Rise of the Dukes

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[I]Being from James Madison, I decided to start a dynasty with the JMU Dukes with the Division I-AA mod. No underclassman declaring because I don't see a DI-AA player declaring. I will start in 2005, the year after the Dukes had just won the DI-AA Title. While I use the national title as background, of course the players are completely different.[/I] New Coach for the Defending Champs April 16, 2005 - Harrisonburg Sun Phillip Hitchins Just months after leading the James Madison, the Dukes saw their team hurt by the choice of Mickey Matthews, who joined the pro ranks as an assistant coach a couple of weeks ago. The Dukes responded by hiring a new face and former Amherst County High School football coach, Tommy Poe, a JMU alum. Poe, who has led the Lancers to two state title appearances in the past five years since taking over, was introduced Friday and immediately said that he plans to continue the success Matthews instilled into a program long overdue for some playoff success. Last year, the Dukes finished up a 9-2 campaign (9-1 against Division I-AA opponents) with three road victories in the playoffs (becoming the first to do so) and a trip to the national title game, beating the playoff veteran Montana Grizzlies. Poe thinks this team can do the same. "JMU brought back a lot of the starters from last year," Poe said at his first news conference. "I think it's clear we can continue to put JMU on the map as a yearly force in the Atlantic 10." Despite playing up the former players and the system Matthews used, Poe did make it clear, to players in a meeting Thursday, and to reporters in Harrisonburg that this was now his program and that changes were bound to be made. His former high school team was known for throwing the football, something JMU didn't play up last year, using a fierce running attack. Poe was coy on any immediate changes, though when asked what his ideal offense was, Poe responded with a clear "good balance of running and passing." On defense, JMU has adopted a 4-2-5 in recent years. Amherst High School ran both a 4-3 and a 3-4 and Poe said he was not sure of any changes on defense. "Obviously, we want a system that exploits the strengths of our players." Mickey Matthews had a disappointing 34th ranked recruitment class in his last year, though Larry Fasani, a running back from Rhode Island, is expected to make a big contribution right away. Poe was candid in his comments about the recruitment class. "I mean, sure, their ranking does say something. However, I see a lot of potential in this class." Poe also commented on the Atlantic 10, which had four playoff teams last year. "You look at the division and with New Hampshire, Massachusetts, William and Mary, and others, you know how tough it is to get that automatic bid." JMU was among six A-10 teams to make the preseason top 25. "You definitely have to think that if you make it out of this division, you are a real force in the playoffs." JMU and Tony Gilliam, the atheletic director, hope Poe can continue the headway Matthews started.

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Man, a first head coaching job at the college ranks and here I am, at the defending national champs. Hope I'm not over my head. The AD said he expected JMU to be a top 20 team. Should be fun. Here's my offense. Quarterback Senior Willie Bingham will run the offense. He's smart, disciplined, and has incredible instincts. Reminds me of Tom Brady. He doesn't have out-of-this-world physical talent and he won't scramble for many yards, but he'll run an efficient offense. Red-shirt sophomore Todd Hoying will create some trouble with his feet. He doesn't have a hugh ceiling, but if something should happen to Bingham, I'm not too upset with Hoying. Behind him, there's not much. If I need him, I'll un-red-shirt freshman Jacob Hall, who, if he can throw the ball, will be a force because he's such an outstanding athlete. Running back I tend to like to run a dual-halfback position. Share the load, get nearly a thousand yards from both backs. I have the man power for that. First, senior Frank Washington is a load. He runs over people and though undisciplined, has great instincts. Larry Fasani, a true freshman, is in the same mode, but he's got the ability to burst free for big time yardage. I haven't decided who will start, but I doubt it really matters anyway. A red-shirt freshman Aaron Roberts has big time ceiling. He's a homerun threat. Though he shouldn't have too many opportunities this year, expect him pair with Fasani next year for some big time success. And then, there's red-shirt sophomore Chris Tolbert. Talk about some speed. He leaves Roberts, Fasani, and Washington in the dust. He'll be moved to full back and hopefully, he can bulk up next year. He'll