South Alabama at JMU: Official JMUSB Game #5 Preview

The Basics

Matchup: South Alabama Jaguars (2-2, 0-0 Sun Belt) JMU Dukes (4-0, 1-0 Sun Belt)

Kickoff: Noon EDT. Saturday, September 30, 2023, Bridgeforth Stadium, Rocktown

Weather: 65, morning showers then cloudy

Broadcast: ESPNU

Boys in the Desert: JMU -3, O/U 51.5

How We Got Here

South Alabama has had a roller-coaster start to the season. Got blown out by Tulane in the most anticipated G5 matchup of Week 1. Turned around a couple weeks later and looked dominant in a beatdown of Oklahoma St. in Stillwater. Then went home last week, fell asleep, and got upset by Central Michigan. In other words, hard to know what to make of this edition of the Jags just yet.

Dukes also fell asleep but prevented South Al’s full capitualtion out at Utah St. last week to escape this three-game road trip to start the season relatively unscathed.

How South Al Can Win

Feed their star WR Caullin Lacy over and over and over. And do enough in the run game with La’Damian Webb to keep the Dukes honest while feeding Lacy all those times. The Dukes haven’t shown the ability to even cope with a true star WR1 yet this season, particularly when they’re moved around and hunting matchups with DB’s not named Logan or Coles. This week is no different and as much as Head Coach Kane Womack loves to be all old-school “establish the run” guy, this week he probably needs to chuck it to Lacy and challenge the Dukes to stop it.

How JMU Can Win

Keep developing the offense’s explosiveness but not turn the ball over. Last week we saw an offense starting to click. We all worried about whether the offense could approach what we’ve seen in recent years early on this season. But after seeing 500 plus yards and huge plays all over last week, maybe we all forgot a bit that McCloud was starting for the first time in a couple years and essentially the entire receiving core was brand new. With a few game under their belt together, we saw all the potential for this group last week even though it was overshadowed in the moment by the turnovers. What could this offense do now with say, one turnover instead of four?!

Defensively, just cover Lacy and otherwise keep doing what you do up front.

JMUSB Beer of the Week

Solace Thunder Buddy. Another IPA in a purple can? Why yes thank you.

Official JMUSB Prediction

JMU 27, South Alabama 23 – Should be a dandy!