{"id":10574,"date":"2018-10-28T13:26:54","date_gmt":"2018-10-28T17:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=10574"},"modified":"2018-10-28T20:21:34","modified_gmt":"2018-10-29T00:21:34","slug":"three-thoughts-on-jmu-13-stony-brook-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=10574","title":{"rendered":"Three Thoughts On JMU 13 – Stony Brook 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"A win is a win. Just take a deep breath and keep repeating that. JMU managed to escape with a 13-10 victory over a Stony Brook team that came ready to play. It was an old school defensive battle. And despite the fact that the Dukes came out on top, it left more than a few fans frustrated. Again though, a win is a win and the Dukes now find themselves at 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the CAA, and tied for first. It’s the result that ultimately matters, not the style points. Here are a few brief thoughts on the big win.<\/p>\n

Just a Few Plays<\/strong><\/p>\n

As with most every close game, this one came down to just a few plays. Unlike in the Elon game, JMU made the ones that mattered at key moments against Stony Brook. Kyndel Dean had a touchdown for the ages, and did he best to singlehandedly make sure the Dukes didn’t come up short in the red zone again. The Seawolves had multiple chances to bring him down, but he fought off several tacklers and got in for 6. On the defensive side of the ball, Jimmy Moreland knocked down a would be TD pass in the end zone, and Landan Word alertly grabbed a tipped ball out of the air to secure the interception and kill a Stony Brook game. And Tyler Gray was steady all day, making two big field goals and an extra point. Those few plays helped turn a loss into a close win for JMU.<\/p>\n

The Defense Is No Joke<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several people (well, me) were second guessing this JMU defense after the loss to Elon. Since getting a few guys back from injuries, the unit has been clicking on all cylinders. The Dukes D was dominant all day. Stony Brook came into the game with two backs averaging about 100 yards\/game each. JMU held the Seawolves to 113 yards overall. And they limited Joe Carbone to just 19 of 37 attempts and picked him off twice. The defensive backs when single coverage for much of the game, enabling the safeties and linebackers to gang up on the ball carriers. Just a tremendous performance all around.<\/p>\n

And the Elephant in the Room<\/strong><\/p>\n

What happened to JMU’s offense? Credit to Stony Brook for a solid defensive effort, but it sure looked like the Dukes were making it easier for them. Kyndel Dean made the most of his limited chances, and Sharp, Marshall, and Johnson each showed flashes, but were ultimately the running game failed to find its rhythm once again. Overall, it was a miserable day for the offense. The Dukes had no answer for the Seawolves’ blitzes. The receivers struggled to get off the line all day, and were of little help blocking for the running backs. The playcalling was bewildering, flipping between insanely predictable and overly complicated. And while it’s not clear if the coaches don’t have enough faith in the offense to call the game aggressively, or if the conservative playcalling is causing the offense to lose confidence in itself, something is clearly wrong.<\/p>\n

People will point to Nooch and say we’re cutting him too much slack. We really don’t think it’s him though. He missed a wide open receiver in the red zone on a play that should have been six. The rest of the game though, we didn’t think he had much of a chance to do anything. The issues run far deeper than QB play. The receivers failed to create separation consistently, and there were no apparent route adjustments for the blitz. We fully admit that he Nooch’s deep ball hasn’t been impressive this year, but he’s had no chance to show improvement with this new horizontal passing game the coaches seem to rely on. Personally, we’d prefer even tossing a few more interceptions on more aggressive pass plays, if the trade-off was keeping the defense guessing and potentially breaking a few big ones.<\/p>\n

And don’t even get us started on the poor clock management and lack of a killer instinct on 3rd and 4th downs. The Dukes keep the pedal to the medal against overmatched teams, but seem far more focused on avoiding mistakes than trying to outplay guys when they face top teams.\u00a0The special teams and defense are outstanding, but time after time the coaches are way too content to play a field position game instead of pushing it on offense. The entire unit needs a refresh. And needs one quickly if the Dukes want to meet expectations. The defense and special teams are plenty good enough. There’s no lack of talent on offense. We’re just waiting for it all to come together.<\/span><\/p>\n