At 6-4 and less than 24 hours away from their final regular season game, James Madison is probably the most interesting team in all of FCS football this year. Here is everything you need to know about the defining game of JMU's 2011 football season:
How We Got Here: One year removed from a program-altering upset of Virginia Tech, JMU brought a veteran defense and a surprisingly capable offense back to the gridiron. Big things were expected of the Dukes. FBS foe North Carolina beat the Dukes in Chapel Hill, but back to back FBS upsets are literally unheard of at the FCS level, so no surprises there. Many fans I talked to were afraid that such a beatdown at the hands of even an average FBS teammeant that the Dukes were bound were mediocrity for the third straight year. Whatever the negative perception was, the team clearly didn't feel the same way. JMU eeked out a close win over possible playoff team Central Connecticut State at the inception of the new Bridgeforth Stadium.
The offense really started to mesh after that. JMU defeated a very good, playoff-bound Liberty team in Lynchburg. After the Liberty football team realized they were about to break curfew, they retreated indoors, and the Dukes headed Williamsburg and picked up their first conference win against #6 William and Mary.
But all good things must come to an end. Justin Thorpe was promptly suspended for five games, and via federal family protection laws, we were not offically told why. Pretty much everyone understands that he failed a drug test, sources telling me because of nothing other than weed. Backup linebacker Chase Williams was also suspended, but let's face it, when the quarterback and anyone else on the team is indefinitely suspended, the quarterback will be the main one in the spotlight.
Freshman quarterback Jace Edwards takes the snaps at this point in time. With Family Weekend's annual rivalry against the Spiders looming, many wondered if JMU would fall to the creepy crawlers to the third straight year. Not the case. In his JMU debut, Edwards managed a rushing romp of epic proportions as Richmond was promptly squashed.
If you're squeamish, look away. This next part gets nasty.
JMU loses to Maine in overtime on a gadget 2-pt conversion play. Maine's play rises to #2 on Sportscenter's Top Plays. Dae'Quan Scott and Jace Edwards both suffer separated shoulders. JMU bounces back to thrash cellar dweller Villanova, but JMU loses the inaugural ODU game to second half injuries after somewhat controlling the first half. Hope floats with the possibility of a would-be impressive road victory at New Hampshire, but injuries and the far travel distance prove too much for JMU, and lose their third in a four game stretch.
That is, of course, five games. Justin Thorpe returns and leads a romp over Rhode Island on Senior Day in Bridgeforth. And now here we sit with the Dukes (6-4, 4-3).
On the Precipice of Glory: JMU travels to UMass Saturday, an average team who has had a tough go of it this year and is inelligible to make the postseason anyway. They have very little to play for. JMU, on the other hand, has everything to play for. By rule, a team must win seven games to qualify for the postseason in FCS football. This is as must-win as must-win gets. Should JMU beat UMass, the selection committee will have an admittedly hard decision- JMU beat two solid out of conference opponents, and they followed those wins up by playing a season in what is probably the toughest division in FCS football (with apologies to the Big South. The committee will also need to consider the fact that JMU is appealing for more than just their football program- the Dukes are one of the most spirited and supported teams out there, and Bridgeforth Stadium in its entirety is second to no other stadium on the FCS level. The committee does consider these things when deciding not only who makes the playoffs, but where the home games are played.
On the Verge of Defeat: The return of Justin Thorpe really fired some people up last week, and we played great against Rhode Island. But it doesn't change the fact that we are really, really injured. The offensive line is a mess at this point, and it won't get any better soon. It's not unreasonable to think we could travel all the way up to the northeast tip of the country and lose another game up there. That would definitively end our season at 6-5 for the third straight year, and the coaching carousel would begin. But even if we stand at 7-4 after the UMass game, a playoff berth is not guarenteed. While its true that JMU has played admirably in the face of hardship and played some tough opponents, the bottom line is that JMU's only CAA wins have come from teams under .500 in conference play. That is a pretty damning statistic, and a win at UMass (5-5, 3-4) won't change that either. They might prefer a Delaware team that has been a little inconsistent, but has beaten both ODU and conference leader Towson. Either way, it could be bad. Should I prefer the quick death of a UMass loss, or the slow, drawn out pain of a no bid from the FCS playoff committee? Neither one sounds incredibly appealing.
The Verdict: An inspired JMU squad goes up to Massachusetts and sends a message to the committee. The game is close early on as JMU leads by only 6 at halftime, but the Dukes turn it up in the second half as they have in most of their wins this year. Good guys win 27-13. The playoff committee wants to allow JMU in, but they soon realize too much of the JMU appeal comes from Bridgeforth Stadium. After a tight vote, JMU is awarded a first-round home rematch against Liberty, with App State looming around the corner for the winner.
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