Since it is our only bye week, it seems like as good a time as any to lament the Tribe schedule. Hopefully, we can weather the storm and a good team will rise to the top regardless.

However, the following things make this schedule tougher than most of the CAA:

1) A bye week in the 2nd week of the year
2) 4 of the first 5 games on the road
3) Ending the year with JMU, Towson and Richmond, again.
4) Elon as the only easy conference game

Much of this might get better next year with some rotation of teams. The coaches and players do a great job of taking things a week at a time and a game at a time. When you compare our schedule to any of the other teams, it is tougher. NH doesn't play Nova or JMU. None of the other teams start with 4 of 5 on the road(although Stony Brook also has a really tough early schedule).

Now for the catch to this post:

Look at the 2010 schedule:

Week 1 at UMass
Week 2 VMI
Week 3 at ODU
Week 4 at Maine
Week 5 Villanova
Week 6 Rhode Island
Week 7 Bye
Week 8 Delaware(HC)
Week 9 at UNC
Week 10 at New Hampshire
Week 11 at JMU
Week 12 Richmond

So, 11 games, just like this year. There were several top 10 teams on that schedule, plus an unranked UNC and UMass. 3 out of 4 to begin on the road, 3 straight on the road late in the year. We all remember how that season turned out in the CAA. 3 critical points to that season we can keep an eye on. First, we went undefeated at home in the regular season. Second, we broke a 5 game losing streak to Richmond that year. Third, the team was resilient bouncing back for big wins each time it had suffered a painful close loss. That year, we got through the tough road portion of the early schedule with only 1 loss. It will be a tall task for the 2015 Tribe to be 4-1 heading into the New Hampshire game in mid-October.

There have been times JL had wished we were playing since the team had some momentum and a good rythem going rather than take off. But, injuries can change how not having a week off later in the year will have an effect on the team.
Just get on a roll and kick....