At long last, we’re finally here. The real season takes place these next two weeks with trips to Bridgeforth East and Villanova on tap. But while Coach Houston is new, and he’ll say all the right things, there is zero doubt that THIS one is the game the Dukes players have had circled on the calendar since last year’s College Gameday faceplant and Vad Lee’s injury signaled loud and clear the beginning of the end of the short-lived Withers era. It’s Tick Week!
Basics
#5 JMU Dukes (7-1, 5-0 CAA) at #7 RU Spatters (7-1, 4-1 CAA), 3:30 p.m. East Bridgeforth High School Stadium, West End, Richmond, VA.
Coverage: Comcast SportsNet with a solid announcing group including Rob Carlin (check SNY or YES on Directv if you don’t get the CSN’s); also JMUSB South-afffiliated watch parties at Hoolihan’s in Charlotte following the Everton match and the unofficial Triad Dukes are having an official party at Gray’s Tavern in downtown Greensboro.
Weather: Sunny, 65 degrees. That’s perfect but really all weather is good for killing Ticks with fire.
Streamer Outlook: Shady. Ever since RU tried to steal JMU’s streamer idea and started promoting that silly red and blue action, the pubic safety officers at the little Spatter House have tried their best to confiscate purple and gold streamers despite the fact streamers are clearly allowed. It’s an elitist Yankee school so you can forgive ’em a bit, but really, pack extras and hide them well on the way in. Strollers/baby bags are particularly solid spots.
It’s that time of year!
How JMU Can Win
By getting after Lauletta’s ass. It could just be that simple. RU is down to their third-string tailback and while they’ve mostly maintained balance on offense against CAA lightweights (much the way the Dukes have btw), at some point this one is going to be on the obnoxious shoulders of their QB. We’re looking for a DJ Bryant vs. Aaron “The Hoodie” Corps type destruction to lead the Dukes from names like Robinson, Ankrah, and Hereford.
Making kicks when the opportunity is there would also help. A lot!
How RU Can Win
They can’t. Not this time. They just suck so so much and their ridiculously thin-skinned “fanbase,” such as it is, can’t even handle a little bad-natured trash talk.
JMUSB Beer of the Week
The Unknown Brewing Company’s Pregame Session Ale – These guys out of Raleigh do their own thing, or at least market themselves that way, but we certainly appreciate a solid, domestic-ish ABV tailgate/poolside/cookout beer and this one hits the spot. No need to talk fancy, this is just a better-tasting version of whatever cheap swill your still hanging onto from JMU days.
Official JMUSB Prediction
Dukes 45, Spatters 27 – Revenge, plain and simple. Yes, Trott’s knowledge of RU’s scheme may easily be cancelled out by RU’s knowledge of what Trott likes to do, but the Dukes are a whole different physical animal at the line of scrimmage under Houston compared to Withers and we’ve got a feeling the Ticks are going to be surprised in the worst kind of way.
Kevin McElroy is a JMU graduate from the Class of 2003. He is also the co-founder of a fantastic new brewery, Random Row Brewing in Charlottesville. And, because practically nothing pairs better with a good craft beer better than rootin’ for Dukes, Random Row is going to host JMU watch parties. The first one is for the big game against Richmond this Saturday. If you’re ticketless and anywhere near Charlottesville, we recommend you support your fellow Duke and Virginia’s craft beer scene by attending the watch party. Kevin will be offering a brewery tour at 3:00, followed by plenty of good brews and rootin’ at 3:30 as you watch the game on 65″ televisions. As fierce supporters of craft beer, particularly craft beer with JMU connections, we’d love to see a huge turnout for this event.
Y’all already know about what makes the Dukes so great, so let’s focus a little bit on Random Row. Kevin got his start as a homebrewer a few years back. After a podium finish in the 2013 Dominion Cup, he, not to mention friends and fans of his beer, started to wonder if he could turn his hobby into a career. In 2015 he decided to go for it and raised enough money to kickstart things through a fundraiser featuring 4 of his brews. He was off and running. Now Kevin, his co-founder, and fellow investors are the proud owner of a craft brewery on Preston Avenue.
