The Dukes won. Again. This time it was against an overmatched William & Mary team on its homecoming. Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but JMU started slow, fell behind early, and the took its opponent behind the woodshed. Despite needing to come from behind, the outcome was never really in doubt. By the middle of the second quarter, it was clear JMU was going to win convincingly. And that’s exactly what happened. The Dukes defense dominated and JMU left the lesser ‘burg with a blowout 38-10 victory. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from the win.
The Good
Dukes Defense – Whoah. Save for a 73 yard scamper in the first quarter, William & Mary’s offense was no match for JMU. If it was a fight, it would have been stopped. JMU held the Tribe to only 2 more rushing yards for the rest of the game, and a meager 194 yards overall. Even with a Go-go offense designed to overcome a talent deficit, the Tribe couldn’t get it done. JMU was just better all over the field and the Dukes consistently won battles all game. It was a masterful display.
Ron’Dell Carter – The senior had one of the more dominant individual defensive performances we’ve seen in a while. He was an absolute menace, with 6 tackles for loss and 10 tackles overall. There was nothing the Tribe could do to slow him down, let alone stop him.
Defensive Backs – We understand the William & Mary doesn’t have the most dynamic passing offense, but the Dukes secondary played much better yesterday. And they came up with 3 picks, including one by Wayne Davis where he jumped the route so cleanly that he managed to snag the ball about 5 yards in front of the intended receiver.
Nooch – Here’s where we are with Nooch. He completed 64% of his passes for 2 touchdowns and a season high 250 yards and fans online were wondering why he looked “off.” On day where JMU struggled to make much happen in the running game, Nooch calmly rallied the squad and helped the offense go a perfect 5 for 5 (with 4 TDs) in the red zone.
The Bad
Run Game – JMU never really got much going on the ground. The running backs were not bad, but it was far from their best showing. It might be a tad harsh to list them here, but that’s what happens when they set the bar high for themselves. And for some reason we committed to this good, bad, and ugly format years ago and we can’t just put everything in the good section.
The Ugly
.07 yards per carry – That’s what W&M averaged if you take away the one long run in the first quarter. That’s right. For the remaining 28 carries, the Tribe gained a total of two yards. And yes, this is just another cheap way to add another “good” for the Dukes.
The Basics
Matchup: #2 JMU Dukes (6-1, 3-0 CAA) at William & Mary Tribe (2-4, 0-2 CAA)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
Location: Zable Stadium in the older, lesser ‘burg
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, High 69
Broadcast: Flo for most of us, but Cox Yurview for Cox Customers in Fairfax, Hampton Roads, Roanoke, Fredericksburg
Boys in the Desert: JMU -19, O/U 53, ML -1275
A Bit About the Tribe
Go-go offense. Pretty sure Rare Essense ain’t playing homecoming.
Most of us would rather listen to Lebron talk foreign policy than spend a weekend at W&M. Ok, that’s not exactly true. Or not true at all. But really we all know everything about our frenemies down 64 at this point. JMU has played W&M more than any other team. It’s old, it’s part of a huge historical reenactment. They take academics somewhat seriously. And they’ve upgraded their stadium way beyond anything their real rival RU could even dream of. Yadayadayada.
But we can’t yada yada the arrival this year of Head Coach Mike London and Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion, along with their Go-Go Offense from Howard this year. These fellas are rapidly turning this program around and we certainly don’t expect a repeat of last year’s 51-0 thrashing by the Dukes.
How the Tribe Can Win
Turn the Dukes Over. The Tribe’s offense is good enough to score points, and given how massively different it will likely seem to the JMU defense from anything they’ve seen from past W&M teams or anyone else so far this year, they may score a healthy bit. But if the Tribe turn this into a pure track meet Withers-style, they’ll have a rough time trying to stay with JMU’s talent for 60 minutes.
But defensively they’ve given up 30, 52, 38, 31, and 35 points. The only game they didn’t give up 30 was against one of the worst offensive, and talent-deficient, teams in FBS. And even those ECU Pirates scored 19. The Tribe only seem capable of outscoring JMU if they can force turnovers and put themselves in position for some short-fields.
And we are genuinely looking forward to seeing this creative offense in action. Marion’s mad-scientist setup is most often a rare look in modern college football with two running backs in the backfield. But they’re often in odd alignments (both to the same side of the QB) and one or both is likely to be part of the pattern if it’s a passing play. Hard to explain, but fun to watch. And they might be starting to pick up the concepts after a slow start. In the two CAA games they played they lost 38-31 to an improving Albany team and 35-28 to a Villanova team that gave the Dukes fits. And that was before the bye week they’ve been on to prep for JMU.
