This is the first post in our 2011 CAA football preview series. In case you missed it last year, it’s pretty simple. We’ll profile each CAA team one by one, culminating in our official preview for the 2011 JMU Dukes in August. While nobody is going to mistake this series for hard-core analysis, it should provide you with enough CAA smarts to help you at least fake you way through your average JMU tailgate. And it will help us get the blogging kinks out before football season. Now without further ado, your 2011 JMUSB Preview of the Delaware Blue Hens.
19-0
That was the score that Delaware led Eastern Washington by when they punted the ball away with only 3:18 left in the third quarter of last season’s National Championship. Then the much vaunted Blue Hen defense rolled over, the offense sputtered, and Easter Washington rattled off 22 unanswered points to win the game. While such an epic collapse made Delaware haters like me incredibly happy, it’s safe to say that it was less than joyous for the UD players, coaches, and fans. We don’t know if the Blue Hens will use that disappointment as motivation to succeed in 2011, or if it will send them into some downward spiral that takes years to recover from (fingers crossed).
What They Lose
The obvious loss for the Blue Hens is quarterback Pat Devlin. The transfer from Penn State was the 2010 CAA Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for 22 TDs with only 3 picks last year and led the team all the way to the Championship game. In addition to Devlin, Delaware will also be replacing 2 wide-receivers and one member of the line on offense. They have many more slots to fill on the defensive side of the ball with the loss of 8 starters. Whoever steps into the secondary for Delaware will have some big shoes to fill. Safeties Anthony Bratton (All CAA First Team) and Darryl Jones (All CAA Third Team) and a pair of All CAA Second Team cornerbacks Tyrone Grant and Anthony Walters, all are gone.
What They Bring Back
The Blue Hens bring back four offensive lineman and Anthony Pierce, one hell of a running back. That should make things considerably easier for whomever wins the starting QB job. Delaware’s experienced line should be able to keep the QB off is back and give him time to make plays. Pierce was only a freshman last year, but he earned All CAA First Team honors. Fans can argue all day about whether Pierce or William & Mary’s Jonathan Grimes is the CAA’s best running back, but the fact is that they’re both pretty damn good. The Blue Hens only bring back 3 starters on Defense, but they’ve got a pair of linebackers ready to carry the squad. Junior Paul Worrilow made All CAA Third Team last year and led the team with 113 tackles and Senior Andrew Harrison will start at linebacker for the fourth year.
The Delaware Football Tradition
Delaware fans like to act as if they are the crown jewel of FCS football. They talk about the Blue Hens 6 national championships, former coach Tubby Raymond, and their outstanding fan support. While the rhetoric is extremely annoying, it’s also hard to refute their claims. Delaware really has had an outstanding program and tremendous fan support for years. They consistently draw over 20,000 fans a game and are always near the top of FCS attendance. Sure, everyone knocks the geriatric nature of the fanbase, but those old people consistently pack the stadium. The gap in fan support between Delaware and the rest of the CAA has closed considerably though. Several other CAA teams now have fanbases with as much passion as the Blue Hen faithful. And Delaware might have already been passed when it comes to facilities. For instance, Delaware’s own media guide actually refers to the stadium as “state of the art” and then brags about the fact that they added lights in 2000 in the same paragraph.
K.C. Keeler Whines a Lot
I wish I had a more clever way to make this point, but I don’t. The fact is that Delaware’s head coach whines and complains incessantly and it’s annoying as hell. Go back and read about the way he went on and on moaning about DJ Bryant’s hit that knocked Pat Devlin out of the JMU vs UD game last October. It was awful. The only thing that was worse was the way that Delaware fans held him up as some sort of representative for all that is honorable about the game of football, while labeling Matthews and the Dukes a bunch of thugs. And these were the very same fans who thought Keeler was nothing but excuses heading into last season.
Random Fact About Delaware Football
When Delaware sells out home games, the stadium population becomes the fourth largest city in the state. I’m not sure if that tells us more about the popularity of Delaware football or the fact that nobody wants to live in cities in Delaware.
