{"id":4348,"date":"2012-09-13T23:33:04","date_gmt":"2012-09-14T03:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=4348"},"modified":"2012-09-13T23:59:27","modified_gmt":"2012-09-14T03:59:27","slug":"the-dukes-invade-fedex-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=4348","title":{"rendered":"The Dukes Invade FedEx Field"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It’s finally here. The James Madison University Dukes and the West Virginia University Mountaineers go head to head in the friendly confines of FedEx Field this Saturday afternoon. The fact that the game will take place at a neutral site in a NFL stadium gives it a bit more excitement than your typical FCS vs FBS match-up. As does the fact that it features two teams with fanbases that have\u00a0nationally recognized traditions of excellence.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

How Good is WVU?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Really good. The WVU offense can score almost at will when it’s clicking. As Coach Matthews said the Mountaineers “made the scoreboard look like a pinball machine the numbers were turning so fast” in their Orange Bowl victory over Clemson. In that game Geno Smith, their Heisman candidate QB, tossed 6 TDs. And he and the Mountaineer offense picked up where they left off against the Tigers in a dominating win over Marshall two weeks ago. In that game the Mountaineers scored 69 points and Smith threw for 323 yards and 4 TDs. WVU racked up a ridiculous 655 yards of offense. It’s fair to say that the offense is explosive. And they’re still picking up coach Dana Holgorson’s system.<\/p>\n

Good Omen #1<\/strong><\/p>\n

In its last 5 games against FBS opponents, JMU is undefeated against schools with “Virginia” in their name.<\/p>\n

Would a Win Saturday Be Bigger Than the Win Over VA Tech?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s tough to say. The Tech win was extra special in its own way because most JMU fans have close associations with Tech alums through work, friends, and family. Your typical JMU fan has far fewer ties to WVU alums however. I suppose that would be different if we all spent more time at taxidermy conventions or noodling. We don’t though. Such is life. Regardless, VA Tech and WVU are strikingly similar in a lot of ways. They both have managed to earn multiple BCS bowl bids despite the fact that they play in football conferences generally regarded as second tier. Actually, now that WVU has joined the Big 12 that conference thing is sort of moot. And come to think of it, WVU wins its BCS bowl games, so the entire comparison sort of sucks. My bad. Let’s move on.
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Official WVU calculator<\/p><\/div>\n

Did You Know?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When courting WVU for membership the Big 12 briefly considered changing its name back to the Big 8. It was intended to be viewed as a sign of goodwill for West Virginia math majors because the school’s officially sanctioned calculators couldn’t process numbers past 10.<\/p>\n

Good Omen #2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tracing my family tree shows that I have no relatives from West Virginia. That has nothing to do with football, but it’s a good omen for me personally.<\/p>\n

Survival Guide<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even at a neutral site, it’s important to be alert in case you wander into hostile territory. If you stumble away from your JMU tailgate on Saturday and find your nostrils filled with the perfume of grilled possum and meth, then watch out. You’re in Mountaineer parts. It’s very important that you remain calm and keep your wits about you in such a situation. Do not stare directly into the eyes of the grown man with the coonskin cap or attempt to converse with the woman with a hunk of chaw in her cheek and a baby in each arm. And do not run. Mountaineer fans are fast. Especially if you catch them on the rare day that they’re actually wearing shoes. Instead just try to walk away quietly without drawing any attention to yourself. If you’re spotted just freeze and try to make yourself look like an invitation to join the SEC. It’s been proven that the Mountaineers can’t get within a mile of one of those.<\/p>\n

Good Omen #3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last year JMU beat Richmond 31-10. In turn, Richmond defeated Duke 23-21. Duke outscored Florida International 31-27. Florida International went on to victory against Louisville 24-17. And Louisville beat WVU 38-35. Boom! JMU is better than WVU. It’s science.<\/p>\n

How West Virginia Can Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Score early. Take care of the ball. Turn it into a track meet. It’s not rocket science. West Virginia is expected to win this game. The pressure is on them. The longer they let the Dukes hang around, the more JMU will believe it can win. And the more the pressure not to lose builds on WVU. If they come flying out of the gates and put together a few scoring drives, chances are it won’t ever be close.<\/p>\n

How JMU Can Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hit ’em hard early. The Dukes need to come up with some big defensive stops and then score to take control from the beginning. With Dae’Quan Scott expected to be out with an ankle injury, the rushing game takes a bit of a hit. The o-line needs to step up and open holes for Jordan Anderson, Dejor Simmons, and Hykeem Brodie anyway. Obviously, the longer JMU can hold the ball on offense and keep it out of Geno Smith’s hands, the better off they’ll be. And while Smith is a talented QB, Syracuse showed that bringing relentless blitzes and pressure can slow him down.<\/p>\n

JMUSB Beer of the Week<\/strong><\/p>\n

It seems like a JMU beer would be appropriate for this very big game. Let’s keep it in the Dukes family this weekend and go with Port City Brewing Oktoberfest<\/a>. Like a lot of beer geeks, I love to seek out and sample all sorts of exotic beers. But the more I do, the more I appreciate the taste of a well executed straightforward beer. There is no hiding behind oak, 100s of bitterness units, or some exotic grain the brewer had to hike 6 days through the wild to harvest with this one. It’s just a crisp, clean, and well balanced marzen style lager. And it’s delicious.<\/p>\n

Good Omen #4<\/strong><\/p>\n

JMU and WVU last played each other in 2004. The Mountaineers won 45-10, but the Dukes leveraged the lessons learned in that loss to propel themselves to a National Championship. So if JMU wins, it will obviously be awesome. If JMU somehow loses (which is virtually impossible given the irrefutable logic of Good Omen #3 above), they’re pretty much guaranteed a National Championship. There is zero downside.<\/p>\n

Our Official, 100% Objective, Not At All Wishful Thinking Prediction<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2010 win over VA Tech showed the Dukes that they can beat the big boys. WVU are deserved favorites. The Mountaineers can, and probably should, beat JMU quite easily. This JMU team is tough though and vastly improved on offense, even without Scott. And WVU gave up a ton of yards against Marshall. JMU can win. JMU will win 35-27.<\/p>\n

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