The Brian Schor Show takes flight this afternoon in Williamsburg. The JMU Dukes take on the William & Mary Tribe. JMU is looking to bounce back after a tough loss against the Ticks. It’s a big, big game. Can the Dukes offense keep clicking without Vad Lee? Can the defense improve (drastically)? We’ll see. Consider this your official open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter. Go Dukes! Keep rootin!
Don’t worry, a little light reading won’t turn you into one of these guys.
Ah, one of our favorite games of the year as the Dukes travel to the wee lil’ ‘burg to take on the Griffins, er, featherless Tribe. Thankfully, in recent years JMU has owned a substantial advantage in this series and we don’t expect anything different this year no matter who’s in at QB1.
The Basics
#9 James Madison Dukes (7-1, 4-1 CAA) at #16 William & Mary Tribe (5-2, 3-1 in CAA), 4:00 p.m. at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Virginia (always makes me laugh to think of lights at Zable and remembering the ’04 temporaries courtesy of ESPN). So if you thought Towson (State), Elon (Fightin’ Christians) and Fuckmond fans were way too touchy and generally douchey, wait till you see Tribe fans…they’re the exact opposite and we’re always happy to interact with the few that leave the library (which, by the way, is not pejorative in any way to a W&M kid). Except for my kid brother, he drinks wine coolers.
Coverage: NBC Sports Network! Thankfully, this one’s on national t.v. so even you folks that are forced to stay near the house for the Super Bowl of Parenting – trick or treating – should be mostly able to tune in and root fer Dukes.
Weather: Warm and wet. Hi, near 70, overcast with rain showers at times. (written Wednesday night so subject to change)
Line: Tribe by 5.5, up from 4.5 at open.
William & Mary Strengths
Strength actually. The Featherless Griffins have been stout on the ground, feature two strong backs much like JMU in stud Mikal Abdul-Saboor and developing beast Kendell Anderson. Cluley has been managing games well around the RB’s, but our guess is Madison will do everything it can to take the game away from the RB’s and put it in his hands. As usual, the Tribe is strong up front on Defense, though All-American LB Luke Rhodes is out injured. Senior Zach Fetters has been filling in admirably, though he’ll really be tested against the Dukes tomorrow.
What We’re Looking for from the Dukes
Big plays on Defense and Special Teams – We seriously cannot stress enough how excited we are for NT Simeyon Robinson to rejoin JMU’s D-Line rotation. If there’s one thing we’ve learned the last two years, it’s that while JMU’s back end on D may not always know what they’re doing, they are absolutely athletic and talented enough to make big plays when the other team makes mistakes. But without consistently stopping the run and forcing other teams into bad down and distance situations, not to mention not being able to pressure opposing QB’s when they do, the Dukes just haven’t had the opportunities to take advantage of many mistakes. Anything at all, but especially getting back the biggest DLineman we have, should help in this regard. It will also be interesting to see who JMU turns to in the absence of Charles Tutt and John Miller in the return game this week. It may be Cardon to be safe, but it also seems likely one of the other burners will get a shot and we’re looking forward to seeing a different look.
We don’t even need to mention the offense, because we’re pretty sure you won’t notice much difference from the group that just put up 49 on the new conference leaders.
Tailgating Notes
“The College” is generally pro-tailgating and it’s Halloween. If you can make it, we highly recommend this one. The ’04 semi is still one of the all-time great tailgates from an energy standpoint.
Beer of The Week
Before last week, it was brought to our attention that our picks had been hop-heavy (or maybe exclusively IPA’s). So we switched it up and went with Port City Derecho Common. Sorry, but we ain’t making that mistake again. This week’s selection is Lonerider Brewing’s Hoppy Ki Yay IPA. It’s a super-tasty, easy-drinking 6.6% and we feel like the legendary John MacLean’s quote, used on the can, is the best way to describe what Bryan Schor is going to be like for the rest of the CAA and FCS fields who at the moment are thinking they’re getting some downgraded version of the Dukes. “Just a fly in the ointment, the monkey in the wrench, the pain in the ass…” Also, remember you get an extra hour of sleep with the time change after the game. I just crossed life’s ultimate threshold when I began to think of that as an extra hour of sleep instead of an extra hour of partying. Now get off my lawn.