How the Dukes Can Win
There’s no such thing as trap games. Who are we kidding, this one does have the markings. W&M off a bye and improving in their new system. The Dukes still two weeks out from a much-needed bye and sandwiching this road trip between big matchups against Nova and Tom Flacco. The absolute biggest thing JMU needs to do to win this game is be 100% present mentally. They have a chance to build off the momentum of last week’s fourth quarter and they can’t slack here. They also need to not get frustrated if it takes a few drives to figure out the Go-Go.
But if they hang in there, talent and experience should take the Dukes to a name-your-score situation in the second half. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to get back to running the ball with the bruising effectiveness we’d gotten used to before last week, thus keeping the Tribe offense on the sidelines as well.
JMUSB Beer of the Week
Cribbage in the Square Pilsner from Billsburg Brewery in Williamsburg. This place looks amazing for a Friday night prep session and word is it’s Dukes-owned. You can find them down the road on the water at the Jamestown Marina, and on Fridays they host the Jamestown Get Down Concert Series with live music and food trucks. And something we really appreciate, a focus on crushable lagers and pilsners. Go check them out!
Official JMUSB Prediction
Dukes 45, Tribe 20
Whew. The week kind of got away from us, so we’re a little late getting this up. But y’all know how it works. JMU plays William & Mary this Saturday and we’re here for your predictions. Leave a comment below letting us know who you think will win and what the final score will be. The person who comes closest to nailing it (winner & score) will get to write a guest post. Now get to it.
Another week, another terrific guest post. This week it comes to us courtesy of Jeff, who won the most recent prediction contest. Here’s his fun look back at a lifetime of JMU sports memories.
Wow! What an awesome 4th Quarter! The Dukes allowed me to nail the final score with my prediction of 38-24. My 15 year old son, Philip, and I predict the scores with each other every week. Philip’s prediction was dead in the 3rd quarter (JMU 24-21.) Mine was still alive but I was not too confident going into the 4th! Daka, Dinucci to Polk, MJ Hampton pick 6 and welcome to stardom Latrele Palmer! Next thing you know, I am celebrating and writing this blog. By the way, a lot of luck goes into this picking. Last week, I predicted JMU 31-13 over Stony Brook (no where close!)
So, who is your guest blogger? I am a former townie. My parents (Jack ’68 and Mary Lynne) moved to Harrisonburg so Dad could attend JMU after getting out of the Army. I was born at Rockingham Memorial Hospital (now Student Success Center), took my first steps in Shorts Hall (Dad was in charge of men’s housing) and learned how to swim in Keezell Hall. I grew up watching JMU football games on the hill (including watching a guy come down the gully in a canoe with a keg selling beers to people for a $1!) and we played football on Godwin Field during the games (now F lot where we tailgate-come join us!) My dad was the scoreboard operator at football games and official scorekeeper at all JMU basketball games for almost 40 years (retired in 2017) and my mom worked at JMU for 27 years. I was lucky enough to attend all the JMU Men’s Basketball NCAA tournament games in the 1980’s.
In high school, I still attended all JMU sports in between my own games. There were lots of JMU connections but my favorite was guarding future JMU basketball superstar and coach Kenny Brooks. I did score on Kenny but who won the match up? Let’s just say there is a reason Kenny Brooks is a legend and I played intramurals! Future JMU baseball player and VT Athletic Director, Whit Babcock also played in those games. At JMU, I had an awesome experience and was lucky enough to live with 2 JMU football players, Keith Johnson and Jermel Harris. I can tell you first hand how hard it is to be a D-1 athlete. Please remember how hard our athletes work to juggle school and classes when we cheer them on. I was also blessed to work all 4 years in Sports Information with Gary Michael, Milla Sue Wisecarver, David Taylor and the now famous voice of JMU Madizone, Curt Dudley. They were all great professionals and taught me so many life lessons.
A few highlights of being a JMU Grad—I proposed to my wife, Beth, on the kissing rock on the quad in 1995. We have been married 23 years and have 4 kids who all know the JMU fight song and have grown to love JMU. I have stayed involved with JMU by serving in roles like Alumni Board President, Duke Club Board and our latest is serving on the JMU Parent’s Council (Caroline ’23 is a 3rd generation Duke!).
