New Purples looked great with the old gold helmet!
So the Dukes beat a non-scholarship team by 49 points as expected to lift the curtain on the 2015 season in style. There’s really not all that much to be certain about coming off in a game like this, but it sure was fun to see the boys back in action and of course we’ve got some observations from what really amounted to a preseason game.
The Good
- Cardon Johnson – The starter at running back showed exactly the kind of dynamic style we all heard about after he got to JMU but could only dream about as he sat out injured all of last year. Abdullah was solid behind him too and we know there is depth at this spot, but wow, just from the eye test this guy looked like a true talent and difference-maker. Could be wrong, but it sure looked like his combination of size, power, shiftiness, and vision is something that will hold up against anyone.
- THE STUDENT SECTION – Absolutely outstanding! Best opening-day student section in years. Godwin side full BEFORE kickoff, entire section full soon thereafter. And the most surprising, and encouraging thing, about the students this week is they were LOUD and into the game. They even broke out into a very solid, and noticeable, “We Want Morehead!” chant after the Vad TD. (Wonder if they’ll all be banned by the P.C. Police after that?) It made for a fantastic atmosphere and they were certainly treated to plenty of first-half highlights. I know everyone wants them to stay, but you can’t blame anyone in this blowout. It gives us reason to hope that the seeds Withers and the entire program have been planting the last two years are starting to sprout. An undefeated September with a top 5 national ranking might help a bit when CAA play really gets going too.
- The kicking game – this one is subtle, but it’s nice to see a basically mistake-free day in the kicking game in Week 1. Ryan Maglio looked comfortable on extra points and it was good to see that the Dukes’ have added depth in the form of kickoff specialist and Freshman Tyler Gray. Out of Winchester’s Millbrook High, he showed the ability to get a touchback and the ability to place it directionally inside the 5 which Madison actually prefers in order to take their chances that the coverage pins opponents inside the 25.
- Vad Lee – What can we really say? The best player on the field and looked like he had very close to complete command. 297 yards and 3 TD’s passing to go with 105 yards and a highlight-reel 66 yard TD on the ground is a nice little way to kick off your Walter Payton Award candidacy. Though we have to admit, in true old-man fashion, all we could think on the long TD run was “take it easy on those hammies Superman.”
- Morehead State WR/RB/KR Jake Raymond (#4) – we don’t usually show love to an opponent, but this kid was a joy to watch compete amongst his overmatched fellows. No idea what his story is, but our secondary seemed to have no idea how to deal with him.
- Ryan Schorr seemed to do just fine in his one series with the second-team offense. He led the Dukes on a long, multiple penalty-overcoming scoring drive and gave us some hope that the wheels won’t come entirely off if Vad misses part of a game or even one whole game at some point.
- The uniforms. The new purple set looked outstanding and was a reminder of how great the gold helmet can still look when matched up right.
- These shirts, and more importantly the movement they represent, were a real highlight of my gameday. You can find out more and learn how to get involved with this incredible grass-roots effort that is fully alumni-led here.
Want FBS, but tired of the negativity? Join the cause and get involved!
The Bad
- Blocking, especially in the running game. Pass protection with the 1’s actually seemed alright, but not sure if that was more a reflection of the lack of any kind of sustained pressure from an overmatched opponent. In the ground game however, after the first series (presumably scripted and well-rehearsed), the O-line allowed a great deal of penetration to screw with the Dukes’ spread attack, so much so that at one point the normally cool and collected Vad Lee seemed to be issuing quite a bit of “polite encouragement” for a little something better. This has got to get better.
- Defense, particularly against the pass. Morehead only had a little over 200 total yards and it’s hard to get to upset, but had it not been for a red-zone fumble, the Eagles would have not only moved the ball with ease, primarily through the air, but also would have had two long TD drives in the first half. Receivers were wide open and JMU did not, or worse could not, generate consistent pressure. We’ve heard from those that know these things, and are willing to rematch the film, that the Dukes’ are using more variety (they’re being “multiple”) in their defensive packages this year and between that and the youth/inexperience on that side of the ball, we can only hope there is plenty of improvement coming.