also see any carries that Washington, Fasani, and Roberts leave. Fullback Senior Dan Richardson will steal some carries, too. Talk about a guy with real talent. He's a great receiver, has great run blocking skills, can get that extra yard, and never asks for a play off. He's my warrior. Tolbert is an okay run blocker, and if he holds onto the ball, could be a force out of the backfield. This is a position I need to upgrade next year with Richardson out. Tolbert is more my plan B. Wide Receivers The reason I don't want to make the running game my focal point is because I have some real talent at my receiver spot and other than one of my top five guys, all will return so I want to get my receivers experience to make my offense more dynamic. First, senior Landon McGlockton catches just about everything thrown at him. With a deep threat on the other side, he'll catch all the underneath passes. However, I don't really have that deep threat. I expect Corey Terrell, a true sophomore, to be the other starter. Probably runs the best routes on the team and at 6'6", he can tower over corners. Behind them, there's a lot of parity. Bill Insley, a junior, and freshman Dana Fischer are in the same boat. Insley's a more polished wideout whereas Fisher has a major ceiling. My only true speed WR is Robb Knight, a sophomore who will be a big factor in the return game, but may never have the hands to be a big player in the receiving game. Tight End Quincy Wright, a red-shirt junior, finishes off a solid skills positions assortment for JMU. Strong with decent instincts, Wright runs precise patterns and will catch most balls thrown at him. Not bad for a "blocking tight end." Could be a thousand yard receiver if I throw to him enough. Another junior, R.J. Tullis, is a poor man's version of Wright. I hope they stay healthy because this positions gets real thin. Offensive line The line is anchored by Seniors David Barber, Corey Conklin, and Tony Lipps. Expect that to be the starting lefthand side of the offense. Because I use the pro set a lot, I definitely want to keep the lefthand side the strongest. Joing Barber as the starting tackles will be sophomore Dietrich Francis. He has a high ceiling and a work ethic to reach it. Junior Jerry Newton will be around to spell Barber and Francis, but if either are injured, I'll be scrambling to find consistent talent from the tackle position. Junior Ola Tucker will start to Lipps' right. His run blocking ability will be utilized on occasion. Great ceiling, but considering he's a junior, I don't know if he'll ever reach it. Red-shirt sophomore Noland Whitley is the opposite of Tucker. His run blocking ability is lacking, but he's one of my best pass blockers. He's my best non-starting lineman. There's very little behind him. Lipps has to stay in the lineup because I have nothing at center. Tony Caldwell, a true freshman, has good potential, but not sure I ever want to see him on the field. I need a lot of talent at this position in recruiting. Overall, a potentially explosive offense if Bingham limits mistakes and the offensive line avoids injury. I'll update the defense later.

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On defense, we're relatively young, but there's some talent. Defensive line Red-shirt sophomore P.J. Elling is a real force. He is a playmaker and the best player on defense. And he even has some room to grow. Aggressive with discipline, a rare combo, and he has great instincts and a work ethic to envy. On the other side, senior Vai Umenyiora is not as good, but still pretty solid. Sophomore Gary Fenderson is a dropoff, but has great potential. In the middle, junior Dan Toon and senior Dick Johnson (the porno guy) are both decent players, though neither are difference makers. Freshman Daryl Redmond will be in the mix and he's got a good future. Linebackers I haven't really decided what formation I'll take, but whatever it is, it'll have junior Joseph Manoa in it. The ILB isn't too fast so a two linebacker set will probably hurt us, but he's a sure tackler and gets the job done. He can rush the QB, too, making him perfect for a 4-3 set. Red-shirt junior Chris Joiner is a good backup and has good acceleration. Some youth behind him, but nothing I want to get to. Lots of options on the outside. The three main ones are senior Boyd Price and sophomore Victor Holdman. Holdman will probably play strong side. He had incredible potential and good speed. junior Michael Hood is a good backup and brings very good speed for a linebacker. There is not a lot of depth at this position. Secondary In what's looking like a typical 4-3, junior Ezra Anderson and senior Jeff "I Shot the" Sheriff. Anderson will likely draw the number one wideout while Sheriff can also play man-on-man D. Junior Karsten McMillen has good coverage skills and