{"id":11736,"date":"2021-10-24T19:35:41","date_gmt":"2021-10-24T23:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=11736"},"modified":"2021-10-24T19:35:41","modified_gmt":"2021-10-24T23:35:41","slug":"dukes-knock-off-delaware-in-newark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=11736","title":{"rendered":"Dukes Knock Off Delaware in Newark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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JMU went on the road and defeated Delaware by the score of 22-10. It was a banner day for both the Dukes defense and Ethan Ratke. The senior kicker was perfect, making all 5 of his field goal attempts. The defense took advantage of yet another backup QB, limiting Delaware to only 109 total yards. If you’re scoring at home, that’s not a lot of yards. Despite the fantastic effort from the defense, the Dukes actually trailed at halftime and had to comeback to win. The offense was pedestrian at best, but did enough to get JMU over the hump. If anyone tries to tell you it was a beautiful game, they’re lying. But it was another win. And we shouldn’t overlook that. Anyway, here are some quick thoughts on the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Red Zone Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, the D smothered Delaware. And yes, Ratke was terrific. But all anyone is talking about is the struggling JMU offense. And that conversation probably starts with the red zone struggles. For the second week in a row, JMU failed to score a touchdown on any of its trips to the red zone. The Dukes are fortunate to have a kicker who assured that they still walked away with points, but it’s fair to worry that these struggles could eventually cost JMU. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JMU Twitter has all sorts of theories about why the Dukes offense falls apart in the red zone. Depending on who you pay attention to, it’s either the play calling, or the offensive line, or the quarterback. In reality, it’s probably a combination of all three. And it’s not restricted to just the red zone. The offense has been trending the wrong direction for weeks now. It’s not being overly negative to admit it. JMU averaged 3.9 yards per play in this game. Credit to Delaware’s defense for an inspired effort, but 3.9 yards per play isn’t good enough for a team that wants to make a deep playoff run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JMU has an inexperienced offensive line. And it appears that they lost JT Timming for the foreseeable future after he was carted off in the second half. You could argue that for brief stretches, the line play was actually better after Timming went out, as it finally opened some lanes for the running backs. But overall the unit has room for improvement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the line still maturing, logic would dictate that you play to its strengths. Or at least try to scheme around its weaknesses. To my naive eye, it looks like the line has a lot of difficulty opening up holes in between the tackles. But JMU stubbornly refuses to abandon the inside running game. On one hand, you’ve got admire their determination to establish an inside power running game. On the other hand, we’re six weeks into the season and it might be time to try something different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The passing attack also had a pretty tough day. We’ve all seen Cole Johnson at his highest and know that the kid has the ability to get it done. We’re not in his head, but his play seems to elevate when he’s playing with confidence and able to get into a rhythm. For the second week in a row, he and the Dukes were forced to play in some nasty weather conditions, which probably were a factor. However, it sure would have been nice if the coaches schemed up some stuff other than go routes and passes to the flat to get Cole going. The tight ends and running backs could present the types of routes and targets needed to get this offense back on track. Here’s to hoping we see more of each in the passing game going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Win is a Win <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JMU fans are rightfully concerned about the offense, but let’s not discount the win. This had trap game written all over it with the massive off the field distraction courtesy of the Sun Belt news. It was arguably as big, or bigger, of a distraction since Mike Houston’s fake tears and “unscripted” comments about a Charlotte job offer that helped set things in motion for the disaster at Colgate. Coach Cignetti and his staff somehow managed to avoid a similar outcome. They deserve a lot of credit for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They say ugly wins are still wins. That’s true. JMU absolutely has things to fix at this point in the season. But the Dukes are 6-1 and very much in the running for a playoff seed. As anxious as I am for the offense to find its footing, I do feel better about this team than I did about last Spring’s team in the regular season. JMU isn’t blowing the doors off anyone or racking up style points. But they’re winning. A common refrain we heard yesterday was that “survive and advance” counts in the playoffs, but not in the regular season. We reject that. It’s the same thing. Teams just need to keep winning. And save the slip-up against Villanova, the Dukes keep winning. Let’s not forget that.<\/p>\n