The commercial above not only was one of the winners of Doritos Crash the Superbowl video contest, it was picked by Ad Meter as the top spot during Super Bowl XLVI. Because of that, the video’s creator won $1 million to go along with the $25,000 already awarded for being selected a finalist in the Doritos contest. In addition, he was guaranteed the right to work on a future Doritos project with Andy Samberg and the rest of The Lonely Island. And the creator was none other than Jonathan Friedman, a JMU alum from the class of 1994. The actor in the ad was Derek Leonidoff, was also a Duke from 1997. Congrats to both Jonathan and Derek. And if either one of them are looking for something to splurge on, we suggest Bridgeforth club seats.
It was another rough week for the Dukes, but all is not lost. Thanks to Drexel’s solid play of late, we’re spared from having to give George Mason the top spot on our ballot for the CAA Bloggers Poll. Our entry for this week is below. The full results will be posted to VCU Ram Nation later this week.
1. Drexel – Won 2 games they were expected to win (=due for a loss Wednesday, right?)
2. GMU – Bounced back from loss to Delaware with a great win against ODU. Still hate them.
3. VCU – Closed out 2 tough games, but didn’t do enough to get bumped up in my opinion
4. ODU – Expected the great defense and rebounding, but didn’t expect them to shoot this well
5. Georgia State – 2 comfortable wins over weaker teams
6. Delaware – Plenty of offensive talent, but a squarely middle of the pack team
7. Northeastern – No shame in losing to Drexel or VCU, but it still gets you dropped
8. UNCW – Can’t stop anyone on defense
9. Hostra – Better than the 3 teams below. That’s about all we can say about Hofstra.
10. JMU – Need Semenov, Humpty, and Davis to all play lights out to win any game. Can’t seem to get more than 2 of them to do it.
11. W&M – Marcus Thornton earned CAA Rookie of the Week and he went 2-10 Saturday against UNCW. That should tell you how good he was against VCU last Wednesday.
12. Towson – Love the effort, but they don’t have the roster
JMU lost at home to Delaware yesterday 85-80. If you’ve seen any of JMU’s conference games the past few weeks, you already know the story. A.J. Davis poured in 30 points in the losing effort. We’re trying to stay positive, but we’ve run out of ways to spin these losses. Check out the highlights (lowlights?) above. JMU is back in action Wednesday night in the Convo against Drexel.
JMU lost to ODU tonight by the score of 80-71. The loss dropped the Dukes to 10-14 overall and 3-9 in the CAA. With the win, ODU improved to 15-9 and 10-2 in the league. A.J. Davis paced JMU with 23 points and Andrey Semenov chipped in a season high 22, including 6 three pointers. Chris Cooper was the star for ODU. He pulled down 117 rebounds, with several dozen of them on the offensive end (both numbers unofficial).
This Could (Should?) Have Been Much Worse
Once again, this was a game that JMU had no business being in, but they hung in there and made it a game. I lost track of how many times I thought ODU was about to blow JMU out of the gym, only to have JMU battle back. I understand most of you will say this is loser talk, but I was proud of the way JMU battled. The Dukes easily could have packed in it when ODU built up double-digit leads. They didn’t though. They stormed back and even pulled to within 5 points with under 2:00. And they did it largely without Devon Moore, who has a wrist injury and only played 9 minutes.
These Guys Are Gassed
Humpty Hitchens had a pretty awful shooting night. He never found his groove and finished with only 9 points on 4 of 15 shooting. It’s easy to see why. He played 40 high energy minutes tonight. In fact, the senior has played 7 games in the past 2 weeks and he’s sat out a grand total of 5 minutes. A.J. played 38 minutes tonight. Semenov played 39. This team has played a lot of games in a short period of time and they have no bench. So while it was incredibly frustrating to see ODU players shoot wide open threes all night, I understand why it’s happening. JMU is worn the hell out. It’s not an excuse by any means. It’s just a fact. And this team struggles to rebound when they’re fresh. Put them up against a particularly strong rebounding team like ODU, and the result is a 29-22 rebounding edge…for JMU’s team over ODU’s Chris Cooper. As a team, ODU actually pulled down a whopping 47 boards.
This Is Not a Popular Opinion
At some point we’ve got to give Matt Brady some credit. I know. This is loser talk. I get it. For the overwhelming majority of JMU fans, the die has been cast and Brady is a dead man walking. I’m not saying that the guy has earned an extension or even that he doesn’t deserved to be fired. He has kept this depleted roster playing for a full 40 minutes night in and night out though. A few weeks ago, I thought he had lost the team. Now they’re hovering near the bottom of the standings with nothing to play for, but somehow they’re still battling. And they’re more banged up then ever. So I know I’m on an island here, but I think he deserves some credit. He’s not quitting and neither is his team.