For Saturday’s watch party, there will be 11 beers on tap, including Random Row’s top seller Method IPA. It’s a classic West Coast style brewed with falconers flight 7Cs hops. With a commitment to local businesses and a focus on producing excellent beers, Random Row is a great addition to the Commonwealth’s craft beer scene.
Definitely swing by for a beer if you’re in the area and be sure to check out the watch party on Saturday. There will be plenty of parking and the brewery is kid friendly. Todd and I are working on a plan to make the trip to Charlottesville to spend some time with Kevin tasting his beers. We can’t wait to get down there and are thrilled to have an another awesome watch party location for rootin!
Follow @RandomRowBeer to stay up to date on all new beers and events
Photo courtesy of our guest blogger (@JMUTrippster on Instagram)
Tripp won last week’s prediction contest and earned the right to guest post. Here’s his thoughts on the finest marching band in Virginia, and all other 49 states.
First, let me start by giving my thanks to Rob and Todd for running this awesome blog; keep up the great work guys!
It was no surprise JMU beat URI last weekend, but who would have thought that our boys in purple & gold would dish out such an utter butt-whooping? Despite the Dukes’ staggering win by 77 points, even the biggest JMU fan likely found the last quarter of the game tiresome to watch… but I can tell you there was one group of fans that enjoyed every last minute. This group is part of the reason I am such a HUGE JMU fan, and I’m sure you guessed who: “Virginia’s Finest” THE MARCHING ROYAL DUKES!
The MRDs are an integral part of the football program and campus in general. What other student organization at JMU (or on any other campus for that matter) has marched across the U.S. and Europe playing in the streets of London, Ireland, Monaco, and performing for the Pope in Rome? Or represented our alma mater in the biggest parade in the country – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Sure, the finished show is always outstanding, but few Dukes fans realize the hard work and commitment that go in to making the show look and sound so great.
Recently the Daily Duke published an article titled “An Inside Look at the MRDs”. I highly recommend taking a minute to read it to appreciate the day-to-day of a Marching Royal Duke. Band members devote hours to practice every day regardless of weather conditions ( the mantra goes: “What happens when it rains?” “We get wet!”), hop on a bus at 5am the weekend of an away game for various off-campus performances, and are up in the wee hours of a Saturday morning for game day practice while many others are sleeping in and nursing hangovers from the night before. But you know what? These musicians, from practically every major on campus, thrive on rootin’ for the Dukes. Director Scott Rikkers and his assistants have created an excellent program that fosters leadership, encourages students to better themselves on and off the field, and of course, bleeds purple with the best of them. Scott and his staff focus not just on making better musicians, but on making better individuals by supporting each other as well as the community. (Shameless plug: this fall, the MRDs are “Drumming Up Support” for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in the fight against childhood cancer. If you are so able, please consider supporting the MRDs in their endeavor here.)
I was blessed to be a member of this incredible organization during my four years at JMU (not to mention meeting my wife, who was a fellow MRD) and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for the world – no, not even those 5am bus rides. I was fortunate to march in Ireland for New Years and down the streets of New York in the Macy’s Parade. As a member of the band, I witnessed JMU’s crushing defeat at App. State, their hard-won redemption the following year, and Scotty’s punt return against the hated Spiders in Richmond that was nothing short of magical. The MRDs are there through it all, so it’s no surprise they’re some of the biggest, and loudest, fans in the stadium. I don’t think I’m alone when I say the games wouldn’t be the same without them. (That being said, they’ll be missed in Bridgeforth East this weekend, but I have no doubt our fans will make up for it – SQUASH THE SPIDERS!)
THANK YOU to the MRDs for all you do for the JMU Community – keep bleeding (and wearing) purple, and playing loud and proud in support of our Dukes! I want to encourage everyone reading this to get in the stands BEFORE kickoff to see the amazing pre-game show, and stay after the game for the post-game show to support this hardworking band!
P.S. – If you’re hungry to read more about the MRDs, here’s another article.
