Game Preview #8: JMU @ UNC Charlotte

Want to troll a 49ers fan?!

The Basics

Match-up: unranked JMU Dukes (4-3, 2-2 CAA) vs unranked UNCC 49ers (3-4, FCS independent)

Kick-off: 12:00 PM Saturday, October 25 at Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Weather Forecast:  Sunny, high of 73, 0% chance of rain, winds only 5 mph (basically a perfect day and the opposite of last year’s monsoon, but we’ve heard from our UNCC source that this will require sunscreen given the absolute lack of shade anywhere in this bowl stadium, including the above ground, no-cover concourse)

Broadcast: Online only, paid service through Charlotte. Looks like this is the old school $9.95 and then cancel the monthly unless you can find it on Wiziwig or First Row Sports.

How UNCC Can Win

Who knows. Seriously, it’s almost impossible to know much about this team from the schedule they’ve played so far:

Won @ non scholarship Campbell 33-9.
Won vs. Div II Johnson C Smith 56-0.
Won @ NC Central (MEAC) (3-4) 40-28.
Lost @ Elon (1-6) 20-13
Lost vs. Charleston Southern (5-2) 47-41 (OT).
Lost @ Gardner-Webb (4-3) 27-24.
Lost vs. Citadel (2-5) 63-56 (2 OT). (credit to BDK for this research)

Despite having more scholarships than last year’s team and considerably more than JMU in preparation for CUSA play next year, somehow the 49ers “might” be worse than last year. I say “might” because that schedule is impossible to read. The three wins are utterly meaningless cupcakes. The loss to Elon is bad, but not a whole lot different than JMU’s own loss (at home I might add) to UD. Then they played, and lost, three really tight games against SoCon teams that are all competent (Citadel was a trendy pick in the preseason and that 2-5 record has been a huge disappointment given their talent).

This is UNCC’s homecoming and their coach called JMU “the biggest opponent we’ve had in here so far” so I imagine the team and its partisans will be fairly amped. They’re a run-first and run-second team despite an up-tempo pace because their QB has been looser with the ball than 4th-quarter Romo.

How JMU Can Win

Stop the run and then force turnovers. Assuming the bye week was a restful positive and the Dukes offense doesn’t sleepwalk through a half or more like the Delaware game, we’re confident the Dukes will score points. The key in this one is keeping up the defensive business we saw against Towson a couple weeks ago. UNCC has shown the ability to score throughout the season and sort of appears to be significantly better than that Towson team, but if the Dukes can force them to turn to an inconsistent passing game, weather the Marlowe-less first half (targeting ejection suspension) and force some turnovers, they should prove the better team worthy of the their status as 10-point road favorites.

One thing that will be interesting to see is the turnout from Dukes fans. Despite Homecoming, this isn’t a sellout from UNCC and JMU has a decent alumni contingent in the area that has complained for years about being overlooked. As many of you know, I moved down to Greensboro this summer and will be looking forward to attending this one and joining those folks in some tailgate action and hopefully to cheer a big Dukes win.

JMUSB Beer of the Week

While we’re still not completely convinced by the hue and cry from Charlotte about their budding “world class” beer scene, especially with everything Virginia and other places in North Carolina, most notably the glorious hamlet of Asheville, have to offer, we are willing to make a Charlotte-specific selection this week with NoDa Brewing’s Hop, Drop and Roll IPA. It’s really tasty and the tall-boy cans are perfect for a morning tailgate in the sunshine.

A Couple Notes on Charlotte

First, we know their folks desperately want to be Charlotte, not UNCC, so we’ve had fun with that old commuter-school moniker even though we’re forced to admit we’re really impressed with everything they’ve done in the last decade plus to transform their university, their campus, and of course their pulling the trigger on CUSA when offered. Second, just a question: Is there a city in America where the gap between the spin you hear from its residents about their city and the reality of that city if wider?

Official JMUSB Prediction

We’re not sure the talent or the coaching is necessarily all that far apart, but JMU is simply playing for more and will outscore the 49ers while potentially scaring us a bit about the D again. Dukes 38, UNCC 27