Prediction
Dukes 41, Tribe 34 – The offense barely misses a beat and while the defense doesn’t look completely fixed, they produce a few big plays this week to make the difference. And welcome back Simeyon Robinson!
Our friends over at the William & Mary Sports Blog are cranking out great CAA football and CAA hoops coverage. We were able to do answer some questions for them earlier this week and they were kind enough to return the favor. Here is there view of the Tribe team and this weekend’s game.
William & Mary fans seem to regard Coach Laycock as being a bit of QB guru, but the Tribe has lacked consistency from its QBs the past few years. What has finally clicked with Cluley under center this year and what type of QB is he?
First off, Jimmye (please excuse the silent e) Laycock has become known as a quarterback guru for a couple reasons. One, he himself was a quarterback at William & Mary, his alma mater. But moreover, he was coached by two all-time greats while at W&M: head coaches Marv Levy and Lou Holtz. As most of you are aware, Levy would go on to lead the Buffalo Bills to 4 straight Super Bowls, and Lou Holtz would lead Notre Dame as head coach for 10 years before stepping down in ’96. So it’s no surprise to us that Coach Laycock has blossomed under the tutelage of these great coaches, becoming a great quarterbacks coach and offensive mind in the process. However, W&M quarterbacks have had a rough go of it through the past four years. Poor decision making, major injuries, and the lack of a consistent presence out from center has contributed to the Tribe’s current playoff drought. However, there’s hope on the horizon. Enter Steve Cluley.
Steve Cluley took over the reigns last year after a strong offseason that propelled him through the ranks. He was not handed the job by any means, and faced competition from those both younger and older quarterbacks on the roster. Starting for the first time, as only a redshirt sophomore, all we had to look at was his high school stats and game tape. The tape taught us that Cluley had a strong arm and the ability to run. However, last year, we also knew W&M did not need a do-it-all QB, à la Vad Lee. The Tribe had a very strong running game, as well as Tre McBride on the outside. At the time, the team simply needed a QB who could make solid decisions, manage the game, and protect the ball. And that’s exactly what Cluley did. He finished the 2014 campaign completing 57% of his passes for 2048 yards, 11 TD, and just 4 INT in his first full season as starter. He also added 253 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.
However, he’s even better this year; last season proved to be an incredible learning experience. Whereas last year his knowledge of the offense was good, this year, his grasp on the playbook is excellent. With Cluley at the helm, this year’s offense ranks 3rd in the CAA in total offense, behind only Richmond and JMU. What a difference a season can make. As a result, Cluley has been given a much larger role in this year’s offense. In year’s past, W&M has always run a pro-style, run heavy offense. While the team still runs the ball early and often, the offense has moved to a spread attack, with more balance between the run and the pass–this change is directly attributable to Cluley’s maturation at the quarterback position. He can hit you with a short pass, run if the play breaks down, and connect on a perfectly executed deep pass when the defense is sleeping. And boy, is it pretty. He throws a great deep ball that the coaches have consistently raved about since the beginning. Through the first 7 games of the season, Cluley has completed 61% of his passes for 1504 yards, 10 TD, and just 1 interception. Yes, just one interception. read more…
The loss to Richmond is in the past and it’s time to move forward. Bryan Schor and the Dukes travel to Williamsburg to play the William & Mary Tribe this Saturday. Nobody won last week’s prediction contest (everyone picked the good guys), but we’re running it back again this week. 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. That’s it. Keep rootin’.
This week has been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and everything in between. Today was even CAA Hoops Media Day which would normally be big news for both the men’s and women’s teams, not mention for us, but before last weekend fades from our memories, we wanted to make sure we got up a “feel for the day” post for our own archives if nothing else. We’ll obviously have more on hoops and the unprecedented level of class being shown by Vad Lee this week later, not to mention discussing why our optimism has completely returned for this team in the last twelve hours, but first let’s celebrate Gameday and JMU one last time. This is mostly just pulled from our conversations/breakdowns with friends via text and email after last week, but we’re still pretty fried emotionally and you know, have to do old guy stuff like focus on work (and of course Rob had to endure that Mets loss last night).
