Well, yesterday happened. JMU fell to Liberty by the score of 26-21. The loss eliminated JMU from the playoffs and ended the 2014 season. To put it mildly, it was very disappointing. We’ve been putting off writing about it all day. It feels like I could go on for days about the game, yet at the same time I feel like I’m at a complete loss for words. It was just that sort of game.
In case you missed it, here’s the quick summary. JMU started off slow and fell behind 10-0. JMU came to life and scored 21 unanswered points to take a 21-10 lead into halftime. The Dukes were seemingly in control and on their way to a comfortable win. Then the wheels came off after the half. JMU’s offense was held in check, if not completely shut down. Liberty’s offense was steady, yet not overwhelming, but managed to execute a backbreaking TD scoring drive that lasted approximately 3 days. JMU had a chance to win it late, but couldn’t capitalize. Game over.
So What Happened?
JMU just got beat. Liberty outcoached and outplayed JMU. It sucked, but it was a just result. The red-hot JMU team that was riding a seven game winning streak showed up for the second quarter. Unfortunately, the mistake prone and inconsistent JMU team we all watched the first month of the season played quarters one, three, and four. That’s not to say JMU was miserable or that the players and coaches choked. They didn’t. They simply didn’t play up to the level that we’ve been accustomed to lately. There were dropped passes, missed tackles, and costly (if questionable) penalties. Short of making a ridiculous 56 yard field goal, Liberty didn’t really do anything spectacular. The Flames just hung in there and made the plays they had to. And with the game on the line, Liberty’s offense kept the ball out of Vad Lee’s hands, used up tons of clock, and marched down the field for what turned out to be the winning TD. JMU got the ball back with a chance to win it. Lee drove JMU down the field all the way down inside the 10 before an unfortunate (and really questionable) flag moved the Dukes backwards. Unfortunately JMU couldn’t punch it in and Liberty held on for the win. read more…
Today is the day. At 4:00 Bridgeforth Stadium in lovely Harrisonburg, Virginia the mighty JMU Dukes take on the Liberty Flames in round 1 of the 2014 FCS Playoffs. If you’re lucky enough to be dressed in black for the Blackout and headed to the ‘burg, be loud and be proud. If you’re watching from home or with friends on ESPN3, enjoy the game. Consider this your open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter. Go Dukes! Beat Liberty!
Well, well, well. We’ve finally got a home playoff game at New Bridgeforth. And it’s against the other school in Virginia still desperately clinging to FBS aspirations and taking shots at JMU that are so delusional they don’t merit a response. So without further ado, let’s get down to it so we can get back to preparing our all-black attire plan for Saturday.
The Basics
Match-up: Liberty Flames (8-4, 4-1 Big South) AT JMU Dukes (9-3, 6-2 CAA)
The Line (for recreational purposes only): JMU -7, O/U 71.5 (seriously!)
Location: A Blacked Out Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Kick-off: 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 29th
Broadcast Options: ESPN3 – HDMI cable, AppleTV, or Google Chromecast to get it up on your big screen. Should also be available on ESPN GamePlan at bars and restaurants, but you’ll likely need to arrange things in advance at a joint with multiple tv’s as this will be head to head with some big FBS games. (If anyone has a Savannah recommendation please let us know)
How They Got Here
Liberty scored the biggest win in program history last week by blocking a short, late FG to upset then-#1 Coastal Carolina and claim the Big South’s Automatic Bid. Their schedule is tough to make much sense of with no real bad losses (UNC, Richmond, Indiana St., and a close if bad timing loss to an odd triple option Chuck Southern team) and two wins among the best in program history (App. St., Coastal). Every other win is against the weakest competition imaginable no matter what they say about the Big South’s CCU-skewed conference ranking.
JMU of course comes into their first playoff game since the trip to Fargo in 2011 riding a seven-game winning streak that has seen them go from “finding ways to win” to “not only winning but crushing souls” as they go. You know this, or at least you should. Last week Vad Lee and the offense did what Vad Lee and offense do. On the other side, the defense has joined the party for three straight weeks and don’t be fooled by Elon’s 27 points – it was 45-7 at the half and the starters’ services were not needed in the second. The Dukes have turned into a buzzsaw since halftime of the W&M game and if that roll continues, the trophy’s the limit.
What’s at Stake?
No need to explain. A trip to Villanova for the Round of 16 awaits the winner!
The Flames Will Win If
They manage to control the pace and force JMU to play from behind and commit a bunch of abnormal turnovers. The Dukes haven’t really shut anyone down for a whole game this year so LU will probably score, but as the 71.5 Over/Under indicates it will take more than a half’s worth of scoring and some serious breaks to keep pace in this one. They’ve also been missing their QB1 Woodrum the last two weeks with a leg infection and they’ll certainly need him at full strength as the freshman backup has been spotty at best the last two weeks. The kicking game has been an issue for them too and they’ll need to make sure it doesn’t come down to that.
