{"id":7370,"date":"2014-11-28T09:20:46","date_gmt":"2014-11-28T14:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7370"},"modified":"2014-11-28T09:24:02","modified_gmt":"2014-11-28T14:24:02","slug":"playoff-game-preview-1-liberty-at-jmu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7370","title":{"rendered":"Playoff Game Preview #1: Liberty at JMU"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, well, well. We’ve finally got a home playoff game at New Bridgeforth. And it’s against the other school in Virginia still desperately clinging to FBS aspirations and taking shots at JMU that are so delusional <\/a>they don’t merit a response. So without further ado, let’s get down to it so we can get back to preparing our all-black attire plan for Saturday.<\/p>\n

The Basics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Match-up: Liberty Flames (8-4, 4-1 Big South) AT<\/span> JMU Dukes (9-3, 6-2 CAA)<\/p>\n

The Line (for recreational purposes only): JMU -7, O\/U 71.5 (seriously!)<\/p>\n

Location: A Blacked Out Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, Virginia<\/p>\n

Kick-off: 4:00 p.m.\u00a0on Saturday, November 29th<\/p>\n

Broadcast Options:\u00a0ESPN3 – HDMI cable, AppleTV, or Google Chromecast to get it up on your big screen. Should also be available on ESPN GamePlan at bars and restaurants, but you’ll likely need to arrange things in advance at a joint with multiple tv’s as this will be head to head with some big FBS games. (If anyone has a Savannah recommendation please let us know)<\/p>\n

\u00a0How They Got Here<\/strong><\/p>\n

Liberty scored the biggest win in program history last week by blocking a short, late FG to upset then-#1 Coastal Carolina and claim the Big South’s Automatic Bid. Their schedule is tough to make much sense of with no real bad losses (UNC, Richmond, Indiana St., and a close if bad timing loss to an odd triple option Chuck Southern team) and two wins among the best in program history (App. St., Coastal). Every other win is against the weakest competition imaginable no matter what they say about the Big South’s CCU-skewed conference ranking.<\/p>\n

JMU of course comes into their first playoff game since the trip to Fargo in 2011 riding a seven-game winning streak that has seen them go from “finding ways to win” to “not only winning but crushing souls” as they go. You know this, or at least you should. Last week Vad Lee and the offense\u00a0did what Vad Lee and offense do. On the other side, the\u00a0defense has joined the party for three straight weeks and don’t be fooled by Elon’s 27 points – it was 45-7 at the half and the starters’ services were not needed in the second. The Dukes have turned into a buzzsaw since halftime of the W&M game and if that roll continues, the trophy’s the limit.<\/p>\n

What’s at Stake?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No need to explain. A trip to Villanova for the Round of 16 awaits the winner!<\/p>\n

The Flames\u00a0Will Win If<\/strong><\/p>\n

They manage to control the pace and force JMU to play from behind and commit a bunch of abnormal turnovers. The Dukes haven’t really shut anyone down for a whole game this year so LU will probably score, but as the 71.5 Over\/Under indicates it will take more than a half’s worth of scoring and some serious breaks to keep pace in this one. They’ve also been missing their QB1 Woodrum the last two weeks with a leg infection and they’ll certainly need him at full strength as the freshman backup has been spotty at best the last two weeks. The kicking game has been an issue for them too and they’ll need to make sure it doesn’t come down to that.<\/p>\n

The Dukes Will Win If<\/strong><\/p>\n

They keep doing what they’ve been doing and find a way to make a few big plays on Defense and Specials. At this point, we’re confident the offense will throw up 28+ points and as we’ve seen lately, when the D makes a few huge plays, the Dukes are capable of curb-stomping opponents in a hurry. While another step forward and a full-shutdown performance from the D would be great, the key is to just play their own game and limit mistakes. Seriously, if JMU limits their own mistakes, they are an incredibly tough out now.<\/p>\n

\"blackout<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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

#BlackoutBridgeforth requires something special. Or rather two somethings. Black Ale is a style that sounds wonderful at first mention, but is frequently botched in the execution. But when done right, it can be exceptional. And Hickory, North Carolina’s Blowing Rock Brewing Co.’s Mountain Shadow Black IPA is absolutely done right. A little hoppy, but in a warming way that’s perfect for a cold, clear day at BFS. And if you can’t get your hands on that, you can almost certainly find the consistently excellent Firestone’s Walker’s Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA at any reputable bottle shop (often available on tap for growlers at Whole Foods too). Just know that at 8.3% and frequently in bomber bottles, the words “Wookey” and “rye” are fitting for this badass.<\/p>\n

JMUSB Prediction<\/strong><\/p>\n

JMU 48 – Liberty 31.<\/p>\n