Dogs v. Cats: Dukes Welcome Villanova

JMU will wrap up the rare three-game homestand by taking on Villanova tomorrow at New Bridgeforth.  It’s Parents Weekend in the ‘Burg so it’s likely the Dukes will break the new attendance records again but as usual on this fiasco of a game from a fans’ perspective, the crowd will be quieter and significantly less knowledgable than usual.   In other words, if you’re headed to the game like I am, just be thankful the Athletics Department at least moved the game from it’s usual noon start to 1:30 and do your best to get rowdy.

I’m going to take a slightly different tact with this preview, but if you’d like a humorous and insanely detailed preview from another JMU fan, check out the Purple Wave preview at http://www.purplewave.tk/ .  We don’t always agree entirely, the grammar would occasionally make Dexter Manley blush, and personally I think the midseason grades are overly harsh, but his previews are the tits and one of the few things I consistently look forward to popping up on the CAA Zone message boards.

As for us, these are the facts, just the facts:

Villanova is starting no less than four true freshman on each side of the ball, possibly including their QB’s first ever start.

Villanova is without their best player in WR Norman White right now, though WR Dorian Wells remains a threat, especially against our “pass defense.”

Villanova is last in the CAA against the rush.  The Dukes are first in rushing by a Callao mile (that’s Northern Neck for “country mile”).

At 4-2, the Dukes are right where we thought they’d be at this point before the season both record wise and in the CAA.  Just because they’re trailing different teams than we thought they would be is no reason to call for anyone’s firing/benching/stoning/castrating/etc.

No excuses about who's "not" out there, Dukes need more of this!

Turnovers and mental mistakes, not talent or scheme, are the only things that could doom the Dukes this weekend.  Hold onto the ball, play angry off the tough loss, and no punches or other shenanigans and we should be able to avoid a Mickey visor-toss this weekend.  Really no excuse for not burying this team (except that’s what we said for CCSU too).

Predicition Contest

Read Rob’s post below this one and leave a prediction for the score of this week’s game in the comments section of either post.  Closest to the actual gets to hijack the blog for a day next week and write on anything JMU related they damn well feel like.

Beer of the Week

Special thanks to the Bowens of Comus, MD for alerting me to the genius of DuClaw Brewery.  Damn right there’s a solid brewerey in PG County!  Saw their Mad Bishop Octoberfest at Vienna Whole Foods this week and it will go perfectly with what should be another standout fall weekend.  And if you have a problem with gophers, voles, or exploding commodes, but would rather pay in barley and hops than cash, find Mr. Bowen.

Odds and Ends

Televised coverage is only available through MadiZone for this one.  Still can’t guarantee the connection, but the production value has seen an enormous upgrade with the opening of New BFS this year and if you can’t make the game, it’s really worth the small pay per view from JMU Sports.

However, in great news for DC/Nova folks, the Duke Club has gotten permission for Bailey’s Ballston to broadcast the MadiZone feed so the usual Saturday DukesFest is on!

Midnight Madness in college hoops starts this week and we really will get off football and cover some of the other great news in Dukesland next week for a little while including but not limited to Arthur Moats destroying QB’s for the Bills, CJ Sapong lighting up MLS and headed for the playoffs with Sporting Kansas City, the JMU men’s soccer team nationally ranked and on fire despite a loss this week, and of course Coach Lucas and Field Hockey hanging tough through adversity.  We’re also hoping to get a special update from our on-the-scene correspondents at Hoops Media Day Tuesday.