JMUSB Game #8 Preview: JMU vs. Richmond

Big game on Saturday. Pretty, pretty big. It’s the Dukes vs. the Ticks. It’s Homecoming. And College Gameday will be broadcasting from the Quad. It’s probably the most anticipated JMU home game since the 2008 clash against App State. It might be the most anticipated JMU home game ever. So let’s dive in.

The Basics

Match-up: #4 JMU Dukes (7-0, 4-0 CAA) vs. #11 RU Spiders (5-1, 3-0 CAA)

Kick-off: 3:30 PM on Saturday, October 24 in Bridgeforth Stadium

Weather: A perfect 65 degrees with no rain

Broadcast: Comcast Sportsnet or streaming via Madizone

How We Got Here

The Dukes picked up their seventh straight win with a dominating 51-0 shellacking of Elon on the road. It was JMU’s first shutout since way back in 2008. Cardon Johnson starred in the win, rushing for 165 yards and 2 TDs. As a team, JMU ran for over 400 yards on the ground and managed 604 yards of total offense. It was an easy win and a fine example of what the entire team is capable of. We’ve been spoiled week in and week out by Vad Lee and the offense. Last week we had a chance to see the defense exert its will on an opponent.

The Ticks also picked up a CAA road win, defeating Rhode Island 37-12. While the margin wasn’t as large as the Dukes, it was still a pretty dominating performance. QB Kyle Lauletta threw for 312 yards, a career best. They accumulated 462 yards of offense, which is a pretty impressive number. Provided you’re not comparing it to your standard JMU offensive outburst.

The win was Richmond’s fifth in a row after a season opening loss to Maryland. During the winning streak, the Ticks have been riding a balanced offense, demonstrating tremendous efficiency in the red zone, and capitalizing on turnovers. They’ve managed to score 34.2 points per game, including topping 40 in wins over VMI and Maine.

Here’s an Exhaustive List Every Single Thing We Like About Richmond

1.)

Ticks to Keep Your Eye On

Kyle Lauletta has been one of the more solid QBs in the CAA thus far this season. He’s completed 66% of his passes and tossed 10 TDs and only 2 interceptions. The Ticks also feature a running back by committee approach, with both Seth Fisher and Jacobi Green rushing for over 5 yards a carry. Like the Dukes, the Ticks have a number of weapons in the passing game. Brian Brown is a big play threat averaging over 18 yards a catch.

On defense, the Richmond defensive backs are known to make plays on the ball. The unit has picked up 10 interceptions already. Omar Howard anchors the linebackers and is the Ticks leading tackler. Winston Craig is a solid defensive lineman, who has a team high 3.5 tackles for loss.

Long Island of the South

The school might be located in Richmond, but it’s essentially just an extension of Long Island or New Jersey. And before anyone jumps down my throat, let me state that I legitimately like both Long Island and New Jersey. They’re both generally nice places filled with great folks. But there is no denying that both places have some truly terrible spots. For instance all the neighborhoods where the Richmond student body comes from are awful. And they’re awful purely because they contain Richmond folks.

The Ticks’ Likely Strategy

It’s a safe bet the Tick coaches and players will attempt to control the tempo. Because that’s what every team thinks it needs to do in order to defeat the Dukes. In this case the “what” isn’t the problem, but the “how” might be. The Ticks’ best bet will be to pound the ball and keep Vad Lee and the offense on the sidelines. Of course, much of Richmond’s success running the ball depends on stretching the D with the pass. Which means that the Ticks’ chances might depend on how effectively their offensive line can elevate its play and push the Dukes off the line.

How the Dukes Can Win

As Coach Withers would say, by playing with “no seatbelts.” The Dukes are built to play one way, fast. As long as they can do that and gain positive yardage, the Richmond D will eventually crack. And when it does crack, touchdowns. Lots of touchdowns. The Ticks have a relatively pedestrian pass rush that has only 10 sacks 2015. If JMU’s offensive line can keep the Ticks away from Vad, he should be able to utilize his weapons and move the ball.

On defense, JMU needs to force short drives and keep Richmond out of the red zone. With the pace of JMU’s offense, the D is almost guaranteed to be on the field a lot. That can skew both the statistics and the way the defense is viewed. All told though, the Dukes have done a pretty good job keeping opponents out of the red zone. Through 7 games JMU opponents have had 21 drives in the red zone. That’s one more than Richmond has given up this year. However, since the Dukes force the tempo and turn games into track meets, their D has been on the field for 113 more plays than Richmond’s. In that context, the D looks pretty good at keeping teams outside the 20. Which is going to be key, because the Ticks have scored 19 of the 20 times they’ve gotten in the red zone this year.

JMUSB Beer of the Week

It was brought to our attention, that our BOTW selections have been a little (OK, a lot) heavy on the IPA side of things. Makes sense because IPAs are great. But we should mix it up a bit. With an extended homecoming tailgate, it makes sense to suggest something a little more balanced and sessionable. For that, we’ll turn to the best small brewery in America (which happens to be founded by a JMU alum) Port City Brewing.

These guys consistently turn out some of the most balanced and drinkable beers you’ll find. This week’s beer of the week is Derecho Common. It’s a California Common ale, or steam beer, which is basically a lager fermented at a higher temperature. They made it when the brewery lost power due to the derecho of 2012, and the temperature of the fermentation tank climbed. It was a happy accident. And it’s a really good beer. It’s got a nice clean hop finish, without the bitterness you’ll find in an IPA. Plus, it’s only 4.8% ABV, so you can have a few before kickoff and still enjoy the game.

Official JMUSB Prediction

Homecoming. College Gameday. Dukes vs. Ticks. Thousands of Dukes fans serving as the backdrop for televisions from coast to coast. Lee Corso putting on the Duke Dog head. A sold out Bridgeforth. A day for the ages. Vad Lee. Onside kicks for Days. No seatbelts. Dukes roll. Spiders stomped.

Dukes 42 – Ticks 21