Towson @ JMU Preview
After the bye week, it’s time to launch into meat of the CAA schedule as the defending conference champion Towson Tigers make their first visit to New Bridgeforth on Parent’s Weekend. And in case you didn’t notice, Towson gave LSU all they could handle in Baton Rouge last week so this should be quite the measuring stick for the Dukes.
The Basics
Towson is a very strong, balanced squad on offense. Led by last year’s CAA Offensive ROY RB Terrance West and veteran QB Grant Enders, they can light up the scoreboard or grind through a time of possession battle. Enders can sling it, but he’s a surprisingly slippery runner as well, and the JMU’s edge defenders will need to play with a discipline they haven’t been asked for JMU’s four mismatch games so far. The defense is more questionable and hopefully the Dukes can find opportunities to exploit. To do so, they’ll have to contain DT Frank Beltre, who makes a ton more plays than most interior DLinemen.
Don’t be fooled by Towson’s 2-2 record. The losses were the aforementioned LSU trip and at FBS Kent St. in Week 1. They weren’t challenged either by St. Francis or W&M so it’s possible this will be the first true test for both teams. Towson has a tough schedule the rest of the way and will need to win at least two of three against JMU/ODU/UNH to get to 7 wins so look for them to be plenty motivated.
Parent’s Weekend/Pink Out
While both of these items tend to mellow the football atmosphere at BFS, we’re feeling good this week and looking for silver linings: At least it’s been moved to 1 p.m. instead of the old noon start for Parent’s Weekend for a bit more tailgating(we may be monitoring the situation, but at least we’re responding to game time requests); remember, Parent’s Weekend sells the extended JMU family on the continuously improving product; at least JMU is combining these two things into one week; and finally…
…National TV on NBC Sports Network
This is JMU’s first action as part of the CAA’s new NATIONAL deal with NBC Sports Network. From what we’ve heard, the network formerly known as Versus has been producing a program on par with the best in college football that blows away anything we’ve ever seen for a CAA broadcast! Enjoy.
Beer of the Week
It’s Parent’s Weekend, so bring something decent (or even better, see if they’ll spot you). We’re going with Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point Brewing in San Diego. A classic, tasty west coast IPA that seems to be available at most decent places back here in Virginia. Big fan of Ballast Point as I also love the Big Eye IPA, but this tastes classier (probably because Big Eye has a pleasantly nostalgic aroma of other extracurricular substances no longer in my old-man life).
Prediction
Towson is really good, and we’re nervous that JMU hasn’t really played a meaningful game ALL SEASON, but not sure the Tigers have either. They should be confident after the LSU trip, but that makes for a long week while the Dukes were getting healthier (though we’ll still be missing Till). That said, we’re thinking the Dukes are ready to show they really are as good as we’ve all been hoping since NDSU last season and this is their first real chance to prove it.
Dukes 34, Kittens 23
in other good news Thorpe got a sixth year of eligibility this week due to his past injuries. this obviously increases(maintains?) the high expectations for next year, and gives birdsong and the other 2 freshman quarterbacks another year to learn the system and improve.
“They weren’t challenged either by St. Francis or W&M”
I watched the whole Towson/W&M game on live TV, and W&M should have beaten them. Towson only won off a very late game TD (I actually provided you with a summary of the game as a comment a few weeks ago).
Is anyone else kind of frusterated that our NBC debut is going to feature A) the notoriously god-awful “parent’s weekend” crowd (*puke*) and B) a JMU “pink out”? Ugh. Let’s just give the rest of the CAA a recruiting gun to shoot us with.
Here’s the recounting of Towson not being challenged by W&M:
“I got to watch the W&M/Towson game and do some CAA recon work. First, W&M should have won the game. They blew it. Both teams look solid, but I actually think W&M is a better team than Towson this year. They ran the ball at will against Towson’s defense.
W&M has a decent QB, and a very strong running game. They are pretty good all-around. Their defense is solid and plays very disciplined, but there wasn’t anyone who really jumped out. They have a TE who’s pretty good. If JMU plays smart and we don’t turn it over or try to run the ball on 3rd & 10, we should beat the Tribe.
Towson also has some pretty good athletes. Most of their success came from either good playcalling or their OL mashing W&M’s front 4. I think they have more speed than W&M, especially on defense. The biggest matchup problem for us with Towson is their playcalling. They are literally all over the field. Bubble screens, vertical passing game, and a decent running game. Given our propensity to give away 10 yard out routs and short passes over the middle, I expect Towson to be about 28-45 passing for about 328 yards against us. The good news is that our 4-2-5 defense will negate their O-line and they shouldn’t be able to run the ball. I also think our offense is more athletic than their defense, and should put up some points. It’s going to be a tough game, but we should beat them by at least 10.”
Great stuff and thanks ’04! I’ll edit the main post tonight, but glad to have the accurate comments. Hope you’re right about the matchup.
As to Parent’s Weekend/Pink Out on NBCSN, it’s a little annoying for sure, but we know the stadium will be full and the pink is what it is, basically inescapable. I just wish we could figure a way to get the main cameras switched to atop the old Godwin-side pressbox and looking back towards the new side. Love that the students are often featured in the current alignment, but really would be a better look at all the new stuff from the opposite side.
Agree with the comment RE: TV cameras – SHOW THE NEW SIDE! 🙂
Yeah it is lame that the first national broadcast has to be on parents weekend with a crowd that is a perennial buzzkill. And does the “Pink-out” actually raise any money for breast cancer or is it just for awareness? I feel like we are aware it’s a problem; but what does wearing a bunch of pink do for the cause? Interesting article: http://www.theonion.com/articles/breast-cancer-launches-wnba-awareness-month,2574/
In all seriousness though, I’m not trying to be insensitive. I just believe that this game is the time to show a national audience what a typical gameday atmosphere is like at JMU. Not what they’ll ultimately see come Saturday.
@JMUDRU don’t forget we get one more chance come Nov 17 against ODU. That will DEFINITELY show off the JMU football game day experience.
Side note: if I hear ESPN call Towson “Towson State” one more time…
EPIC win guys!!!
-Let this be a big fat “I told you so” from the “pass more” crowd. Myself being a charter member.
-We have 3 solid RB’s on our roster. I do not understand why we only played the one who isn’t 100% healthy.
– If we play D like that the rest of the year, we are going deep in the playoffs.
-This is the first time in my like I have benefited from horrible officiating.
– I’d like to extend a special “thank you” to the parents weekend crowd for breaking from tradition and not sucking.
Totally agree 2004. Huge win for us, the defense looked great. Shades of Maine ’11 with some of that pass defense on Towson’s late scoring drive, but that Thorpe drive was something else. Official stats are that it was a 79 yard scoring drive, and Thorpe accounted for 69 of it. 6/6 passing for 60, plus the 9-yard touchdown scramble.
For those of you with long and painful memories, Thorpe scored on the exact same busted play where he fumbled the ball to Richmond in 2009 late in the game. pretty wild.
Crowd was great. Let’s do it again vs W&M.
I’m with you 2004. Scott is a special back, but I don’t know why we didn’t give some touches to the other guys in the backfield if for no other reason that to try to spark the offense. Hell of a win though and an absolutely outstanding defensive effort and game-winning drive by Thorpe and the offense.
Also three cheers to NBC Sports for a great broadcast.