{"id":11810,"date":"2022-09-09T08:15:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T12:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=11810"},"modified":"2022-09-09T08:15:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T12:15:51","slug":"norfolk-st-jmu-official-2022-jmusb-game-2-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=11810","title":{"rendered":"Norfolk St. @ JMU: Official 2022 JMUSB Game #2 Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Percy\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Matchup: JMU Dukes (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) vs. Norfolk State Spartans (0-1, 0-0 CUSA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. EST. Saturday, September 10, 2022, Bridgeforth Stadium, Rocktown<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 77, humid<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broadcast: ESPN+<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boys in the Desert: JMU by a LOT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How We Got Here<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dukes turned quite a few heads in the FBS college football world (and none moreso than among our own fans) with an exquisite performance during a 44-7 thrashing of (possibly) mid-tier G5 team MTSU last week. Norfolk St. on the other took their expected beating 55-3 at the hands of fellow new Sun Belt member Marshall in Huntington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Norfolk St. Can Win<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have COVID decimate JMU’s roster between now and kickoff. That’s really about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Don’t act like they won a trophy last week. JMU’s only danger this week is themselves and feeling way too pleased and proud. Based on what we saw last week from these two teams (and based on what we’ve seen from this matchup a couple times in recent years), the Dukes should be embarrassed if this is close at the half. But that SBC logo on the field, and the hype of the last week off the field, don’t actually win games and the boys need to get back in the lab. Unlike past seasons, this is the only true cupcake on the schedule (well, we’ll see about Texas St.) and this game should be treated as maybe the only serious opportunity to get real work for lots of backups and young guys who will likely be sorely needed later in the first FBS slog. It’s also a chance to clean up some of the unnecessary penalties from last week and get the timing right in the placekicking game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Santa Fe Brewing’s New Mexico Standard. New Mexico is arguably the nation’s most underrated state. And almost inarguably the nation’s most underrated beer state. Unfortunately, Santa Fe Brewing is largely the only brewery with (sort of) widely available products east of the Mississippi and it’s lineup is not the best representative of The Beers of Enchantment. With exceptional producers like La Cumbre, Marble, and Bosque cranking out the amazingly weird products that come from a beer-culture with no limitations but little distribution, it’s disappointing for this place and its beer that we love. But this lager, an aptly named Standard, is absolutely what it claims: a clean, crisp standard lager with a low ABV (in a gorgeous can worthy of the state with the best lineup of license plates) perfect for long tailgates and humid September days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Lots of Billy Atkins to Maxwell James and hopefully even an Alonza Barnett cameo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JMU 48, Norfolk St. 13<\/p>\n