Playoff Gameday Open Thread: JMU vs. Colgate
Here we go. Playoff time. It’s a beautiful day in the ‘burg for all those fortunate to be attending the game in person. For everyone else, it’s a good day to root from home or a bar full of Dukes fans. JMU will face a Colgate Raiders team that comes into Bridgeforth with plenty of confidence after defeating New Hampshire on the road last week. The Dukes are anxious to get their first postseason win of the Everett Withers era. Consider this your official open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter. Keep rootin!
#BrushColgate
If they win today, where and when will they play again?
Still don’t know why a tight end is returning kickoffs.
Ravenel did a pretty damn good job last game.
I guess if I could say something positive….another one and done in the playoffs and a loss to a Patriot League team, means our coach ain’t going anywhere.
That was a worst-case-scenario first quarter. The defense looks absolutely unprepared; the secondary has me asking if I want to use some of my eligibility. I’m 56 with two knee surgeries, BTW.
over or under 75 commercials for the sportscenter suv commercial and the dum dum lg commercial. cant decide which one will make me jump off the cliff first.
The lower levels look full but damn, a whole section up top is empty?! Hopefully fans aren’t leaving.
Schor may not be Vad Lee, but he’s making plays today with his feet. The TD run just now and the run he made when he was scrambling looked like a big loss which he turned in to a nice gain. Is he just a sophmore?
Had been waiting for Schor to keep that on that read option. Defense has been converging on the running backs a majority of the time.
Got some momentum now. Need the D to stop em and then for the boys to get another score before halftime.
Somebody tell me why a tight end isn’t returning kickoffs. Missed opportunity.
Jordan Brown has really stepped up his game and made some big plays the last few games.
Of topic just before halftime, but sweet mother of crumpets, what are the ticks doing to the Griffins? They look nasty late-season.
Charles, love watching Jordan become a playmaker. Just a redshirt soph, too.
@Jeff Earnhardt depends on what happens in Lake Charles later tonight. If McNeese win, they have the home game next week being the higher seed. If Sam Houston wins, Bridgeforth is open for business on the 12th. And BTW, McNeese is undefeated but played in a suck conference. The Bearkats have a shot.
Heck of a second quarter. JMU should take over after the break. Colgate had a couple lucky breaks (big reception on broken play, TD catch on tipped ball) and were gifted a short field. The QB is wildly inaccurate. There are picks to be had.
Rob– absolutely, but this defense is still giving up big plays on boneheaded coverages. These guys need to start making stops, not counting on jumping routes for big plays. Love the way Schorr is moving the offense, and Ravenel!
Missed chance to come out and take over game in 3rd quarter. Looks like same team that stunk up the 1st quarter.
For the read option to be effective the quarterback has to keep it some. That’s how Schor scored the touchdown. Just looks like he doesn’t want to keep the ball. He’s making the offense incredibly predictable.
Why is it that every time we kick off they always get outside?
Maybe Ravenel can return punts too? This is unacceptable.
Miller’s concussion earlier this season occurred on a muffed punt. This is basic football. Defense had a big stop. Stupid.
Will someone please teach Jordan Brown to look back for the freaking ball?
this team is horrible. everett dithers the king of one and done.
what an uninspired performance against a team the dukes should beat by 20.
i hope we don’t pay a defensive coordinator – the defense sucks.
I really hate to sound like a broken record, but NOBODY on the defense even looks at Schor to keep the ball on the read option. Vad Lee kept the damn ball and ran with it.
FIRE DITHERS
Let’s please stop implying we have an “heir apparent” at quarterback. He’s indecisive on the run, get’s flushed out of the pocket too much on the pass. He’s thrown for 74 yards in the first 3 quarters and has only run for 2.3 per carry.
The stupid turnovers aren’t Schor’s fault of course, but this team does NOT look good with him running the offense.
That was a very nice drive.
The defense is falling all over the place, and they looks slow to react. It’s like their knees are just buckling or something. Just terrible.
This season turned when it became more important about hype than about football. New helmets, ESPN, blah, blah. All that stuff seemed more important than correcting mistakes. I was at the W&M game when they had 3 extra point attempts blocked. I’ve never seen that at any level of football. But those helmets were damn cool!