First, check out this Campus Rush piece which pretty well captures the incredible atmosphere Saturday.
Quick shot of Reece doing the crowd-walk with Whitfield (and friend of JMUSB baby’s I Drool JMU in the background!
From Rob:
- Gameday was just a fun experience. The noise started building a few blocks from campus and when you finally reached the quad, you were sort of overwhelmed by a wave of crowd noise.
- Having the band perform on the steps of Wilson was a nice touch and added to the excitement.
- It was a pretty wholesome affair. Some of the signs were a little off color, but there was a notable lack of drunkeness for a college event. There were definitely a few over-served folks, but generally speaking, people were just happy to be there and shockingly sober (us included).
- It’s hard to really hear the broadcast or follow the show, but there was so much energy in the crowd that it was fun regardless.
- The tailgate scene was pretty amped up. There seemed to be lots of new faces and alums returning who hadn’t been back in years. To a person, everyone I talked to was blown away by the scene.
- Best crowd I’ve been a part of in new Bridgeforth. And it wasn’t remarkably close. The stadium was packed the entire game and nobody was sitting on their hands. Folks stayed until the end and cheered the whole time.
I’ll cut if off there. Overall though, just a super fun day. The defense sucked though.
From Todd:
Pretty much what Rob said but I’ll add the following early morning update:
Walking past Bridgeforth to go up the steps to the quad, four freshmen girls in tutus came pouring out the back of Eagle with a huge banner and ran over to ask us to take their picture with on the Duke Dog statute.
Well done Ladies! Told you we’d make you famous (or known to our 12 readers at least)
Again, this is all before dawn. Kids were still passed out on the Quad when I got up there at 7:15. Bad photo attached. After that, everything Rob said. So fun because every time I turned around I ran into someone I knew from our day so much that at times you could’ve sworn it was Homecoming ’97, not 2015.
What year is it?!
Obviously we’re biased, but it sure seemed as if all the love from everyone at ESPN was completely legit. They really seemed blown away by the setting (mountains, leaves, Quad, old-school campus, stadium) and the indescribable pride/enthusiasm of everyone in purple. Check out this great piece fromAnd finally:
Best JMU photo ever?
Well said
At his press conference, Withers said Vad Lee is having MRI done on left foot. He’s out indefinitely.
— Matt Jones (@MattJones36) October 26, 2015
Update: Coach Withers announced today that Vad had season ending surgery on his foot. His JMU career is done. Tough way to go out for an all-time JMU great.
Vad Lee, JMU’s star QB, is out. He’s not playing in this weekend’s game at William & Mary. He hurt his foot and is having an MRI done. That’s pretty much all we know. Because that’s all JMU is telling anyone. Which is really fine when you think about it. We know he won’t be in uniform Saturday. It’s fair to leave the details of his medical condition between him, his doctors, his team, and his family.
Obviously, this is a huge blow for the Dukes. More than anything else though, it’s just sad. Lee was in the midst of a truly historic season. He was one of the frontrunners for the Payton Award. And now he’s out for at least this week and maybe longer. There’s just no denying that this is a loss the Dukes will feel. However, it’s not reason enough to count JMU out.
Bryan Schor is the next man up. As the backup QB, he’ll now be thrust into the starting role with Lee out. Obviously, we should expect some degree of a drop off from Vad. That’s not exactly an insult when you remember that Vad was in the midst of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, seasons ever for a JMU QB.
Schor doesn’t need to rewrite the record books for the Dukes to be successful. He just needs to limit mistakes and utilize his many weapons in the JMU system. We think he’s more than capable of doing that. He’s got a strong arm, a quick release, and he’s more athletic than folks give him credit for. He might not put up “Vad vs. SMU” sort of numbers, but if he spreads the ball around and executes the game plane, the Dukes offense will be fine.
