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ANDERSON, Ind. Cam Atkinson Jersey . -- The Colts first training camp practice had a familiar look.Fans watched quarterback Andrew Luck and receiver T.Y. Hilton hook up on the field Wednesday. Outside linebacker Robert Mathis and cornerback Vontae Davis went back to work, and general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano chatted on Anderson Universitys sun-drenched campus.But after a lost season in which they faded from Super Bowl contenders to an 8-8 record and out of the playoffs, things dont sound the same.Last year we had a lot of expectations coming in and a lot of guys probably didnt know how to answer a lot of those questions, inside linebacker DQwell Jackson said. This is a new year, same (head) coach, some new coaches, but we are going to come in and guys are ready to work and get this year started off the right way.The Colts still want to hang a second Super Bowl banner inside Lucas Oil Stadium. But unlike 2015, when they were tabbed as the biggest threat to dethroning the Patriots in the AFC, the offseason discussion about expectations has been much more measured.From recently established veterans such as Luck and Hilton to those who have been around a bit longer, like Jackson and safety Mike Adams, everyone seems to embrace the concept of keeping the Super Bowl talk mostly private unless they are pressed.On Tuesday, Luck was asked if hes planning to play the first week of February.Yeah, absolutely, he said, smiling. And win that game.Its not that Pagano or anyone else has banned Super Bowl from the Colts vocabulary. Theyve just learned some valuable lessons about coping with others expectations.For three years, Luck & Co. made winning look easy.The rookie quarterback engineered a nine-win improvement in 2012, taking a team projected to be the worst in football to an 11-5 mark and an improbable playoff appearance. In 2013 and 2014, Indy won division crowns with 11-5 records and reached the divisional round of the playoffs the first year and the AFC Championship second. They wound up losing both times at New England.So the natural assumption entering last season was that another year of experience and what appeared to be a soft schedule would lead to a breakthrough season for Indianapolis.Instead, Luck took too many hits behind a leaky offensive line and wound up missing nine games. Indy struggled to run the ball, too. Without a consistent second option and a 40-year-old backup quarterback, the Colts watched defenses prevent Hilton from making his usual array of game-breaking plays.The Colts defense stayed on the field far too long, and the ensuing losses created speculation about whether Pagano and Grigson would return for 2016.Though both got contract extensions, the struggles forced Colts players to take a long, hard look at what went wrong.Unfortunately, Ive been through that story a lot in my career, Jackson said. For me, when everything was happening, we werent winning the games that we thought we shouldve won that is when my expertise came out and I tried to keep guys focused and just stay the course. I think it helped this football team.Now, the Colts are trying to turn last years growing pains to their advantage.Luck arrived at camp saying hes 100 percent healthy. The emergence of Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett should help free up Hilton. Indy is counting on four draft picks to solidify the offensive line that must keep Luck healthy And theyre asking new coordinator Ted Monachino to create a winning defense.Even the annual slogan, which once was Hoist The Lombardi, has been tempered to For The Shoe.Obviously, you listen to the owner of the team and you listen to GM and you listen to the head coach and your teammates, Luck said. As far as expectations internally, its been the same since Ive been a rookie here. Probably the same since before I was a rookie here. Its you win. This is a winning franchise. You find a way to make the playoffs and give yourself a chance to win the Super Bowl.Game notes Five players left practice early with what the team described as a precautionary move on a warm day in Anderson. Following practice, the Colts said safeties T.J. Green and Winston Guy, offensive lineman LeRaven Clark, defensive lineman Sterling Bailey and running back Josh Ferguson all made early exits because of cramps. Green was Indys second-round draft pick and Clark was the Colts third-round pick. ... Coach Chuck Pagano said he respected the decision running back Tyler Varga made to retire. Varga spent most of last season on injured reserve because of a concussion.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Lukas Sedlak Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Joonas Korpisalo Jersey . