Football is back and in full swing for the first weekend of the season. Some teams will be tested and some will not be. But everyone is in action this week with the eye on the prize of a conference championship.

Week 1 Capsules

Pace (0-0, 0-0 NE-10) at East Stroudsburg (0-0, 0-0 PSAC)

When: September 1st, 6:05 PM
All-Time Series: ESU leads the series, 1-0-0

My thoughts: This game will be a test for both teams.

Pace struggled on and off the field last year and is ready to play some football. After welcoming in a huge freshmen class, the Setters are ready to prove something on the field. Second year coach Chris Dapolito has recruited a lot of new players and hopes that they are ready to play college football.

ESU struggled last year after beating Pace in the opening weekend. They were picked for great things but were not able to do much. They have a couple new faces at the skill positions and will hope for better fortunes in 2011.

Pace is very young and will experience some bumps on the field this year. But they are young and the future is bright.

Prediction: ESU 45 Pace 7

SUNY Maritime (0-0, 0-0 ECFC) at Bentley (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)

When: September 2nd, 7:00 PM
All-Time Series: First Meeting

My thoughts: If you are going to play a Division III team, make it a conference favorite and 2010 playoff participant.

The Privateers were picked by the ECFC coaches to repeat this year. They finished the 2010 season with a 10-0 regular season before losing in the first round of the D3 playoffs. They have a lot of experience on both sides of the ball and will look to pull a major upset in Waltham.

Bentley was the hottest team to close out the 2010 season. We will see if that momentum carries over to 2011. The Falcons got great news when reigning NE-10 MVP Bryant Johnson decided to enroll in graduate school and exercise his fifth year of eligibility. He will again lead an offense that has plenty of firepower. Bentley has a lot of returnees on the defensive side of the ball as well. The Hopkins twins will anchor the defense for the Falcons.

Bentley has the home field advantage and will use it to grab their first victory of the season.

Prediction: Bentley 38 SUNY Maritime 10

Curry (0-0, 0-0 0 NEFC) at Stonehill (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)

When: September 2nd, 7:00 PM
All-Time Series: Stonehill leads the series, 6-1-0

My thoughts: Last year, Curry nearly pulled off the upset.

Curry is currently picked fourth in the preseason poll for the NEFC Boyd Division. They played Stonehill tough last year and will look to pull the upset to open the season. The Colonels have 13 consecutive winning seasons and will look to extend that streak.

Stonehill has a couple of holes to fill due to graduation but is ready to field a competitive team in 2011. They will need to find a new workhouse to carry the ball but has a number of upperclassman at the quarterback position to provide some experience. The defense will need to make some plays and they will look to Stephan Neville to electrify the team in the return game.

Stonehill will have their hands full but should be able to wear down the smaller Curry team to secure their first win of the season.

Prediction: Stonehill 24 Curry 14

Southern Connecticut (0-0, 0-0 NE-10) at Central Connecticut (0-0, 0-0 NEC)

When: September 3rd, 12:00 PM
All-Time Series: SCSU leads the series, 36-16-0

My thoughts: There is nothing like an in-state rivalry to kick off the season.

Southern Connecticut is loaded again and looks to regain their swagger of previous years. They have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and will look to avenge for a tough 2010 season. Kevin Lynch will be the catalyst of the offense and look to get the ball into the end zone every time he touches the ball. Sam-uel Johnson will be the leader on the defensive side and will look to make sure that the defense does their job.

Central Connecticut is again the favorite in the NEC and will look to extend their home dominance. They have not lost on their home turf since 2007 and will see no reason to let Southern Connecticut celebrate a road victory.

Central Connecticut is a bigger, stronger and faster team than Southern Connecticut. But the Owls will hang for a while before the Blue Devils take control of the game.

Prediction: Central Connecticut 38 Southern Connecticut 20

# 20 Kutztown (0-0, 0-0 PSAC) at St. Anselm (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)

When: September 3rd, 1:00 PM
All-Time Series: Kutztown leads the series, 3-0-0

My thoughts: Can St. Anselm pull the same magic rabbit out of the hat like Kutztown did in 2010?

