The Colonial Athletic Association standings are as close as they have ever been. Two of the four remaining Dukes games are versus CAA teams ranked higher than JMU.
Tied for third in the CAA at 3-1 in conference contests, James Madison has had a full two weeks (coming off bye) to prepare for their second to last home game versus the Seawolves of Stony Brook, second in the CAA at 4-1 in conference play.
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Team Versus Team
James Madison, second in the CAA in total points scored (278) have scored 20 more points on the season compared to Stony Brook, fourth in the CAA in total points scored (258). Stony Brook has the best rushing offense in the CAA with 1,745 total rushing yards on a CAA best 218 rushing yards per game.
However, JMU is not far behind avergaing 191 yards rushing per game on 1,336 total rushing yards on the season. Both teams have defenses that bully the opposition with both their turnover margins at +6 (this means that both teams defenses have taken the ball from opposing offenses 6 more times than their own offense has lost the ball).
This comes as no surprise as JMU Cornerback Jimmy Moreland leads all CAA in interceptions (4). Stony Brook has four interceptions returned for touchdowns among four of their best defenders. Both teams are tied for first in the CAA in interceptions returned for a touchdown (4).
The outlook of both of these teams on offense and defense further supports what JMU Head Coach Mike Houston said in an interview early this week, "I expect that at the beginning of the fourth quarter to be a very competitive and tight football game. It's going to be a game that goes down to the wire."
Rushing Game
Stony Brook is the best rushing offense in all CAA. On 347 attempts, Seawolves players have rushed for 15 touchdowns and gained 1,745 yards on 218 rushing yards per game. JMU, not far behind, has also rushed for 15 touchdowns, but has gained only 1,336 yards on 257 attempts.
Stony Brook's overwhelming yardage statistics seem almost unimportant for JMU, considering they have gained significantly fewer yards on far fewer attempts, they have matched Stony Brook's rushing touchdown total, which after all, is the only thing that matters, right? Touchdowns.
Two Seawolves running backs have shined thus far in the 2018 campaign. Donald Liotine and Jordan Gowins have transformed the SB offense into a rushing powerhouse. Liotine is currently first in the CAA in total rushing yards (784) and total rush attempts (135), and sixth in the CAA in yards per attempt (5.8).
Gowins is first in the CAA in rushing touchdowns (7) and rushing yards per game (101.9). Gowins is second in the CAA behind Liotine in total rushing yards (713), tied for second in rush attempts (111) and third in yards per rush (6.4).
The JMU backfield has a bit more rotation involved. Unlike Stony Brook which has two alternating #1 running backs, JMU running backs: Marcus Marshall, Trai Sharp and Cardon Johnson have received the most touches out of the Dukes backfield which hasn't been quite at SB level, but is good enough to be a top five rushing offense in the CAA.
Marcus Marshall, second in the CAA in yards per rush (7) and eighth in total rushing yards (366) will have to get into the end zone for JMU's running game to keep up with SB's running game. SB has gained over 400 more yards rushing compared to JMU. But, as mentioned before, both offenses have recorded 15 rushing touchdowns, so the only number that really matters is touchdowns — and in that category, we are tied.
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QB Comparison
The comparison of quarterbacks is far more favorable for the Dukes. Ben DiNucci is first in the CAA in pass completion percentage (69.6%), while SB QB Joe Carbone is eighth (50.3%).
DiNucci is fifth in the CAA in passing yards per game (184) compared to Carbone who is seventh (147.5). Despite DiNucci's prowess at the QB level in the CAA, it all comes down to touchdowns, DiNucci has thrown for 10 and Carbone has thrown for 12, which makes this statistical matchup far more equal.
DiNucci vs. Carbone [credit]HERO Sports[/credit][/caption]
Other Key Players
- JMU's Riley Stapleton: third in CAA in receptions (41) and receptions per game (5.86), tied for third in receiving touchdowns (5)
- JMU's D'Angelo Amos: named CAA Special Teams Player of the Week for his two punt returns for touchdowns at Villanova — Amos is first in the CAA in punt return yards (391) and punts returned for a touchdown (3)
- SB's Shayne Lawless: tied for fourteenth in CAA in tackles (60) and tenth in tackles for a loss (8)
- SB's Damarcus Miller: tied for third in CAA in interceptions (2), tied for second with three other SB defenders in interceptions returned for a touchdown (1)
- SB's EJ Fineran: tied for first in CAA in fumbles recovered (2), tied for second in interceptions returned for a touchdown (1)
Both teams have prolific offenses. It ia hard to say who has the edge. Rushing, SB has the edge. Passing, JMU has the edge. But it all comes down to touchdowns which makes this a much more difficult comparison since both teams are almost identical in their total touchdowns scored on offense and on defense.
Coach Houston is right, he explains in his interview, "This game will go down to the wire. We'll certainly need a very loud and boisterous twelfth man late in the ball game to give us the advantage."
The home field advantage is very important for the Dukes, traveling up to Stony Brook would have made this a much more difficult matchup than what it already is. Homecoming weekend for the Dukes will certainly provide a sold-out home crowd and that "twelfth man" Coach Houston expects us to be. Expect Coach Houston's predictions to be accurate. This will be a very closely contested matchup with no overwhelming mismatches. Expect this game to come down to a final defensive stand for either team.
The Dukes standings after this week will truly depend on the outcome of other CAA matchups. If the Dukes lose, they could be in a three way tie for third place in the CAA. If the Dukes win and Delaware beats Towson and if Elon beats Rhode Island, there would be a four way tie for first place between JMU, Elon, UDel and Towson. If Towson beats Delaware, Towson remains #1 seed in the CAA.
Who would've thought at the beginning of the season that CAA play would be this close? I sure as heck didn't.
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