Wow, what a game. So many mistakes in the first half and we still found a way. Mistake free football makes it 16-0 at the half, and winning 33-21, which would about match the yards disparity. We got to clean up those mistakes. I also think we need to find our pass rush. It seems that all those deep balls were completed with no pressure on the QB. It only keeps getting tougher from here (unless UNH upsets, somehow).

I was surprised when we won the toss that we took the ball instead of deferring. Houston must have told the team we were doing that ahead of time. It backfired of course with the quick INT and score given up. I'd prefer we defer. Get our best unit on the field first and guarantee we get the ball to start the 2nd half. But, perhaps that's just me. I'll cover this with Houston during our daily call later tonight.

:>)

Congratulations Dukes. Saw a link to heroes on our football blog. Fantastic last 3+ minutes. Very nice way to close out the game!

(12-09-2017 02:18 PM)Nerfherder95 Wrote:  Wow, what a game. So many mistakes in the first half and we still found a way. Mistake free football makes it 16-0 at the half, and winning 33-21, which would about match the yards disparity. We got to clean up those mistakes. I also think we need to find our pass rush. It seems that all those deep balls were completed with no pressure on the QB. It only keeps getting tougher from here (unless UNH upsets, somehow).

I’m not sure if we watched the same game.

The game plan was rushing four all along to prevent qb from broken play scrambles. Check.

Qb was awful passing the ball. Why? Because we pressured him all night causing him to get rid of the ball way before we wanted to.

Qb pressure is not all about sacks. It’s about disrupting a teams offense. Save a couple plays, we did that well yesterday as always.

From the Richmond Times... http://www.richmond.com/sports/late-nigh...d302d.html

I heard Houston talk about this on the postgame presser. Some tough love for MM from two mentors...

The Dukes rushed for 49 yards on 38 attempts in a 26-7 second-round win over Stony Brook. To his players, Houston emphasized that in December games, running the ball is essential. JMU rushed for 190 against Weber State, with Marcus Marshall gaining 128 of them. He averaged 9.1 yards on 14 carries, and scored two touchdowns.

Marshall, a junior transfer who led Georgia Tech in rushing each of the last two years, is the son of Warren Marshall, JMU’s career rushing leader (4,168 yards, 1982-86).

“We had some pretty heated discussions early (last) week about the things that we need to do to get going running-wise,” said Houston. “Marcus and I sat down earlier in the week and I kind of challenged him, that he could be a difference-maker, because he has the ability.

“He said his dad had the same talk with him, I think last Sunday. So maybe he should listen to me and his dad a little more often.”

...let's hope it is a spark that this offense desperately needs.

(12-09-2017 02:22 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  I was surprised when we won the toss that we took the ball instead of deferring. Houston must have told the team we were doing that ahead of time. It backfired of course with the quick INT and score given up. I'd prefer we defer. Get our best unit on the field first and guarantee we get the ball to start the 2nd half. But, perhaps that's just me. I'll cover this with Houston during our daily call later tonight.

:>)

He always does this. Did it last week as well. Not my preference but maybe it matches with his pre-game pep talks.

The coin toss no longer matters. We’ll have the ball first next week.

(12-09-2017 04:21 PM)Dukester Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 02:22 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  I was surprised when we won the toss that we took the ball instead of deferring. Houston must have told the team we were doing that ahead of time. It backfired of course with the quick INT and score given up. I'd prefer we defer. Get our best unit on the field first and guarantee we get the ball to start the 2nd half. But, perhaps that's just me. I'll cover this with Houston during our daily call later tonight.

:>)

He always does this. Did it last week as well. Not my preference but maybe it matches with his pre-game pep talks.

The coin toss no longer matters. We’ll have the ball first next week.

Silly me. I guess I'm just now catching onto this. Thanks for the heads up. If we win the toss and take the ball first with the same results as last night then I say we fire Houston on the spot. I mean, this board has him leaving us every minute of every day anyway. Let's beat the rush and send him packing. PUT YOUR COACHING PANTS ON, HOUSTON...OR, YOUR DOG GETS IT! You just made The List, Bub.

