{"id":10568,"date":"2018-10-26T09:14:50","date_gmt":"2018-10-26T13:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=10568"},"modified":"2018-10-28T13:04:14","modified_gmt":"2018-10-28T17:04:14","slug":"2018-19-jmusb-game-preview-8-stony-brook-at-jmu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=10568","title":{"rendered":"2018-19 JMUSB Game Preview #8: Stony Brook at JMU"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Basics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Matchup: #15 Stony Brook (6-2, 4-1 CAA) at #3 James Madison (5-2, 3-1 CAA)<\/p>\n

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Bridgeforth Stadium, Rocktown<\/p>\n

Weather: Improving! After rain scares all week, now looking like showers only in the morning and a cool (cold? – I really have leaned into this Cackalacka thing) but just cloudy in the afternoon. High 51. Breezy.<\/p>\n

Coverage: Madizone HD, Eleven Next, Tunein<\/p>\n

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These came from the last game vs. UNH<\/p><\/div>\n

How Stony Brook Can Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Control the clock with the running game. The Seawolves average a robust 32 points a game but a shootout with the Dukes is never a good idea. SB needs to ride their two-headed rushing monster of Donald Liotine and Jordan Gowins, which averages nearly 220 yards a game on the ground, to a total-plays-limiting grinder of a game against JMU. In the Dukes two losses, they’ve been held to limited possessions and that’s the formula here. We may occasionally complain about the offensive inconsistency, but as we’ve seen when the Dukes get enough chances, eventually they break through with their athletic advantage. On defense, they’re not having a vintage season on Strong Island, but they run the same scheme as JMU and make a lot of the same big plays. In other words, they’re a bit feast or famine on that side of the ball with 16 takeaways and bucketfuls of sacks but also concede over three TD’s per contest.<\/p>\n

How JMU Can Win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lock the Damn Gates! This game is about attitude and attention coming out of the bye week as much as anything. That may sound cliched but there’s not much X’s and O’s wise separating these teams. Stony Brook is just solid all around. But the Dukes are coming off their bye and Stony Brook hasn’t had their week off yet. A loss here would absolutely put the Dukes behind the eight ball in the playoff and CAA race. If JMU is going to be a real contender this year, it’s time to prove against a good team for the first time. This could be the “most important,” if not the actual biggest, game the Dukes have played since the first LTDG game against UNH two years ago in the playoff opener. Like that game, it’s time for this edition of JMU football to show it’s for real and not just a polls favorite.<\/p>\n

Other Homecoming Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n

The older we get and the longer we’ve been season-ticket holders, the less juice “Homecoming” carries with it unless it happens to be a good matchup in a good spot on the schedule. Like this year! With it scheduled on Halloween weekend so often the last few years, it’s often been a tough one for alums that are parents – you can’t skip the Super Bowl of parenting the way you can a mid-season youth league game. But this year Halloween’s far enough away that our entire group of ticket-holders is able to make it! Hope the same is working for the rest of you.<\/p>\n

And if you’re making a weekend out of it, there’s a ton of other things going on. Friday night is QuadFest, though the weather has moved it to Festival. Even we have to admit the idea of partying in Festival seems like a good idea! Then there are two huge soccer games going on this weekend with the top 25 men’s team in action after football at 8 p.m. against Elon and the regular season champs women’s team hosting a CAA semifinal game on Sunday at 1 p.m.<\/p>\n

And lest we forget, we’ll be at Pale Fire on Friday night after 8. We’ll be recording live briefly around 9 and hopefully enjoying all of your company and some great beers.<\/p>\n

Beer of the Week<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pale Fire Deadly Rhythm – a perfect fall beer that’s low enough ABV to carry you through the weekend. Plus it comes in tailgate-friendly tall boys that are one of the coolest looking logos you’ll see. Love ya Pale Fire!<\/p>\n

Official JMUSB Prediction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dukes 34, Seawolves 20<\/p>\n