The Ugly
- We’re not gonna nit-pick with anything in the ugly from a 56-7 win and we’re thrilled that we don’t seem to have any major injuries to write about in the section like some season openers. But there is one item for this section that didn’t even come from our game. Anyone watch the first half of Baylor/SMU Friday night? The Mustangs were trading punches nose-to-nose with the high-octane and 4th ranked Bears and it sure looks like Chad Morris (ex of Clemson’s offense) is going to have them pretty close to full throttle by the time the Dukes arrive in a few weeks. This game is still winnable, especially after SMU gets taken to the slaughter-house again by TCU before our matchup, but it’s certainly not the “FCS Team should be favored” type game we were hoping for.
JMU got the season started off right last night, with a dominating 56-7 win over an overmatched Morehead State team. We’re going to enjoy this beautiful day and hope you do the same. Check out the highlights above and then come back later this evening for our thorough post with thoughts on the big win.
Get your streamer arm warmed up. Today is the day. That’s right, it’s gameday. Your JMU Dukes have a home date with Morehead State to get the 2015 football season going. Kickoff is at 6:00 PM in Bridgeforth Stadium. I’m hitting the road shortly for the ‘burg. If you can’t make it, tune in for the free stream via Madizone. If you are going to be there in person, get to your seats before kickoff for the tribute to Alison Parker and Adam Ward.
There’s still time to pick a winner for our prediction contest. Otherwise, gather with family and friends, start wearing purple, and get read for the game. Consider this the official open thread for all your pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter. Keep rootin’. Go Dukes!
Rejoice rejoice rejoice! We have made it through the long, dry, freaking out, unsettling land that is the JMU offseason and it’s freakin’ gameday baby! Ok, one more sleep before gameday, but you get the picture. We cannot possibly tell you how happy we are to be writing about an actual game (such as it is). Of course, we’ll be a lot happier when the last scheduling dregs of the Mickey Matthews era have been wiped from the slate after next year, but in the meantime it’s a zero-stress opener a great way to spend your Labor Day weekend in the ‘Burg.
The Basics
Because you don’t know unless you’ve got family that went there, Morehead St. is actually located in Morehead, Kentucky, not Morehead City, NC. They’re colors are blue and gold and they are the Eagles, because when you might as well go as generic as possible on everything else when you’re going to have to answer to Morehead. It’s located next door to the Daniel Boone National Forest between Lexington, Kentucky and Huntington, West Virginia. Basically, it’s a mid-sized (10,500) public school somehow located where they filmed the Mothman Prophecies. They play in the non-scholarship Pioneer League and finished 4-8 last year. The Eagles have been an under-the-radar mid-major hoops power in recent years (Kenneth Faried) but again, no schollies. NPR’s Steve Inskeep went to Morehead St. as did Rob’s beloved Phil Simms.
What to Expect from Morehead St.
Look, they went 4-8 last year and Head Coach Rob Tenyer is looking to take the leap in his third year after a 7-17 start with the program, but they played three teams we’re familiar with all year with the following results. They opened the year at Richmond’s high school stadium with a 55-10 loss, then improved slightly two weeks later in a 55-13 loss to Eastern Kentucky. Then the finished the year with a closer-than-it-looked 52-14 loss to Charlotte. The wins were against Stetson, Valpo, Davidson, and something called Pikeville. Junior QB Austin Gahafer started every game last year so he has some experience and leading tackler senior LB Luke Keller will lead the D again, but let’s just say the guy who is likely to get the biggest workout this weekend is junior punter Pat DiSalvio.
Best Case, Worst Case, Reasonable Expectation
Cannot wait to see this guy (hopefully healthy and resting comfortably on the sideline by mid-3rd).
Gonna try something new for the Dukes this week as it’s seriously not worth going into specifics for the Dukes in Game 1 when they’re 38 point favorites and most reasonable wagers would still be on JMU. But the best case is the Dukes throw up 35 plus points in the first half, the three-headed monster of a running back rotation does most of the work, and best of all, in this scenario each of the non-redshirted backup QB’s play in the entire second half while Vad rests healthily on the sideline. Worst case is Vad has to play into the 4th quarter because the coaches are pissed at a sputtering offense and need to see more reps while the extremely young defense gives up 20 plus points in a game that holds nominal interest into the mid-3rd quarter. Seriously, you never want to take someone too lightly but barring a massive flu outbreak tonight, there’s just no way we can realistically see this one being all that close. The most reasonable expectation is probably that the game starts slow with a few penalties and maybe even a big play or two for Morehead State keeping them in it early before the Dukes methodically put distance between the two beginning around the middle of the 2nd quarter and ultimately just about hitting that spread.
