Hope I'm not jinxing us, but I think JMU has faced the only defenses with a chance of tripping us up this season. It really doesn't matter how good our opponent's offense is (ie Richmond) because our defense will most likely shut them down, and without a stout defense of their own they're SOL.
Thus, in my mind, every remaining game should be viewed as a trap game. So, which of our remaining games do you think will be the most challenging?
(10-20-2017 10:55 AM)JMU2004 Wrote: [ -> ]The next one.
Hey! How'd you post that before I finished the poll? This thing's a piece of shat.
Oddly enough I think the unplayed team that may have given us the most fits isn't on our schedule this year: Stony Brook.
I'm confident NDSU will be our toughest.
This is a little tough. I think on paper, Elon is our best remaining opponent. I don't think they're our greatest chance of losing though. That would be Richmond because Lauletta is always a threat and their passing offense is still as good as it's always been.
Remaining Opponents by Offensive and Defensive Statistical Categories:
Scoring Offense:
UR - 2nd, 36.5 ppg
UNH - 5th, 28.2 ppg
Elon - 7th, 22.2 ppg
URI - 9th, 20.7 ppg
WM - 11th, 15.8 ppg
Rushing Offense:
Elon - 2nd, 197.8 ypg
WM - 7th, 140 ypg
UR - 8th, 118.2 ypg
UNH - 9th, 112.2 ypg
URI - 11th, 99.5 ypg
Passing Offense:
UR - 1st, 392.7 ypg
UNH - 2nd, 296.2 ypg
URI - 3rd, 267.2 ypg
Elon - 10th, 149.5 ypg
WM - 11th, 137.2 ypg
Total Offense:
UR - 1st, 510.8 ypg
UNH - 3rd, 483.8 ypg
URI - 5th, 366.7 ypg
Elon - 7th, 347.3 ypg
WM - 12th, 277.2 ypg
Scoring Defense:
WM - 5th, 17.7 ppg
Elon - 7th, 24.2 ppg
UNH - 10th, 25.8 ppg
UR - 11th, 27.2 ppg
URI - 12th, 29.7 ppg
Rushing Defense:
WM - 6th, 112.2 ypg
UNH - 8th, 144.2 ypg
Elon - 10th, 163.7 ypg
UR - 11th, 182 ypg
URI - 12th, 183.8 ypg
Passing Defense:
WM - 2nd, 179.3 ypg
Elon - 8th, 228.7 ypg
UNH - 10th, 244.7 ypg
UR - 11th, 245.3 ypg
URI - 12th, 251 ypg
Total Defense:
WM - 4th, 291.5 ypg
UNH - 9th, 388.8 ypg
Elon - 10th, 392.3 ypg
UR - 11th, 427.3 ypg
URI - 12th, 434.8 ypg
Wow, we are essentially playing the four worst CAA defenses after WM this week. We're facing either the worst or second worst CAA offense this week with just a top half defensive unit for the Tribe. We SHOULD offensively prosper from this week forward going into the playoffs. I don't see us playing a complete, truly threatening team until at least the quarterfinal round. Most 2nd round teams aren't very good, depending on the draw.
glad to see most people picking the correct answer: Richmond.
no, their defense is not playing well right now. we weren't playing well in our first year with a new head coach at this time last year, either. we certainly picked it up during the Nova game and never let up. no way to tell if they're having similar growing pains with a new scheme. but they can chuck it all over the field on offense. I still don't see how we lose to them, but they're the toughest test in the regular season. plus, it's a rivalry game so weird stuff can happen.
Our offense seems to struggle at times,but they adjust and play through for a win. Defense is huuming along pretty nicely now. They learned lasy year never take anyone lightly no matter how well you seem to have the upper hand.
Not a home opponent. Not RU. Not UNH.
RU got soundly beaten by Soft Houston. Lost to Elon at home. Struggled to beat Colgate (20-17). Struggled to beat Albany at home (OT). RU remaining schedule:
@ UD
SBU
@ VU
@JMU
W&M
I see 3 more losses for RU, and no playoffs. Even only 2 more losses would but the 7-4 with 4 I-AA losses and on the playoff bubble. JMU is going to beat RU like a drum.
Elon has already beaten RU at RU. It will be their senior day. That will be the toughest remaining game. JMU still wins by double digits.
The toughest remaining opponent is ourselves. JMU plays to it potential we go undefeated.
(10-20-2017 01:18 PM)Longhorn Wrote: [ -> ]The toughest remaining opponent is ourselves. JMU plays to it potential we go undefeated.
I agree. If we lose any remaining game before at least the quarterfinals, or honestly before we run into NDSU, it's because we had a bad game and beat ourselves with mistakes. To lose to any team this regular season other than UR, I would imagine it would take multiple mistakes to bury us.
(10-20-2017 01:24 PM)jmu007 Wrote: [ -> ]Channeling HCMH. W&M
nice! one game at a time!
Look, I root (I drove 22 hours/1600 miles round trip for CGD last weekend) but mentally, is the monkey off the back a little bit come playoffs if we put the streak behind us and drop a game between now and Nov 18? something to "put that dawg" in them?
If you had to lose one game before playoffs, which one?
*I'm posting this message on a Friday afternoon, taking a page from Bourne's playbook!
Toughest would be the Ticks 1) they seem to play their best game when they play us 2) because Lauletta is a great QB and can make good things happen on his own. The kid's a turd polisher.
If we had to lose one; this week at W&M. If they are going to lose, the sooner the better.
(10-20-2017 01:18 PM)Longhorn Wrote: [ -> ]The toughest remaining opponent is ourselves. JMU plays to it potential we go undefeated.
I was literally going to post the exact same thing- almost verbatim.
(10-20-2017 04:52 PM)JMUrcc06 Wrote: [ -> ]Look, I root (I drove 22 hours/1600 miles round trip for CGD last weekend) but mentally, is the monkey off the back a little bit come playoffs if we put the streak behind us and drop a game between now and Nov 18? something to "put that dawg" in them?
If you had to lose one game before playoffs, which one?
*I'm posting this message on a Friday afternoon, taking a page from Bourne's playbook!
JMU is going undefeated baby! All the way! Fans can worry about losing a game next year.
(10-20-2017 04:52 PM)JMUrcc06 Wrote: [ -> ]Look, I root (I drove 22 hours/1600 miles round trip for CGD last weekend) but mentally, is the monkey off the back a little bit come playoffs if we put the streak behind us and drop a game between now and Nov 18? something to "put that dawg" in them?
If you had to lose one game before playoffs, which one?
*I'm posting this message on a Friday afternoon, taking a page from Bourne's playbook!
I don't think losing would help us, other than to screw us in the playoffs. Would rather host that semifinal game than travel for it. This team isn't playing arrogant and "turning it on" late in games. They're playing hard and earning their wins.
(10-20-2017 09:53 PM)Dukes94 Wrote: [ -> ] (10-20-2017 04:52 PM)JMUrcc06 Wrote: [ -> ]Look, I root (I drove 22 hours/1600 miles round trip for CGD last weekend) but mentally, is the monkey off the back a little bit come playoffs if we put the streak behind us and drop a game between now and Nov 18? something to "put that dawg" in them?
If you had to lose one game before playoffs, which one?
*I'm posting this message on a Friday afternoon, taking a page from Bourne's playbook!
I don't think losing would help us, other than to screw us in the playoffs. Would rather host that semifinal game than travel for it. This team isn't playing arrogant and "turning it on" late in games. They're playing hard and earning their wins.
+1
Richmond and Elon are both games we could lose.