JMUSB Prediction
Delaware has a lot of big shoes to fill from last year’s National Runner-Up team, but their schedule is favorable. After opening at Navy, the Blue Hens have 2 absolute gimmes at home and host ODU for the Monarch’s first ever CAA conference game, before heading up to Maine for their first CAA road game. They also get William & Mary and Richmond at home. I think the rushing attack alone will carry them to a few victories and the defense will improve throughout the season. As much as I hate to admit it, I expect them to be in the mix for the CAA title.
JMU has invested a lot of money in athletic facilities over the past few years. The softball complex, new baseball stadium, and other upgrades have been great. Of course the crown jewel is the expansion of Bridgeforth Stadium. We’re still 71 days away from filing into the stadium to kick off the football season, but it’s already looking very impressive from above.
Like everyone else who went to JMU in the 90’s, I am completely blown away by this new stadium project. I went to football games when I was a student, but it was more like something you just did on your way back from D-hall, than something you planned your day around. And if you didn’t feel like actually going into the stadium, you could just peak through the chain link fence in the south end zone. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what it was like. Luckily I found this picture though.
This picture looks like something from the stone ages. When I first saw it, I assumed that if we zoomed it we’d see students with Sony Walkmen and parachute pants. Upon closer inspection, it appears it was taken during the construction of the parking deck. Which means it’s actually from after I graduated. And I’m not that old. I wonder if it looked even worse when I was on campus.
The headline says it all. Ok, I’ll give you a second to reread, and another to let it sink in. The Charleston (WV) Daily Mail first reported this morning that the West Virginia Mountaineers have scheduled a “home” game at Fed Ex Field, home to the Washington Redskins, against our very own Dukes during the third week of the 2012 season. To say that I flipped out when I first got a tweet (@jmusportsblog by the way) referencing this on my way in to work this morning would be vastly understating the situation. Near hyperventilation while I waited for my stupid phone to fully load the webpage to confirm it was more than a rumor would be more accurate. Almost immediately I tried to contextualize this with other offseason lightning bolts that came so out of the blue. Gibbs 2.0 announcement (knew already the Skins couldn’t win regardless due to Snyder). MJ returning to the court for the Wiz (knew already the Wiz couldn’t work due to creaky knees and terrifying roster). Basically nothing I can recall from an offseason perspective had prepared me for something so world-view changing. Those other events seemed great but had glaringly obvious downsides and pitfalls. This is the very definition of a win-win. Exposure, money, and opportunity will all be second to none. (although we do need to show up in droves)
What it Means
First, it means serious credibility with recruits and casual alumni and fans. Quick poll in the office and most everyone who normally thinks I’m whackadoodle for my JMU obsessions perked up when you say the Dukes are playing at FedEx. It also means you Skins ticket holders can finally leverage that waste of money into something better than a half-full country show. Next, it means some folks, in this case WVU, has taken notice of the program JMU’s been steadily building. Not just the Tech win or the Nat’l Championship, but the solid fanbase that’s been developing and potential for a solid turnout. Even though WVU’s getting a fat $2M guarantee for taking this home game to the DC area, don’t underestimate the confidence they must’ve had that the Dukes will seriously assist them in selling tix in the huge monstrosity that is the concrete disaster in PG County. Third, it means the folks in the Athletics department down in the ‘Burg have been gettin’ it done!
Lastly, this is an enormous opportunity to essentially have a tryout for FBS conferences, in particular the Big East. After all, West Virginia (and Pitt) is the one who just shot down Villanova’s chance to move up in football due to their weakassed fanbase, lack of facilities, and lack of hunger for the trappings of big-time football (stadium, tailgating, etc.). Needless to say, JMU is fast becoming the antithesis of that profile and should be primed to show off their wares after a year in New Bridgeforth.
