By Tiffany Williams –
Some players rise when everything is falling apart. Others deliver spectacular performances only to watch their teams lose. And sometimes, the biggest disappointment isn’t an individual player. It’s an entire unit that cannot finish the job.
Week 9 of Coastal Athletic Association football had all three.
Sacred Heart erased an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun Stony Brook. Rhode Island survived Maine in overtime despite being outgained by 140 yards. UAlbany turned Campbell turnovers into touchdowns. Monmouth ran over Bryant. North Carolina A&T found a way to win an ugly defensive battle. And Towson put 44 points on Hampton.
The numbers tell part of the story.
But the real question is who delivered when it mattered, who failed to meet the moment and who deserves recognition despite ending Saturday on the losing side.
Here are the studs and duds from all six games, based on the official game statistics and scoring summaries.
THE STUDS
Poochie Snyder, Quarterback, Sacred Heart
There are impressive statistical performances, and then there are performances that change the outcome of a game.
Snyder belongs in the second category.
Sacred Heart trailed Stony Brook 31-13 entering the fourth quarter. The Pioneers needed three touchdowns, multiple long drives and nearly flawless execution to escape with a victory.
Snyder delivered.
He completed 28 of 43 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns in Sacred Heart’s 32-31 victory.
The final two touchdown passes came with the game hanging in the balance.
With 2:09 remaining, Snyder connected with Steven Dowdy Jr. for a four-yard touchdown, bringing Sacred Heart within five points.
Then came the defining moment.
With nine seconds remaining, Snyder found Jason Palmieri for a six-yard touchdown to complete the comeback.
The Pioneers had driven 94 yards on their final scoring possession.
Think about that.
Ninety-four yards. Eleven plays. A game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left.
Snyder did not have the highest passing total of the weekend. He did not throw four touchdowns.
But when his team needed a quarterback to rescue a game that appeared lost, he delivered.
That makes him one of Week 9’s biggest studs.
Elijah Jennings, Running Back, Monmouth
Monmouth’s offense did not need an elaborate passing attack against Bryant.
It needed Elijah Jennings.
The Hawks running back rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns, helping Monmouth defeat Bryant 34-21.
Jennings scored on an 18-yard run in the first quarter, establishing the tone early.
He followed with a 37-yard touchdown run in the second quarter as Monmouth built a 17-0 lead.
By the time Bryant began responding, Monmouth had already established control of the game.
Jennings carried the ball 24 times, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt.
His performance was especially important because Monmouth finished with just 81 passing yards.
The Hawks won by imposing their will on the ground.
Jennings was at the center of it.
And with Monmouth remaining unbeaten in conference play, his contribution carried importance beyond one afternoon.
Kenny Smith Jr., Running Back, Monmouth
Jennings was not the only Monmouth running back who punished Bryant.
Kenny Smith Jr. rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
His biggest moment came in the second quarter when he broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run, extending Monmouth’s lead to 24-0.
He added an eight-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Together, Jennings and Smith rushed for 332 yards.
That combination made Monmouth’s running game extremely difficult to contain.
Smith averaged 8.3 yards per carry, an outstanding figure for a player with 19 attempts.
Monmouth did not simply have one productive running back.
It had two who controlled the game.
Both deserve stud recognition.
Jacob Davis, Quarterback, Towson
Towson’s 44-13 victory over Hampton was a complete offensive performance, and Jacob Davis played a major role.
Davis completed 19 of 26 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
He also rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown.
That is 325 combined passing and rushing yards from one player.
His touchdown passes included a four-yard completion to Jacob Zollar and a 43-yard strike to Mason Cunningham.
Davis also scored on a 16-yard run just seven seconds before halftime.
That touchdown gave Towson a 30-6 lead and effectively ended any realistic chance of a Hampton comeback.
Davis was efficient through the air, dangerous on the ground and productive in scoring situations.
Towson finished with 591 yards of total offense.
Its quarterback was a major reason why.
Kemarrion Battles, Running Back, Towson
Four carries.
Ninety-nine yards.
Two touchdowns.
Those numbers almost sound impossible.
But that was Kemarrion Battles’ contribution to Towson’s victory over Hampton.
Battles scored on a two-yard run in the third quarter.
Then he delivered one of the most explosive plays of the entire CAA weekend.
With 14:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, Battles broke free for a 91-yard touchdown.
One play. Ninety-one yards. Six points.
He averaged 24.8 yards per rushing attempt.
Battles did not need 20 carries to make an impact.
He needed four.
For sheer explosiveness, he belongs near the top of the Week 9 stud list.
Tyson Grimm, Defensive Back, Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s offense struggled against Maine.
The Rams managed just 212 total yards and nine first downs.
Their offense did not score a touchdown in regulation.
Without Tyson Grimm, Rhode Island might never have reached overtime.
With 32 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Grimm intercepted a Maine pass and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown.
That defensive score gave Rhode Island a 7-0 lead.
It was the Rams’ only touchdown through four quarters.
Maine eventually tied the game, but Grimm’s play ensured Rhode Island remained in position to win.