P.P.S – Join me in giving to JMU!! Less than 7% of Alumni give back – every little bit helps! jmu.edu/give
What do you do after a big win? Sing the fight song with your teammates! #GoDukes #JMUHomecoming pic.twitter.com/TH4GFSVOX2
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) October 30, 2016
We’re not messing around any more. This is the first of two huge games in a row for JMU. Coach Houston and the boys make the trip to Bridgeforth East to play RU on Saturday. It’s a clash of two top 10 teams and the winner will have the inside track to the CAA title and an FCS playoff seed. It’s a huge game in every sense of the word. Also, we hate RU. But we want to know what you think. Leave a comment letting us know who you think will win Saturday. The person who comes closest to nailing it (winner & score) will get to write a guest post. That’s it.
Go Dukes!
Beat RU!
Keep Rootin!
The Good
Dan freakin’ Schiele – This kid is every single thing college athletics are all about and we should all be delighted for the young man who scored a record-breaking three touchdowns from the tight end position this weekend. One of the last Mickey recruits, who came to the ‘Burg as a QB, Schiele has worked his tail off, bulked up and found his way onto the field this year at long last as a holder and reserve tight end. Earlier this year, he appeared to have scored a TD that absolutely delighted the entire team who respected his perseverance only to have it called back by an unfortunate penalty. Needless to say, he more than made up for that disappointment yesterday.
The Wide Receiver corps – This group is so, so deep it’s kind of unfair to the rest of FCS. Ravenel, Taylor, Davis, Miller, Hyman, etc. All made great plays and it’s so fun to see what Coach Houston’s staff is doing to spread it around and prep for down the road.
Everything else – What can you really say about 84-7? If you were watching closely, you know JMU was trying everything in their power NOT to run up the score, but the disadvantage that the inept combination of Rhode Island’s administration and the CAA have put the Rams at makes this whole endeavor pathetic.
Women’s Soccer and Field Hockey – Soccer is on to the CAA semis after a win over College of Charleston and Field Hockey came up with a regular season-capping win to lock down their spot in the postseason. Keep it up ladies!
Our boy JTP! – Our true OG fan had quite the weekend and we couldn’t be happier for the man.
RhodeI uniform detail – those anchors on the shoulders are fantastic.
It’s that time of year!
It’s Tick Week! – No better week of the year. Time to fire up the hate and see what this season really holds the next two weeks. 3:30 p.m. Saturday on Comcast SportsNet from Bridgeforth East. Also hoping there might be a SpiderFather appearance on the RU message boards this week.
The Bad
The spice level on our boil – We did a low-country boil and it was so much fun, but our D-Lot neighbors and new friends Andy and Bob put us to shame. We learned our lessons well though and will have the spice cranked up where it belongs next time. Also, please send us an email/comment with some contact info so we can properly organize this oyster roast in the event of a home playoff game!
The Ugly
That ridiculous penalty on Lobster – The whole thing’s such a beautiful gimmick that we saw at least two Halloween-costume imitation lobsters in the stands, but you can’t let the crafty crustacean win and then pull the bait n’ switch with some phantom call.
The sun is shining, the tailgate lots are filling up, and kickoff is just a few hours away. The Dukes face off against a mighty and powerful opponent football team from Rhode Island. JMU is coming off a bye and looking to gain momentum heading into the stretch run. The Rams are hoping to shock the world and pull off the biggest upset in not only the CAA, but all of FCS this year. We’ll both be setting up shop in D-Lot, so swing by and say hello if you’re in the ‘burg. Tune in via Madizone if you can’t make it to campus. And consider this your official open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter.
Go Dukes!
Keep Rootin!
After a much welcomed bye week, JMU football is back in action this weekend. The fine gentlemen known as the University of Rhode Island Rams come to town for a Homecoming clash with our boys in purple. The Dukes will be looking to get out to a perfect 5-0 in CAA play before facing its two toughest road games of the season. Rhode Island on the other hand, will be hoping to shock the world and make its first CAA win of the season a big one. Let’s jump right in.
The Basics
Match-up: #8 JMU Dukes (6-1, 4-0 CAA) vs. Rhode Island Rams (1-7, 0-5 CAA)
Kick-off: 3:30 PM on Saturday, October 29 in Bridgeforth Stadium
Weather: Sunny with a high of 79
Broadcast: Streaming via Madizone
A Brief Look Into Rhode Island Football History
Rhode Island has been playing football for longer than JMU has existed. And I’m counting that full State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg history dating back to 1908. Yes, Rhode Island played its first football game all the way back on October 24, 1895. Rhode Island won the game, defeating Pawtucket High School 6-0, and cruelly setting fans up to think that the program had a bright future. It did not.