sophomore Terry Pierce adds depth. FS Ken Atkins, a junior, might be my best coverage guy. A very solid tackler, he should provide me many options. At the strong safety position, senior Jim Sayers has great instincts and a knack at getting to the QB. Behind them, Mo Berlin, a junior, and sophomore Gary Ferguson provide solid coverage skills, but the whole secondary needs to get faster and deeper. On special teams... Junior Todd Green should do all the kicking for the team. He's not that good and I'm hopeful red-shirt freshman Colston Walker will step up his game. The punting will be anchored by the senior Eddie Dale. He's pretty solid and coule be all-conference. Obafemi Miller, a true freshman, will back him up and hopefully, will become very good at his game since I will need him next year. The punt return game has several good guys, but none of them seem to be great it. Expect to see Robb Knight, Mo Berlin, Bill Insley, and Terry Pierce as I try to find a game changer out of them. Ezra Anderson could return a kickoff or two. He's got incredible skills at it. Jeff Sheriff, Knight, and a backup safety, red-shirt junior Nick Evans may also help out. Fred Jackson, a backup center and red-shirt junior, will handle long-snapping and should be pretty good at it. Well, that's my team. Some talented players. I think my defense will hold up well and my offense should score some touchdowns provided it stays healthy. The special teams should be average, though could catch fire. But there's not a lot of depth. An injury or two and I could be killed on both sides of the ball, especially when it comes to linemen.

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I started with nine games and three idle weeks to start off the year so I added the unranked UC Davis on a home-and-home (we are on the road this year) and a home game with Alabama State. Here's the schedule with the preseason media rankings. Conference games in bold. at UC Davis IDLE Alabama State [b]at #5 Maine #13 Northeastern at #23 New Hampshire Towson at #16 William and Mary Rhode Island Hofstra[/B] IDLE [B]at #3 Massachusetts[/B] Lafayette IDLE IDLE

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Week One (at UC Davis) This promises to be a tough game, especially coming into the Aggies home. They are a good time and I'm a bit surprised they aren't in the top 25. Despite the lack of love from the polls, they are expected to contend for the Great West title and possibly make the playoffs. On offense, they have some playmakers for their Run and Gun offense. Brody Creekmur is a talented QB who makes smart decisions. Having a bigtime WR like Tony Bellini definitely helps. We must get to the QB and force him into bad throws. Elling has to have a big game against an average at best RT. The secondary has to hold up as well. When we're on offense, provided Bingham makes good choices and we stay away from injury, we should be able to put some yards and points up. They have a decent secondary, but a weak front seven. We have to take advantage because I truly feel the defense can hold UC Davis down more than their defense can hold us down. All comes down to the offense making plays and not putting the defense in holes. ---------------------- Well, the defense didn't hold up and we were outgained by over 100 yards, but we take this one 35-28. The Aggies jumped out to a 10-0 lead with over 13 minutes left in the first half when Ezra Anderson nearly broke the kickoff after the field goal into a score of his own, but was stopped at the 3. After a run for no gain, Bingham hit Anderson on a playaction pass in the flat for the three-yard score. Creekmur was hurt on the FG scoring drive so junior Karl Hendricks was in. McMillen stepped in front of his second pass and first play of the Aggies insuing drive, setting us up at the UCD 23. On 3rd and 10, Bingham hit McGlockton on a 23 yard scoring strike to give us our first lead. Much later in the second quarter, Hendricks and the rushing attack drove the Aggies down to the JMU 12, but "Better than Ezra" Anderson picked off Hendricks in the endzone. We got a chance to extend the lead, but Todd Green missed a 53 yard FG with four seconds left in the half. After forcing them to punt, Fasani broke off a 64 yard rushing score, but it was called back because of a penalty on Conklin. The drive would end in a punt. Against the defense made a play. On a 1st and 10 at the JMU 16, Dick Johnson (the porno guy) nailed a UCD running back, forcing the fumble that Johnson recovered. However, we were hurt by the same thing. We made it down to the UCD 23 and after a five yard rush, Washington coughed it up. A play later, they were more than generous and gave it back after Umenyiora forced a fumble at the 22 and Joiner recovered. Todd Green would miss a 29 yard FG, though. Again, the defense stepped