{"id":5973,"date":"2013-09-22T21:29:58","date_gmt":"2013-09-23T01:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=5973"},"modified":"2013-09-22T21:33:25","modified_gmt":"2013-09-23T01:33:25","slug":"quick-thoughts-on-jmu-over-charlotte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=5973","title":{"rendered":"Quick Thoughts on JMU over Charlotte"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"734094_10151682821828527_1159607982_n\"<\/a>The Dukes defeated the Charlotte 49ers yesterday by the score of 34-7. It was sometimes sloppy, always wet, and yet never really in doubt after a rough opening for JMU. As fans we had that sinking feeling in our stomachs, when the 49ers punched it in for a quick TD after JMU coughed up the opening kick. Thankfully, JMU answered with a TD from Dae’Quan Scott and promptly took control of the game. Overall, it was probably the strongest effort of the season for JMU and it left us with a lot to be optimistic about. Things were far from perfect however, and there are still things the Dukes need to tighten up for CAA play.<\/p>\n

Things We Liked<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dae’Quan Scott’s first half was a thing of beauty. He played well the entire game, but really took the reins and put the team on his back in the opening 30 minutes. His two first half touchdowns put the Dukes in the driver’s seat. For the game he rushed 35 times for 176 yards. It was his fourth straight 100 yard game.<\/p>\n

Scott’s back-ups were also a bright spot. Dejor Simmons once again showed that he’s more than capable of spelling Scott effectively. While only carrying the ball 8 times, he rushed for 4 yards a pop and helped keep the Dukes offense moving. True freshmen Khalid Abdullah was the player many fans were talking about after the game. Mickey pulled his redshirt this week and we quickly understood why. He rushed 13 times for 61 yards and TD. Not too much to say other than, the kid looks crazy talented and it’s going to be a pleasure watching him for the next four years.<\/p>\n

The running backs didn’t do it all on their own though. The o-line did a nice job clearing space and opening up holes all night. And they gave the Ginga Ninja time to throw as well. As a result, Michael Birdsong threw for over 200 yards. It was a solid, if not spectacular outing, for the sophomore QB making only his 6th start. He had a couple tosses I’m sure he wants back, but he also made throws that we haven’t seen a JMU QB make in years. On the whole, the offense did what it needed to do and took another step forward. Over 500 yards and 34 points on a miserably wet night. Not a bad way to close out non-conference play.<\/p>\n

Defensively, the front seven was great. Yes, it was only Charlotte, but the d-lineman \u00a0and linebackers played like men amongst boys. Stephon Robertson was once again Stephon Robertson, launching himself all over the field and leading the team in tackles. The defense’s relentless pressure rendered Charlottes passing attack ineffective. And the 49ers didn’t have much more success on the ground, averaging a meager 3 yards a carry. The D really was dominant, and didn’t have the mental lapses we saw the first three games.<\/p>\n

Things We Didn’t Like<\/strong><\/p>\n

The turnovers. JMU controlled the game and it’s tough to get worked up about a 34-7 victory. The truth is it shouldn’t have been that close. The Dukes turned it over 5 times. Two of them were picks from Birdsong, which we can write off as growing pains for a young QB. The Dukes fumbled 3 more times though, which is harder to overlook. JMU has 10 fumbles thus far in 2013. They’re going to have a tough time winning football games in the CAA if they keep killing scoring opportunities by coughing the ball up.<\/p>\n

Sage Harold’s injury is also troubling. He left the game with an ankle injury and reports are he could be out 3-6 weeks. While the defense didn’t lose a step without Harold and Jordan Stanton, who was ejected for targeting, Sage is a player who the Dukes were counting on heading into conference play. Hopefully he’ll be back soon.<\/p>\n

Moving On<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dukes head up to Delaware to start CAA play next Saturday. They’re 3-1 and should have some confidence after dominating Charlotte. There were some things to get excited about in the first 4 games (rushing attack, front seven, Birdsong’s high ceiling, wide receiver talent) and some things to make fans crazy (the turnovers, mental mistakes, giving up big plays, the turnovers).<\/p>\n

It’s clear this JMU team has talent. If not for some dumb mistakes and costly turnovers, they’d probably be heading into Newark at 4-0 with a head of steam. The mistakes happened though. And they need to stop. The glass half-full perspective says that it’s easier to eliminate mistakes than to attempt to overcome a talent deficit. Aside from Towson, there isn’t a CAA team out there that has been impressive every week thus far. But like JMU, several teams have shown glimpses. If the Dukes hold onto the ball and stop the mental lapses, the Dukes can beat any of them. If they don’t, we’ll all be talking hoops much earlier than anticipated.<\/p>\n