Four representatives carry the banner for the Coastal Athletic Association into the 2024 season’s FCS Playoffs. This postseason marks the third straight in which the CAA sends at least four teams.

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The quartet of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Richmond and Villanova will try to become the conference’s first team to reach Frisco, Texas, home of the National Championship Game, since James Madison in the 2019 campaign.

Coincidentally, Richmond heads into the FCS Playoffs as the first outright CAA champion and first to under the table in league play since JMU that year.

The Spiders are headed to their third consecutive postseason. For Villanova, this season’s playoff is its fourth since 2019, and New Hampshire returns for the second time in three years.

Rhode Island, meanwhile, is the newcomer, making the field for the first time since 1985. The Rams ending their four-decade drought is one of the many storylines shaping the CAA's chase for a national championship. 

New Hampshire In The FCS Playoffs

2024 Record: 8-4, 6-2 CAA

1st Round Matchup: vs. UT-Martin 

Last Reached the Playoffs: 2022

Best Finish: Semifinals, 2013 and 2014 

Few teams embark on the FCS Playoffs riding a hot streak as substantial as New Hampshire’s. The Wildcats fell to 4-4 in October after dropping consecutive conference games to Rhode Island and Villanova, during which they scored just 15 combined points. 

New Hampshire since ran off four straight, including a comeback win from down three touchdowns in the second half vs. a Stony Brook team that spent the final month of the regular season ranked in the Top 25. The Wildcats' 31-30 defeat of the Seawolves on Nov. 16 effectively positioned New Hampshire to take the bubble spot that Stony Brook seemed destined for. 

"It shows a lot about our program, who we are, [to go] 16 out of 20 years in the postseason," Wildcats coach Rick Santos said. "That's pretty special. And you can put that against anybody in the country in terms of our legacy." 

The one thing evading New Hampshire, which has been a fixture in the Playoffs for the better part of two decades, is reaching the National Championship Game. The Wildcats face one of the most difficult roads to get to Frisco. The winner between New Hampshire and UT Martin on Saturday at Wildcat Stadium advances to face No. 1 overall seed Montana State in the round of 16. 

Transfer quarterback Seth Morgan is at home in Durham

Seth Morgan came to New Hampshire well-acquainted with stepping into high-pressure situations. As a freshman at VMI, Morgan took over for an injured Reece Udinski — a CAA standout at Richmond in 2022 — to captain the Keydets to the spring 2021 Southern Conference championship and a playoff berth. 

After changes at VMI, Morgan landed a Div. II Shepherd and again followed an exceptional quarterback in Tyson Bagent. Morgan performed admirably filling in for the Chicago Bears quarterback Bagent, earning NCAA Div. II All-American recognition for his 2,940 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2023. 

Stepping in to take over for Max Brosmer this year, Morgan has filled in expertly. He's thrown for 2,311 yards and 22 touchdowns and has been especially effective in the four-game push for the Playoffs with seven total passing scores and a pair of rushing touchdowns in November. 

Logan Tomlinson has provided Morgan with a reliable No. 1 target, catching 76 passes for 810 yards and nine touchdowns. Caleb Burke's emerged as the dangerous No. 2-leading receiver with 688 yards on 49 grabs with six touchdowns. 

All told, Morgan's settled in to ensure the New Hampshire passing attack didn't miss a beat without last year's Walter Payton Award contender Brosmer. With more than 30 points scored in three of the final four, and at least 27 in all four outings, it's clear that Morgan's feeling right at home at the right time. 

UNH defense packs a one-two punch

Santos described New Hampshire's defense as "the heartbeat of our team all year." The lifeblood from that heartbeat comes via the dynamic pass-rush duo of Josiah Silver and Flex Ruiz. 

Silver closed the regular season tied for the second-most sacks among all FCS players at 11.5 and garnered CAA Defensive Player of the Year. 

While Silver is a surefire All-American and contender for the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation's top defensive player, it wouldn't be accurate to label him a runaway choice for CAA Defensive Player of the Year. The conference had the national leader in sacks, Richmond's Jeremiah Grant, and Rhode Island's A.J. Pena was outstanding in all phases at linebacker. 

That's a compliment to Silver for beating out a stacked class of candidates. He even had viable competition from his own team with Ruiz racking up eight sacks and 14 tackles for loss in his own right. Ruiz put an exclamation point on the regular season with three tackles for loss in New Hampshire's rivalry-game win over Maine, a 27-9 victory that showed the Wildcats defense is as prepared for the postseason as the suddenly surging offense. 

