Welcome to Point/Counterpoint! Our FCS Debate Club publishes every Friday throughout the summer. Two of our three lead writers will take opposing viewpoints and argue about an issue of national significance in the realm of FCS Football. When it's all said and done, you can vote on who you think is right.
[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
FCS TEAM BY TEAM PREVIEW: The countdown
FCS PRESEASON TOP 25: The poll
FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA: The teams
Question Four: Which CAA Team Will Finish Higher in the Standings at the End of the Regular Season?
Sam Herder: New Hampshire
Delaware may have answered its quarterback question this offseason, but its offensive problems last year went beyond just the signal caller. No runningback rushed for more than 600 yards and no pass catcher had more than 330 yards. There’s just a lack of explosion there and still plenty of question marks surrounding this team besides the terrific defense. Speaking of which — are we positive this defensive unit is going to be as dominant as last year? Sure, the Blue Hens return their top three tacklers, but they also lose some key experience with five of their top 10 tacklers gone.
New Hampshire has very few question marks. The defense does need to get better, and the offensive line needs to get much better. But this is a loaded team with plenty of experience after going 5-3 in the CAA last year and 9-5 overall with a trip to the quarterfinals. Eighteen — yes, 18 — starters return. The entire offense is basically back and could be the best in the CAA.
I just don’t see Delaware surpassing the Wildcats in the standings because of one transfer. UNH’s toughest road games are at Villanova and Elon while hosting Stony Brook and James Madison. Delaware has to play at Richmond and Stony Brook and hosts Elon and Villanova, but does not play JMU this year.
Most importantly, these two teams play each other for the first time since 2015. UNH gets Delaware at Wildcat Stadium for its third home game in a row.
[divider]HERO SPORTS FCS PODCAST: Subscribe here
BEST FCS PLAYER BY NUMBER: We count down, No. 99 through No. 1
DEBATE REWIND: Can NDSU Run the Table? | Big Sky vs. SoCon | Southland Playoff Teams[divider]
Chase Kiddy: Delaware
Sam is definitely right about one thing — New Hampshire probably has the most favorable schedule out of the conference's top three teams. The Wildcats draw JMU and Delaware at home, meaning they are in the best position to help themselves by dealing significant blows to their primary competition. I can't dispute that.
However, I still want to argue that Delaware is more likely to finish higher in the standings here. The defense should remain among the best in the CAA, with multiple preseason All-Americans returning in Nasir Adderley and Troy Reeder. UD ranked top-3 in the CAA in a ton of key defensive statistical categories last year, including scoring defense, passing defense, total defense and turnover margin. They also led the league in Time of Possession by more than a full minute. That's a partially a result of the program's talented players, but it's also a result of what Rocco and his coaching staff are doing from an X's and O's perspective. The defense will remain elite.
Yes, Delaware's offense wasn't great last season. That unit should see a couple of major shakeups this year, with Boston College transfer Darius Wade coming into Newark, as well as converted QB Joe Walker flexing out as a skill player. It's hard to predict exactly what the offense will look like this year, but it's even harder to imagine it being worse than it was in 2017.
In the end, I think Delaware becomes a much more complete team than New Hampshire in 2018. They'll play lights-out defense and generate enough offense to make good on the preseason hype. Compare that to a UNH team that has a tendency to get exposed defensively in big games. (They also gave a ton of sacks on offense — 52 in 2017, which was dead last in the CAA by a country mile.)
New Hampshire has a sick offense, and I have no doubt the Wildcats will run and gun their way to a few wins this year. But in this spot, I feel more comfortable backing the team that should show more balance in its talent distribution. To me, that's Delaware.
[divider]
What do you think?
Which CAA Team will Finish Higher in the Regular Season Standings?
[divider]
TRENDING NOW: Our Definitive List of the Best Traditions in FCS Football
OUR LATEST PREVIEWS: Mercer | Mississippi Valley State | Missouri State | Monmouth | Montana