up with "Better than Ezra" picking off Hendricks pass on the first play of their insuing drive. With 1:42 left in the third quarter, Fasani plugged it in from a yard out for his first score. UCD finally sustained a drive without a turnover and Keith Lane converted from 27 yards out to make it 21-13. With under 5 minutes left, Bingham was picked off, but the defense held. We couldn't run the clock out and they were going to take over at the UCD 29 before a unnecessary roughness penalty on Corey Terrell tacked on 15 yards. After a 7 yard pass, Hendricks completed a 48 yard pass, putting the Aggies a yard out. A one yard strike put them within two and after they ran in the two point conversion, we were tied with 1:03 left. On a 3rd and 2, Fasani broke the Aggies back with a 63 yard run, but again, a penalty called it back. It was 21-21 after regulation. They got the ball first and on a 3rd and 3 from the five, Tom Krause ran it in for the score. We were on a 3rd and 12 from the 27 when Bingham hit Wright for the score. Bingham went right back to Wright (haha...sigh) on the first play of the second overtime, finishing with a 25 yard TD. They were unable to record a first down in the second overtime, giving us the win. Defensive gameball goes to Ezra Anderson. Averaged 41.8 yards on kickoff returns, had four tackles, and two picks. Honorable mention for Elling, who was held sackless, but hurried the QB five times and deflected three passes. Dick Johnson added a pair of sacks, a forced fumble, and a recovered fumble. Offensive gameball goes to Larry Fasani. The freshman had 151 yards on 32 attempts with a score. He also caught a pair of passes for 21 yards. Not to big for someone who had two 60 yard rushes called back. Honorable mention for Bingham (4 scores) and Wright (5 catches, 78 yards, 2 scores). Disappointments - Ezra had his moments, but he also had his bad moments. 2 missed tackles and 3 mental errors make me feel pretty lucky to get away with a win. McMillen, the nickel back, missed a tackle, gave up a big play, and had a mental error. Frank Washington was a major disappointment and the entire offensive line had negatives. Injury report...Tony Lipps has a toe fracture. He might miss the Alabama State game. RG Ola Tucker tore a muscle in his groin, but will likely still play. Robb Knight, third wideout and punt returner, suffered a torn ligament in his toe and his status for ASU is in the air. On defense, backup DE Gary Fenderson tore some cartilage in his finger. He may miss the ASU game, but could probably play. Victor Holdman has a broken rib or two. He could also miss the ASU game.

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Week 2 (IDLE) The win over UCD garnered us a few more rankings, moving up to ninth in the media poll (two spots) and 12th in the coaches poll (one spot). New Hampshire, now #21, beat Dartmouth 34-17 while Hofstra beat Texas Southern 21-7 and got pushed up to the Top 25, giving the A10 9 teams in the top 25, at least in the media poll (Hofstra missed the coaches poll). Only Richmond, Rhode Island, and Towson don't have any love. We get a week to rest while 11 teams in the league will be in action. ------------------ #7 Delware beat up on Savannah State 47-17. Hostra's success was quicklived, falling to Cal Poly 27-13. #5 Maine killed Southern Utah 44-10 but Brown upset #14 Massachusetts 33-27 in double overtime. Another upset as Cornell beat New Hampshire 22-10. #11 Northeastern stayed the course, beating Iona 42-27 and Rhode Island hit #23 in the media poll after beating Florida A&M 31-3. Richmond crushed Norfolk State 65-13 and Towson beat Duquesne 34-20. #8 Villanova got past Delaware State 35-21 and #15 William and Mary avoided the upset bug by beating Hampton 24-17. After all was said and done, we stayed ninth in the media poll and moved to 11th in the coaches poll. Academically, we lost Chris Tolbert and Corey Terrell. The Terrell suspension hurt because he's a starter AND he was so close to avoiding suspension. He pushed his GPA up to 2.00, but not over. Injury Report Robb Knight - Starting Flanker - Questionable with toe injury. Probably will not play. Tony Lipps - Starting Center - Questionable with toe injury. Game-time decision. Ola Tucker - Starting Right Guard - Probable with groin injury. Likely to play. Gary Fenderson - Backup Defensive End - Probable with finger injury. Likely to play. Victor Holdman - Starting Weak-Side Linebacker - Probable with ribs injury. Likely to play. The Alabama State Hornets come to town with no wins and two loses. It's their third straight road game to start the year and our second straight Run and Gun offense. With Terrell, we could have stretched the field against their 4-4. With Terrell suspended and Knight unlikely to play, that seems doubtful. Against their offense, I am not too