Important Programming Note
As Coach Withers asked for yesterday, please try and get into the stadium early for the pregame tribute to Alison Parker. And don’t forget you can support the memorial fund her parents and JMU have set up right here.
Beer of the Week
You didn’t think we were abandoning our longest-running segment did you? Of course not, and now we’ve gotten our offseason note-taking on the topic down to a science. I was looking for a great warm-weather beer for these three early home games all spring and summer. And for what should be a humid night in the Valley, I can’t think of anything I’ve had better than the small Florida brewery Due South’s Category 3 IPA. Yes they make a Cat 5 Double, but even I thought that was over the top as a tailgate beer, while I loved the Cat 3’s drinkability during a steamy trip to this Boynton Beach hideout. They call it a “Florida-style IPA” and while I’m not exactly sure what that is, it is a bit easier on the hops than most big west-coast styles.
Official JMUSB Prediction
Dukes 48, Eagles 10 – push (FEPO).
It’s time to get down to business. Your 2015 JMU Dukes kick off the football season this Saturday with a home game against the mighty Morehead State (alma mater of the great Phil Simms btw). Like we’ve done for every game the past few seasons, we’re running a prediction contest each week again.
Here’s how it’s gonna work. You leave a comment on this post letting us know who you think you 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 on anything his or her heart desires. Be sure to use an email you actually check when you enter your comments so we can contact you if you win. And while we understand getting a chance to contribute to this fair blog of ours is a very big deal, let’s not get bent out of shape over tiebreakers if it comes to that. It’s just for fun. Sound good? Great. Now give us your prediction below and get ready for some football. Keep rootin’.
Look, I’m up for the Richmond Ticks preview tonight. But the truth is, there’s an infamous “Spadahs” fan that puts my previewing to shame and we see no reason to deprive you of his magical stylings! Seriously, this guy has got to be my absolute favorite thing about CAA Football. So earnest, such a fan, and never whining and complaining about his team’s lot in life like yours truly. So without further ado, here he is, the man, the myth, the head Tick. Satchmo forevah!
But wait, there’s bonus material as the greatest man on the whole interwebs appears to be stone-cold chillin’ at the beach this summer. Seriously, this Richmond/Elon preview is fantastic and he’s mailing it in more than me on a night we find out another program is passing JMU by. If you really want to see him takin’ her easy, find the URI preview in the hammock. You can thank us later.
[polldaddy poll=9050363]The 2015 college football season got started with a bang yesterday, as #12 Montana defeated #1 North Dakota State in a 38-35 thriller. It was a real treat to see two traditional FCS heavyweights duke it out. The fact that it was nationally televised on ESPN2 and had Brent Musburger on the call definitely added to the excitement. Regardless of the coverage, it was an awesome game and a real treat for football fans.
If you could cast aside any discussion of JMU moving up to FBS (please), it’s hard not to see the appeal of these big intra-FCS matchups. JMU’s upset over Virginia Tech is easily the most memorable moment in JMU football history for a lot of fans. And with good reason. As someone who was lucky enough to attend the 2008 home game against Appalachian State, which at the time was a legendary FCS program, let me tell you that it was about as exciting as any football game I’ve attended. At any level. To say that campus was electric all day wouldn’t be doing it justice. And the game, which featured the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the country, actually exceeded the hype.
On the other hand, there is something particularly enticing about getting a chance to face a larger FBS program. While the chances for an upset against a legitimate power team are small, the victory in Blacksburg proved that it’s amazing when it happens. Of course, there are also games against the relative bottom tier of FBS, which are much more winnable, but probably don’t generate anywhere near the buzz of beating a top P5 program. There’s also the payday element. Playing one game against a top team for a few hundred thousand dollars is nothing to ignore.
Personally speaking, I’d prefer to do a home and home against a top FCS program. Give me a game in Bridgeforth against North Dakota State or a chance to trek out to Montana to take on the Grizzlies over a random FBS game anyday. Beating VT was amazing. Losing to Maryland, Akron, and West Virginia was not. But I’m sure others may disagree though. So vote in the poll and feel free to elaborate in the comments.
Vad Lee, Alex Mosley, Gage Steele, and Deane Cheatham are your 2015 JMU Football captains. The four were the top vote-getters in a player election. As Coach Withers mentioned, twenty different players received votes. That’s an indication of the fact that this team has no shortage of leadership.
