(09-08-2016 11:20 PM)Dukes2Space Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 11:02 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 12:06 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  Morehead was 7-4 last year, so I don't think they are that crazy to think they'll win their conference. Winning a playoff game? That's another story. Hosting a game? No way.

It's not hard to host a first round game, it's all about the cash. Hell, we lost out to EKU by bidding less than $50K.

At least our administration learned their lesson from that. I think we paid a little over $200k to host the last playoff game. The funny part is we still lost while we actually won that EKU game. I have no idea why it is, but JMU seems to play better on the road.

While we certainly did well on the road in '04, I don't really buy that we are a better team away from home. We lost a close game to App St on the road, and last year our swiss cheese defense would have lost anywhere on the planet. Defense matters in the playoffs.

(09-08-2016 11:02 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 12:06 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  Morehead was 7-4 last year, so I don't think they are that crazy to think they'll win their conference. Winning a playoff game? That's another story. Hosting a game? No way.

It's not hard to host a first round game, it's all about the cash. Hell, we lost out to EKU by bidding less than $50K.

Two of three Pioneer Football League teams have hosted their first round playoff games so far since receiving the autobid beginning in 2013.
In 2013, Butler hosted Tennessee State and in 2015, Dayton hosted Western Illinois. In 2014, San Diego played at Montana.
They simply need to outbid the opponent they are matched up against and they host.

(09-08-2016 11:20 PM)Dukes2Space Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 11:02 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 12:06 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  Morehead was 7-4 last year, so I don't think they are that crazy to think they'll win their conference. Winning a playoff game? That's another story. Hosting a game? No way.

It's not hard to host a first round game, it's all about the cash. Hell, we lost out to EKU by bidding less than $50K.

At least our administration learned their lesson from that. I think we paid a little over $200k to host the last playoff game. The funny part is we still lost while we actually won that EKU game. I have no idea why it is, but JMU seems to play better on the road.

A lack of defense. Without defense, you lose to good teams. Playoff caliber teams are good teams.

Defense wins Championships!

(09-09-2016 07:24 AM)Potomac Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 11:20 PM)Dukes2Space Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 11:02 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 12:06 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  Morehead was 7-4 last year, so I don't think they are that crazy to think they'll win their conference. Winning a playoff game? That's another story. Hosting a game? No way.

It's not hard to host a first round game, it's all about the cash. Hell, we lost out to EKU by bidding less than $50K.

At least our administration learned their lesson from that. I think we paid a little over $200k to host the last playoff game. The funny part is we still lost while we actually won that EKU game. I have no idea why it is, but JMU seems to play better on the road.

A lack of defense. Without defense, you lose to good teams. Playoff caliber teams are good teams.

You'd think that any defense - however good or bad - would slightly elevate its play with the home crowd behind them. But, it hasn't happened. You think about the bigger games we've had at BFS in the last several years and we've lost way more of them than we've won. And, we were favorites in possibly all of those games.

(09-09-2016 01:40 PM)Dukes2Space Wrote:  

(09-09-2016 07:24 AM)Potomac Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 11:20 PM)Dukes2Space Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 11:02 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote:  

(09-08-2016 12:06 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  Morehead was 7-4 last year, so I don't think they are that crazy to think they'll win their conference. Winning a playoff game? That's another story. Hosting a game? No way.

It's not hard to host a first round game, it's all about the cash. Hell, we lost out to EKU by bidding less than $50K.

At least our administration learned their lesson from that. I think we paid a little over $200k to host the last playoff game. The funny part is we still lost while we actually won that EKU game. I have no idea why it is, but JMU seems to play better on the road.

A lack of defense. Without defense, you lose to good teams. Playoff caliber teams are good teams.

You'd think that any defense - however good or bad - would slightly elevate its play with the home crowd behind them. But, it hasn't happened. You think about the bigger games we've had at BFS in the last several years and we've lost way more of them than we've won. And, we were favorites in possibly all of those games.

The answer is pretty simple: Withers. No amount of home-field was going to help those defenses.
Prior to Withers, what games are you referring to? I can think of just a few BIG games. ODU in 2012 was a game where we completely blew it. Aside from that, I have a really hard time finding a huge home game where our defense blew it. The loss in 2008 vs Montana was a hard one to win when Landers went down. That same year was the best home game we've ever had- App State. We won that one. We also won 2 huge games in the playoffs vs Wofford and Villanova.
So I have to disagree with you. I think we have won far more big games than we have lost at home. The losses though are pretty painful.

I think it was pretty evident our defenses started to slip under the last few years under mickey. I think defenses are what keep you from losing games like those.

(09-09-2016 02:51 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  I think it was pretty evident our defenses started to slip under the last few years under mickey. I think defenses are what keep you from losing games like those.

They did. I felt like some of that was created by our lack of offense. We had some pretty bad offensive teams those last few years. We had way too many 3 and outs and our defense was having to do far more than it should have.

(09-09-2016 03:19 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(09-09-2016 02:51 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  I think it was pretty evident our defenses started to slip under the last few years under mickey. I think defenses are what keep you from losing games like those.

They did. I felt like some of that was created by our lack of offense. We had some pretty bad offensive teams those last few years. We had way too many 3 and outs and our defense was having to do far more than it should have.

I feel like a lot of it was our lack of offense. In 2010 particularly, it seemed like every game the defense held the opposing team to under 10 points for 3 full quarters. After a gazillion 3 and outs by our offense they just got gassed in the 4th. I couldn't help but feel sorry for that side of the ball.