As upset as we are about Lee going down, his injury alone isn’t the end of the world. If you saw the game on Saturday, you surely know that the defense was bad. And by bad, we mean historically bad. And by historically bad, we mean it was without a doubt one of the 5 worst defensive performances in the history of JMU football. The defense needs to turn around completely. The offense on the other hand, just needs to operate at 75% of what it had been under Lee and it will still score enough points to win. Provided the defense isn’t historically awful again of course.
Again, Schor probably isn’t Vad Lee. But he’s our guy now and we’re rootin for him. The best thing to do is probably to hope for a speedy recovery for Vad and agree to never subject Schor to being compared to him. Because he’s never going to measure up in some folks’ minds, and he’s got his own set of unique skills to bring to the table. And in this offense, he’ll have a chance to succeed.
Always and forever proud to be a Duke!
So today is a true reminder that Rob and I aren’t pros, we’re just Dukes fans. And like Dukes everywhere, those we saw in the ‘Burg and those rooting everywhere, we bled way more than our normal share of purple this weekend and we are absolutely exhausted, cooked, and d-u-n done. In related news, we’re old. For that reason, we apologize in advance that this post won’t be quite as epic as this weekend’s event warrant. But there’s no getting around that yesterday was one of the best, most thrilling experiences we’ve ever had and also one of the most heartbreaking. But I’m pretty sure years from now most of us will remember Gameday and what it meant to show off the place we all love so much to the entire country more than one loss. But this one stings.
The Good
James Madison University and Dukes everywhere – Gameday and the game itself are really two different things. And while the dreadful outcomes of the latter may define the rest of this season in potentially painful ways, the former is something that means so much to all Dukes (football fans or not) and will probably have lasting positive impacts we can’t even imagine for years to come. Anyone who watched the coverage from the Quad, from Thursday’s bus arrival through Friday’s College Football Live (which was incredible – way to go students) and right through the Saturday morning sh*tshow (in a great way) had to feel proud that we as a group truly showed the love and spirit that make JMU mean so much to so many. While our hardcore readers may be pissed we’re not more down about the game, and while we have to concede that were it not for Gameday, this post would justifiably be a “sky is falling” one, the fact of the matter is Gameday happened and it will resonate louder and longer than any game, player or season ever could. HUGE thank you to everyone that made it happen including but not limited to Lee Fitting and the entire Gameday crew, Jeff Bourne, Kevin Warner, Everett Withers and the Alpha Dogs, and everyone at JMU and JMU Athletics that had the good sense to turn this week over creatively and operationally to folks like Taylor Dewey who truly got what the event was, what it could be at JMU, what it means long-term, and were plugged into the fanbase enough to add the special touches that made it truly memorable. And most of all, thanks to JMU Nation. You were all kinds of turnt up for this and all of your individual contributions added up to something that collectively was as special as anything us two old guys can ever remember for JMU.
Bryan Schor – Get to know this name Dukes fans. The backup QB that we all assumed could never replaced our beloved Vad Lee sure did a hell of a job making sure the offense didn’t miss a beat in leading the last two touchdown drives (well really a drive and a half, but that TD run on the first one was impressive). So quit worrying about more transfers for next year and get on board the SchorStar right now. Nothing is over by any stretch this year and with Nova and UD’s continued suckitude and a bye still to come for Schor to get even more work in, the schedule is still pillowy soft enough that solid positioning for the playoffs is still very much in play.
The crowd! – Bridgeforth was the most electric we’ve ever seen it in the New BFS era. Only the App. St. ’08 game can possibly come close and obviously that couldn’t match a crowd of over 26,000 we had yesterday. Packed from start to finish (great work students on believing, and staying, to the end) and jacked up throughout, it was a fantastic experience despite the fact the Dukes literally never stopped the Ticks from scoring.
