JMUSB Game #11 Preview: JMU vs. Villanova

The Dukes close out the 2015 regular season on Saturday with a home game against their old friends the Villanova Wildcats. Prior to the season beginning, most fans thought this one would likely decide the CAA crown and maybe even clinch the Payton Award for one of the QBs. But life sometimes throws you curveballs. Star QBs Vad Lee and John Robertson both went down with injuries, but this game still has playoff implications. A win and some help could give the Dukes a seed, while a win and some breaks could help Nova snag a bid. It might not be the game of the year, but it’s still a big one.

The Skinny

Match-up: #12 JMU Dukes (8-2, 5-2 CAA) vs. Villanova Wildcats (6-4, 5-2 CAA)

Kickoff: 12:00 PM at Bridgeforth Stadium

Weather: High of 51 and mostly sunny

Broadcast: Streaming via Madizone

Tell Me About Villanova

Surely, you all know who the Villanova Wildcats are. If you’re of a certain age, you’ll immediately recognize them as the scrappy little basketball team that rode the play of a cocaine fueled point guard to one of the most stunning and improbably NCAA titles ever. Of course if you’re a little younger, you probably know Villanova as an immensely talented hoops program that consistently plays great basketball year and year out from November right up until the first weekend of the NCAA tourney. The school also has a football team. A very good one in fact, having won a national title of its own. The students seem to prefer supporting the hoops program, but that’s their loss. Nova is well coached and dangerous program year in and year out. Despite the fact that reigning Payton Award winning QB John Robertson went down with a season ending injury, this year is no different. Nova is a dangerous team.

Bizarro Dukes

With ten games in the books, we all know what JMU is. The Dukes are a team built to play fast and outscore their opponents. Nova is not. The Wildcats are pretty much the opposite. They beat teams by playing shut down defense and grinding it out on the ground on offense. Nova is only giving up 16.4 points per game. Lately, that defense first formula has been very successful. After struggling to find their footing without Robertson, Nova has heated up and won 4 of its last 5. Last weekend, the Wildcats managed to knock off Richmond in a 21-20 thriller.

Late Breaking News That Sucks But Actually Might Be a Factor Nonetheless

Injuries suck. They just do. They’re part of the game of football though. As JMU fans, we were bummed when Vad Lee went down. But we were also pretty disappointed when Nova’s John Robertson got hurt. Players on both teams stepped up and helped carry the load after the loss of the star QBs though. One such player for Nova, was Matt Gudzak. The running back shined in a win over Rhode Island and has averaged 7 yards a carry. Unfortunately, he was hurt in last week’s game against Richmond and has been declared out for Saturday. The loss will put more on the shoulders of QB Zach Bednarczyk. He’s certainly up to the task, but like Bryan Schor, he would probably be more effective with a strong running game behind him.

How Nova Can Win

By doing what Delaware did last week, but doing it just a little bit better. JMU’s offense was downright mortal last week. Much of that might have been due to the fact that the Blue Hens pass rush was able to get to Bryan Schor. They had him on his heels and managed to disrupt the offense’s rhythm. Nova will also try to win by rattling Schor and forcing mistakes. The Cats D doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, but it’s particularly good against the pass. So expect them to try to shut down Cardon Johnson and Khalid Abdullah, and force Schor to try to beat them with his arm.

How JMU Can Win

By going back to basics. Without Vad Lee, maybe we shouldn’t expect the Dukes’ offense to reach its record breaking levels (although it might). As we saw against William & Mary however, the Bryan Schor lead offense can still be pretty damn explosive. The key is getting into a rhythm, playing fast, and spreading the ball around. We’ve all seen how it’s supposed to work. JMU keeps its opponents guessing by utilizing its many weapons, ups the pace, and the D eventually cracks. It’s simple, but not easy. It’s how the Dukes offense was made to play though. The Dukes don’t need to revamp the offense or dumb it down to make it easier for Schor. They’ve got to put him in a position where he can mix things up and get the ball to his teammates who can make plays.

JMUSB Beer of the Week

Duckpin Pale Ale. I tried this brew from Union Craft Brewing for the fist time a few weeks ago and it struck me as a perfect tailgate beer. It comes in cans (key for pre-football imbibing) and is an almost session beer like 5.5% ABV. As Todd mentioned last week, we’ve been a bit biased toward IPAs in our weekly selections (go try Stone’s Sorry Not Sorry IPA btw), but it’s not all we like. Sometimes a slightly less hoppy beer with a crisp finish hits the spot. Duckpin Pale Ale definitely does.

JMUSB Prediction

Senior Day. Regular season home finale. Beautiful fall weather. It’s all set up to be a perfect day. Provided JMU gets the win of course. We think the Dukes come through. Schor builds on last week’s confidence building final drive, the defense takes another baby step forward, and JMU gets to 9 wins. Dukes 35 – Cats 24.