afraid. Sophomore Ron Williams has gotten off to a good start (3 TDs, 1 pick, 42 yards rushing), but despite what UCD showed, I think I have a pretty good defense. I'm more worried about his legs than I am his arm. If he scrambles for first downs, we might be in for a long night. This goes back to the fact that my front seven is very slow. I am considering starting Hood over Holdman just to get more speed on the field, especially considering Holdman is hampered by a rib injury. If my defense is slow, the Hornets defense is trying to tackle with a walker. This is why it's a big deal not having Terrell and not sure I want to try to play Knight. While neither are exceptionally fast, they could have burned this secondary. Their linebackers are the strength so Wright and the running backs out of the backfield will have their job cut out for them. Expect to see more two tight end sets this week and more throws to the backs and tight ends.

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Week 3 (vs. Alabama State) Well, saw that coming. We fall 19-17. We took the first lead with Tood Green converting on a 37 yarder with a little more than 6 minutes left in the first. Alabama State tied it with a field goal from the same distance with a little more than 6 minutes left in the second. Finally with 2:13 left, Fasani ran it in from two yards out to put us up, but our defense let them go down the field and kick a field goal to make it 10-6 at the half. They followed by cruising down the field in three plays to open the second half and make it 13-10. With 5:46 left in the third, Bingham was injured and our hopes rested on Todd Hoying. With under a minute left in the third, another Bama State field goal made it 16-10. Hoying was picked off at the Bama State 10, killing a drive. After Price picked off a Bama State pass, we would convert later in the drive as we took the lead with Hoying hitting Fischer from 8 yards out. A bunch of stupid penalties killed us though and they kicked a field goal and ended up winning. Ya know, the front seven more or less did a good job. The mental errors and big plays came against the secondary. Ezra Anderson could be an outstanding player if he would play disciplined football. On offense, even before his injury, Bingham was pretty terrible. I think he had an illness or something. Hoying was decent. Injury report... Bill Insley, the new starter at WR, hyperextended his ankle and is questionable. He caught one pass for 12 yards. Tony Galdwell, a backup center, had a groin injury and is also probably out. DT Dick Johnson suffered a quad injury, but should play next week. In A10 action, Hofstra beat Northern Arizona 17-10 and Cornell upset #7 Deleware 27-20, dropping the Blue Hens seven spots. Maine killed La Salle 45-3 and moved up to fifth while Massachusetts avoided a big upset, beating Howard 44-38 in three overtimes. They're ranked 12th now. New Hampshire beat Monmouth 24-10, #8 Northeastern got past Saint Francis 22-12, and Rhode Island easily beat Stony Brook 41-17. Richmond moved up to #24 after beating Wagner 50-13 and #7 Villanova (37-12 over Cal Poly) and #13 William and Mary (38-24 over Northern Colorado) staved off upsets. Finally, Towson fell to South Carolina State 28-7. We fall to #22 in the media poll and #23 in the coaches. There will be three games next week with ranked opponents on both sides, including two A10 games as JMU goes to #5 Maine and #7 Nova goes to #13 William and Mary. So...Maine outta be fun. They are ranked number one in offense and number one in defense. Granted, they've faced next to nothing (beating Southern Utah 44-10 and La Salle 45-3...combined record, 0-6), but that doesn't mean they aren't talented. Two great running backs come out of their vertical passing attack and three of their starting lineman are pretty good. Great receivers with a solid pair of QB's. Bruce Jennings, who started the opener, is out because of academics, but Jake Baxter was awesome against La Salle. Baxter is a drop back passer and my secondary can't be too happy. I have got to get some pressure and Manoa will have to be the guy. He's coming off a 10 tackle, 2 sack, 2 FF game. If they're good offensively, they are a force on defense. I am hoping to run toward their right side of their defense, which I think is their weakest. Injuries... WR Bill Insley (S) - Questionable - Ankle Hypertension WR Robb Knight - Questionable - Torn Ligament in his Toe C Tony Caldwell - Questionable - Hernia C Tony Lipps (S) - Questionable - Toe Fracture OG Ola Tucker (S) - Probable - Torn Muscle in Groin DT Dick Johnson (S) - Probable - Strained Quad OLB Victor Holdman (S) - Probable - Broken Ribs Tucker, Johnson, and Holdman will all play and start. Lipps will backup at center with Knight in at WR because I need a threat. Insley will likely miss the game.