What are the odds we will need that time out
Maybe the worst defense in all of college football at any level. Letting a non-scholarship team run all through them. Dukes still might win the game but it is apparent that coaching staff cannot prepare for a game against an opponent that is not way below their level or for a playoff game. Why would you come out at the beginning of the second half after taking control of the game and allow yourself to get sacked by their blitz and give up all momentum? should have just run the ball deep in your own territory. Typical Withers-terrible defensive coach and usually out coached in big games. Maybe defense can get a stop here and we pull it out at the end.
Schor you dumba** you could have scored if you kept the ball on the read option there!!!
Sheesh. Took all that time and didn’t even punch it in. Now we need to pray D can get it back quick.
Now THAT kid knows how to run a god damn read option
FIRE THE COACH — HE SUCKS, COULDN’T CALL A GAME TO BEAT A HIGH SCHOOL TEAM AND CAN’T BEAT REAL FCS COMPETITION.
Well, that’s disappointing. Coach probably has had a pretty good read on recruiting priorities after game 4. It was a great ride this year.
defense was terrrible
#brushthis
Silly little blog.
Getting back to the playoffs 2 years in a row has been great. Coming up short both years has not.
Nothing like a loss to bring out all the crazy fair weather fans. I think deep down, when Lee went down we knew this team had a ceiling. But what we didn’t know was that Lee made the defense look good. Only 5 seniors I think so a young team and I, for one, am excited to see this team in the future. Anybody saying fire Withers after 2 years is insane and a total dickwad.
Good point Drake. I’m as emotional and irrational as anyone during the game, and am incredibly disappointed, but this was a different team w/o Lee. Lots of talent on the roster. Need to start maximizing it in big games and the playoffs.
Time to turn attention to some good basketball programs that don’t benefit from multiple uniform changes over the season and still play in “the land that time forgot.”
I’m a fundraiser for a living and I’d be interested to know how much of that football stadium was paid for by donations and how much the university just up and paid for. Meanwhile, no commitment for a new convo until the “JMU community” ponies up. BS
This is what happens when you hire people only because you know them or they worked for you at a previous job. Sisa is NOT qualified to be a defensive coordinator. He didn’t play college football. He has never called plays before. But he got hired because he had worked for Withers at UNC. He’s terrible. Reynolds, Greene, Steele, Mosley, Ankrah…he has talent on defense. There is no excuse to be so bad.
Maybe the JMUNation should learn to understand to “be careful what you wish for.” Without Vad this is not a team that can beat quality opponents. Their style won’t allow it to happen. Too much “hype” about “juice” and expenditures on uniforms…and too much emphasis on being a high scoring team (because it’s fun to watch). MM’s style of football may not have been as sexy. But IT WORKED AGAINST QUALITY OPPONENTS (Unlike the “new era” where you get to beat up on Elon and co. during the regular season.)
The MM way of, Play good defense, don’t turn the ball over, forget about the glitz and glammer, win low scoring games where you control the clock and tempo, put JMU on the map and built bridgeforth. The “New Era” has got a billion uniforms/helmets, a new locker room, and losses to Liberty and Colgate…AT HOME in playoff games the school spent really good money to obtain.
Be careful what you wish for folks. 2 years ago JMU did what LSU just tried to do…and it has now proved to be stupid consecutive years in the playoffs (years they made the playoffs only because they had an ACC quarterback winning them games in the regular season to get them there).
Pitiful from coaching, playing. Can’t tackle, can’t catch, can’t pass and won’t run. Terrible. I would fire the D coach. This team has gotten worse over the season, a reflection on coaching.
And no, that’s not me saying “Fire Withers” he has done some great things. BUT JMUNation chased MM out of town for not being an exciting enough brand of football. Yea they missed the playoffs (barely) two years in a row. But the year prior to that, they won a playoff game and fell short against the eventual national champions. All I’m saying is the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
The worst thing they could do now is fire a coach, AGAIN. Firing the coach isn’t always the solution…that’s all I’m saying. Those kids played hard. Other teams have good players and good coaches. Winning isn’t easy. So “fire the coach” isn’t always the answer. It wasn’t for MM and it isn’t now. Be careful what you wish for fans…don’t overreact to losses.
Go Dukes.