The Dukes Will Win If
They keep doing what they’ve been doing and find a way to make a few big plays on Defense and Specials. At this point, we’re confident the offense will throw up 28+ points and as we’ve seen lately, when the D makes a few huge plays, the Dukes are capable of curb-stomping opponents in a hurry. While another step forward and a full-shutdown performance from the D would be great, the key is to just play their own game and limit mistakes. Seriously, if JMU limits their own mistakes, they are an incredibly tough out now.
JMUSB Beer of the Week
#BlackoutBridgeforth requires something special. Or rather two somethings. Black Ale is a style that sounds wonderful at first mention, but is frequently botched in the execution. But when done right, it can be exceptional. And Hickory, North Carolina’s Blowing Rock Brewing Co.’s Mountain Shadow Black IPA is absolutely done right. A little hoppy, but in a warming way that’s perfect for a cold, clear day at BFS. And if you can’t get your hands on that, you can almost certainly find the consistently excellent Firestone’s Walker’s Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA at any reputable bottle shop (often available on tap for growlers at Whole Foods too). Just know that at 8.3% and frequently in bomber bottles, the words “Wookey” and “rye” are fitting for this badass.
JMUSB Prediction
JMU 48 – Liberty 31.
Chris Johnson won our preview contest last week and earned the right to guest post. Here’s his take on the New Era and the force that is JMU football.
As a 1999 transfer, and 2001 alumnus in History, I am honored to be a guest blogger here. I think this blog is so entertaining and informative and I’m just a big fan. Rob and Todd do a great job, and the guest blogs are always good too. So, I feel some pressure here to be on par. –Even more so when I recall that mine was the only History 395 presentation for which no one clapped. EVERYBODY else received applause. (I’ve managed to put that behind me now after years of therapy.)
I won last week’s contest by predicting a score of 72-28. That may seem bold, whimsical, or incredulous to some. The final score, of course 59-27, would tend to confirm that I had over-estimated my beloved Dukes. The score at half-time was 45-7. I would submit that the Dukes could have put up 100 points if they were so inclined. They were not so inclined because they’re cool like that, but still…
Going into that game, the Dukes had just beaten the infamous Spiders 55-20, and yet the coaches’ poll had the Spiders ranked higher. What is more, assuming that we win (and we will), we face #6 Villanova, and Richmond; if they win (don’t really care, just making a point here), would face #7 Coastal Carolina. Going into this game, we’re only 1.5 point favorites, at HOME! I feel like the Dukes are like the Rodney Dangerfield of the FCS.
But, you know what? I like it that way. I like riding the dark horse. I cannot wait to see this team’s full potential, because I don’t think they’re there yet. They are like the nucleus of a collapsing star ready to explode into a purple and gold supernova.
The Withers era has just started and the results have exceeded my expectations. Yes – me; the guy that had the Dukes winning 72-28. I cannot wait to finally get up to Harrisonburg this weekend and see it in person.
Few final thoughts, if anyone is still awake: 1. JMU should stay in the FCS for the foreseeable future, I’ve gone back and forth on this one; FBS isn’t ready for us. 2. Love the new helmets and uniforms, hate that my purple gear won’t work for a blackout. 3. Vad Lee, transfer (gotta love those transfers), should win the Walter Payton award. 4. Jimmy ‘effin’ Moreland should win Jerry Rice award. 5. Coach Withers should win the Eddie Robinson award. 6. Taylor Reynolds can straight ball, hope he plays up to his potential. 7. I hope our defense continues to execute the fundamentals –you know; tackling. 8. Liking the 2015 schedule. 9. Props to all my professors who made me work my tail off and made me a better person. 10. GO DUKES! BEAT LIBERTY!
…
A Home playoff game! #BlackoutBridgeforth
Jimmy ‘effin Moreland, and Taylor ‘effin Reynolds
A 4-1 hoops start
The #NewEra of JMU Football under Everett Withers
Sweeping the Ticks and Tribe
Vad Lee, transfer extraordinaire (dare we whisper “Rascati-esque)
Five great years of readers for JMUSB!
A rapidly improving Defense peaking at the right time
The tailgate scene at JMU
A beast O-Line
Kenny Brooks – best man in JMU Athletics – and his amazing squads
A deep group of wideouts being expertly utilized by Mohringer and company
A potential rematch with Villanova
All the friends, and frenemies, we’ve made through this little project
And of course, PURPLE helmets FOREVER!
What else are we missing? Let us know in the comments.