Finally, I really haven’t made up my mind on whether or not he should be brought back and I probably won’t until after the season. I do find it sort of funny though that so many fans are convinced JMU is going to fire him and eat almost $300K of salary next year. This is the same athletic department whose conservative financial tendencies brought us bidgate. Forgive me if I’m not convinced they’ll break out the checkbook on this one.
Well, it’s a day full of bullshit and we’ve always tried to avoid getting into recruiting discussions. It’s just slimy. But the longer we’ve done this and the more college sports types we’ve followed on Twitter, the more we have to admit that National Signing Day is actually pretty damn exciting. And when your hoops team is lost in the wilderness like this year’s Dukes squad, it really is a beacon of hope in the long, not-so-cold winter. Plus Rob’s signing day posts seemed to be a hit the last couple of years so here we go.
Today’s signing day from a JMU standpoint was like none other we can remember in recent years! First of all, Craig Haley and The Sports Network immediately rated JMU as the top-ranked recruiting class in the nation at the FCS level! That’s pretty damn cool regardless of accuracy and actual meaning. It’s even cooler when you consider that a) JMU lost three total recruits, and two of their highest rated, to FBS-bound and possibly felonious UMass at the last minute (is the Victor Cruz effect that big on these NY kids?) and b) Craig Haley and the Sports Network usually hate on JMU like nobody’s business. We realize most of you can be grateful for having lives and leave the uberdork business to us, but trust us when we say that the national FCS sites (Sports Network and Any Given Saturday) almost always save favorite son status on rankings like these for the golden children in Boone, Missoula, Statesboro, and – gag – Newark.
Here’s the JMU Sports story on the class and a link to Mickey’s presser. Apparently, when talking to the print media, he barely made an effort to hide his disdain and suspicion for the Minutemen. As usual, he did not disappoint in the quote department today: (credit to @MikeABarber and @CurtDudley for these – love you guys):
– Recruiting is like shaving, if you don’t do it every day, you look like a bum
– I heard a coach say a kid’s not committing anymore, he’s makin’ a reservation
– There has been more late offers and negative recruiting than anytime I can remember. Totally stunning to us, UMass took three kids away from us at the end. They had all been committed to us for a long time.
– We really needed to make sure we got a good QB out of this group, if not two. That’s why we took three.
As for the recruits we got, here’s what we know:
3 QB’s signed. One of them, Taylor Reynolds of one Newark, Delaware, had started to look like he might choose the hometown Blue Chicks, but apparently decided competition doesn’t scare him. MM says he reminds him of Rodney. This means the Dukes will have at least 5 QB’s on board next year, but with Thorpe being a senior, the rest will presumably all get their shot to prove themselves soon.
The thing that likely puts this class in the upper echelon nationally is unquestionably the enormous assist from Randy Edsall! The Titus Till (Safety) and Jeremiah Wilson (CB) transfers from Maryland seriously fill the one true hole the Dukes might have had going into next season.
Another nice thing this year is the Dukes signed a number of D Linemen, arguably one of the biggest weaknesses this past season. Unfortunately they’re all DE’s but hopefully a few of them will discover Dave’s Express delivery next year and bulk up for a move inside.
Our one real concern was that only one OL signed, but with another couple of scholarships still available after the UMass defections, a late signee or two seems possible. Not to mention, the youngest spot on the team last year was along the line, where nearly every underclassmen in the program got serious playing time and development last year after all the injuries. With so much experience coming back, cracking that starting group may be a tough order for a couple of seasons.
Who knows what it all means, but I know our expectations for 2012 remain sky-high and it’s hard to deny New Bridgeforth has given the Dukes quite a bit more leverage in the recruiting circus.
Todd has been one of a number of JMU fans clamoring for the school to adopt Gogol Bordello’s “Start Wearing Purple” as some sort of unofficial theme song. I was a little late to the party, but finally jumped on the bandwagon prior to football season. The song became a staple of our tailgates and typical gameday routines all season. Now the pep band has stepped up and begun playing this version. And it’s awesome. Next stop, full MRD’s version in Bridgeforth.
Stacy Bedell, the record-breaking high school running back from Long Island, changed his mind after verbally committing to JMU and claims he’s now headed to UMass. This is Bedell’s second decommittment. He originally gave his word in July to Villanova that he’d be signing there. Then he got cold feet, changed his mind, and pledged to go to JMU on December 15 of last year. Evidently he’s not the most decisive kid in the world. As a result he’s all set to join a team transitioning “up” to a lower tier FBS conference that will be playing “home” games 50 miles away from campus in front of 5,000 fans.