The Bad
Injuries – After making it through the season’s first half with almost no injuries to note, the Dukes incurred a season’s worth in one game. And were it not for an historically awful defensive performance, these would clearly be in the Ugly section. Thrilling young KR/DB Charles Tutt broke his leg. WR/KR John Miller sustained what appeared to be a serious neck/back injury that required him to be sent to UVA hospital, though we’re overjoyed to hear he was moving all his limbs later that night. And of course, Vad Lee, who in just two years had become one of the best loved Dukes ever and someone we were all so happy to have representing JMU. Nothing has been confirmed as of this writing (Sunday 10 p.m.), but word is his college career is likely over after suffering a serious foot/ankle injury in the second half (though he appeared to be limping even before the play where he really went down. We’ll be thinking of all three of these young men as they look to recover from this horrific night.
The Ugly
The Dukes made literally two defensive stops all night which led to the their two very short-lived leads in the opening half. That’s not good. Not good at all. The stats are staggering. 59 points, over 700 yards of offense, and an individual runner and receiver each over 200 yards. Quit blaming any individual players or coaches for this one, because that is a collective failure that MUST be corrected for the Dukes to have any chance of preventing the most promising season ever of turning into a death spiral of pinball game stats. This game was a reminder of how big “big plays” themselves are and it’s clear that last year’s 55-20 was more a reflection of a few game-changing plays than JMU’s actual ability to stop UR.And there’s certainly no rest for the weary as the Dukes travel to face William & Mary’s two-headed rushing attack next week.
Just to end on a couple positive note though, despite another bad matchup on paper, we’ve got a feeling the Dukes D will be so embarrassed that they’ll rally big-time next week and we’re thinking the offense joins ranks around Schor in a hurry. Given how emotionally exhausted we were by the second half of this one, we can only wonder if quite a few Dukes’ players were completely overwhelmed after all the hype and craziness of last week. And if they can find a way next week, the bye week will be very well-timed afterwards.
Finally, those of us that have been around a bit remember that the ’04 team, with momentum building for a big season, suffered a crushing loss at home to William & Mary around this point in the season only to get another shot at them all the way down the road in the semi-finals. We can only dream that happens this year even if it requires a late December trip to the high school stadium known as Bridgeforth East.
Always proud to be a Duke!
Get up and Start Wearing Purple Dukes fans. It’s the Gameday with College Gameday. The time is 5:43 AM and I’m on may way out the door to drive to the ‘burg to meet Todd. Hopefully we’ll meet a lot of you there. For those of you sticking around to watch the event on tv, please feel free to share thoughts, pics of signs, etc in the comments. Consider this your official Gameday Gameday open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter. Keep rootin’!
Big game on Saturday. Pretty, pretty big. It’s the Dukes vs. the Ticks. It’s Homecoming. And College Gameday will be broadcasting from the Quad. It’s probably the most anticipated JMU home game since the 2008 clash against App State. It might be the most anticipated JMU home game ever. So let’s dive in.
The Basics
Match-up: #4 JMU Dukes (7-0, 4-0 CAA) vs. #11 RU Spiders (5-1, 3-0 CAA)
Kick-off: 3:30 PM on Saturday, October 24 in Bridgeforth Stadium
Weather: A perfect 65 degrees with no rain
Broadcast: Comcast Sportsnet or streaming via Madizone
How We Got Here
The Dukes picked up their seventh straight win with a dominating 51-0 shellacking of Elon on the road. It was JMU’s first shutout since way back in 2008. Cardon Johnson starred in the win, rushing for 165 yards and 2 TDs. As a team, JMU ran for over 400 yards on the ground and managed 604 yards of total offense. It was an easy win and a fine example of what the entire team is capable of. We’ve been spoiled week in and week out by Vad Lee and the offense. Last week we had a chance to see the defense exert its will on an opponent.
The Ticks also picked up a CAA road win, defeating Rhode Island 37-12. While the margin wasn’t as large as the Dukes, it was still a pretty dominating performance. QB Kyle Lauletta threw for 312 yards, a career best. They accumulated 462 yards of offense, which is a pretty impressive number. Provided you’re not comparing it to your standard JMU offensive outburst.