I thought I would give you my Top 10 favorite JMU sports memories as a lifelong Dukes fan–
- JMU-UNC Men’s Basketball game in 1982 NCAA – Bittersweet game but great to see JMU on the National Stage. Yes, I was one of the folks throwing toilet paper on the floor. I hope the statute of limitations is up for any punishment. Still feel bad about our cheerleader getting hit.
- 1990 JMU crushes UR in Midnight Madness game at JMU; only home basketball game I did not work in my 4 years at JMU.
- 2004 Football National Championship with my Dad. He taught and coached defensive star, Akeem Jordan. They hugged after the game on the field and it still makes me smile!
- 2008 JMU beating Appalachian State in football 35-32 at JMU…probably most exciting game ever!
- 2016 JMU Football National Championship in Frisco with my then 13 year old son, Philip
- 2016 JMU vs. LSU softball regional. Attended with my Dad and Philip; electric atmosphere
- 2018 JMU National Championship for Women’s Lacrosse-watched with all 4 of my kids. Thanks to Rob for the preseason interview on JMU Sports Blog Podcast. He asked Coach Klaes-Bawcombe if the Final Four was her goal for the season. She did not miss a beat and said yes. This made me follow the team and what an awesome ride (I am still not sure I know all the rules but I will cheer loudly!
- Both JMU College Game Days with my family but 2017 was better since we won! Caroline went on her JMU tour that day—great day to be there for a tour!
- 2019 JMU beating Villanova on Parent’s Weekend. First time I have been to JMU as a Parent for Parent’s Weekend—awesome to create new memories with Caroline
- Favorite Weekend—Dec. 1994—met my wife’s (then girlfriend’s) parents as we helped her move into a new apartment in Richmond. They wanted to take me out to lunch, dinner or brunch. But I declined as I was the host of the JMU watch party for the JMU-Marshall football game in Richmond. We lost a heartbreaker but played great. I then hopped in the car and went to Harrisonburg to watch JMU beat Purdue and Glenn Big Dog Robinson at the Convo. The next day I went to UVA and saw us lose to UVA in the Sweet 16 in Men’s soccer. My future in-laws thought I was very nice but maybe a little obsessed with JMU. Well, 25 years later, I am still happily married to Beth (a W & M grad but has learned to love JMU) and I am still a crazy JMU fan.
Finally, a huge heartfelt thanks to Todd and Rob for all they do to promote JMU. I now challenge you the reader – what can you do to make JMU greater? Here are some ideas: Go to a JMU Alumni or Duke Club event. Offer to mentor a JMU student or alumnus. Most of all, consider donating to JMU. We are in need of more scholarship money to continue to attract top-notch students. Wear your purple as often as you can to be an ambassador for JMU!
Go Dukes! I hope to see you in Harrisonburg or Frisco where we will create some awesome new memories.
Wow, that was something this weekend. The Dukes defeated two top-five teams at the same time – Villanova and the CAA Officials – to storm back for a huge conference victory. Whatever your complaint about JMU is, zip it. That Villanova team cheats every passing play (needless to say, the CAA has not caught up with the NFL’s recognition of pick plays and offensive PI) and still has atrocious special teams, but they are damned good. They run a great scheme offensively and were stronger up front on both sides than anyone the Dukes have played thus far, including WVU.
The Good
John Daka – Absolute monster. Villanova took the lead 24-17 and got the ball back for one play. Daka blew it up, caused a fumble, and ignited the Dukes to 21 straight points to win going away. And that’s before all his other great stuff. If he plays like the FCS’ version of LT, JMU is awfully tough to do anything against.
M.J. Hampton – Still learning, but what can you say except “bravo” to ejected Amos’ replacement after he made the biggest play of the game and nearly had two other picks (the one in the end zone where he and Smith collided and the deep pass he broke up late)
Riley Stapleton – Our whole section called the second TD on a back-shoulder as soon as Villanova showed man coverage. The way he was used on the first two TD’s makes him the unstoppable force we all remember from Frisco vs. NDSU.
Resiliency – Seriously, a standing ovation to the team and coaches. While me and most of the crowd was panicking about the secondary and losing our mind with the officials, Coach Cignetti stayed calm and the team rallied back with a 21-0 fourth quarter that shows just what is possible from this group. Also doesn’t hurt to have a Marshawn, er, Latrelle Palmer, to throw at them just when they other team is wearing down.