The Rams ultimately escaped 14-13 in overtime.
In a one-point victory, an 84-yard defensive touchdown is not just an impressive statistic.
It is a game-changing contribution.
Marquis Buchanan, Wide Receiver, Rhode Island
Rhode Island needed one touchdown in overtime to answer Maine.
Marquis Buchanan delivered it.
Buchanan caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Alex McClelland, setting up Ty Groff’s winning extra point in the Rams’ 14-13 victory.
He finished with nine receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Consider the larger picture.
Rhode Island completed 11 passes for 110 yards as a team.
Buchanan accounted for nine of those receptions and 107 of those yards.
He was responsible for virtually the entire productive passing attack.
And when the Rams needed their most important offensive play of the afternoon, Buchanan was the target.
That is stud material.
Dillon Dunathan and Jamari Young, UAlbany Defense
UAlbany scored 45 points against Campbell.
Fourteen came directly from its defense.
Dillon Dunathan opened the scoring by recovering a fumble and returning it 77 yards for a touchdown.
Later, Jamari Young intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards for another touchdown.
Those two plays were decisive in UAlbany’s 45-35 victory.
Campbell actually outgained UAlbany 406-389 in total offense.
The Fighting Camels also scored five offensive touchdowns.
But UAlbany’s defense created 14 points that Campbell could not overcome.
Dunathan and Young deserve recognition together because their contributions changed the mathematics of the game.
Without those defensive scores, UAlbany would have needed substantially more from its offense.
Instead, two defenders put points directly on the scoreboard.
JJ Cowan, Running Back, Campbell
A player does not have to win to be a stud.
JJ Cowan proved that against UAlbany.
Campbell lost 45-35, but Cowan rushed for 97 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries.
He scored twice from one yard out during the first half.
Then, early in the fourth quarter, he exploded for a 41-yard touchdown run.
That score reduced UAlbany’s lead to 38-35.
Cowan gave Campbell a genuine opportunity to complete a comeback.
He averaged 8.8 yards per carry and accounted for three of the Fighting Camels’ five touchdowns.
Campbell lost because it could not overcome UAlbany’s defensive scoring and late response.
Cowan was not the problem.
He was one of the reasons the game remained competitive.
Asher Holland, Kicker, North Carolina A&T
Not every stud performance requires 100 rushing yards or 300 passing yards.
Sometimes it requires making the kick everyone is counting on.
North Carolina A&T defeated Elon 13-10 in a game where points were difficult to produce.
Holland converted a 25-yard field goal late in the second quarter to give the Aggies their first points.
Then, with 2:18 remaining in the fourth, he connected from 34 yards to break a 10-10 tie.
That kick provided the winning margin.
Holland finished two-for-two on field goals and converted his extra-point attempt.
In a three-point game, those seven kicking points were essential.
He did exactly what his team needed.
THE DUDS
Stony Brook’s Fourth-Quarter Defense
This is the clearest dud of the entire weekend.
Stony Brook led Sacred Heart 31-13 entering the fourth quarter.
An 18-point lead.
Fifteen minutes remaining.
And an offense that had already produced four touchdown passes.
The Seawolves should have been in position to close out the game.
Instead, their defense surrendered three fourth-quarter touchdowns and lost 32-31.
The breakdown was not confined to one play.
Sacred Heart marched 94 yards in 15 plays for its first fourth-quarter touchdown.
The Pioneers followed with a 93-yard touchdown drive.
Then they traveled another 94 yards for the winning score.
That is 281 yards on three consecutive touchdown drives.
Stony Brook could not produce the necessary stops.
It could not protect an 18-point advantage.
And it surrendered the winning touchdown with nine seconds remaining.
Quarterback Quinn Boyd threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He gave his team enough offensive production to win.
The defense could not finish the job.
That makes Stony Brook’s fourth-quarter defensive performance the weekend’s biggest dud.
Maine’s Overtime Extra-Point Failure
Maine did enough to win at Rhode Island.
The Black Bears outgained the Rams 352-212.
They produced 22 first downs compared with Rhode Island’s nine.
They rushed for 184 yards and controlled possession for more than 35 minutes.
But football games are decided by points, not yardage.
Maine scored a touchdown on its opening overtime possession when Nick Laughlin ran in from one yard.
The Black Bears led 13-7.
Then came the critical failure.
Maine did not convert the extra point.
Rhode Island answered with a touchdown and a successful kick.
Final score: Rhode Island 14, Maine 13.
The missed conversion was not Maine’s only problem. Its offense produced just seven points in regulation despite its statistical advantages.
But the overtime kick was the most visible difference between a potential victory and a one-point defeat.
It belongs on the dud list because execution in that moment mattered enormously.
Rhode Island’s Third-Down Offense
Yes, Rhode Island won.
Yes, Tyson Grimm and Marquis Buchanan were studs.
But the Rams’ offense deserves criticism.
Rhode Island converted just two of 13 third-down opportunities against Maine.
The Rams generated only nine first downs and 212 yards of total offense.
