For those who like some excitement and record-breaking days in their football, the Colonial Athletic Association’s football slate from the most recent weekend gave the audience its fix.

All on the same day, the CAA found itself playing a game between two ranked league foes, one influenced heavily by a late onside kick conversion and another marathon setting an all-time FCS record in the process. 

Sold on the CAA”s nature for some chaos yet? With several nationally-ranked teams along with others looking to find themselves and their identities as the midseason grind is in full swing, nothing is for certain for the remainder of the league’s regular season. Buckle up.

Here’s a look at what went down during the past weekend of CAA football, with games from the league being streamed live throughout the season on FloFootball:

New Hampshire gets to 5-0 in CAA play with Win vs. Elon

The marquee matchup of the weekend as the lone game between two Top 25-ranked CAA teams, No. 25 New Hampshire (6-2 overall, 5-2 CAA) kept its recent mojo going under first-year coach and former legendary player Rick Santos with a wire-to-wire 40-22 win over No. 21 Elon (5-3, 3-2)in Durham. 

Still the CAA’s only unbeaten remaining team this year, the Wildcats had a love of the big play Saturday afternoon, notching four touchdowns of 20 or more yards on the day (plus a second-quarter safety) led by running back Dylan Laube’s 147 rushing yards, much of which came on a 77-yard scamper for a score in the fourth quarter that essentially erased any little hope that Elon had remaining of pulling off a comeback. New Hampshire’s 465 total yards of offense was a season-high as it balanced the explosive plays with a methodical pace going down the field, vastly outperforming the Phoenix on time of possession. The Wildcats held the ball for 37:11 of game time compared to Elon’s 22:49. 

UNH quarterback Max Brosmer did well, throwing for 220 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, while the Wildcats’ defense limited the production and stellar arm of Matthew McKay, who was limited to 8-for-15 passing for 185 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the game. Picked to finish ninth in the CAA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, New Hampshire has vastly outperformed its initial expectations as Year 1 of the Santos Era is perhaps putting the program a bit ahead of schedule in its rebuild. 

A brutal three-game slate to end the season (Richmond, Rhode Island and Maine) remains after UNH’s bye week next week, but considering that the Wildcats pulled off such a statement win over a fellow ranked conference opponent, the rest of the league was likely put on notice.

Rhode Island Escapes Monmouth in Longest-Ever FCS Game

Big congratulations to Head Coach Jim Fleming on earning his 50th head coaching victory today after a historic 7OT win over Monmouth! pic.twitter.com/jl5mYfKMSZ

— Rhody Football (@RhodyFootball) October 22, 2022

In what was quite literally a game for the ages, No. 22 Rhode Island kept its serious charge for the CAA regular-season crown alive (but just narrowly) by beating Monmouth 48-46 in an incredible seven-overtime thriller, finishing as the longest-ever game in CAA history and the longest game ever played between two FCS schools. 

Rams (6-1, 3-1) wideout Ed Lee caught a two-point pass in sudden-death format — following the second overtime in which after that, back-and-forth two-point attempts kicked in — from quarterback Kasim Hill to win it, capping off a wild day for the signal-caller in which he threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns but also tossed three interceptions. 

The game was tightly-locked all the way through as no team led by more than seven points the whole way, with Hill helping send the game to overtime in the first place by hitting running back Marques DeShields for a 73-yard passing score with 3:23 left in regulation to tie it at 35. 

Monmouth (4-4, 2-3) and Rhody traded goal-line scores in the first overtime through Owen Wright and DeShields, respectively, then each school scored conversions in the third and sixth overtimes to extend the game. In the seventh extra period, URI’s Jordan Jones broke up a pass attempt from the Hawks’ Tony Muskett to leave his team with a chance to win it, which Hill and Lee converted on the next play to pull the Rams through to a W in an amazing game. 

It was the first seven-overtime game between FCS teams in history, breaking the old record of six overtimes shared on three occasions — including one that involved Rhody in a 58-55 win over Maine in 1982. But with the Rams back on a three-game win streak with a huge test at William & Mary next week, even stressful wins like Saturdays are wins to be cherished in a tight title fight.

Villanova Survives UAlbany on last-Second Field Goal

Villanova needed heroics when things nearly went horribly awry Saturday, and it got them in a major way. Facing a giant upset bid from UAlbany following a week in which it was dumped out of the Top 25 poll following a loss to Richmond, ‘Nova kicker Matthew Mercurio booted through a game-winning 28-yard field goal as time expired to grant the Wildcats a narrow 31-29 victory in a game that went to a wild finish and featured a near-comeback from multiple touchdowns down by the Great Danes. 

Saturday’s Play of the Game vs. UAlbany is brought to you by @ODFL_INC! #BestintheGame #TapTheRock pic.twitter.com/4cUBrnhb1b

— Villanova Football (@NovaFootball) October 24, 2022

The two teams combined for three scoring drives in the final two minutes, though Albany (1-6, 0-4) got the first two of those scores in creating a nightmare scenario for Villanova (4-3, 2-2). Down 28-16 — and with his team having already faced a 21-point deficit in the first half — Great Danes quarterback Reese Poffenbarger hit Thomas Greaney for a four-yard passing score with 1:54 left to play, then UAlbany immediately got the ball back by recovering its onside kick attempt, giving the Great Danes a chance to steal a win at Villanova with a back-breaking touchdown.