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Week 4 (at #5 Maine) The defensive hell continues as we give up over 500 yards and fall to 20-13. After they took the lead on a FG in the first, Sheriff fumbled the kickoff and they converted another field goal. We were able to get Todd Green a chance and he did convert from 47 yards out as the quarter was coming to a close. We even took the lead with over nine minutes left in the half as Bingham hit a wide open Wright for a 51 yard scoring strike. A great playaction fake opened it up on a 3rd and short. They drove the field to retake the lead 13-10. We had a chance to tie it, but first a delay of game penalty drove us back and a sack forced us to punt. A terrible call to go for it on 4th and 2 on the first drive of the third instead of settling for a 34 yard FG attempt wasn't helpful. Manoa saved us with a pick as they were charging down the field. In the fourth, Todd Green tied it with a 31 yarder after Bingham was sacked on a third and goal from the three. The Black Bears answered with a TD scoring drive to retake the lead. Two turnovers killed us, but we had a chance to possibly tie this game up. We were on the eleven with nine seconds left, but Bingham misfired on two straight passes to end the game. On the good side, Bingham threw for 333 yards. On the bad side, he threw two picks and only completed 49% of his passes, the second straight week he's been under 50%. London McGlockton had his second straight 100 yard game with 155 yards on seven catches, but also dropped a pair of passes, two of the four drops we had on the evening. Wright added six catches for 97 yards and a score, also dropping a pass. Knight was basically unheard of, catching two passes for 19 yards. On the offensive line, Conklin was awesome, but everyone else wasn't up to his level. Defensively, missed tackles, mental errors, and very little pressure on the QB (a sack by Manoa and three hurries) killed any hope. The amazing thing is despite a defense that gives up a league worse 469.7 yards a game, we've only given up seven scores. I mean, the defense ain't helping matters, but it keeps the team in the game. #8 Northeastern took care of Rhode Island 59-10, #22 UMass beat Towson 24-14, and #13 Deleware had no problem with New Hampshire, shutting them out 55-0. #10 William and Mary defeated #20 'Nova 33-30 in overtime while #9 Richmond sent La Salle to 0-4 with a 54-7 win. Injuries...Michael Hood suffered a severe concussion, but might be able to play against Northeastern. ----------- Well, things don't get any easier for the Dukes as the eighth ranked Northeastern Huskies come to town. They possess one of the best quarterbacks at this level in Robby Westmoreland, who has completed 77% of his passes and brings in a 185 rating. If that wasn't enough, Glenn Tatum averages nearly 150 yards a game on the ground. Aside from those stars, there's a lot of average players, but because nobody has been able to stop Westmoreland and Tatum, they've had a pretty easy time of it. They are strong up the middle defensively, but if you run at their ends, you should have some luck. Very good and experienced secondary. This does not look promising. The plan is to keep Westmoreland from passing all day on us and make Tatum beat my front seven, which typically will bend, but not break. Injury Report C Tony Caldwell - Questionable - Hernia (will not play) WR Bill Insley - Probable - Ankle Hyperextension WR Robb Knight (S) - Probable - Torn Toe Ligament OG Ola Tucker (S) - Probable - Torn Muscle/Groin OLB Michael Hood - Probable - Concussion Tony Lipps is healthy and returns to the starting lineup. We need a win and I am going to take a more hands on decision making.