Kutztown surprised everyone last year, making the playoffs as the top seeded team in Super Region One. They bowed out to eventual regional champion Shepherd but the Bears got a taste of success and will want to repeat it in 2011. Kevin Morton is back as the signal caller and will look to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers as much as possible.

St. Anselm has had glimpses of success but has not been able to sustain in the past couple of years. They pulled off a huge upset when they traveled to New Haven last year and knocked the Chargers out of playoff contention. The Hawks have plenty of solid players on both sides of the ball and will look to build that consistency in 2011.

I would love to pick an upset but Kutztown is the better team on paper.

Prediction: Kutztown 45 St. Anselm 24

Bowie St. (0-0, 0-0 CIAA) at Assumption (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)

When: September 3rd, 1:00 PM
All-Time Series: First Meeting

My thoughts: This will be a good test for both schools.

Bowie State was picked third in the CIAA North for 2011 and will look to make some noise in the league. They have a lot of starters back on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs will get used to time on the road as seven of their 10 games away from the comfy confines of Bulldog Stadium.

Assumption was the early pick to win the NE-10 last year after beating a couple of D1 FCS teams. But injuries and struggles caught up with the Greyhounds and they limped to the finish line. They have a lot of holes to fill this year as they were hit hard by graduation. But if history repeats itself, the Greyhounds will take their lumps early but see progress later on.

Bowie State is the more experienced team and will sneak out of Worcester with the victory.

Prediction: Bowie State 24 Assumption 17

West Chester (0-0, 0-0 PSAC) at New Haven (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)

When: September 3rd, 1:00 PM
All-Time Series: New Haven leads the series, 7-3-1

My thoughts: This is the game of the weekend and we will see if New Haven is ready to play a tough PSAC team.

West Chester had their first losing season in a while in 2010 but they will be ready to put it in the rearview mirror in 2011. They have a lot of starters back and they are hungry to prove that 2010 was a fluke.

New Haven was this close to the playoffs in 2010. A tough loss to St. Anselm in their final home game cost them a shot at the playoffs. But it just another stepping-stone for a program in just their third season back. They have a lot of experience and are ready to atone for last year.

New Haven will be the more experienced team in the fourth quarter and take this game to kick off their 2011 campaign.

Prediction: New Haven 24 West Chester 20

AIC (0-0, 0-0 NE-10) at CW Post (0-0, 0-0 PSAC)

When: September 3rd, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: Post leads the series, 14-11-0

My thoughts: This game is always a big measuring stick for both teams.

AIC is always a program that reloads after losing key contributors. And 2011 will be no exception. Gone is Rob Parent but there are several candidates waiting in the wings to take over. Gone is Terrence Holley but they are several players waiting to make the same big plays he made year after year. The Yellow Jackets will need new faces to make big plays.

Who said that moving to the PSAC would be easy? Post was 7-4 last year in the PSAC East and is picked fourth for the upcoming season. But after hosting AIC this weekend, they travel to California and Mercyhurst in crossover games. They have three straight tough, physical teams on the schedule and it will show a lot about what type of team the Pioneers will be in 2011.

Prediction: Post 24 AIC 14

WPI (0-0, 0-0 Liberty) at Merrimack (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)

When: September 3rd, 7:00 PM
All-Time Series: First Meeting

My thoughts: This game has the makings of being a one-sided game early.

WPI ended the 2010 season on a six game losing streak after opening the season 3-1. They have a lot of players back from the 2010 squad and will look to match up against a bigger team. The Engineers will rely on Ernie Mello to carry the load on offense.

Merrimack will be looking to prove that 2010 was a fluke. They were never able to crank up the team to match the success of 2009. But with James Suozzo under center, the Warriors will be able to put up some points. The success of Merrimack has always been their defense. If they can stop people, they are a playoff contender. If not, they will be in the middle of the pack.

Merrimack is the better team and should be able to take control early.

Prediction: Merrimack 45 WPI 7