James Madison Dukes
CAA
James Madison has had an up and down season. After losing to North Carolina, the Dukes won four in a row, including road wins against Liberty and William & Mary and a home victory over Richmond. But then Coach Mickey Matthews and company lost three of their next four games. Sitting at 5-4, James Madison had to beat Rhode Island and Massachusetts to have any hope of reaching the playoffs. They won those two games and snuck in with a 7-4 mark.
2011 Record: 7-4, 5-3
Last Playoff Appearance: 2008
Coach: Mickey Matthews (95-60 at James Madison, 95-60 overall)
Big Wins: 9/17 at Liberty (27-24), 9/24 at William & Mary (20-14)
Bad Losses: 10/8 Maine (24-25), 10/29 at Old Dominion (20-23)
Strengths:
James Madison was able to stay in most of their games because of their defense. They rank at or near the top of the CAA in most major statistical categories. The toughest thing for any opposing offense to deal with is the Dukes ability to get pressure from every corner of the field. The line, most notably defensive end D.J. Bryant and defensive tackle Jordan Stanton, does a fine job causing havoc in the backfield, but Coach Matthews will bring pressure from other places as well. Stephone Robertson and his 92 tackles lead the James Madison defense. The middle linebacker is an experienced leader who does a superb job of dropping back in coverage and helping out the secondary. The defensive backs do not need too much help with safety Dean Marlowe and cornerback Mike Allen leading the way. This is not a defense that will force a lot of turnovers and take a lot of risks, but they play smart and they play safe and that has worked quite well for James Madison.
Weaknesses:
James Madison rarely has a good passing offense and this year is no different. Justin Thorpe has thrown for just 541 yards and four touchdowns in his six starts. James Madison does not want to throw very often, but if the passing attack is completely non-existent, this offense is way too easy to stop. Kerby Long and Brian Barlow are a couple decent receivers, but getting them the ball is the bigger issue. The running back situation is not as strong as it was last year, but Dae’Quan Scott and Jordan Anderson account for much of the offense. Scott finished the regular season with 1,166 rushing yards and a dozen trips to the end zone. Anderson added 763 yards and seven scores. Thorpe is not a great rusher, but he can move around in the pocket and make things happen. This team will go as far as Thorpe can take them and he needs to at least create the appearance of a passing threat or the offense will be too one dimensional. The defense can keep James Madison close, but the offense has to score.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Dae’Quan Scott, RB, 1,166 yards
Passing: Jace Edwards, QB, 733 yards
Receiving: Kerby Long, WR, 338 yards
Tackles: Stephone Robertson, LB, 92
Sacks: D.J. Bryant, DE, 5.5
Interceptions: Dean Marlowe, S, 4
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 233.18 (10th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Passing Offense: 115.82 (117, 11)
Total Offense: 349.00 (69, 6)
Scoring Offense: 23.18 (79, 7)
Rushing Defense: 95.45 (10, 1)
Pass Defense: 209.55 (63, 6)
Total Defense: 305.00 (12, 1)
Scoring Defense: 19.27 (15, 1)
Turnover Margin: .36 (40, 5)
Sacks: 3.18 (9, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 2.36 (75, 8)
