Nov 6 / Rob

Game Preview 10: JMU vs. Stony Brook

Stony Brook stadiumThe Basics

Match-up: JMU Dukes (6-3, 3-2 CAA) vs. Stony Brook Seawolves (4-5, 3-2 CAA)

The Line (for recreational purposes only): JMU -2

Location: Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on the campus of Stony Brook University on Strong Island

Kick-off: 1:00 on Saturday, November 8

Broadcast Options: Watch via Stony Brook’s stream here or tune into the JMU audio broadcast on Madizone.

 How They Got Here

Stony Brook is coming off a bye last week, because of course it is. It’s the third CAA game this season for the Dukes in which their opponent had the prior week off. In their last game, the Seawolves dropped a close one to New Hampshire 28-20 on the road. Good job, good effort, but still a loss. Stony Brook has had an up and down season, beating some CAA bottom dwellers and hanging tough in close to losses to William & Mary and UNH. Despite some inconsistent results, one thing has been consistent throughout the season is Stony Brook’s defense. It’s pretty stellar on paper.

JMU of course comes into this game riding a four game win streak. You know this, or at least you should. Last week Vad Lee and the offense woke up after a slow start to rally for a big win over William & Mary. Sage Harold had another outstanding game for a defense that played one of its better games of the season. The season has been all about adjusting to new schemes and new personnel for the Dukes. The offense has been explosive at times, but has yet to put together a full four quarter performance. The team seems to be gaining confidence each week though.

Irresistible Force vs. Immovable Object

The Seawolves aren’t going to beat anyone in a track meet. They’re going to try to shut teams down and slog out 10-3 wins. They’ve got the top scoring defense in the CAA, only surrendering 11 touchdowns thus far. They’ve held opponents to 2.5 yards/carry and 5.8 yards/reception, both tops in the CAA. They’ve collected 10 interceptions while only giving up 6 passing TDs. They’ve played some suspect teams, but this isn’t a case of them collecting stats against the weak part of their schedule. They’ve got a D that has been consistently stellar all season.

JMU on the other hand, is built to play fast and outscore opponents. The Dukes average 30 points a game. They run the ball to the tune of a CAA best 5.0 yards/carry. With the exception of Towson, JMU’s defense hasn’t shut any teams down. In some games it’s looked like as long as they get the ball last, the Dukes will win. JMU is not going to try to grind out low scoring wins. It’s going to try to light up the scoreboard and leave teams in the dust.

Essentially, we’re looking at a match-up of strength versus strength. Vad Lee and the Dukes’ attack against Stony Brook’s dominant defense. Something’s got to give.

The Seawolves Will Win If

They manage to control the pace and turn JMU over. Stony Brook doesn’t want JMU’s offense running 80+ plays. And the Seawolves don’t want JMU breaking off big plays for huge chunks or yardage. They’ll try to shut down the run and keep the Dukes from gaining yards on first down. The more successful they are in forcing the Dukes into third and long situations, the more one dimensional they’ll make JMU. And with an offense that isn’t ultra-explosive, they’d benefit greatly if they force a few turnovers to create short fields.

The Dukes Will Win If

They keep Stony Brook guessing, spread the ball around, and keep it up tempo. Essentially they need to do the complete opposite of what Stony Brook wants to do (funny how that works, huh?). JMU’s offense has come alive late in games several times this year. Some of that is due to solid adjustments. Some of it is simply due to the offense wearing teams out with its pace and dynamic attack. If Vad Lee is doing Vad Lee things, the running backs are finding holes, and multiple receivers are catching passes, it’s a lot for a defense to worry about. If JMU does those things Saturday, it should be able to break through and score. And if Sage Harold continues to go beast mode and the D plays like it did for must of last week’s game, they’ll keep points off the board.

JMUSB Beer of the Week

Schlafly Tasmanian IPA. There are no shortage of IPAs out there and we all have our favorites. Tasmanian might be my newest favorite. It’s so damn good. It’s a single hop/single malt ale. That’s exactly what it sounds like, a beer brewed with only one type of malt and one variety of hops. The result is a super clean IPA that highlights the citrus flavors and aroma of the Galaxy hop. Instead of going on with a bunch of beer geek speak, let me just say this, it’s delicious. It’s really delicious. And it’s only available for a limited time, so grab some. It’s around $12/six pack, which is a little more expensive than most IPAs, but it’s worth it. If you don’t like it, just give it to me. I’ll drink it.

JMUSB Prediction

JMU 31 – Stony Brook 17. Sage Harold gets to the QB, Jimmy Moreland makes us scream Jimmy Effin Moreland with delight, Vad Lee sets the pace, and the Dukes win.

8 Comments

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  1. Coach Priz / Nov 7 2014

    Had the Tasmanian at Lost Dog the other night. Agree 100% with your assesment

  2. Drake / Nov 7 2014

    Is the stream via Stony Brook’s website free?

  3. zac / Nov 7 2014

    @Drake, yes.

    @JMUSB Do you guys drink anything that is not super hoppy? I know it makes me sound like a child but I’ve never been a big fan of hoppy beers.

  4. Rob / Nov 7 2014

    @zac Both Todd and I could probably be accurately described as hopheads, but we do like other styles as well. As the weather cools, I tend to drift toward stouts and strong ales. And I love a good balanced lagers or ales year round, such as Brooklyn Lager, Liberty Ale, or Sixpoint the Crisp. Those aren’t as hoppy as many of the IPAs out there.

    BTW, having a preference & not liking hoppy beers doesn’t make you sound like a child at all. People like what they like. Nothing wrong with that.

  5. zac / Nov 7 2014

    Thanks for saying that. I still feel childish. Recently I’ve been on an incredible cider tear, which luckily I live in one of the best states in the union for.

    It actually started last October, I was at a Habitat for Humanity event on October 4th, 2013, and it was like a random 100 degree day. They had a beer truck but they were like… showcasing Bold Rock? Or, rolling it out, or something. Anyways, they let us have the Bold Rock at no cost. I must have had 100 ciders that day, and they were unbelievably refreshing in the heat.

    /ciderrant

  6. Todd / Nov 7 2014

    Zac – my wife is allergic to gluten so the Cider explosion in VA has been clutch for us! Bold Rock is a great stop on the Rt. 151 tour, though I really love Potters. And Rob is being kind, I’m still the cliched hophead while he has a wider palate. For the record, I actually do NOT like the Tasmanian at all. Too fruity or something for me.

  7. Tremonkey / Nov 7 2014

    Ciders are great, dude. Definitely an unheralded positive effect of the craft beer boom, but there are more and more new ciders coming out.

    I’m sure that our good friends at the JMUSB did not intentionally leave out Port City Tidings as the weather turns. Such a good beer. Get it while you can. Release party tonight at PCBC World Headquarters.

    GO DUKES

  8. Rob / Nov 8 2014

    Love the beer talk. We might need to crowdsource our BOTW selection for next week. I’m sure it would lead to plenty of great suggestions.

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