JMU Dukes Defense Could Test Charlotte
The JMU Dukes have made a decent start to the 2013 college football season, though there are still some areas of their game that will require work, if they want to win a testing looking home game against Charlotte. Last time out, the Dukes beat Saint Francis 24-20, to the relief of their fans who enjoy betting on sports. They will have to work harder if they want to make it back-to-back home victories, though.
For sports betting fans of college football who are looking for the best sportsbook at Bodog88.com, the JMU Dukes are certainly an interesting prospect. A strong defense might well take them to victory against Charlotte, but their offense will also have to improve. If Birdsong can strike up a relationship with some unfamiliar receivers then they might well record an impressive win.
One of the main problems that the Dukes encountered against Saint Francis was the way in which their passing game was put under pressure. The Red Flash used a lot of man-to-man coverage against the JMU wide receivers, something which head coach Mickey Matthews identified as a real issue in post-game press conferences. Matthews also anticipates that the Charlotte coaching team will have watched the game against Saint Francis closely, and learned some useful lessons from it. Bodog sports betting fans would do well to take a closer look at how the Red Flash defense was able to exert so much pressure.
“I think we’re going to see how teams play us now,” Matthews told reporters.
“They did a ton of man and got up in our face. It was an odd defense. They put somebody over the center and our offensive line was not handling that.”
The JMU quarterback, Michael Birdsong, passed for 145 yards and one touchdown, completing 10 from 23 attempts. He also threw three interceptions, though. The pressure that the Red Flash exerted on the Dukes quarterback was intense, and that forced the JMU offense to look to their running game to make the required yards. The running backs responded well, and JMU rushed for 253 yards, an impressive tally.
The Dukes’ problems with passing were compounded by the absence of some key members of their receiving corps, though. DeAndre Smith’s ankle injury looks set to keep him out of action for the coming clash with Charlotte, and his absence will continue to be keenly felt, not least by Michael Birdsong. While Quintin Hunter’s bruised kidney kept him out of the game against Saint Francis, he may well return for the clash with Charlotte. Sports betting fans with a soft spot for JMU will hope that he does.
There are also injury issues at running back, which will concern all sportsbook betting fans who might be thinking of placing a wager on the Dukes against Charlotte. Jauan Latney, who ran for 23 yards with three carries against the Red Flash, was forced to exit that game early with a dislocated knee. He is expected to miss the game against Charlotte as a result. Jainard Lambert, another running back, played with a cast on his thumb as a result of a torn ligament. Sadly, it seemed to affect his performance. He carried the ball three times, managing to gain six yards, but also fumbled the ball. He will not now play, according to his coach, until the cast is removed.
Thankfully, for those Bodog sportsbook betting fans who pay close attention to JMU, the team’s defense has looked steady and solid so far this season. Anyone who uses online gambling sites to bet on football will know that a strong defense wil often grind out wins even when the offense is misfiring somewhat. Wile the Dukes conceded touchdowns on two big plays against the Red Flash, they also restricted their opponents to a measly 131 yards in the whole game. Online sports gambling fans who saw the game will have noticed just how well the Dukes’ defensive line was able to exert pressure on the Saint Francis quarterback. Lineman Sage Harold recorded three of the Dukes’ eight sacks in the game.