While I don’t necessarily agree with the Stacy’s decision, I’m certainly not going to crush him for it. He’s a senior in high school and he changed his mind. I didn’t think it made him a bad kid when he changed his mind and decided JMU was a better option that Nova. I don’t think it makes him a bad kid now that he’s changed his mind again. And I’m also not going to pretend that he’s overrated or wouldn’t have been a nice get for the Dukes. He would have. I was so excited about his potential that I wrote a whole post about him when he gave his verbal. And we hardly ever write about recruits. This is disappointing, but nothing to lose sleep over. JMU has good running back depth and will move on. And Stacy will move on also and sign with UMass this week. Or maybe he’ll change his mind and sign with someone else. I mean the kid is really indecisive.
JMU fell to George Mason 89-79 at the Patriot Center yesterday. It was the Dukes’ millionth loss in a row to the Patriots. However, it was one of those games that was closer than the final score indicates. I thought it was over when A.J. Davis went to the bench with his 3rd foul before the 16 minute mark. The Dukes battled tough all day though and only down 4 with under 2 minutes when Ryan Pearson blocked a 3 point attempt by A.J. Davis. From that point on it was basically a free throw shooting contest. Mason knocked them down and went away with the win. Pearson was just too much for the Dukes all game. He poured in 29 and 15. JMU could do nothing to stop him. The guy is just a beast and is probably the best player in the conference. And you know how much I hate Mason, so I really don’t like admitting that.
Humpty Steps Up
We said that Andrey Semenov had a classic Semenov game in the win over William & Mary. Well, Humpty came to play yesterday and had a vintage Humpty performance. He was bruised, battered, and red hot from long range. Where as Semenov is at his best mixing it up with the other team, Humpty seems to get going when he’s bumped and bruised by the opposition. He had a brutal (yet completely clean) collision with Mike Morrison that sent him to the ground late in the first half. It only seemed to fire him up and focus him. He single-handely kept the Dukes in the game with his long range shooting before the break. With A.J. on the bench in foul trouble, Humpty picked up the slack for JMU. He dropped 27 points and 7 assists in a tireless effort. It was a great performance.
Battle in the Paint
The battle in the paint wasn’t much of a battle at all. It was a bloodbath. Mason absolutely crushed the Dukes down low. I lost track of how many times JMU played solid D for 20-25 seconds, only to have a Mason player deliver the ball to a wide open teammate running the baseline. It was the story of the game. Mason showed tremendous patience and eventually had someone find space or create a match-up problem down low. And when the Patriots missed, they often grabbed the board and nailed the follow-up. They had 21 offensive rebounds. Enoch Hood has shown me enough that I think he could become a good CAA big man. Right now though, he and the Dukes just can’t compete with most CAA teams’ front lines. Gene Swindle is a big body, but his poor footwork and lack of lateral quickness are too much to overcome against guys like Pearson.
Let’s Go Streaking
The big CAA news of the day was that Towson notched a win over UNCW to snap their 41 game losing streak. That’s great for the Towson program and I’m legitimately excited for them. I’m also happy for the Dukes who now are spared any heartache from being the team to hand Towson their first win. JMU has a few streaks of it’s own to end though. In particular, JMU needs to stop the bleeding against Mason. JMU has lost 8 straight to their rivals. They’ve never beaten them under Matt Brady. On the positive side, A.J. Davis has scored in double figures in 10 straight games. He and Brady have struggled to connect at times, but he’s showing that he’s got ability to score against anyone in the league. And while I’m not sure he’ll keep it up for a Towson like 41 games, Semenov could easily rattle off 20 or 30 in a row with a tech. He’s the D.J. Bryant of JMU hoops. An effective player who’s good for handing the opposition a free pass almost every game.
JMU ended a 7 game CAA home losing streak with a 59-47 win over the William & Mary Tribe last night. For the first time in a long time, Todd and I actually had a lot of fun watching a JMU game. That was primarily due to the fact that JMU controlled a game for the first time in ages. It also had a lot to do with the fact that John Feinstein was doing color. Yes, the man can namedrop like nobody else on earth. He also has some great stories and is a tireless advocate for mid-major programs.
Here are 3 quick thoughts on last night’s action.
The Most Semenov-ish Game Ever
JMU’s tattooed combo guard/forward had an outstanding game last night. He led all scorers with 15 points and pulled down 8 boards. It was classic Semenov, diving for loose balls, mixing it up with Beasthoven, and pissing off the opposition so much that a player in street clothes got a tech for calling him a punk. Just your typical Andrey Semenov performance. I think the guy might be the most hated player in the CAA, but I love him. Anyone who can get opposing fans that riled up is OK in my book. In fact I think he’s now one of my favorite Russians ever. Ovi is still tops on the list, but Andrey has clearly passed Yakov Smirnoff at this point.