Crowd – This was a top-10 New Bridgeforth performance from the crowd with no caveats even needed about Family Weekend. Incredible job by parents, students, everyone sticking around and making an impact on this one in the fourth quarter. If we can get that kind of performance for four quarters every week, that place is impossible for visiting teams. Can’t wait to do it again in two weeks!
#FCSonGameday – The effort appears to have worked as the JMU vs. Villanova game was one of the featured games to pick on ESPN’s College Gameday’s last segment. Plus it was very cool to hear Walter Czobcak himself John Goodman say “I like the Dukes!”
The Bad
Pass Defense – Lather. Rinse. Repeat. McCormick out. Amos ejected. Drew injured. But there’s still no excuse for a bunch of speedy and talented players to be consistently burned very badly by a bunch of try-hard types on the outside for Villanova (except for Hodge, he’s good). I mean, sometimes we are beat so badly we aren’t even in position to commit a last-gasp pass interference that would be preferable to the catch and/or score. We used to get on Mickey’s defenses for playing soft and allowing easy catches in front of them, but at this point, isn’t switching to that softer coverage almost necessary?
All that said, the secondary did make the play of the season to date and come up with three straight picks to ice the game. So we can hope they come away with some growing confidence and something to build on headed to Williamsburg to face the Tribe’s suddenly potent run n’ shoot.
Lobster! – For the second time ever, lobster won the food race and lobster rolls were 3.50 in the fourth quarter. But having it happen when the Dukes were down and no one could steal away for more concessions was tough look. But cool move pulling that on Family Weekend.
The Ugly
CAA and Officials – We try really hard every year to stay out of the homer-filled blame-the-refs game. But even putting aside the accuracy or inaccuracy of specific calls, we cannot recall ever seeing a more inconsistent, dysfunctional, and unprofessional game by an officiating crew. This was beyond our ability to even joke on Twitter with @AverageCAARef because this was dangerous and potentially season-altering garbage. Most coaches will tell you all you really hope for is consistency. And not only was this inconsistent, it was just an all-out debacle and the CAA should be embarrassed. Inordinately long replays, lack of any explanations, replays of replays, getting things wrong and then stopping again to get them wrong again (How can a 15 yard penalty be mis-spotted and then suddenly “corrected” only to become a 16 yard penalty?). The list was long and undistinguished of things wrong with that performance but Clown Commish Joey D (apparently there isn’t enough time to evaluate refs between all the times a middle-aged man puts on a uniform to play soccer with Northeastern’s women’s team) and someone at the league office better make darned sure this crew NEVER works another CAA game again.
I never really had a dream school when I was applying to college. The closest thing to a dream school for me though, was Villanova University. In my senior year of high school, I pretty much treated as fact that I’d be a Wildcat. I’m not really sure why, but I’m 99% certain it was primarily due to to me being Catholic and my love of college hoops. Then I got accepted and was assigned some sort of student buddy who was supposed to call me, answer my questions, make me feel welcome, and sell me on the school. The first call came on a Friday night while I was hanging out at my parents house with some friends. I don’t remember all the details about my buddy or the call itself. I do recall however, that when I asked the guy what his big plans for the weekend were, he replied “It’s Friday, so we’re having a pillow fight.” And I graduated from JMU four years later. So that’s my Villanova story. Now on to the game.
The Basics
Matchup: #2 JMU Dukes (5-1, 2-0 CAA) at #5 Villanova Wildcats (6-0, 3-0 CAA)
Kickoff: 1:30 PM Saturday, October
Location: Bridgeforth Stadium in the ‘burg.
Weather: Hight os 69 (nice) and a 40% chance of rain
Broadcast: MASN2 for folks in the DMV. FloSports for everyone else.
A Bit About Villanova Football
Villanova is a very good team. The Wildcats are a legit CAA and National Championship contender. The only reason you don’t hear more hype about them is because they have approximately 13 fans and most Villanova students would rather spend their Saturdays stalking Jay Wright than watching a terrific football team.
Despite the lack of consistent fan support, former coach Andy Talley built Nova to be a consistent winner and even won the whole damn thing in 2009. The program hit a bit of a hiccup after he left, which in hindsight seemed more to due with injuries than anything else. Now it’s back. The Cats are good folks. Some people (ok, me) might have underrated transfer QB Daniel Smith based on the fact that he came from Campbell University. Well, thus far he’s accounted for 24 touchdowns, the second most in the whole subdivision. It’s just another example of how I know nothing. You shouldn’t even keep reading.