In the 121 years since that first game, URI has struggled to establish itself as a winning football program. Things peaked under head coach Bob Griffin, who put together back to back 10 win seasons in 1984 and 1985. Rhode Island has only 3 winning seasons since.
The Dukes are ready to break out of the bye week and so are we. As you can tell from the lack of posts lately, we took full advantage of the break to rest up and get ready for the stretch run. Or something like that. Anyway, JMU welcomes the Rhode Island Rams to Bridgeforth on Saturday for a Homecoming clash. It’s a match-up of two teams going in complete opposite directions. JMU is 6-1 and looking to build momentum before a couple tough games against fellow CAA contenders. URI is 1-6 and looking to break the seal for its first CAA win of the year. The Rams are currently 31 point underdogs (FEPO). A win would be an upset along the lines of SMU over Houston. Even a moral victory seems unlikely.
But enough about that. We want to know your prediction for the game. Leave a comment 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. Easy as pie. So give us your prediction below and then get back to planning your Homecoming tailgate.
Go Dukes!
Keep Rootin!
Drake won last week’s prediction contest and earned the right to guest post. Here are some of thought on the state of the problem under Coach Houston.
For the first time this season, and the 3rd time in the past 2 season, I won the prediction contest. I tied with a fellow reader a few weeks ago, but he/she picked the JMU score correct, so he/she technically won. This past week, I was the first comment and was only 1 point off with a 42-38 score. Leading off with all of this is just to say, I’m kind of a big deal. Wait, who am I kidding. I just basically go with a decent looking score. There’s no talent involved. Of course, I love bragging to my wife about this, but it just adds to her time spent making the “I don’t give a shit” look. And for some reason, these wonderful people who take their precious time, let us write incoherent ramblings. For this, I’d like to say thanks. Like many of you, I look forward to each post and count on it to get hyped for gameday. They give us a place to celebrate, bitch, and come together with fellow JMU fans (and the occasional troll). So while we may not all agree on where JMU is headed this season or in the future, we can all agree that this is one fantastic blog/community. Now, on to the in depth analysis.
We’re smack in the middle of the Dukes’ bye week, so we thought it would be a good time to take the pulse of the fanbase. JMU currently sits atop the CAA Football standings with a perfect 4-0 record in league play. The Dukes are 6-1 overall, with a loss on the road to the ACC’s North Carolina Tarheels. The offense, behind QB Bryan Schor, has been very impressive. It’s a balanced attack thanks to some outstanding offensive line play. The run game features the downright dangerous duo of Khalid Abdullah and Cardon Johnson. And Schor has a number of talented receivers catching the ball including Brandon Ravenel and Terrance Alls. The unit is averaging over 500 yards and 44.2 points per game, both league bests.
[polldaddy poll=9556732]And then we have the defense. Its per play averages are nearly the same as last year’s disappointing unit. At times, the defense has looked vastly improved. Other times, it looks like a repeat of 2015. One positive sign is that this year’s D can get off the field. Under Everett Withers the JMU defense let opponents convert 45.7% of 3rd downs. That was the worst in the league. This year, JMU is only letting opponents convert 37.5% of 3rd downs. As a unit, the D has managed to put the clamps on the opponent for stretches, but not a full 60 minutes most weeks. It really seems to have developed the absolutely ugly habit of going to sleep once the offense gets out to a lead. Whether or not its simply a case of losing focus, or a sign of major problems is still to be determined.
In short, the offense has been better than most fans expected. The defense has show flashes, but its disappearing act has many concerned. 6-1 and 4-0 in CAA play with two very tough games at Richmond and at Nova remaining. Barring some sort of catastrophe against Rhode Island or Elon and it’s safe to say the Dukes are playoff bound. In fact, if they win out, they’ll be in the running for a top 4 seed.
We think things are looking up. But we’re curious how you feel. Vote in our poll to let us know how confident you are in the Dukes’ chances going forward. It’s a scale from 1 – utter disaster to 10 – championship.