7 Man Rotation
The Dukes lack of depth due to injuries and other things, was supposed to be a problem last night. Matt Brady told reporters after the Hofstra game that walk-on Christian Pierce might even start seeing serious minutes. Last night however, Brady settled in with a 7 man rotation. The Dukes went with what has become their standard starting 5, Moore, Humpty, Davis, Hood, and Semenov. Arman Marks and Alione Diouf came off the bench. The result was a very well rounded effort in which everyone contributed. A.J. Davis looked ready to take over the game with his athleticism at several points, but never did. Instead the team seemed to always have a different player hit a jumper, get to the line, or pull down a rebound when they needed it. It wasn’t always pretty and it wasn’t against the best of the CAA, but it was encouraging nonetheless.
Fun With Feinstein
As mentioned above, John Feinstein did color for the television broadcast. His seemingly countless Dean Smith references had Twitter abuzz (at least our feed which is chock full of CAA die-hards) which kept us laughing throughout the game. I’ve got to say though, I loved it. I wish he did color for every CAA game. I really do. He’s been beating the drum for mid-majors for years and was the guy who gave JMU a vote in last year’s AP poll. And the man has some great stories. Last night he brought us inside the huddle before “the shot” in 1994 to explain that Kent Culuko pulled a Jimmy Chitwood by looking the coaches in the eye and telling them he’d make it. He even told us that Chuck Driesel claimed to have called the play the picket fence. And the nugget he dropped about Lou Rowe getting hurt so badly that he couldn’t fly home from a game in Florida, so he had to drive 18 hours back, was awesome. Seriously. Who else gives you that sort of stuff during a CAA broadcast? Most color commentators for CAA games are lucky to get the players’ names right. So if a few Dean Smith name-drops is the price we have to pay for funny anecdotes and a guy who actually seems to be happy to calling a game between two CAA bottom dwellers, I’ll gladly pay it. And for the record, if I had the network that Feinstein did I would name-drop worse than anyone could imagine.
JMU announced its official 2012 Football Schedule this afternoon. And we like it. We like it a lot. First things first, there are 6 home games (regular season that is) compared to only 5 last year. And if history is any indicator, we can count the game at Richmond as at least 3/4 of a home game attendance wise anyway.
Last season’s CAA was full of surprises and proved that teams can easily outplay expectations. Be that as it may, JMU’s opponents were collectively 9 games under .500. And as I’m sure you’ve heard AD Jeff Bourne explain, he expects the JMU program to win consistently and be primed for a deep playoff run about once every four years. Well, JMU won the National Championship in 2004 and ran the table in the CAA and made it to the semi-finals in 2008. This will be the fourth season since that semi-final run. Therefore the completely un-scientific and statistically baseless conclusion is that the Dukes are going deep into the playoffs this season. Coach Matthews brings back a talented and experienced roster. With this favorable schedule, we’re drinking the Kool-Aid and setting ours sights on JMU winning it all.
Here is the full schedule with some thoughts on each game. Home games are in bold.
September 1 – St. Francis – Sacrificial lamb to start the season. Hopefully an evening kick off for some extended tailgating.
September 8 – Alcorn State – Steve McNair went there. That’s all I got folks.
September 15 – vs. West Virginia (at FedEx Field) – Agent Steinz might be poking fun at this game (and lighten up, it’s a funny post), but we’ve had it on the calendar since last summer. We’re expecting a huge crowd, some great tailgating, and a loss quite frankly. But last time WVU beat JMU, the Dukes won it all. So, good omen. Good omen.
September 22 – vs. Rhode Island – Just days before my wifes’ birthday and the Dukes coincidentally have a road game a mere 30 minutes from Newport, her favorite place on earth? Sounds like a set up for the perfect gift. Happy Birthday to me.
October 6 – Towson (Family Weekend) – Good to play the defending CAA Champs in Bridgeforth. Bad to have to do it in front of the historically subdued and boring Family Weekend crowd.
October 13 – William & Mary – Always a game to look forward to. If you’re student who has to study that weekend, stake out a spot in the library early before the visiting fans get there for their unique brand of research focused “tailgating”.
October 20 – vs. Richmond – JMU’s first chance to beat Rocco at his new home.
October 27 – Georgia State (Homecoming) – Oh gawd. Tough draw for the Panthers. Not only do they need to come to Bridgeforth in their first year of CAA play, but they have to do it on homecoming.
November 3 – vs. Maine – The least intimidating stadium in the CAA, yet still one of the most intimidating places to play purely due to the weather. A cold, wind exposed stadium. Glad that it’s early in November instead of late.
November 10 – vs. Villanova – Nova took their lumps with a very young squad last season. They should be a much tougher out this season.
November 17 – ODU – My personally most anticipated game on the schedule. Heading into the first meeting with ODU last year, we said the Monarchs were already JMU’s biggest rival. Then they beat JMU. We’ve been anxious for a rematch on our turf ever since. And we love that the CAA and both schools have said that they want this match-up to close the season annually.