How the Wildcats Can Win
Attack, attack, attack. Daniel Smith isn’t going to thread the needle or wow anyone with pinpoint accuracy. He’s just going to make plays. To win, Nova will need him to play aggressive and take shots at the Dukes defense. We all saw what Tyquell Fields and Stony Brook did last game. Until the JMU defense rights the ship, that’s the blueprint. Nova’s stud running back Justin Covington got a little banged up last weekend, but is still not ruled out. He’s averaging an eye-popping 8.1 yards per carry. We expect the Cats to go straight at the Dukes. They’ll try to run the ball and also exploit the JMU secondary by hitting crossing routes and hoping guys can break off chunks of yards after the catch.
How the Dukes Can Win
Protect the damn ball and tighten up the D. We have a lot of confidence in the JMU offense. We fully expect the offensive line to have another strong game and think there enough weapons in both the running and passing game, that JMU will find matches to exploit. The Dukes just need to eliminate the turnovers. The playmakers will do the rest.
And the pass D needs to improve. We’re not telling anyone anything they don’t know. Last week the secondary got torched. We’re expecting to see some scheme adjustments this week and more physical play by the corners at the line of scrimmage. If the Dukes can slow down the Wildcat receivers, throw off their timing, and we think the pass rush will eventually rattle Smith. If they can do that and just make better tackles, the Dukes should win.
JMUSB Beer of the Week
Let me say right up front that this one ain’t gonna be for everyone. The JMUSB BOTW is Rosetta by Brewery Ommegang. It’s a blended sour and I dig it. Sour beers are definitely an acquired taste. Same with pretty much any beer, but for some reason lots of folks still shy away from sours. Get over it. Drink them. And give this one a try. It’s tart, but not overly so. And it’s delicious.
Official JMUSB Prediction
Offense finds its stickem and holds onto the ball, pass rush gets to Smith repeatedly, and the pass D starts to turn the corner. Dukes are gonna win this one for the Family Weekend crowd. JMU 31 – Villanova 20.
Jim and Jan are a couple of season ticket holders who travel to root whenever possible. They won last week’s prediction contest. Here’s Jan’s awesome take on being an honorary Duke.
Last weekend we found ourselves once again at an away football game- this time at SBU. These clashes have previously been a street fight so when I asked my wife for her prediction I had to agree to a one touchdown final score of 34-27. We stayed with my sister/brother-in law on the island but were forced to fly the Wake Forest flag below the JMU flag as compensation for lodging and their attendance. (Wish we would play WF in FB but we hold bragging rights after beating #1 WF in men’s soccer). Unlike game day at P-lot, away games offer a tailgate event allowing one to meet new JMU friends and laugh about the connections we share. For example, we met another “old” JMUer who sat in the same row at Bridgeforth for years and was the FB coach at the small high school on Long Island where my nieces played sports. Another JMU couple from CT had a spouse from our town and the nice younger couple and their kids lived a block from my sister on the island. So, don’t hesitate making the drive to an away game. Pick up and enjoy the journey.
Since my wife Janet (an Honorary Duke and fan) made the prediction, she will offer her take here.
My husband Jim and three adult kids are all part of the JMU family. (Hence, the Dukes4). My road to becoming an HONORARY Duke began in 1983 when I was urged to watch the JMU men’s basketball team take on Michael Jordan and the Tar Heels in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Raising three children during the 80s and 90s slowed the exposure to JMU sports however it was rekindled in 1995 as we made a trip to see the men’s soccer team take on Princeton in the playoffs. My honorary degree took off in earnest in 2004 when we began to empty our pockets for the first of three JMU kids and we watched the Dukes start the road to Chattanooga. Since then we have experienced firsthand many memorable and dramatic games both home and away.
It is especially rewarding to watch the Dukes win in other stadiums such as Richmond or sitting in the cold rain to watch JMU beat VA Tech (the best), in Dallas at SMU (enjoyed watching the Dukes ruin SMU’s 100th anniversary and homecoming) and ECU. The away games at Duke and UNC were even enjoyable although not a win. We don’t travel to all of the away games but it is easier when the JMU kids have graduated and are not on our tab any longer. We did enjoy the excitement of traveling to both games in Frisco where the tailgating started in early frigid temperatures, and hit the quad for both ESPN Game days. There I supported my husband’s assertion that we be on the quad at dawn so he could fly the highest JMU flag and we could step on the plethora of student items left overnight. Of note was my trip to the ladies room in Wilson Hall where someone said “stand here” and I was up front to view Lee Corso give his James Madison declaration before donning the Duke Dog head. (pic). Road trips can be a fun experience. Take a look at our vehicle attempting to pass a couple of morning hunters on the way to Colgate.