Our Take on the Particulars
JMU’s taking down 350k no matter what, but folks are discussing the “incentives” that could take the deal to 500k ($10 per ticket for every seat over 42,500 up to 57,000). Ain’t happening. I’m all for trying and am absolutely giddy about the opportunity to persuade the unconvinced on the magic of JMU football, but 40,000 tickets would be an UNBELIEVABLY unqualified success for the Dukes given our recent history (maybe 5-10k at Maryland and VT), but even 25-30k would be amazing! Yes, we’ve got tons of alums in the area and this will be a glamour matchup, but that will be nearly half the capacity of the now-reduced FedEx Field (party decks debacle brought to you by the danny). Folks were seriously impressed that Boise turned out maybe 25,000 and took over a solid 1/4 of the joint last year and I’ll bet we’ll turn lots of heads by surpassing that number. (editor’s note: I mistakenly interpreted the incentives to read that JMU alone had to sell 42k plus tix while the word we’re getting today – thanks foati – is that 42-57 includes both JMU and WVU tix meaning this could really happen)
Now imagine a less offensive mascot and thousands of purple and gold streamers!
But the great news is as follows. While this won’t be VT/Boise in terms of a tv deal, it should be televised and we can show out some serious purple. I also think the tailgate atmosphere has a great chance to rival anything I saw at VT/BSU last year. I mean seriously, this is James Madison and West Virginia we’re talking about and I say that with pride! Just the excitement of rolling to a game like this with flags and magnets and full coolers and all the accoutrement is unreal and it will be incredible to have our own Dukes involved and see the purple and gold caravan rolling out to Raljon.
Oh yeah, and there will be beers sold DURING the game. Doubt most fans will need them by gametime, but it’s a rare treat for a college game and can make for a serious bowlgame atmosphere.
What Needs to Happen
1) Start spreading the word to anyone and everyone in JMU Nation. Serious stage and HUGE tailgates should be surprisingly strong selling points. Really, there’s no reason at all the tailgate itself shouldn’t be LEGENDARY in terms of JMU events. Did I mention in-stadium beer sales?
1a) When spreading the word, begin warning people that weddings, especially those where Dukes are parties, are absolutely inappropriate on September 15, 2012. Might also want to consider firing up the contraceptives during late December and early January. (over the line? No way, this is Standard T we’re talking here)
2) Buy your tickets from JMU as soon as they go on sale. I cannot emphasize this enough. Forget about the ticket incentives and just focus on the “trying out for FBS” and showing off JMU Nation angles. We only get credit for tix bought through JMU so don’t pussyfoot around and wait for “better deals” on Craig’s List. Yes, they’ll be out there, but you suck if you don’t help.
3) Get down to Bridgeforth and cheer this year. The team will need all the help it can get in the new stadium THIS season and winning games and making the playoffs will go a long way in building momentum for this unprecedented game.
Well folks it’s all over. Puddleduck is your 2011 JMUSB Battle of the Bands Bracket Champion. They narrowly defeated another JMU band, Everything, in the final by capturing 53% of the votes. Everything and it’s ubiquitous “e colon” logo were fixtures on campus in the 90’s, but apparently commenter Tedward spoke for the majority when he said “Puddleduck defines JMU at this time.”
Puddleduck was the band for my junior and senior years. Like many of you, I spent a lot of time at JM’s back in the day. And when I think of JM’s I first think of dime drafts, then I think of $2 pitchers, then I think of an assortment of bad shots, and then I think of Puddleduck. Considering that I saw dozens of other bands there and pretty much went there just to drink cheap booze and chase women, it’s pretty impressive that any band ranks that high. Actually, on second thought the Jerky Turkey and Jo-Jo Dog both probably top Puddlduck, but they’re still up there.
So Todd and I wanted to thank you for indulging us on this little walk down memory lane. It was fun to plan this whole thing and to blog about each of these bands. It was more fun however, to read some of your comments and emails about the bands in the bracket or the ones we left out. As a sign of our gratitude, we’d like to offer everyone a free copy of the Puddleduck Reunion Show from Alley Katz earlier this year. OK, that was up there already and it has absolutely nothing to do with us We thought we’d point it out though for any Puddleduck fans out there who aren’t familiar with how Google works. And with that, we’re done with this little off-season diversion.
Well, well, well. We couldn’t be prouder of our readers! At long last, we had two huge upsets in the Final Four of the bands bracket and both JMU originals are dancing all the way to the championship.