Stats from the 2010 season:
(1) Defense went into the 4th quarter having given up an average of 9.27 points. (2) 38% of the points scored against us in the season were in the 4th.
(3) It doesn't appear to be halftime adjustments as JMU only gave up 15 points for the year during the 3rd quarter (9% of total year points).
(4) 3 games we took a lead into the 4th (Udel, UNH, UMASS) and ended up losing. We were tied with Richmond going into the 4th and lost in OT.
(5) JMU gave up an average of 14.7 points per a game. Based on the link below only 6 FBS teams averaged less points in a game. Theoretically if our offense could have ranked 122 of 128 and we still would have gone 6-5 that year.

https://www.teamrankings.com/college-foo...s-per-game

(09-09-2016 02:51 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  I think it was pretty evident our defenses started to slip under the last few years under mickey. I think defenses are what keep you from losing games like those.

It was really only the last year under MM that the defense slipped noticeably. In CAA MM's last 5 seasons:
09' Total defense 2nd, scoring defense 4th
10’ Total defense 2nd, scoring defense 2nd
11’ Total defense 1st, scoring defense 1st
12’ Total defense 2nd, scoring defense 3rd
13’ Total defense 4th, scoring defense 8th (#1 vs run & in sacks, dead last vs pass).

Then with Withers dropped to near the bottom of the CAA..

(09-09-2016 05:15 PM)BDKJMU Wrote:  

(09-09-2016 02:51 PM)Centdukesfan Wrote:  I think it was pretty evident our defenses started to slip under the last few years under mickey. I think defenses are what keep you from losing games like those.

It was really only the last year under MM that the defense slipped noticeably. In CAA MM's last 5 seasons:
09' Total defense 2nd, scoring defense 4th
10’ Total defense 2nd, scoring defense 2nd
11’ Total defense 1st, scoring defense 1st
12’ Total defense 2nd, scoring defense 3rd
13’ Total defense 4th, scoring defense 8th (#1 vs run & in sacks, dead last vs pass).

Then with Withers dropped to near the bottom of the CAA..

That's so depressing to look at. Those teams should have had so much more success than they did. I specifically remember 2010 and how frustrating those games were to watch.

I believe both Withers and now Houston will reinforce what I said for years about the program not reaching its full potential under Mickey. JMU is a place where good coaches have all the resources to win.

(09-10-2016 07:29 AM)JMUNation Wrote:  I believe both Withers and now Houston will reinforce what I said for years about the program not reaching its full potential under Mickey. JMU is a place where good coaches have all the resources to win.

The problem is finding a good qb who doesn't want to go to Tech or UVA , or out of state. Look at what we did when we had a good, healthy , consistent qb vs the years or qb situation was questionable. And MM last playoff game was against NDSU at Fargo and we almost won with Justin Thorpe. Our location and VT/UVa hurts is when it comes to getting a good FCS qb some years.

Houston will win 9 games this year. That will be three 9 win seasons in a row post Mickey. Our defenses were good to great under Mickey. If Mickey could have let go of the offense, he too would have had more 9 win seasons.

BUMP, this thread is fun.

(08-25-2016 03:00 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  16-0

I mean I feel like I was pretty close

(08-25-2016 04:14 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  We challenge Alabama to a FCS/FBS Champion game and win 84-0

Damn I meant clempson

(01-13-2017 02:41 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  

(08-25-2016 04:14 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  We challenge Alabama to a FCS/FBS Champion game and win 84-0

Damn I meant clempson

You were also off on the score. We beat Clemson 117-2. Clemson agrees to play on Aug. 26 at BFS to open next season in prime time on ABC. JMU fans complain and blame Alger & Bourne.

(08-24-2016 06:47 PM)Potomac Wrote:  I think we're 8-3 material. A loss to a ranked unc team, a loss to UR or WM but not both, a wtf loss to a lower team such as UD or UNH. I guess unh isn't technically ever a bad loss.

We almost got our WTF loss against UNH. Other than that, I definitely underestimated what was coming.

(01-13-2017 02:55 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(01-13-2017 02:41 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  

(08-25-2016 04:14 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  We challenge Alabama to a FCS/FBS Champion game and win 84-0

Damn I meant clempson

You were also off on the score. We beat Clemson 117-2. Clemson agrees to play on Aug. 26 at BFS to open next season in prime time on ABC. JMU fans complain and blame Alger & Bourne.

Why aren't we also on Fox, NBC and CBS SIMULTANEOUSLY?!!!

(01-13-2017 04:55 PM)Potomac Wrote:  

(01-13-2017 02:55 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(01-13-2017 02:41 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  

(08-25-2016 04:14 PM)DirtyDukes Wrote:  We challenge Alabama to a FCS/FBS Champion game and win 84-0

Damn I meant clempson

You were also off on the score. We beat Clemson 117-2. Clemson agrees to play on Aug. 26 at BFS to open next season in prime time on ABC. JMU fans complain and blame Alger & Bourne.

Why aren't we also on Fox, NBC and CBS SIMULTANEOUSLY?!!!

Because Bourne and Alger said no. They have that kind of destructive power and do everything they can to make life miserable for JMU. On a related note, my lovable beagle puked on the shag carpet this morning. I blamed Alger and Bourne of course. I feel better now.