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. http:///...s-ryan-murray-jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. It took a mere three plays for Michael Nicastro and Albany to realize this season has a chance to be drastically different than the last.The junior linebackers interception and 38-yard return on the opening drive set the tone for Albanys 22-16 win at Buffalo last Saturday, its first over an FBS opponent. It was a watershed moment for a program thats struggled for relevancy since jumping to the FCS ranks in 1999, and an especially satisfying one for Nicastro. The 2014 All-CAA selection, who finished with 11 tackles, was playing his first game since suffering a gruesome knee injury on the same field in the Great Danes 51-14 loss to the Bulls a year prior.Anybody thats been hurt on a field the year before, theres got to be some apprehension, Albany coach Greg Gattuso said. But he went out and, I should have known, made an impact on the game. Hes just that kind of player. It shows why we missed him so much last year.Nicastros absence was one of several pitfalls that befell the Great Danes last season, when an underclassmen-laden group lost six of its final seven games and took a step back from a promising 2014 CAA debut.Theres reason to believe an upward move could be coming. Albany returns a conference-high 19 starters and has a schedule that doesnt include three of the leagues expected heavyweights in James Madison, William & Mary and Towson.With a visit to perennially rebuilding Rhode Island (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET) next up and manageable home games against Holy Cross and St. Francis to follow, the Great Danes appear to have a legitimate chance at a 4-0 start entering the defining portion of the slate -- a home date with No. 2 Richmond preceded by trips to Maine and Villanova in October.An opportunistic defense that forced 27 turnovers in 2015 adds to that optimism. The Great Danes had four more takeaways against Buffalo, including safety Mason Grays goal-line strip of Bulls quarterback Tyree Jackson that prevented a potential go-ahead touchdown with 3:52 left.Albany induced six turnovers in last Septembers 35-7 victory over Rhode Island, which has yet to reap the benefits from going young while winning just twice in coach Jim Flemings first two seasons.The Rams were inundated with early mistakes in their season-opening 55-6 loss at Kansas, with a muffed punt by All-CAA return man Harold Cooper and an opening-possession fumble putting URI in a 13-0 hole midway through the first quarter.Quarterback Wesley McKoy also seeks improvement after completing just 6 of 23 passes for 49 yards with an interception.The cleanliness of our operation needs to come a long way, Fleming said. We need to be able to compete in the short passing game. I thought there were some bright spots in the running game, we found some creases. Weve just got to find some more explosion plays.For Gattuso, the goal is maintaining the intensity, focus and execution the Great Danes displayed against Buffalo.If we dont play this way every week, we dont give ourselves a chance to win every week, we probably havent learned a lot from (this win), he said. Itll look nice in a timeline and things like that. Getting a win over an FBS school is outstanding and were very proud of that, but ultimately we need to continue to build on that start.HOUSTON, THE DUKES HAVE LIFT-OFFAny concerns of James Madisons prolific offense experiencing a decline in production under a new coaching regime were quickly dispelled on opening weekend. The 12th-ranked Dukes scored touchdowns on each of their first seven drives and generated points on the first 11 en route to their most lopsided win ever, an 80-7 thrashing of Morehead State in Mike Houstons debut. The scoring total was the highest ever by a CAA school against a Division I foe and surpassed the programs previous high of 76 points, set against Morgan State in 1995. The result also eclipsed a 72-0 rout of Lock Haven in 2000 as the Dukes largest margin of victory.Houston, who replaced current Texas State boss Everett Withers in January after guiding The Citadel to a share of the 2015 Southern Conference title, was as surprised as any by the outcome.First game, new coaching staff together, and you just never know truly what to expect, he said. But I thought that our kids were extremely focused and came out ready to play and played with a tremendous energy level. The thing that stuck out the most was how hard we played and for the most part, how clean we played all night long. Probably about as good an opening night performance as we could expect.Houston came to Harrisonburg with a reputation of developing relentless rushing attacks, and the Dukes certainly didnt disappoint in that regard. JMU produced a school-record 10 touchdowns on the ground and 498 rushing yards, its most as a Division I member.The offense likely faces a sterner test in Saturdays visit from Central Connecticut State (4 p.m. ET), which limited Lafayette to 22 rushing yards in a 24-10 loss last week.ON TAPA capsule look at Saturdays other games involving CAA teams (all times Eastern):Stony Brook (1-0) at Temple (0-1), 1 p.m.