The win was Richmond’s fifth in a row after a season opening loss to Maryland. During the winning streak, the Ticks have been riding a balanced offense, demonstrating tremendous efficiency in the red zone, and capitalizing on turnovers. They’ve managed to score 34.2 points per game, including topping 40 in wins over VMI and Maine.
Here’s an Exhaustive List Every Single Thing We Like About Richmond
1.)
Ticks to Keep Your Eye On
Kyle Lauletta has been one of the more solid QBs in the CAA thus far this season. He’s completed 66% of his passes and tossed 10 TDs and only 2 interceptions. The Ticks also feature a running back by committee approach, with both Seth Fisher and Jacobi Green rushing for over 5 yards a carry. Like the Dukes, the Ticks have a number of weapons in the passing game. Brian Brown is a big play threat averaging over 18 yards a catch.
On defense, the Richmond defensive backs are known to make plays on the ball. The unit has picked up 10 interceptions already. Omar Howard anchors the linebackers and is the Ticks leading tackler. Winston Craig is a solid defensive lineman, who has a team high 3.5 tackles for loss.
Long Island of the South
The school might be located in Richmond, but it’s essentially just an extension of Long Island or New Jersey. And before anyone jumps down my throat, let me state that I legitimately like both Long Island and New Jersey. They’re both generally nice places filled with great folks. But there is no denying that both places have some truly terrible spots. For instance all the neighborhoods where the Richmond student body comes from are awful. And they’re awful purely because they contain Richmond folks.
The Ticks’ Likely Strategy
It’s a safe bet the Tick coaches and players will attempt to control the tempo. Because that’s what every team thinks it needs to do in order to defeat the Dukes. In this case the “what” isn’t the problem, but the “how” might be. The Ticks’ best bet will be to pound the ball and keep Vad Lee and the offense on the sidelines. Of course, much of Richmond’s success running the ball depends on stretching the D with the pass. Which means that the Ticks’ chances might depend on how effectively their offensive line can elevate its play and push the Dukes off the line.
How the Dukes Can Win
As Coach Withers would say, by playing with “no seatbelts.” The Dukes are built to play one way, fast. As long as they can do that and gain positive yardage, the Richmond D will eventually crack. And when it does crack, touchdowns. Lots of touchdowns. The Ticks have a relatively pedestrian pass rush that has only 10 sacks 2015. If JMU’s offensive line can keep the Ticks away from Vad, he should be able to utilize his weapons and move the ball.
On defense, JMU needs to force short drives and keep Richmond out of the red zone. With the pace of JMU’s offense, the D is almost guaranteed to be on the field a lot. That can skew both the statistics and the way the defense is viewed. All told though, the Dukes have done a pretty good job keeping opponents out of the red zone. Through 7 games JMU opponents have had 21 drives in the red zone. That’s one more than Richmond has given up this year. However, since the Dukes force the tempo and turn games into track meets, their D has been on the field for 113 more plays than Richmond’s. In that context, the D looks pretty good at keeping teams outside the 20. Which is going to be key, because the Ticks have scored 19 of the 20 times they’ve gotten in the red zone this year.
JMUSB Beer of the Week
It was brought to our attention, that our BOTW selections have been a little (OK, a lot) heavy on the IPA side of things. Makes sense because IPAs are great. But we should mix it up a bit. With an extended homecoming tailgate, it makes sense to suggest something a little more balanced and sessionable. For that, we’ll turn to the best small brewery in America (which happens to be founded by a JMU alum) Port City Brewing.
These guys consistently turn out some of the most balanced and drinkable beers you’ll find. This week’s beer of the week is Derecho Common. It’s a California Common ale, or steam beer, which is basically a lager fermented at a higher temperature. They made it when the brewery lost power due to the derecho of 2012, and the temperature of the fermentation tank climbed. It was a happy accident. And it’s a really good beer. It’s got a nice clean hop finish, without the bitterness you’ll find in an IPA. Plus, it’s only 4.8% ABV, so you can have a few before kickoff and still enjoy the game.