Vad Lee being named a captain was perhaps the least surprising news of the preseason. After transferring from Georgia Tech in 2014, he quickly won over his teammates, and was elected a captain in his first year as a Duke. And his play on the field was nothing short of spectacular. He set school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. In Vad We Trust, and so do the players.
Alex Mosley is a redshirt senior who will play nose gaurd for the Dukes’ defense. It’s a position that doesn’t typically fill up the stat sheet in a 3-4 defense, but he managed to rack up 55 tackles, including 2 for a loss and 1 sack, last year. He’s a workhorse and the anchor of the defensive line.
Gage Steele is a talented redshirt junior linebacker. He was outstanding as a freshman playing with all time JMU great Stephon Robertson, collecting 105 tackles. Last year, he battled injuries and was limited to just 3 starts. He didn’t have the numbers some expected him to, but still was very effective. We’re counting on a big year from him now that’s he healthy and the whole unit has acclimated to the new scheme. He’s also a Dean’s List student.
Deane Cheatham is a redshirt senior tight end coming off a break out year last season. He entered his junior year with a whopping 19 career catches for the Dukes. Then he proceeded to wow everyone with 42 catches for 453 yards. And he did it in only 10 games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
After all the JMU and Villanova hype, it’s easy to forget there is a third heavyweight in the Preseason CAA prediction division. The most consistent team in FCS over the last decade hasn’t been who you might think, it’s been New Hampshire. Seriously, these guys win 7+ games, ALWAYS make the playoffs (seriously, 11 straight appearances), and seem to produce QB/WR combo after QB/WR combos like clockwork every year. But we, along with every other FCS fan, tend to sometimes forget they exist. Maybe because they are a football-only northern school, we’re as consistent in underplaying the Wildcat’s program as they are at outperforming expectations. And this year the Dukes miss these Wildcats so it would be extra easy to do it again despite the fact UNH was a national semi-finalist last year, losing by 3 to runner up Illinois St. But don’t make that mistake.
All the talk about Nova’s John Robertson and our beloved Vad Lee also tends to overlook the third giant in the CAA QB discussion, Sean Goldrich. As usual, he’ll be slinging it around and racking up numbers, but it could be a little more difficult this year without a proven backup and more importantly after losing all-everything WR R.J. Harris to the New Orleans Saints. In a lot of ways, the Wildcats lineup sets up much the same as the Dukes. They lost about half their starters from last year, including some real playmakers, and will need to count on new guys stepping in, but with Goldrich back at full strength, HC Sean McDonnell always steady at the helm, and a whole lot of institutional memory of winning, they should be as dangerous as ever.
The Schedule: One HUGE advantage for UNH this year is that the CAA schedule has them avoiding BOTH JMU and Villanova. Seriously, it would be no surprise at all to see the big JMU/Nova season-ending clash be nothing more than an anti-climactic battle for second and third if UNH coasts home undefeated in conference play like last year. They also host Richmond and the only even arguably tough game is a trip to W&M in mid-October. We guess at some point they’re “due” to fail to meet their own expectations, but if nothing else a schedule that includes a long-travel-but-winnable FBS opener at San Jose St. (actually fairly similar to JMU’s trip to Dallas) should easily set them up to make it a dozen straight postseason appearances.
Finally, a quick shoutout to Sophomore DB Geno Miller. He’s #26 and with no game vs. the Dukes, we’re free to pull hard for the Bishop McNamara product who is lucky enough to be the son of a friend of JMUSB! Good luck Geno.
Prediction: Rob mentioned the “maybe they’re due” theory for a drop off from UNH, but the schedule is just too darn cakey to imagine anything less than 8 wins (really anything less than 9 would be surprising) and a top three CAA finish with a playoff berth.
We are not the ones to tell you how to feel about this. Our hearts are broken just like yours. And this is not the place to discuss any issue other than the missing piece of JMU Nation. It is a terribly sad day for all Dukes, but most of all for the friends and family of Alison Parker and Adam Ward. @Ethan_Booker said it the best way we can think of today: “A JMU girl and a Virginia Tech boy. 24 and 27. Couple hometown kids just doing a report on tourism in their home state this morning. I am sick.”
We all are Mr. Booker, we all are.
The one thing we discussed that we could do was begin to spread the love Ms. Parker and her family seem so willing to share with the world by encouraging you to consider helping out with their new idea of how to honor Alison. Check out this beautiful gesture here.