On the Blue Fox side of the bracket, fan favorite Puddleduck ran roughshod over Agents of Good Roots, while on the JM’s side, Everything pulled off the tourney’s biggest shocker but knocking out the overall #1 and enormous favorite Dave Matthews Band.
So now it’s all come down to this. Cast your votes now as Rob and I are looking forward to wrapping this up and getting back to the sort of frivolous and irresponsible sports reporting you really expect by cranking up the CAA Football previews and of course, enlightening you on the now 75 days or so until the Monster in the ‘Burg opens.
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We’re almost there folks. After starting with 16 bands, we’re down to the last four. And unlike this year’s NCAA tournament, there aren’t any Cinderalla stories. All four bands were also based out of Virginia, with 3 of the 4 having ties directly to our great alma matter.
JMU’s own Puddleduck had the smallest margin of victory of any of our remaining contenders, but still prevailed in a blowout over Emmet Swimming. Thank you for that by the way. They’ll be facing off with Agents of Good Roots in the Blue Fox Regional Final. Agents by the way is quite possibly my favorite band ever to have a lead singer who sounds like he got stabbed in the throat with a ski pole.
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And the two bands squaring off to win the JM’s Region and advance to the finals are the Dave Matthews Band and another of JMU’s finest, Everything. While this might appear like a bit of a David vs Goliath situation, you have to consider that for a time in the mid-90s, Everything was actually a pretty big deal in their own right. And despite the fact that the late LeRoi Moore of DMB went to JMU, Everything has got to be considered the home team in this one.
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Will it be an all JMU match-up of Puddleduck vs Everything? The platinum selling DMB cruising to the title? Cult favorite Agents of Good Roots taking it all? Cast your votes and check back Monday for the final match-up.
The Blue Fox Region was pretty much chalk, with the exception of the #7 seed Emmet Swimming securing an upset win by a slim 4% margin over the Pat McGee Band. That caught me by surprise, but I guess the TT Reynolds crowd has more pull here than I thought. Their reward is a match-up with the red hot #3 seed Puddleduck, fresh off an absolutely dominating win over Slackjaw. It’s worth pointing out that the boys in Puddleduck were all from JMU and the guys in Emmet Swimming were from George Mason. I think you see where I’m going here, but if you don’t then let me spell it out for you. Vote for Puddleduck people.
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The other contenders looking to reach the Blue Fox Regional Final are the #1 seed Agents of Good Roots and #4 seed Virginia Coalition. Agents seem to be generating some buzz and are emerging as a trendy pick to win it all. VACO emerges from a hard fought battle with Magraw Gap and looks to leverage its eclectic style (bonus points for go-go) to make a run.
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Check back later this week before the Final Four and don’t forget to cast your votes for the JM’s Region below.
Former JMU soccer player CJ Sapong seems to have a knack for scoring memorable goals. He scored the fastest goal for a rookie in MLS history in his debut in March. Last weekend, he became the first player ever to score in the brand new Livestrong Sporting Park. The rookie is making an impact for his team Sporting Kansas City. Sapong and team captain Davy Arnaud are the only two players to have played in every match this season.
Well, the bands bracket seems to have created a good deal of interest and even a bit of controversy (apparently someone’s a Boxturtle fan out there). But it’s time to wrap up the first round and move on to the Elite Eight on the JM’s side of the Bracket. Despite hanging in for a while, Nickel Bridge couldn’t hold off the DMB onslaught. Dave and the boys move on to take on Mr. Greengenes. I think we said Mr. Greengenes “was” a fixture on the Dewey scene, but recent reports from the Rusty Rudder and its ilk seem to suggest the present tense remains appropriate.
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In the bottom half of the bracket, JMU’s own Everything lit up Shannon Worrell and looks primed for a strong tourney run while Gibb Droll pulled off one of the bigger upsets in the first round by just nipping Fighting Gravity at the wire. But a solid win for our little niche nostalgia. Should be a tight matchup in the next round of two true JMU acts.
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Vote quick this week as we’ll be sorting the other side of the bracket very soon to get onto the Final Four. And hey, we might even start rolling out some CAA Football previews this weekend and unfortunately reporting on what has been a bit of an offseason of discontent despite the enormous balm of New Bridgeforth.
