Monday, September 2, 2013

The Glorious Return of... The Hangover

BEFORE WE GET THIS YEAR'S FIRST HANGOVER STARTED: I have taught myself how to embed tweets into my blog posts. You are about to drown in a torrent of my own self-absorbed hilarity. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.


#19 JMU 38, Central Connecticut State 14

On one hand, I'm kind of surprised the Dukes only rang up 38 points against CCSU, a team whose defense was leakier than the Flying Dutchman last year. It's supposedly improved this year. So is West Virginia's. I digress.

It's hard to really take a lot away from this game, not only because of the opponent, but because of the way the game, particularly the second half, unfolded. But some of the things I saw that I liked:


-The play-calling. My goodness, the play-calling. I am a cow over the fucking moon with the play-calling. There were sweeps, dives, screens, and, wait for it, passes 10+ yards down the field! Most importantly, it was all very well mixed together, it was at pace, and it was executed, to the most part, with a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness. This is what a non-stagnant offense looks like. For too many years now, JMU has coasted by on poor play calling because of the caliber of athlete the program attracts. I won't get all worked up over one game against a directional school from a state the size of large Arby's, but Mike O'Cain clearly passes his first test. If Mickey gives him that sort of creative control over the offense all year, this team will make the playoffs. It's that simple.

-Let's stick with the offense. Birdsong is bull-headed, which I think is mostly a good thing. He said something sort of poignant in the post-game press conference along the lines of 'I'm 240 pounds, and if I can go one-on-one with some DB, I'm going to run his ass over.' I'm paraphrasing here, but the takeaway was starkly unlike the typical QB towline of Slide first, ask questions when you miss the first down line later.

For the most part, I think this is a good thing. Maybe it means MB doesn't know his own value to the team; maybe it doesn't. And while it's true JMU is startlingly barren behind Birdsong at quarterback, what this probably just means is that Mike is big, he knows it, and his legs are just a potent a weapon on offense as his arm is.

-Dae'Quan Scott, God love him, actually said after the game that he felt it was the worst game of his career. Child, please. You had 197 all-purpose. You ran a punt back 57 yards for a touchdown. And, oh yeah:


Yeah, I break news occasionally. So what? This moment is about Dae'Quan. Stop trying to take this away from him, cynical reader.

-There were ten caught passes. Eight players registered a reception. That is all.



-On defense: Dean Marlowe and Stephon Robertson were, well, they were Dean Marlowe and Stephon Robertson.

Robertson led the team in tackles, along with redshirt freshman Gage Steele, part of the much-heralded #1 recruiting class. We all know Robertson is a beast, but Steele is a new commodity. It seems his natural position is middle linebacker, like what Robertson plays, but JMU has moved him to weak-side LB because, let's be real, a freshman isn't unseating an All-American.

-The defense was so lights out in the second half that offense basically didn't play. Let's recap:

On the opening drive of the second half, CCSU throws an incomplete on third and 4. Blue Devils punt the ball. Scott returns ball for touchdown.

Next possession: thanks to an offside penalty, CCSU moves up from 3rd and 9 to 3rd and 4. Commence Bridgeforth getting loud as hell. Two consecutive false starts push Blue Devils back to 3rd and 14. Blue Devils QB Andrew Clements, now getting desperate, launches a prayer 20 yards down the field, which became said filthy, ball-hawking Dean Marlowe interception. JMU kicks field goal.

Next possession: On third and 10, Clements again launches one, this time 30 yards downfield. Same result: picked off by quarterback-turned-cornerback Taylor Reynolds, returned for a touchdown.

Next possession: Look, the JMU defense is only human. They've literally been on the field the entire third quarter thus far, and they're staring down the barrel of yet another possession. CCSU runs 13 plays and 8 minutes off the clock... yet they only make up 35 yards. Even when they're tired, this defense is pretty good, it seems.

-The Crowd! Hell Yes! Go crowd go! Be all that you can be!

The student section was rocking the entire first half and into the third quarter. The north end zone was also filled out, which is where I often see some of the more lackadaisical fans/empty pockets. The only empty parts I saw were in the upper decks, which is acceptable for CCSU. I get it. ESPN has a bigger campus than Central Connecticut. Fine. As long as we're full for big home games (looking at you, Villanova), my bitching will be at a minimum.


Given the circumstances, I find this to be acceptable.



Obviously I'm nitpicking, and I thought overall JMU turned in a solid performance on Saturday, but briefly, some of the things I wasn't so fond of:

-There was no pass rush. AGAIN. JMU recorded 8 tackles for a loss, but if you look where they're coming from, it's a lot of linebackers and safeties, and not so much from guys coming unchecked up front. That being said, Defensive End and FOTB Tyler Snow was held out with a hamstring issue. I'm told he's doubtful to play at Akron, which is a major loss for another FCS upset bid. Mickey called him after the game "the most solid player" on JMU's defense. Big words when you have conference POY's in your linebacking corp. Still, I'm convinced that the pass rush will improve when Snow does.

-Hold onto the ball. Put gorilla glue on your fingers and rip them off at the end of the season. Wear Andre's ridiculous grippies (mandatory The League reference: check). Just hold on to the ball, for God's sake.

-Not crazy about bend, don't break coverage against CCSU. We have superior players and athletes all over the field. We can afford to cover receivers a little more tightly.

-We have GOT to figure out how to cover tight ends. JMU has been straight up bad covering tight ends ever since I got to Harrisonburg, and there were signs of that trend continuing. Teams know this about JMU by now. I don't know if it's mixing schemes or double-coverage, but we've got to do something other than just let tight ends crush us over the middle for 15 yards at a time.

-Stupid fans. I have ranted about getting fans into the game and leaving early. Now, I need you all to educate yourselves!



We all need goals, I guess.



West Virginia 24, William & Mary 17



That's pretty much all I have to say on that, lest I relapse back into a rage-fueled state of fanaticism that can't process a blue and gold number being less than a green and gold number, much less the implications of an A-gap blitz on a passing down.


I probably have a couple of quips left in me, but honestly, it's just lots of making fun of Virginia Tech. Oregon State lost? That's going to turn into me making fun of Virginia Tech. Kansas State lost? Nope, Virginia Tech. JMU is playing Akron next week? Nope, Virginia Tech.


I'll have the pregame up Friday evening, and I'm shooting for my annual 10 Things: NFL predictions midweek. Until then, may you tailgate preparations be swift and just.
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