- The Seawolves are just 1-6 all-time against FBSS teams but enter Lincoln Financial Field with confidence from a hard-earned 13-9 win over then-No. Adidas David Savard Jersey. 19 North Dakota, while the Owls could be lacking some after surrendering 344 rushing yards in a 28-13 home loss to Army and facing a second straight week without their top offensive player, running back Jahad Thomas, due to an injured hand. The game will be a homecoming of sorts for Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore, who served as Penns offensive coordinator from 1992-99 and whose brother, Ray, is the Quakers head coach.Delaware (1-0) at Lafayette (1-0), 6 p.m.- The Blue Hens recorded a 12th consecutive victory in the series after holding Lafayette to 55 rushing yards in a 19-9 win in Newark last season, though the Leopards have already matched their 2015 win total with last weeks defeat of Central Connecticut State. Delaware cruised past Delaware State in its opener behind an outstanding return from Wes Hills. The junior running back, who missed nearly all of 2015 with a broken foot, accounted for 212 of the Blue Hens 395 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns.Elon (0-1) at Charlotte (0-1), 6 p.m.- The Phoenix try to recover from last weeks disappointing 31-6 home loss to Gardner-Webb in which they were outgained 327-59 on the ground. Elon won its lone meeting with Charlotte 20-13 in 2014, though the 49ers were in their second year of existence at the time and have since stepped up to the FBS level.Lehigh (0-1) at #22 Villanova (0-1), 6 p.m.- The Wildcats enter the final home opener of the 32-year Andy Talley era with room to improve on offense and special teams, though the defense impressed in last weeks 28-7 loss at ACC member Pittsburgh. Villanova yielded 261 total yards and got its lone points on Rob Rolles fumble recovery off freshman linebacker Drew Wileys third-quarter sack. Three of the Panthers four touchdowns came on drives starting in VU territory, with the other a 96-yard kickoff return to begin the second half. Lehigh managed only 239 yards in its 23-21 loss to visiting Monmouth and has lost four straight and seven of eight in the series.Norfolk State (1-0) at #2 Richmond (1-0), 6 p.m.- After stating their case as a potential national title contender with last weeks 37-20 notice-serving victory at Virginia, the Spiders attempt to avoid a letdown in their home opener. Norfolk State, fresh off a 20-12 win over Division II Elizabeth City State, figures to have a hard time slowing down quarterback Kyle Lauletta and a UR offense that piled up 524 total yards against the Cavaliers. NSU, led by former Spiders head coach Latrell Scott, is 1-10-1 all-time against current CAA teams.Saint Francis (0-1) at Towson (0-1), 6 p.m.- Morgan Mahalak makes his home debut and should fare better than his first game as a Tiger, when the Oregon transfer completed just 16 of 36 passes and was intercepted once in a 56-20 loss at South Florida that knocked Towson out of the STATS FCS Top 25. Saint Francis, picked third in the Northeast Conference preseason poll, surrendered 353 yards and three touchdowns through the air in last Saturdays 41-31 loss at No. 14 Montana and was held to 197 total yards in last years 35-20 defeat to the Tigers. Towson has won all four meetings with the Red Flash.#13 William & Mary (0-1) at Hampton (0-1), 6 p.m.- The Tribe also should have an easier time after being overmatched against N.C. State in their opener. William & Mary has outscored Hampton 113-28 in winning three matchups between the Tidewater residents over the previous three seasons and outgained the Pirates by a 526-150 margin in last years 40-7 rout. Kendell Anderson rushed for a career-high 195 yards for the Tribe, but the All-CAA running back had just eight on five carries while hindered by a shoulder injury in the 48-14 loss to the Wolfpack.Holy Cross (1-0) at #24 New Hampshire (0-1), 7 p.m.- UNH christens the brand-new Wildcat Stadium with a potentially challenging test. Holy Cross won four of its final five games of 2015 and rolled to a 51-24 victory over Morgan State last week behind three touchdown passes from Peter Pujals, a four-year starter who earned first-team All-Patriot League honors last season. The Wildcats, who lost to Patriot member Colgate in last years FCS playoffs in the final game at Cowell Stadium, attempt to get their offense untracked after mustering 141 yards and going 0 for 14 on third downs in a 31-0 loss at Mountain West power San Diego State.Maine (0-1) at Toledo (1-0), 7 p.m.- After coming close to knocking off an FBS bowl participant from last season in their first game under Joe Harasymiak, the Black Bears take on another in a Toledo team that finished 10-2 a year ago and amassed 556 total yards in last Fridays 31-10 road win at Arkansas State. Maine wont have top wide receiver Micah Wright available for a second straight week due to a suspension, though Jaleel Reed filled in nicely during the narrow 24-21 loss at Connecticut by totaling 169 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. ' ' '