Their offense did not score a touchdown until overtime.
That is not the kind of offensive production a team can consistently depend upon.
Rhode Island survived because its defense scored, Buchanan delivered in overtime and its kicker converted the deciding extra point.
The Rams deserve credit for winning.
But winning does not erase offensive shortcomings.
Two conversions in 13 third-down attempts is a serious concern.
Bryant’s Run Defense
Monmouth rushed for 319 yards against Bryant.
That number alone should set off alarms.
Elijah Jennings gained 175 yards.
Kenny Smith Jr. added 157.
Both scored two touchdowns.
Monmouth averaged 6.8 yards per rushing attempt and finished with four rushing touchdowns.
Bryant knew Monmouth was moving the football on the ground.
The Bulldogs still could not stop it.
The most damaging plays included Smith’s 55-yard touchdown and Jennings’ 37-yard scoring run.
By halftime, Bryant trailed 24-7.
By the end of the third quarter, the deficit had grown to 34-7.
Bryant scored twice in the fourth, but the damage had already been done.
A defense cannot allow two opposing running backs to combine for 332 yards and reasonably expect to control the game.
Bryant’s run defense earns a dud designation.
Hampton’s Rushing Defense
If Bryant’s rushing defense struggled, Hampton’s had an even more difficult afternoon.
Towson rushed for 334 yards.
Jacob Davis gained 109.
Kemarrion Battles added 99.
Tristen Kenan contributed 93.
The Tigers averaged 8.4 yards per rushing attempt.
Hampton surrendered four rushing touchdowns.
And the most embarrassing moment came when Battles broke free for a 91-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Towson finished with 591 total yards and 27 first downs.
Hampton managed just 282 total yards.
The Pirates could not slow Towson’s rushing attack, and they could not generate enough offense to compensate.
This was a complete mismatch in ground-game production.
Hampton’s rushing defense belongs firmly among the weekend’s duds.
Elon’s Passing Attack
Elon had an opportunity to defeat North Carolina A&T.
The Phoenix led 10-3 during the third quarter.
They had a running back, Kamerin McDowell-Moore, who finished with 102 rushing yards and a touchdown.
But the passing attack did not provide enough support.
Quarterback Brady Stober completed nine of 16 passes for 100 yards.
Elon generated just 201 yards of total offense and nine first downs.
The Phoenix converted only three of 15 third-down opportunities.
North Carolina A&T eventually tied the game and won 13-10 on a fourth-quarter field goal.
Stober was sacked four times, which points to problems extending beyond the quarterback.
The criticism belongs to the passing operation as a whole, including protection and execution.
Elon needed more offensive production in a game decided by three points.
It did not get it.
Campbell’s Ball Security
Campbell scored 35 points against UAlbany.
Kamden Sixkiller threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
JJ Cowan rushed for three scores.
The Fighting Camels generated more total offense than UAlbany.
Yet they lost by 10 points.
Why?
Turnovers were a major reason.
Campbell lost two fumbles and threw an interception.
UAlbany turned one fumble into a 77-yard defensive touchdown and an interception into a 25-yard touchdown.
Those two defensive scores accounted for 14 of the Great Danes’ 45 points.
Campbell’s offense was capable of moving the football.
But it also helped put points on the opposing scoreboard.
That is a devastating combination.
The Fighting Camels deserve credit for fighting back to within three points in the fourth quarter.
But their ball-security problems helped create the deficit they spent the afternoon trying to erase.
THE WEEK 9 VERDICT
This was a weekend when the final score did not always identify the best individual performers.
Stony Brook’s Quinn Boyd threw four touchdowns and lost.
Campbell’s JJ Cowan scored three touchdowns and lost.
Maine’s Rashawn Marshall rushed for 139 yards and lost.
Those players deserve recognition for their production even though their teams failed to finish with victories.
On the other side, Rhode Island won despite struggling offensively for most of regulation.
UAlbany won despite being outgained.
Sacred Heart won because its quarterback and offense delivered when defeat appeared inevitable.
And Monmouth and Towson won by dominating the ground game.
If one player stands above the rest, it is Sacred Heart quarterback Poochie Snyder.
His 309 passing yards and two touchdowns were impressive.
But the real distinction was his ability to lead the Pioneers back from an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit, finishing with a winning touchdown pass in the final nine seconds.
The top offensive performance belongs in the conversation with Monmouth’s Elijah Jennings, whose 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns helped maintain his team’s unbeaten conference record.
The most explosive performance belongs to Towson’s Kemarrion Battles, whose four carries produced 99 yards and two touchdowns.
The defensive honors belong to Rhode Island’s Tyson Grimm and UAlbany’s Dillon Dunathan and Jamari Young, whose defensive touchdowns fundamentally changed their games.
And the biggest dud?
Stony Brook’s fourth-quarter defense.
An 18-point lead vanished. Three long touchdown drives followed. A game that appeared under control became a one-point defeat.
That is the difference between being a stud and being a dud.
One team finds a way to finish.
Another watches victory disappear.
Week 9 delivered both.