JMU @ Richmond Preview
Tick week. Poormond week. Sweater vest week. Ahh, nothing like the Dukes’ bi-annual invasion of the capital city! For quite a few alums, there’s no bigger rivalry game than this. Yes, we know the news that College of Charleston is expected to join the CAA as another weakassed, conference-destroying, non-football member is supposed to be announced tomorrow, but we’ll hold off on the full JMUSB treatment of the issue until things are official. Not that Andy Katz hasn’t been a solitary pro-CAA voice in the national media for a couple of years now, but let’s wait till the Board of Trustees vote tomorrow before wasting our breath. And it’s also pretty cool that former JMU soccer player Joel Senior was capped for Jamaica in the game that clinched that nation’s advancement in World Cup Qualifying. But it’s football season, and your JMU Dukes are now ranked #2 in the nation!
So back to the gridiron. Since UR has announced they’re moving down to DIII and Spider Bandwagon is solely covering hoops these days (we kid, we kid), we’re just running with our own preview. First, the basics:
Or?
The Richmond Ticks are 4-3 (2-2) and certainly still in the thick of things in the CAA. They’re also potentially better than their record. They have three cupcake wins including Georgia St., but they also upset a very good Villanova team on the road and hung tough with ODU at home and UNH on the road last week. The other loss was to UVa to open the season. That said, they’ve lost their top RB and their QB1 for the season in the last two games and we hold the fact they’re coached by former Liberty coach Danny Rocco against them as well. We’d like to continue our usual policy of mocking their new, but oh-so-itty-bitty-high-school-style Robins Stadium, but don’t forget the Dukes fell 13-10 there in JMU’s only other game in 2010.
What We Want to See:
The Dukes play with energy from the opening kick after sleepwalking through most of the first half last week. The offense run north and south, especially in EVERY SINGLE 4th down and goal-to-go situation. The offense look like they have an overall gameplan. WR Arlandis Harvey build on last week’s breakout performance. Continued solid play on Special Teams. With UR trotting out a backup QB, we’d like to see the Defense play more aggressive; force the Ticks to beat you over the top instead of dinking and dunking you with short passes up and down the field. Lastly, it will be interesting to see how JMU gameplans for 
the Ticks best player and Buchanan Watch List member Safety Cooper Taylor.
TV: We know lots of you from the RIC (you won’t catch us using RVA) will be in attendance and we hope you make the tailgating uncomfortable for the champagne crowd, but thankfully for the rest of us, this game is on Comcast again. This week, it’s the actual Comcast Mid-Atlantic so for most of us that’s the normal ComcastSportsNet.
Prediction: Like last year, we expect JMU to put up their best game of the year to this point against Richmond. After four essentially meaningless games to start the season, it’s taken the Dukes a couple weeks against two good teams to really get going. We like them to really get their footing and light up a banged-up Ticks squad. Dukes 27, Ticks 13.
And finally, you just might see this! Never gets old. [Two other notable items in this top 10: “Robert Griffin” makes an appearance w/out a 3 or a III, and both Hofstra (#thanksstu) and Northeastern flash football scores on the crawl]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMl6LaXEqvQ
Hey now, if NOVA is a thing, RVA needs to be recognized
Yeah, as a local, RVA has pretty much taken over. No one goes RIC anymore.
“Lastly, it will be interesting to see how JMU gameplans for the Ticks best player and Buchanan Watch List member Safety Cooper Taylor.”
Gameplan:
Run the ball a lot and make the safety (Taylor) run all over the field and finish the game with 20 tackles. If the last man on the field (Safety) is making all the tackles, you are having a fantastic day.
(This is getting reposted when you guys put the obituary up on monday morning.)
1. The Color commentator was probably the worst I’ve ever heard. Every single comment he made on the broadcast was incorrect.
2. Remember the “Am I the only guy who is NOT thrilled about Thorpe’s 6th year?” …. yep. We’re still here. I respect Thorpe’s winning record, but when a Freshman can come off the bench with no reps and light it up, I expect a LOT more out of a 5th year senior.
3. Why to all 4 of our DB’s play 10-20 yards off the ball on every play?
4. Swinging gate on a field goal (1st half, resulted on delay of game)? Seriously Mickey??
5. Why is it that our CB’s can have the WR covered like a blanket, yet the other team catches it every single time anyway?
6. Can a brother get a pass rush? Anyone? That was a 2nd sting QB out there.
7. Why would you even attempt a rugby style punt (resulting in 3 yards) when you have the best punter in the conference?
8. Did anyone else notice the blue and red streamers in the stands? I hate Richmond with a passion, but stealing our streamers is totally over the line.
9. Did anyone else notice that all the headshots of their players looked like the boyfriend from Wedding Crashers?
10. The only team I hate more than Richmond is ODU. There is no excuse for us to lose to a perennial mid-tier team like Richmond, EVER.
I think the majority of fans are totally okay with pulling Thorpe. Most were just to ashamed or didn’t want to be that person to say “he’s not the guy.” He’s not a leader and isn’t a dependable guy like Rascati or Landers were.The fact that the freshman came in and played the way he did, down big on the road, doesn’t make the loss hurt as bad. Hopefully they get it together and back on the track against Georgia State.
My god that was the aboslute worst half of football I have ever seen….no wait I am not sure it was probably worse to have seen the 1st half of the W&M game in person.
A couple of points to add to 2004 Duke:
1. Why in God’s name did Mickey lineup for 4th and a foot in the shotgun and run wide…..does he not recall what happened when he tried that last week in OT1 against W&M.
2. Can someone please give Mickey the URL to the JMUSports Blog, there is some good stuff on here that could really help him out.
3. Thorpe is just plain awful….PLEASE start Birdsong next week. Against GaState we should be able to see what he can do as a starter and send a message to Thorpe.
JMU is a team without an identity right now. You have those areas they are supposed to be good (Offense & Defense) and then you have reality – two very different things. Total lack of urgency and execution on both sides on the ball in the 1st half. The JMU Defense has a knack for making opposing team’s QB and TE look like All-Pro candidates.
Birdsong for President!!
On a serious note, yeah he is a freshman, but Birdsong doesn’t even look (physically) look like a freshman. Birdsong looked like Rascati and/or Dudzik and even more importantly he looked like he knew what he was doing and taking charge. Not saying that a good defense won’t eventually prepare for him, but I think you give him a shot against Georgia State next week since it will be at home in a friendly environ and against a pretty weak team. #QBCONTROVERSY
No one is mentioning the horrible refs at this game. Did anyone watch it on tv and maybe, hopefully, see that the penalties we received really earned?
True some of those personal fouls I question….it is football afterall and a violent game by nature. I am not sure what Stephon Robertson is supposed to do when a TE comes over the middle anymore. That was a clean hit. If the hit on Harvey was clean in the W&M game that hit was definitely clean. Does the TE bear any responsibility when he bends over coming over the middle or the QB for leading someone into big hit.
But still the defense was bad all day. Could get no pressure on QB at all.