Rhode Island In The FCS Playoffs

2024 Record: 10-2, 7-1

1st Round Matchup: vs. Central Connecticut State 

Last Reached the Playoffs: 1985

Best Finish: Semifinals, 1984 

The playoff drought that loomed over the Rhode Island program for almost 40 years became one of the sport's white whales. Jim Fleming-coached teams were threatening to harpoon the beast the last few years, but that prize continued to allude them. 

No longer. The 2024 Rams left no doubt playing their way into the FCS Playoffs, scoring 10 regular-season wins and almost running the table against competition from the subdivision. 

"To the school, to the state, to all the Rhody faithful who have been waiting for so long, for this thing to happen again, it's extremely significant," Fleming said. "But the most interesting takeaway is just the groundswell of people that are just so excited for us, excited for the school." 

The embrace of the Rhode Island football program during this rise culminates in the Rams hosting their 1st Round contest against Northeast Conference champion Central Connecticut State. 

A team built for crunch time

Although Rhode Island capped the regular season with a rare two-touchdown margin of victory, dispatching in-state counterpart Bryant, 35-21, the Rams found themselves in familiar territory with a halftime deficit. Granted the 14-13 gap between the Bulldogs and Rams at intermission was nothing compared to comebacks of down 14 points at Hampton; 11 points vs. Monmouth; and 17 points at UAlbany. 

Still, Rhode Island continues to show resilience every week that should have the Rams uniquely prepared for the high-stakes nature of playoff football despite the program's lack of familiarity with the postseason. 

Heading into the 1st Round encounter with CCSU, Rhode Island is outscoring opponents a staggering 190-113 in second halves, with advantages of 41 points in the third quarter and 36 in the fourth. 

By ground and by air 

Critical to Rhode Island's second-half success has been its ability to mix it up on offense. The Rams faced uncertainty at quarterback heading into the season, with four-year starter Kasim Hill exiting the program. And, indeed, the first few weeks were a challenge with Devin Farrell and Hunter Helms splitting duties. 

Both have shined in the latter half of the season, however, with Farrell operating as the primary signal-caller. He's passed for 1,670 while Helms had added a hair less than 800, and both have benefited from throwing to one of the best receivers in the nation: Marquis Buchanan. 

Buchanan's All-America-worthy 2024 closed the regular season with a flourish. He hauled in nearly 500 yards over the final four games, and should easily clear the 1,000-yard mark for the season in the 1st Round of the Playoffs. 

Meanwhile, running back Malik Grant charges into the postseason on a tear with more than 500 yards in the month of November. He ran for three touchdowns in each of the final two regular-season games against UAlbany and Bryant and tacked on a fourth touchdown receiving vs. the Bulldogs. 

"You start with the character he has. He's just a great kid," Fleming said of Grant's fit on the Rhode Island roster upon the back's transfer from Sacred Heart. "He's always got a bounce in his step...The things he's been able to do for us, it's the yards after contact that becomes amazing with the kid." 

Richmond In The FCS Playoffs

2024 Record: 10-2, 8-0

1st Round Matchup: vs. Lehigh 

Last Missed the Playoffs: 2021

Best Finish: Won the national championship in 2008

As either a defensive coordinator or head coach, Russ Huesman has been party to some of the most memorable moments in Richmond football history. Completing an outright CAA championship campaign to claim a second straight conference title is a biggie. Can this Spiders team match the 2008 squad's run to the national championship, when Huesman was defensive coordinator? 

On a 10-game winning streak — second in the nation only to undefeated Montana State — don't sleep on Richmond's prospects of getting to Frisco. For one thing, the Spiders have been in playoff mode pretty consistently since before summer officially ended, the result of a 0-2 start. 

"We didn't talk about it, but our margin for error was small," Huesman said, referring to opening with a Week 2 setback vs. Wofford. "We knew we had to play well each and every week....We regrouped and won that third game [a 38-0 blowout of Charleston Southern]. That gave our guys some confidence." 

That confidence has carried Richmond into a 1st Round matchup with Patriot League champion Lehigh, which went down to the wire to outlast Holy Cross for the conference's automatic bid. The meeting is a warmup for when the Spiders move to the Patriot League next season. In the meantime, they pursue the national championship under the CAA flag. 