The JMU Dukes face get the playoffs started with a game against the Liberty Flames this Saturday at 4:00 in Bridgeforth Stadium. It will be the Dukes’ first playoff game in the new Bridgeforth, the first playoff game of the New Era, and the first playoff game since 2011 overall. This means our weekly prediction contests get to keep going. By now you regulars should know how this works. If you just jumped on the bandgwagon and are new around here (welcome by the way), it’s pretty simple. Leave a comment below 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. Now, keep rootin’ fer Dukes!
A HOME playoff game, Christmas really did come early this year!
So what a weekend for JMU Football. The New Era of JMU football that Coach Withers has been preaching since he took the job last offseason accomplished the first couple of what we hope our many more goals to come this weekend. First, they destroyed Elon and picked up their ninth regular season win. In any era of JMU football, a nine-win regular season is darn fine one and we’d hope just about all the doubters have been silenced. The Dukes finished a game ahead of our projections and they did it convincingly, turning that bad OT loss to Delaware into motivation and a springboard to become the team we’ve seen the last month or so which appears to be an ice-cold killing machine. They finished third in the CAA – a spot assured of a postseason berth and behind only New Hampshire and Villanova, who had amazing seasons of their own (as expected we might add). And finally, they made it to the playoffs. Well done all around!
Elon Game
Not much to say here. It was a bright, cool day and the Dukes took care of business in impressive fashion. Elon is bad, but to their credit they played hard and didn’t seem to be just playing out the string of a long year. That said, the Dukes dominated in every phase on their way to a 59-27 rout that was way more impressive than the final score. More good kicking from Maglio and even a punt block from specials. A slew of turnovers, sacks, and big plays from the defense. And finally, an offense that’s looking like something none of us have ever seen from a JMU team – an absolute reaper that seems to gain traction as gains go on and scores with the inevitability of a Swiss timepiece. The offensive line in particular gave Vad Lee all day to survey the field and he consistently chose the downfield option – it was a sight to see.
That’s really all. Elon had no business in CAA Football. Oh yeah, the purple helmet/black top/purple pants combo was even better than the purple/black/black. And we already know JMU is calling for all of us to Black Out Bridgeforth this weekend so they’ll be back. That’s black out Bridgeforth, not black out at Bridgeforth by the way.
PLAYFOFFS!
The Dukes found out Sunday that they made the field easily and get this, will HOST Liberty at 4 p.m. this Saturday in Bridgeforth Stadium. Needless to say, when Liberty upset Coastal Carolina to earn the Big South’s automatic bid Saturday, buttholes tightened all over JMU Nation about the possibility the Dukes were now in the unfortunate position to lose another hosting bid given the NCAA’s mandate on regionalism in early round games and Liberty’s ability and propensity to spend money prodigiously. But damned if Jeff Bourne and company didn’t outbid Liberty! Woo hoo! Did not see that coming, but well done, seriously well done. To paraphrase one of the movies’ most underrated father figures, when we’re wrong, we say we’re wrong. Congrats and we are so thankful to our administration for stepping up this time around! New era indeed. And wouldn’t you know it, whenever they unlocked Charlie King from wherever they locked him away during the bidding process, he probably even breathed a sigh of relief that we drew Liberty, a team with a large travelling fanbase that will help make for a great gate on Saturday, probably one that comes close to filling the stadium even with students on break (though there slack-asses should come back for this one!).
Sure Richmond settled under a lucky star and has an easier path with hosting Morgan St. and then heading for Coastal, but just stop whining about that already. It’s the playoffs, other than Morgan St. and San Diego, every other team is good and no second-round game is easy. You think our guys wouldn’t be fired up for another shot at Villanova?! And no other team in the field would do nearly what Liberty will for the atmosphere at BFS this weekend. On that note, congrats go out to the Flames as well for finally earning their first-ever playoff berth after years of coming up just short.
We’ll get back to more serious previewing tomorrow and breaking down the bracket (though if you’re as into looking ahead as we are, you’ll note that BFS may not be closed just yet for the season), but we only have two initial thoughts. First, the way JMU has been playing they can beat ANY team in the field. But second, Liberty’s legit and don’t let the weaker Big South fool you. They beat FBS App. St., played another FBS game, and played a tough out of conference game against Indiana St. from the MVFC. They’re tested and ready as well.
Now go buy those tickets!
Let’s Go Dukes!
Today’s the day. The 2014 regular season finale and Senior Day for your JMU Dukes. We’ll both be in the ‘burg to catch the game live. For those of you who aren’t able to make it to Bridgeforth, you can find all the television info here or stream the game via Madizone. The Dukes are rolling and we’re rootin’ for another big win. If you’re in the ‘burg come find us in D2 or get in touch with us via Twitter or Facebook and we can try to meet up as we wander around the lower lots before heading into the game. Enjoy the day everyone. Consider this your official open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game chatter. Keep rootin’.