Just remember that lots of coaching staffs have years to be together. Withers lost his OC and DC in the offseason. Then there were the suspensions to some high profile players. And this is a young team because he’s playing a lot of guys he’s recruited.
Withers is in just his second season at JMU. Show some patience for God’s sake. And quit talking about the “good ole” days of Mickey Matthews. That’s just stupid. During his last 5 seasons at JMU Matthews made the playoffs once.
3 fluke comeback wins in a row was too much to ask.
Out played and out coached by a team from a tiny school of non-scholarship players.
This loss hurts worse than last year’s playoff loss. Glad I learned my lesson from attending last year. 7 years and counting since last home playoff win.
Goals for next season and BEYOND:
1. Learn how to tackle
2. Learn how to play defense
3. Learn how to catch kickoffs and punts
4. Learn how to play teams with winning records
5. Learn how to make use of a bye week before big games
6. Learn to win home playoff games against teams from weaker
conferences
7. Learn to either drop the hype or live up to it
8. Play to WIN championships — NOT uniform enhancements.
9. End legacy of underachievement
RE: Withers post-game comments.
No offense taken, Coach. Ask Furman what Champions do on 4th and goal from the 3.
When you give up almost 400 yards of rushing you are not going to win a football game. Our defense is absolutely terrible. I think the scheme is bad and the DC cannot game plan.
One thING this coaching staff needs to figure out is how to prepare these players for big games. Whether they are too rah rah, analytical, uptight or whatever, it isn’t working. That’s why you saw the same team that started the game come out after halftime after battling back.
old “one and done” withers strikes again.
coach didn’t have the team ready to play — terrible game plan, terrible play calling, and terrible preparation.
This program cannot contend with good FCS teams — with withers they should probably move down to division III.
Maybe a good time to stop pretending the CAA is an elite football conference.
And you guys want us to go FBS???
Sat in on meetings at a coach’s conference with JMU OC Zak Kuhr. He explained the offense and JMU IS NOT a read option exclusive team. The majority of the time the play called is a run play and the RB is given the option of picking from 1 of 3 possible holes to hit. Other times the play is called as a read option. Therefore the QB wasn’t making bad reads as much as some people would like to thing.
With that said…there were no JMU defensive or special team coaches at the conference.
The “Road to Frisco” ended on the Colgate 3 Yard Line …
Not happy … 🙁
Defiantley reasons to be optimistic for next year. Young talented team that should get better. For everyone that has no confidence in Schor, he played pretty well. Lee struggled with reads at times when he came into the offense last year, and he turned the ball over a lot in the first few games, but settledon’t in and did well. Give the kid a chance. Also, for all the idiots saying free the coach… we wouldn’t have the talent we have on this team without him, his culture, and for some kids, flashy uniforms and locker rooms. That will help with recruiting down the line. Chill people.
The origin of the word “fan” is from fanatic. So it’s interesting to me to equate sports fans (including myself when I’m in fan mode) with operating on a barely conscious level. I’ve been a part of the negativity that’s been placed here on this website. All based on fear and separatism – the same tactics as fundamentalist religion which operates on a very low level of consciousness. It really isn’t a pretty sight when looked at objectively. I think I may be done with fanatically following sports teams. Much better things in life to put my energy into – such as watching grass blow in the wind. Peace.
Very disappointed with the results today. JMU got beat in every aspect of the game today. I see the stellar defense gave not only the Colgate QB but also their RB career highs in rushing. Not sure how with two weeks we could look so unprepared. When Sam Houston beats McNeese State it will be even more aggravating.
Full disclosure: because of firewalls and automation user policies, I have to post by different names from home and work, so I also have to post as ‘KW’ on this blog. In the future I will try to only post under the name on this blog.
JMU Football has its “Lefty” in Coach Withers – glossy regular season records and underachievement in the post season. I may be premature in my assessment, but there it is.
I guess I should be glad I couldn’t watch either of the last 2 games prior to today. I might have been tricked into believing this defense was any good.
The “lost our defensive coordinator” argument is a bunch of bunk. The UR game last year made us think the defense was good, when it was really the fantastic individual effort of Taylor Reynolds that overshadowed the deep flaws — Liberty exposed the Dukes a month later. Has anybody really looked at how poor Ohio St.’s defenses were while Coach Withers was there?