Getting caught in the Spiders web 

As a former defensive coordinator, it's no surprise that Huesman's Richmond teams have routinely been some of the CAA's best on that side of the ball. Behind the nation's leader in sacks, Jeremiah Grant, and with a cast of other capable ball hawks surrounding him, the 2024 Spiders embark on the Playoffs holding opponents to fewer than 18 points per game. 

Richmond ranks sixth nationally in total sacks — tied with 1st Round opponent Lehigh, coincidentally — with 36. Camden Byrd (7.5), Matei Fitz and Carsen Stocklinski (3.5) Wayne Galloway, and Carter Glassmeyer (three) are all threats to get to the quarterback. Galloway's ability to generate pressure has also resulted in four quarterback hurries and three pass breakups. 

Run, Richmond, run

Running back Zach Palmer-Smith's breakout year has been key to Richmond's success. The sophomore running back erupted for 1,275 yards, sixth-most in the FCS and third-most among ball-carriers in the FCS Playoffs. 

His efforts, which include 13 rushing touchdowns, set the foundation for a rushing offense that closed the regular season ranked in the nation's top 20. Quarterback Camden Coleman worked well in tandem with Palmer-Smith as a ball carrier, rushing for six touchdowns — two of which came in the Capital Cup win over William & Mary to punctuate the Spiders' CAA championship. 

Coleman's improved passing in 2024 is also a byproduct of the effective and multifaceted Richmond run game, which improved by more than 65 yards per game compared to a season ago. 

Villanova In The FCS Playoffs

2024 Record: 9-3, 6-2

1st Round Matchup: vs. Eastern Kentucky 

Last Missed the Playoffs: 2022

Best Finish: Won the national championship in 2009

Replacing a head-coaching legend is rarely easy. Mark Ferrante was asked to do exactly that when, in 2017, he took over for Andy Talley upon Talley’s retirement at the end of a Hall of Fame career.

Ferrante has upheld the lofty standard his longtime colleague Talley set for Villanova football, leading the Wildcats to what is now their fourth playoff appearance since 2019. The Wildcats advanced to the quarterfinals in their last two postseasons, 2021 and 2023, bowing out to South Dakota State both times. 

As the No. 11 seed, Villanova is again on South Dakota State's side of the bracket. Setting up yet another quarterfinal with the Jackrabbits starts with the 1st Round meeting against visiting Eastern Kentucky, which came on strong late in the season to secure an at-large berth. Awaiting the winner is the sixth-seeded UIW. 

Offense finding its stride at the right time 

One of the most physical defenses in the nation buoyed Villanova to a 5-1 start. A 35-7 loss at Maine, however, was the bottom of a three-game run in which the Wildcats scored just 41 combined points. 

Since then, however, Villanova has put up at least 31 points in its last three games en route to the Playoffs. A 38-28 win in the Battle of the Blue vs. Delaware, continuing Villanova's dominance of the rivalry before the Blue Hens head to Conference USA in 2025, punctuated a resurgence of the Wildcats offense. 

"We're able to get Connor [Watkins] back involved in the run game," Ferrante said. "In that middle stretch [of the season] he had an ankle get rolled up vs. Stony Brook. There was a middle part of the season where we were hampered a bit." 

Hampered no more, Watkins heads into the Playoffs with five touchdowns in Villanova's final three regular-season games. Along with running back David Avit, a contender for the Jerry Rice Award given to the nation's top freshman, the Wildcats have hit their stride. 

Tackling machines 

Few teams boast a 100-tackle defender. Villanova has two. 

Brendan Bell and Shane Hartzell embark on the Playoffs with 106 and 104 tackles for the season, enough to rank among the nation's top 30 each. The duo are integral to a Villanova run defense limiting opponents to 141.7 yards per game, but also contributing to a top 25 passing defense that has given up only 13 touchdowns and 178.7 yards per game. 

With Bell and Hartzell central to a veteran defense with plenty of playoff experience, look for the linebackers to key Villanova's efforts to break through beyond the quarterfinals. 

"That we do have a lot of older guys, especially on that side of the ball, [who] have been in the playoff situation before, it's a positive," Ferrante said. 

What Are The Top Conferences In The FCS?

Curious about the top performers and strongest conference within the FCS ranks? We’ve got you covered.

See the FCS conferences ranked using a unique system that was originally developed for chess.

When Do The 2024 FCS College Football Playoffs Start?

The FCS playoffs begin on November 30, 2024.

The 2024 Division I FCS College Football Championship game will be played on January 6, 2025, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

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