JMUSB Game Preview #7: New Hampshire
The Basics
Match-up: #6 JMU Dukes (5-1, 3-0 CAA) vs. #25 UNH Wildcats (4-2, 3-0 ACC)
Kick-off: Noon Saturday at the newly renovated Wildcat (no longer “Cowell”) Stadium – Durham, NH
Weather: 59 degrees, mostly sunny. Can’t ask for better than that on this trip.
Broadcast: ASN – this will be on NESN for anyone that has the sports package on their cable package. Basically, you can find this one on your guide in an unexpected spot almost anywhere in the country.
How The Dukes Can Win
By being awake for the noon kickoff and ready to play better than they were on the trip to Maine. Much like that previous ranging beyond the wall, the Dukes need to be ready to go or they’ll get beat up early. On D, the Dukes need to slow down all-purpose back Dalton Crosson and force UNH to throw, something they have not proven very adept at so far this year. On offense, the Dukes need to basically do what they do, but we do think you can look for a lot of short throws trying to get our deep and athletic receiving corps in space this week. Maine had a couple DB’s that could keep up athletically and threw a wrench into that gameplan. Not sure UNH does, though you should be prepared to be annoyed by Safety Casey DeAndrade, who is somehow still there. He’s like the UNH version of Andrey Semenov apparently.
How UNH Can Win
By jumping on a travel-weary JMU team early, winning the turnover battle, and riding their home crowd at their new pad. Like so many years during UNH’s 12-year playoff streak, the CAA has them set up to coast again as they miss Richmond and Villanova this year. This is by far the biggest game remaining on UNH’s schedule and there’s no doubt they’ll be fired up. But to beat the Dukes the Cats will have to be steady and efficient in the running game. They have thrown eight interceptions and don’t complete a high percentage of passes so the Cats have to stay out of obvious passing situations.
[Personal JMUSB note: Keep a lookout for UNH Safety #26 Geno Miller. He doesn’t see the field that much but he’s a local kid (McNamara/Bishop Ireton) and his awesome mom is a former co-worker and friend of JMUSB]
New Digs
UNH finally upgraded their antiquated stadium and changed the name from Cowell to Wildcat Stadium. No word on how this affects the “Battle for Brice-Cowell Musket” trophy game with Maine. Capacity is up to over 11,000 from 6500 and they’ve had larger crowds than the stadium capacity for games already this year (remember, this is still a high school stadium where there is tons of standing room). And they do finally have a modern video board. But from what we’ve heard there’s been zero upgrades to the visitor’s facilities though so the Dukes will still basically be dressing behind a trailer. CAA4Lyfe!
One positive from a JMU perspective might be an improved atmosphere. With good weather predicted and a good team on the field, hopefully UNH fans turn out. We’ve speculated that one problem the Dukes have on CAA road trips is the insanely disproportionate lack of big-game feel at many conference venues after you get used to playing at BFS and an FBS trip early in the season. This might actually help a bit up there.
JMUSB Beer of the Week
Three Notch’d Brewing’s 10-Farm Harvest Pale. We’ve found the results from Charlottesville’s Three Notch’d to be mixed the last couple years, but this special release is a really great Pale Ale. It tastes like a slightly fresher spin on a classic Sierra Nevada. And the coolest part is the “10-Farm” is because it features exclusively hops grown at ten farms in Virginia. Hard to believe in what amounts to a decade the Commonwealth’s beer industry has gone from a wasteland to being able to choose your hop farmer.
Official JMUSB Prediction
UNH is absolutely capable of winning this game so do not take this lightly. In fact, take this with all the seriousness that a 17-game home winning streak and a record up there of 49-6 since 2007 requires. The Dukes don’t make the trip up there often, but it’s often been a disappointing result when they have.
But the Dukes are the better team this year. It’s actually really hard to know what to make of UNH’s results so far. That loss to Dartmouth is ghastly, but last week’s 13-10 eke-out at Elon was played in horrendous weather from Hurricane Matthew so who knows what to make of that. The season-opening blowout at a strong FBS San Diego St. team this year is not a mark against them and they beat W&M 21-12, but allowing Holy Cross to be in a shootout to the end and struggling to put away RhodeI might be worse than anything else. Our thinking is the Dukes will do what they do on offense, which is running the ball all over the place and scoring points. The pressure to keep up will force them into enough passing situations that their interception (8) and low efficiency (55%) issues will sting UNH. The line may be only Dukes by 7 and a hook, but we think the Dukes roll this time after learning about these trips when they went to Maine.
Dukes 35, Cats 17
Keep Rootin.
You don’t know a “lack of big game feel” until you’ve kicked off at Northeastern.
This is the first game all season (FCS game) that I’ve been nervous about. I think it’s mainly because we rarely play them, they have those nice streaks going, and it’s the start of a tough stretch. It seems every year the schedule shakes out where we have 3 out of 4 tough games to end the season and we know we have to go 2-2 or 3-1 in that stretch. It does make me feel a little better when we have a super efficient QB who can also run, 2 insane RBs and a plethora of receivers/TEs who don’t seem to pout when they don’t get the ball.
This road trips to the upper reaches of the CAA are tough and UNH is a sneakily consistent team. JMU should win provided the boys don’t come out of the gate sleepwalking though.
Defense- PLEASE shake things up with more blitz packages to put some pressure on QB; it will payoff with turnovers! Go Dukes!
As far as I see, there are two things that need to happen to get the win today:
1. Stop the New Hampshire run game. Defense has to be strong up front and force the pussy cats into 3rd and long situations.
2. We need 1-2 BIG turnovers or special teams plays to shake them up and keep momentum on our side.
I agree with Drake, definitely the first game I’m nervous for. But it should be a good game!
I didn’t read this until after the game (which I didn’t watch), but based on the statistics and scoring summary there are a few things in this article that are funny. Especially the lack of passing game from UNH.