{"id":2242,"date":"2011-03-22T08:19:44","date_gmt":"2011-03-22T12:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=2242"},"modified":"2011-03-22T08:19:44","modified_gmt":"2011-03-22T12:19:44","slug":"durden-out-as-playcaller-mickey-taking-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=2242","title":{"rendered":"Durden out as playcaller, Mickey taking over"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Not your father's Newman Lake<\/p><\/div>\n

For those of you who follow the program closely and our more than a little fanatical about our beloved 1-AA Dukes (ok, maybe that’s just us), there was enormous news on the football front yesterday as Head Coach Mickey Matthews announced on the eve of spring practice that he\u00a0had stripped\u00a0Offensive Coordinator Jeff Durden of playcalling responsibility.\u00a0 Like most OC’s when a team is struggling (think Stinespring at VT), Durden was reviled by fans as the cause of JMU’s lackluster production, tepid playcalling, and polio.\u00a0 We are greeting this news with a hallelujah chorus after two seasons of incessant whining.\u00a0\u00a0 Possibly just as stunning, MM announced he’ll be taking over the playcalling duties himself in 2011.\u00a0 We are greeting this news with an intoxicating mix of\u00a0anxiety, goosebumps, and sheer panic.\u00a0 And quite a few buring questions we’ll list below.\u00a0 MM said Durden will remain with the program as Tight Ends Coach and will be up in the sweet, new press box for assistance.\u00a0 This is also good news as that means Durden will physically be a country mile from the QB’s head as evidenced by the photo we couldn’t resist running again.<\/p>\n

Also, before we forget\u00a0–\u00a0and don’t worry Landeta, we won’t – the women’s hoops team’s run came to a close in the NCAA tourney in Charlottesville over the weekend at the hands of Oklahoma.\u00a0 Incredible purple turnout for the game and a valiant comeback attempt in the second half, but the Dukes just couldn’t match the Sooners speed and quickness.\u00a0 With openings at VT and UVa and rumors circulating in places like the Wash Post (and my co-worker’s office whose jersey hangs in the rafters for the Wahoos) about Kenny Brooks being on the short list, we’ll be back soon for more coverage, but this Durden thing is too big to put off.<\/em><\/p>\n

Top Five\u00a0Questions related to Durden’s emasculation:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1)\u00a0 Timing?!\u00a0 The eve of spring practice seemed an odd time for this news.\u00a0 MM had all winter to make this decision and I’ve got to think he already had the convo with Durden a while ago.\u00a0 That said, Spring ball just got\u00a0more exciting leading up to the April 16 spring game which will take place in Richmond.\u00a0 Should be cool for RIC\/Hampton Roads Dukes.<\/p>\n

2) Will the Dukes EVER throw?\u00a0 Even with Durden, we had to\u00a0wonder if\u00a0the Dukes knew the forward pass had been approved for use (you know, eight decades ago).\u00a0 With “hit ’em in the mouth” MM, is this progression or regression.<\/p>\n

3) With Billy Cosh coming onboard, does MM know something we don’t?\u00a0 We love this possibility.\u00a0 Cosh is the transfer QB from Kansas St. and conspiring minds like ours would love to think MM knows his presence will make him look like a genius (can you say Justin Rascati?!)<\/p>\n

4) Will the Dukes go for EVERY fourth down?\u00a0 As a Gregg Easterbrook TMQ devotee and a notorious contrarian on fourth down philosophy, I sure as hell hope so.\u00a0 Ever responsible and risk-averse(read “parent”)\u00a0Rob will surely disagree with me here, but MM is already famous for past fourth-down decisions that some considered reckless.<\/p>\n

5) Will this new responsibility keep MM’s worst instincts and sideline antics in check?\u00a0 As we’ve noted over and over, officiating in the CAA is a debacle but MM seems to make it even harder on the Dukes with his outrageous sideline behavior (not to mention infusing the team with that same sense of disease).\u00a0 I’m hoping the play-by-play responsibility to fight the play clock and calmly signal his troops next move will put an end to some of this nonsense.\u00a0 But I wouldn’t bet on it, especially against Delaware.<\/p>\n