New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC)
2015 Football Standings - New Jersey Athletic Conference
Looking back: The major highlight of the 2015 football season in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) came on November 7. That was when the Salisbury University Sea Gulls stunned then No. 3 Wesley, 38-35, on the road. The improbable win helped propel Salisbury to a 7-1 mark in NJAC play, as well as a trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs as an at-large team.
Still, the loss to the Sea Gulls didn't faze the Wolverines, as they made yet another deep postseason run last fall. Wesley advanced to the national quarterfinals of the D-III dance, where they fell to eventual national champion Mount Union, 56-35. As for Salisbury, the Sea Gulls season ended with a loss to Cortland in the first round.
Looking ahead: As they enter their second season in the NJAC, don't be surprised if Wesley is the favorite to win the conference crown again.
Predicted order of finish (2015 overall record in parentheses):
1. Wesley (11-2): The Wolverines head into 2016 hoping to clinch their eighth straight double-digit win season dating back to 2009.
2. Salisbury (7-3): But after last year's upset win over Wesley on the road, the Sea Gulls could prove to be a worthy challenger to the Wolverines again this year.
3. Kean (8-3): A season-ending four-game winning streak, including a 24-6 win over WPI in the ECAC President's Bowl, has the Cougars and their fans cautiously optimistic for a potential conference championship/postseason run in 2016.
4. Frostburg State (6-4): The Bobcats also hope to make a serious run at the NJAC title after losing their last three games of the 2015 season following a 6-1 start.
5. Rowan (6-4): The Profs hope to reclaim their place atop the NJAC elite after a 5-4 finish in league play last season.
6. TCNJ (4-5): Were it not for a cancelled game against Salisbury almost at midseason, the Lions very well could have finished the 2015 campaign at 5-5, thanks to a four-game winning streak to close it out. That followed an 0-5 start to the season.
7. Christopher Newport (4-6): With one season of competition in the NJAC under their belts, the Captains will look to return to their winning ways after suffering their first-ever losing season in program history in 2015.
8. Montclair State (4-6): The Red Hawks will also try to bounce back after a down 2015 season that followed a NJAC crown in 2014.
9. William Paterson (2-8): The Pioneers struggled yet again in 2015, managing one just league win while giving 60 or more points in three of their losses.
10. Southern Virginia (0-10): The Knights will come into the 2016 campaign looking to win a game, any game.
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5 years ago
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