Official JMUSB Prediction
Homecoming. College Gameday. Dukes vs. Ticks. Thousands of Dukes fans serving as the backdrop for televisions from coast to coast. Lee Corso putting on the Duke Dog head. A sold out Bridgeforth. A day for the ages. Vad Lee. Onside kicks for Days. No seatbelts. Dukes roll. Spiders stomped.
Dukes 42 – Ticks 21
The JMU Dukes are 7-0, Saturday is Homecoming, and oh yeah, ESPN’s College Gameday will be setting up shop on the Quad. This all adds up to thousands of people headed back to the ‘burg to watch the Dukes take on the Ticks. Plenty of folks are jumping on the Dukes bandwagon.
People have pointed out that referring to new fans and those returning after a “hiatus” as bandwagoners might sound pejorative. Trust me, that is not our intent. We’re thrilled to see so many people excited about the Dukes. The offense is red hot and the beer is cold. Please jump on the bandwagon. We couldn’t be happier to have you on board. We’re so happy in fact, that we’ve put together this little guide to bring you up to speed on JMU football and get you ready for Saturday.
What to Wear
This one is easy. Remember that classic grey crew neck sweat shirt you had that said “James Madison University” on the front? Yeah, don’t wear that. That great yellow “JMU” t-shirt that fits you just right? Leave that home as well. Dukes fans wear purple on gamedays. Obviously, it should be some sort of JMU themed piece of purple clothing, but really the purple is the important part. Hit the bookstore up (conveniently located by Godwin in case you really old folks haven’t been back in a while) and get something purple before kickoff.
Dukes Fans Don’t Cheer
You read that right. We don’t “cheer.” We don’t “support our team” either. Those things are both great, but we don’t do them. We root. To be precise, we “Root fer Dukes.” That’s not a typo either. It’s fer, not for. And don’t ask me why. It’s just one of those things. If you really want to sound like a diehard, the proper response to 99% of the questions you’re asked on Saturday should be “I’m just rootin.”
Start Wearing Purple
Not to be confused with our sartorial commentary above, this one is both an anthem and an attitude. The fanbase has adopted this Gogol Bordello song as a bit of a rally song for both football and hoops. Listen to it. Learn it. Love it. The pep band does a great rendition in the Convo and it’s also become a pregame tradition for the MRDs. Really though, it’s the state of mind that takes hold of Dukes fans on gamedays. We don’t “get ready for the game,” we Start Wearing Purple. And then we root.
Streamers
Oh, this one is important. Get your hands on some purple and gold streamers before heading back to campus. You’ll find them at your standard dollar stores or party supply type shops. Grab a bag of purple and bag of gold and carry them into the stadium with you. Then when the Dukes score a touchdown (and we mean precisely when the ball crosses the goal line, we don’t need premature streamer tossers) you’ll launch the streamers into the air in unison with your fellow fans creating what just might be the best visual in all of college football.
The Dukes Aren’t Playing the Spiders
They’re playing the Ticks. Or the Spatters. Or RU (not UR). Drop any of those into your tailgate conversation and you’ll sound like a regular who’s been at Bridgeforth week in and week out. And while we’re at it, you can refer to Delaware as the Blue Chickens and our more studious friends from Williamsburg as the Pantsless Griffins.
Tailgating
If you haven’t been back in a really long time, you’ll be blown away by the tailgating scene. Football games are no longer just something you duck into on you way back to Eagle from D-Hall. They’re now a full day event. And there’s something for everyone. Want to get a little rowdy and shotgun a few beers? P Lot is calling your name. Want to hang out with big donors and eat finger foods? Godwin is the spot. Bringing the kids and want to show them around? Snag a spot on East Campus, have a picnic, and then fill up a solo cup, wander through Hanson and the old baseball lot before strolling down to the kids zone on Godwin so the little ones can hit the moon bounce before kickoff. You’ll find most everyone is friendly and willing to chat about the Dukes and even share a drink or two. And as long as you’re drinking from a cup and not making an ass of yourself, feel free to take that adult beverage with you.
There you go. Take these things to heart and you’ll fit right in. See you Saturday.