Honorary – Per the online dictionary: “conferred as an honor, without the usual requirements or functions”.
Well, I may not have a degree from this university, but I have given my time (enjoy it) and treasure (so our kids can be gainfully employed) and it was my honor to travel to SBU last Saturday (traffic on LI is worse than DC), where we made new friends at the tailgate and yelled for the Dukes to overcome the CHAlllllENGES (these are stripes) on the field and secure another CAA win.
So here’s a shout out to all of the HONORARY JMU Dukes and FANS out there. Get to as many events as you can and again, enjoy the journey.
This is a big one Dukes fans. JMU welcomes the Villanova Wildcats to Bridgeforth Stadium. It’s a match-up of two CAA heavy weights and we’d like to know how you think it will play out. Leave a comment below with your prediction for Saturday. The person who comes closes to nailing it (winner & score) will get to write a guest post. That’s it. Now start rootin and Go Dukes!
JMU went on the road for their third game in a row. This time it was a matchup with the Stony Brook Seawolves. And it ended up being a lot closer than many people, us included, expected. Thankfully, the Dukes got out of Long Island with a 45-38 win. But it wasn’t easy. JMU had to overcome some, um questionable, officiating, a number of big plays by the Seawolves, and four turnovers to earn the victory. But they did.
The outcome of this one was in doubt until literally the final play of the game. After JMU scored in OT to go up 7, Delanta Hellams just barely missed hauling in a Tyquell Fields fourth down pass in the end zone. And when the ball hit the turf ending the game, you could hear the collective sighs of relief from all four corners of the JMU fanbase. Because in the moment, it really was relief more than joy. And now a day later, I still don’t know what to think.
I’m really not sure how to assess this one. JMU won a road game against a very tough Stony Brook team. And the Dukes did it on a night when they didn’t really have their “A” game in all three phases. Even ugly wins are wins and the Dukes showed a lot of resilience.
Stony Brook entered the game as the CAA’s second best rush defense, giving up only 88 yards/game on the ground. JMU shredded them for 328 yards on the ground. The O-line was completely dominant. And Nooch had another strong game. He not only made multiple big plays, he showed that he really has command of the offense. Brandon Polk was outstanding and the running backs kept one-upping each other with eye-popping runs. The defensive front four was sick and has made us question why we ever worried about the pass rush.
All of the above has us excited. But there are plenty of concerns. Stony Brook threw for 318 yards. Tyquell Fields is a talented QB, but he shouldn’t be throwing for 300+ yards. JMU’s pass defense is not clicking. You don’t need to be a football genius to notice guys taking bad angles or struggling to stick with receivers. And tackling continues to be a problem. Plus, there were fumbles. Lots and lots of fumbles.
The zebras really did JMU no favors. I’m not one to complain about the refs too much, but there were some truly awful calls that went against JMU. And we’re not just talking debatable pass interference flags or things like that. We’re talking about multiple instances where it really looked like the stripes were making things up. It was bad and the calls hurt the Dukes.
Despite all that however, the Dukes won. They won on the road for the third week in a row. They won against a nasty Stony Brook team that came ready to play and didn’t back down all night. It wasn’t always pretty, but Nooch and the boys got the job done.
The Basics
Matchup: #2 JMU Dukes (4-1, 1-0 CAA) at #24 Stony Brook (4-1, 1-0 CAA)
Kickoff: 6 PM Saturday, October 5
Location: LaValle Stadium, Long Island, NY (basically Port Jeff)
Weather: Sunny, high 59, winds 13 mph, only 51 % humidity. After what feels like July 73rd for most of us down here in Virginia, it sure is gonna be great to feel that first air of autumn up your nose on Saturday out on the island.
Broadcast: FloFootball for most of us. SNY for the SNY market (and probably satellite folks which should help with watch parties). SBU has a better history of production value than Elon so hopefully this is better. In other news, D.C. United announced they are absolutely done with Flo tonight so who knows what that means.
Friends in the Desert: JMU -15.5 (-750 ML), O/U 41 (hard to believe a line that high with an O/U that low actually but our defense is really good we guess)