The Basics
Match-up: #17 JMU Dukes (8-3, 5-2 CAA) vs. Elon Pheonix (1-10, 0-7 CAA)
Location: Bridgeforth Stadium (aka the Purple Palace) in the lovely Shenandoah Valley
Kick-off: 12:00 on Saturday, November 22
Broadcast Options: Check your local listings for regional television broadcasts or stream it via Madizone. Really though, try to make it back to the ‘burg if you can. It’s Senior Day and both the 1994 Field Hockey and 2004 Football National Championship teams will be honored as part of Champions Weekend.
JMUSB Viewing/Tailgating Situation: We’re actually both going to be in the ‘burg for this one. It will be the first time the two of us have gotten together since Todd moved to North Carolina, so expect tears of joy (or maybe just lots of beer drinking). As of right now, our plan is to park the cars in D2 around 8:30 have some food and drinks and then wander around the lower lots closer an hour or so before kickoff. Please stop by or reach out to us via Twitter if you’d like to meet up.
How They Got Here
JMU went on the road played in Bridgeforth East and crushed Richmond 55-20 last weekend. It was the streaking Dukes sixth straight win. Everett Withers has the Dukes red hot and playing their best football in years. As a result he was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. Vad Lee, who was recently added to the Payton Award Watch List is playing great football. And the much maligned defense has been steadily improving, pitching second half shutouts the past two weeks. JMU appears to be peaking at just the right time.
As for the Pheonix, it’s pretty much the exact same thing. Except with lots of losses instead of wins. And instead of peaking, they’re struggling. So maybe the situations are slightly different. I’m not good with these sorts of comparisons.
Look at the New Guy
Elon is the new kid on the CAA block. Many of you don’t know much about the Elon sports program. And we know that you’ve come to rely on this very blog to inform you about JMU’s opponents. And we’re definitely not going to let you down. We’re nothing if not consistently respectful of JMU’s opposition. Plus we’re tireless researchers. So without further ado we present JMUSB’s Official List of All the Things That Make Elon an Outstanding Addition to the CAA:
1. It’s close enough to Todd’s house that he can drive to JMU’s away games there
2. ?
Elon Can Win If
It forces JMU to make mistakes and takes advantage of them. With an offense that is only scoring 13 points a game, Elon hasn’t proven it can sustain long scoring drives. The Pheonix are going to have to force a few turnovers to create short fields to get some easy scores. Elon has struggled in its first season of CAA play. The school has improved tremendously in almost every way the past 10-15 years and there’s no reason to believe that won’t carry over to sports eventually. But they’ll need to catch a few breaks this weekend if they expect to get a win. We don’t think they’ll roll over, and upsets happen all the time, but Elon is going to have to elevate its game big time to emerge with a win on Saturday.
JMU Can Win If
It avoids a let down and focuses on the task at hand. JMU is rolling and on the verge of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Vad Lee and the Dukes can’t afford to look past Elon and get caught sleeping. The game plan should be pretty simple. Push the pace on offense and spread the ball around. Stay aggressive on defense. Elon has only averaged 2.8 yards per rush. If the Dukes secondary can shut down the passing game and force Elon to run, it will mean good things for JMU. This is a game the Dukes should win, but could lose if they play sloppy. So don’t do that Dukes.
What We’d Like to See
A full four quarters of solid play. Coach Withers and the Dukes deserve credit for showing improvement all season. The improvement has been noticeable even within single games. However nice the in-game adjustments have been, it would be great to see JMU not have to make as many and to execute effectively on both sides of the ball from the get go.
JMUSB Beer of the Week
It was brought to my attention by our pal Zac, that most of my suggestions seem to be super hoppy beers. Let’s switch it up this week and go with something a little more balanced.
Since it’s the final regular season home game, we’ll choose a beer from the Commonwealth. Devils Backbone Vienna Lager is our JMUSB Beer of the Week. It’s got a nice malt toastiness, with just enough hop bitterness to give it a bight. It’s a good beer that’s approachable for folks who might not go for more aggressively hopped beers. Plus, at 4.9% ABV it’s not going to put you to sleep before a noon kickoff. I really enjoy it and hope you will too.
Official JMUSB Prediction
The seniors go out with a big win in their home finale one of their final home games (don’t get cheap with the playoff bid administration). JMU wins 41-17.
Here we are. It’s the final week of the regular season and JMU will face off against the CAA’s newest member, the Elon Pheonix. Thus far, Elon has been, shall we say, bad. Very bad. The Pheonix have only won 1 game and are averaging only 13 points a game. But this is not a team to be overlooked. I’m sure Elon would like nothing more than to close its season with a huge upset over one of the conferences heavy weights. But we want to know how you think the game will turn out. Leave a comment with your prediction of who 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.