For a brief period, that looked to exactly be happening as Poffenbarger led Albany down the field 53 yards in just over a minute before connecting with Greaney again from five yards to give the visitors a 29-28 lead with 53 seconds to play in shocking circumstances. 

But two long UAlbany defensive penalties and a 23-yard pass play from Connor Watkins to Dez Boykin set the stage for Mercurio’s go-ahead attempt, which he buried to save Villanova from being victims of a late meltdown. Watkins and Poffenbarger had a classic duel of gunslingers, combining for 662 passing yards and six touchdowns, but Watkins got the final blow in as his team both got the win and was helped out tremendously by running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye’s 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

Title Challengers Richmond, Delaware and W&M Roll

On paper — the current CAA standings — New Hampshire has currently positioned itself as the regular-season title favorite, but there are four now-3-1 CAA teams chomping at the bit ready for the leaders to slip up, make a mistake and then capitalize themselves. 

Rhode Island’s wild win over the weekend has already been discussed, but as for the other three teams in that pool of immediate contenders, they mainly handled business in cut-and-dry fashion Saturday. No. 19 Richmond routed Hampton 41-10 behind nearly 500 yards of total offense and a stellar day from quarterback Reece Udinski, who went 30-for-37 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while the Spiders’ defense stuffed the run by holding Hampton to just 44 yards on the ground, additionally limiting the Pirates to just 10 first downs compared to their own team’s count of 26. 

The @CoStarGroup Play of the Game is this 87-yard TD run by @Fmula_ ‼️ Fonnae Webb took it to the house on his first career carry, marking the fifth-longest run in program history and the longest since Tim Hightower went 90 yards at Northeastern in 2007.#OneRichmond #CoStarUS pic.twitter.com/r4TIFlBOnM

— Richmond Spider Football (@Spiders_FB) October 23, 2022

No. 13 Delaware, meanwhile — wanting to beat up on someone after their narrow 27-21 defeat to William & Mary in the Blue Hens’ last game Oct. 8 — did just that and got its jobs done early and often at home against nonconference foe Morgan State in a 38-7 win. The Blue Hens never trailed and got five touchdowns, including two total from quarterback Nolan Henderson amid his own performance of 206 passing yards, 65 rushing yards and a score each by both the air and the ground. 

The No. 12 Tribe stayed in CAA contention as they beat basement-dwellers Towson 44-24, with W&M running all over the Tigers to the tune of 300 rushing yards and three scores on the ground, two from Donavyn Lester and one from Martin Lucas. 

But the Tribe’s highlight in the win was undoubtedly kicker Ethan Chang’s 17-yard touchdown score from a fake field goal, pairing with holder Andrew Piercy as W&M unleashed some trickeration and variety to its playbook. The favorites largely got their wins across the CAA this weekend, and among the teams within arm’s reach of first place, it was more of the same.

Stony Brook gets the stops it needs for first win

Entering this weekend, Stony Brook was the lone winless team remaining in the CAA following some blowout losses and struggles to begin its year — a position no program wants to be in, leaving it up to the Seawolves to muster a solid performance and finally get over the hump and into the win column. Challenge accepted and accomplished. 

The Seawolves earned their first win of the season at home against Maine in a 28-27 victory, using 21 second-half points to down the Black Bears and send them right back into the loss column after they had rallied off two victories following an 0-4 start. 

Receiver Khalil Newton caught what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown for Stony Brook (1-6, 1-4) from quarterback Charlie McKee with 5:48 left to play, to which the Seawolves’ defense then successfully staved off Maine’s (2-5, 2-2) offense by forcing it to go three-and-out, then miss a 46-yard field goal attempt with under a minute remaining before Stony Brook simply kneeled down to run the clock out and secure its maiden victory of the year in dramatic fashion. 

Can watch this all day ?

?? x #HOWL x @kjnewton9 pic.twitter.com/GHp6rMF8YB

— Stony Brook Football (@StonyBrookFB) October 23, 2022

McKee, a true freshman, appears to slowly be growing into his role as the Seawolves’ pass-thrower since he made his first start two weeks prior against New Hampshire, setting new single-game career bests in passing yards (249) and touchdowns (three) while going 18-for-21 passing and avoiding an interception for the first time in his young college career. 

He threw all of those passing scores, by the way, in the second-half as part of Stony Brook’s 13-point comeback effort following a 20-7 halftime deficit, connecting for paydirt with wideout RJ Lamarre and tight end Tyler Devera for 10- and one-yard touchdowns in the third quarter, respectively. 

The Seawolves were able to send fans and alumni happen on the school’s Homecoming day, and perhaps the victory could mark the turning of a corner for Stony Brook in what’s been a tough season to date.