HARRISONBURG — Good luck picking the all-league quarterback.
Thankfully, no decisions must be made until the season ends because through the first month of play, signal-callers across the Colonial Athletic Association are making their case for who is best at the position.
“They’re all doing really well,” Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said. “And they all have a number of years of experience under their belt, for the most part. Different styles, too.
“Danny [Smith], our guy, he’s a little more similar to Tommy [Flacco] down there at Towson. They run the ball a little more. Then, obviously, [Maine quarterback Chris Ferguson] is more of a pocket passer, pro-style type guy.”
Dating back to last season, Elon junior quarterback Davis Cheek hadn’t thrown an interception for 240 straight throws until being picked off this past Saturday in a loss to James Madison.
And JMU’s Ben DiNucci, a third-team All-CAA choice last year, is playing above that selection this season.
“He was really, really accurate last year and he’s really accurate this year,” said Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore, who is preparing for a matchup Saturday with DiNucci and the Dukes. “I know he had a couple of slip-ups in games last year — the New Hampshire and Colgate games — but I don’t really think that was a body of work to judge him by.
“I think he’s got escape-ability, makes plays with his feet and puts the ball where it’s supposed to be. He’s a real good long-ball threat especially on the outside and he seems to have a great handle of the offense and scheme.”
Cheek, DiNucci, Ferguson, Flacco and Smith are all multi-year starters in college, but even first-time starters like Stony Brook’s Tyquell Fields, Rhode Island’s Vito Priore and Albany’s Jeff Undercuffler are making a positive impact for their programs.
Of eight quarterback-driven stats — completion percentage, completions per game, passing efficiency, passing touchdowns, passing yards per game, passing yards per completion, points responsible for and total offense — at least one CAA quarterback is in the top 10 nationally for those categories.
DiNucci ranks third for completion percentage (71.8). Fields is second for yards per completion (18.76). Priore is fifth for passing yards per game (332). Undercuffler’s 15 touchdown throws are second best and Smith’s 120 points responsible for are the second most for any player in the subdivision this season.
“It’s a plus when you have [good quarterback play] and we’re getting it right now,” JMU coach Curt Cignetti said. “And when you got to defend against it, you’ve got to defend the entire field depending on the schematics or what type of offense they’re running.”
And the ones that can take off on a sprint — DiNucci, Fields, Flacco and Smith — are toughest to corral.
Fields’ 50-yard touchdown run with 11 seconds left to play gave Stony Brook a last-minute victory at Rhode Island over the weekend.
“It forces you on defense to really defend the whole field,” said Elon coach Tony Trisciani, a former defensive coordinator and secondary coach during his time as an assistant. “Especially with the modern-day [run-pass options]. You can fit hats in the run game, but quarterbacks, offensive coordinators and systems are smart enough to take advantage of access or matchups.
“It tends to be cyclical, right. Some years we’re a real strong defensive league and this year it happens to be a great year of quarterbacks, and you’re right it’s all over the league. It’s at Rhode Island. It’s at Stony Brook. There’s a lot of good quarterbacks in this league and you’re likely to continue to see more points scored because of it. And when you’ve got a quarterback, you’ve got a chance.”
Maine coach Nick Charlton said those quarterbacks play the biggest role in deciding how the league standings look at the end of the year and whether or not CAA teams advance in the postseason.
In the second round of the FCS playoffs last year, Ferguson threw five touchdown passes to lead Maine over Jacksonville State. Also in 2018, Flacco was the CAA Offensive Player of the Year and finished fifth for the Walter Payton Award while propelling Towson to its first playoff appearance since 2013.
“Ultimately, your quarterback at this level or the next level is going to take you where you want to go,” Charlton said. “And when you have one, you’ve got a shot and those teams you’re talking about with those quarterbacks, they’re all different but at the end of the day they get their teams right, they lead them and they make plays, and that’s ultimately what the position is.”
