbles.
Campbell quarterback Kamden Sixkiller was the centerpiece of the game.
Sixkiller completed 29 of 42 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
He also rushed for 95 yards and two more touchdowns.
That’s 438 yards of total offense and four touchdowns.
Campbell built a 42-24 fourth-quarter advantage before ETSU mounted a comeback.
D’Marius Rucker scored on a four-yard run, and Mason Mims later connected with Brandon Winton for a six-yard touchdown.
Suddenly Campbell’s 18-point advantage had been reduced to 42-37 with 5:34 remaining.
The Camels needed a response.
Sixkiller provided it.
Facing third-and-two from the Campbell 40, Sixkiller broke loose for 42 yards.
Two plays later, he scored on a 14-yard run.
The six-play, 82-yard drive restored Campbell’s two-score advantage at 49-37 with 1:53 remaining.
ETSU reached the Campbell 19 on its final possession, but Charlie Browder fumbled after a completion. Charles Battaglia forced it, and Ebenezer Bedada recovered.
Campbell survived.
Sixkiller’s performance was one of the best individual efforts of the opening weekend, while Mims finished with 373 passing yards for ETSU.
Hampton’s defense sets the tone in 45-0 shutout
Hampton delivered the most dominant defensive result of the weekend with a 45-0 victory over Virginia-Lynchburg.
The Pirates produced 476 yards of total offense, including 263 on the ground, while holding Virginia-Lynchburg to 220 total yards.
Hampton quarterback Jalen Woods threw for 191 yards and three touchdowns.
Amari Pryear needed only eight carries to rush for 132 yards, including a 65-yard run.
But Hampton’s defense and special teams repeatedly created opportunities.
Temond Marcus blocked a first-quarter punt that helped set up Hampton’s opening touchdown.
Cam Sturdifen forced and recovered a Virginia-Lynchburg fumble.
Marcus later recovered another fumble near the goal line, denying Virginia-Lynchburg its best scoring opportunity of the first half.
Then Caden Rice provided the defining defensive play.
Early in the third quarter, Rice intercepted a pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, extending Hampton’s advantage to 24-0.
From there, the Pirates continued pulling away.
Woods threw touchdown passes to Chaz Portis and Jalen Walker before JaSean Lindsey scored Hampton’s final touchdown on the ground.
A 45-point victory is impressive.
A 45-point victory without allowing the opponent to score makes an even stronger opening-week statement.
Morgan State waits until the fourth quarter
Morgan State spent most of its game against North Carolina A&T trailing.
Then the Bears changed everything in the fourth quarter.
North Carolina A&T scored the game’s first touchdown and carried a 7-3 advantage into the final period.
Morgan State needed one explosive play.
Cameron Edge found Joseph Towler for a 68-yard touchdown only 37 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Morgan State suddenly led 10-7.
North Carolina A&T still had opportunities, but the Bears’ defense came through.
With 4:47 remaining, the Aggies faced fourth-and-two from the Morgan State 42.
Donovan Moyer sacked Braxton Thomas for a six-yard loss.
Morgan State took possession and never gave the football back.
Jordan Barnett carried the Bears down the field before breaking free for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:03 remaining.
Morgan State won 17-7.
Barnett finished with 114 rushing yards and the clinching touchdown.
North Carolina A&T actually outgained Morgan State 328-276 and possessed the football for more than 35 minutes.
But the Aggies scored only once.
Morgan State scored when it mattered most and held North Carolina A&T scoreless over the final three quarters.
Bryant’s fourth quarter finally puts away Stonehill
For three quarters, Stonehill stayed within reach of Bryant.
The fourth quarter changed that.
Bryant carried a 7-3 advantage into the final period before scoring 17 points and pulling away for a 24-6 victory.
O’Shawn Ross led the Bulldogs with 102 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Jordan Bennett added another rushing touchdown, and quarterback Brennan Myer scored on the ground as Bryant finished with 191 rushing yards.
Stonehill actually outgained Bryant 304-299.
The Skyhawks simply couldn’t finish drives.
Stonehill reached scoring territory repeatedly but settled for two field goals, missed another and lost a fumble on a promising first-quarter possession.
The Skyhawks never reached the end zone.
Bryant finally created separation when Bennett scored early in the fourth quarter to make it 14-3.
Myer added another touchdown less than six minutes later.
A late field goal completed the scoring.
Stonehill stayed competitive for three quarters.
Bryant made sure the fourth belonged to the Bulldogs.
Tennessee Tech’s passing attack becomes too much for Monmouth
Monmouth had Tennessee Tech tied 7-7 late in the second quarter.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the Golden Eagles had taken control.
Tennessee Tech defeated Monmouth 38-14 behind a big night from quarterback Jax Leatherwood.
Leatherwood completed 24 of 35 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
Gabe Nunez caught six passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Qua Ashley caught two passes.
Both were touchdowns.
Monmouth tied the game when Elijah Jennings scored on an 11-yard run with 4:45 remaining before halftime.
Tennessee Tech responded by scoring 10 points during the final minute of the half.
The Golden Eagles then opened the third quarter with a 75-yard touchdown drive.
By the fourth, Tennessee Tech was firmly in control.
Monmouth quarterback Frankie Weaver was intercepted by Will Johnson early in the final quarter.
Four plays later, Leatherwood found Maury Sullivan for a 16-yard touchdown.
Tennessee Tech eventually extended the advantage to 38-7 before Kenny Smith Jr. scored Monmouth’s final touchdown with 1:50 remaining.
The Golden Eagles finished with 395 total yards and controlled possession for 37:55.
Monmouth rushed effectively and Jennings finished with 78 yards, but Tennessee Tech’s passing attack ultimately created too much separation.
Opening weekend doesn’t define an entire season.
It does provide the first real evidence.
UAlbany showed it can dominate a game on the ground.
Hampton showed the ability to completely shut down an opponent.
Campbell showed it has a quarterback capable of taking over a game.
Maine showed it can survive when momentum turns against it.
Stony Brook showed it can rally from a major deficit, even though the comeback ultimately fell short.
Rhode Island demonstrated how quickly turnovers can decide a game.
Morgan State showed patience and fourth-quarter execution.
Bryant showed an ability to wear an opponent down.
And Monmouth learned how quickly a close game can get away when the opposing offense begins converting its opportunities.
It’s one weekend.
There is plenty of football still to play.
But Week 1 has given every team something to build on — and something to correct — as the 2026 season moves forward.