This year the defense hammered crap-sandwich teams and got punched in the face repeatedly by good teams; today they got flat embarrassed by a PATRIOT LEAGUE team. #35 couldn’t tackle, couldn’t make either pick that was thrown to him like he was the receiver and just generally occupied a jersey. Two different offensive players from Colgate achieved career high single game rushing totals. And we never really sacked the quarterback, though he did take a 3 yard loss by giving himself up once.
Great individual effort by Brandon Ravenel on KO returns. He didn’t really have much of a chance on the last play given that ball was underthrown and to the inside.
Ravenel’s performance aside, JMU’s special teams performed just as our fan base has come to expect. Couldn’t keep the Colgate KO returners from turning the corner, couldn’t field a kick if ‘Ravenel’ was not the name on the back of the jersey.
The game was really lost from the 1:15 (or so) mark of the 2nd quarter. 4 point lead, possession outside our own 30 and 3 times out. 1st play ended with 1:00 on the clock — it was @ :43 on the next snap (another running play). JMU concedes the half meekly.
After receiving the 2nd half KO, Colgate makes the 2 biggest plays of the game, sacking Schor twice. Punt. Possessions bookending the half with no points or 1st downs.
5 possessions, 3 points from just before half through the 3rd quarter.
Colgate deserved to win. We were overrated…again.
The Big South and the Patriot League in consecutive years. Ugh
JMU is STILL a basketball school.
Thanksgiving is over — Bah Humbug…
…and get off my lawn.
Other things aside, Brett Elliot is going to be a coaching name to watch. I see a possibility of him leaving next year. And Steve Sisa has to go, he should not be calling defensive schemes for this team ever again. On the bright side, this recruting class looks really promising this year. Go Dukes
@Cory thanks for sharing that tidbit about the read option, or lack thereof. It’s unclear to me what scheme changes were made after Lee went down, but it sure seemed like they simplified things a bit for Schor. Maybe a bit too much actually. Even so, 38 points at home in the playoffs should be enough to win.
Withers 0-2 in home playoff games. No Bueno. Different team without V.Lee, Schor played admirably but not sure he’s the answer for next season. Defense is young…they will get better. Unfortunately lots of players in position to make plays and didn’t (all season). Defensive scheme very suspect at times, but again, players in position to make plays and didn’t (not DC fault).
2 biggest coaching blunders of the year: 1). 4th and goal play call from the 3 vs Colgate….Seriously?? And 2). Letting the team hang out on the College GameDay set BEFORE the game….I’m not a “Fire Withers” guy but that was inexcusable, especially considering the outcome of that game and the downward trajectory of this team since.
Excited about next season, they will be fine but Schor needs to get better in a hurry or we need to find another impact player at QB and defense needs to grow up.
DJ, I’d say that the downward trajectory of the team has a lot more to do with losing Lee than it does letting members of the team be near the Quad during College GameDay. (Totally agree with you on the 4th and 3 call, though. That was bad.)
Anyone who thinks that we should have kept Mickey is flat-out wrong. Things just got too stale. For God’s sake, we were calling it Mickey’s Country Club around the Burg. If you think there are ancillary distractions with new uniforms and such now, you should have heard about some of the stuff that was going on the last few years under MM. If you can’t see the benefit of the helmets and the uni’s, and the other glitz that’s been introduced, remember that the players they recruit are 17-year old kids. Swag matters to them.
Shadow is right — three fluke wins is just too much to ask for. We should have lost to Delaware. Without Robinson making plays in the final minutes, we were going to lose to Villanova. This defense was just not good. They’ll be better with some good personnel coming in next year, but they should still look at re-scheming.
So yeah, we’re disappointed. But keep things in perspective: we still made it farther than last year. I’d rather get outplayed in December than walk home in the rain after a 7-4 season.
Sunchase….they weren’t “near the quad” during GameDay, they were front and center on the set for over 30 minutes. I watch GameDay every weekend and I’ve never seen a team show up, maybe a player or two but not the whole team. It had amateur night written all over it. I agree that Vad going down was the death nail in our season, but don’t forget we were losing the Richhmond game while Superman was still playing. I agree with the rest of your points though. Go Dukes