(12-09-2017 04:27 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 04:21 PM)Dukester Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 02:22 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  I was surprised when we won the toss that we took the ball instead of deferring. Houston must have told the team we were doing that ahead of time. It backfired of course with the quick INT and score given up. I'd prefer we defer. Get our best unit on the field first and guarantee we get the ball to start the 2nd half. But, perhaps that's just me. I'll cover this with Houston during our daily call later tonight.

:>)

He always does this. Did it last week as well. Not my preference but maybe it matches with his pre-game pep talks.

The coin toss no longer matters. We’ll have the ball first next week.

Silly me. I guess I'm just now catching onto this. Thanks for the heads up. If we win the toss and take the ball first with the same results as last night then I say we fire Houston on the spot. I mean, this board has him leaving us every minute of every day anyway. Let's beat the rush and send him packing. PUT YOUR COACHING PANTS ON, HOUSTON...OR, YOUR DOG GETS IT! You just made The List, Bub.

Lighten up, Francis. :-)

(12-09-2017 04:34 PM)94computerguy Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 04:27 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 04:21 PM)Dukester Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 02:22 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  I was surprised when we won the toss that we took the ball instead of deferring. Houston must have told the team we were doing that ahead of time. It backfired of course with the quick INT and score given up. I'd prefer we defer. Get our best unit on the field first and guarantee we get the ball to start the 2nd half. But, perhaps that's just me. I'll cover this with Houston during our daily call later tonight.

:>)

He always does this. Did it last week as well. Not my preference but maybe it matches with his pre-game pep talks.

The coin toss no longer matters. We’ll have the ball first next week.

Silly me. I guess I'm just now catching onto this. Thanks for the heads up. If we win the toss and take the ball first with the same results as last night then I say we fire Houston on the spot. I mean, this board has him leaving us every minute of every day anyway. Let's beat the rush and send him packing. PUT YOUR COACHING PANTS ON, HOUSTON...OR, YOUR DOG GETS IT! You just made The List, Bub.

Lighten up, Francis. :-)

I may have missed this but has anyone seen the attendance numbers from last night? 211 seemed pretty thin compared to SB the week before. There may have been 10 people in 212.

13490

http://jmusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=13...h=football

(12-09-2017 02:22 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  I was surprised when we won the toss that we took the ball instead of deferring. Houston must have told the team we were doing that ahead of time. It backfired of course with the quick INT and score given up. I'd prefer we defer. Get our best unit on the field first and guarantee we get the ball to start the 2nd half. But, perhaps that's just me. I'll cover this with Houston during our daily call later tonight.

:>)

Yes, I was shocked he didn’t defer as well. With JMU ‘s excellent defense a quick 3 and out would put JMU in great field position and this year’s offense needs that help. With opponents getting better and better each round of the playoffs you have to leverage your strengths as much as possible. JMU has a great defense and a pretty good offense.
It was not Houston’s best mental game, but the Dukes won anyway.

(12-09-2017 06:25 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  13490

http://jmusports.com/boxscore.aspx?id=13...h=football

Attendance at SDSU - 5,583 (via STATS)

Ndsu was in the 17,000s which is a couple thousand less than capacity in their nice warm bubble.

(12-09-2017 06:42 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  Ndsu was in the 17,000s which is a couple thousand less than capacity in their nice warm bubble.

And in a place that is over double the population of Harrisonburg and I'm sure where a huge portion of NDSU's alumni base is.

(12-09-2017 06:28 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 02:22 PM)Wear Purple Wrote:  I was surprised when we won the toss that we took the ball instead of deferring. Houston must have told the team we were doing that ahead of time. It backfired of course with the quick INT and score given up. I'd prefer we defer. Get our best unit on the field first and guarantee we get the ball to start the 2nd half. But, perhaps that's just me. I'll cover this with Houston during our daily call later tonight.

:>)

Yes, I was shocked he didn’t defer as well. With JMU ‘s excellent defense a quick 3 and out would put JMU in great field position and this year’s offense needs that help. With opponents getting better and better each round of the playoffs you have to leverage your strengths as much as possible. JMU has a great defense and a pretty good offense.
It was not Houston’s best mental game, but the Dukes won anyway.

There’s no fault to be found with any of the coaching decisions, however, execution
by the players resulted in enough errors to have cost JMU the game.

As has already been pointed out, MH will always want the ball first if given the choice. He’s done it consistently since he’s been at JMU. The idea is to take the opening kickoff, score, put pressure on the other team making them play from behind and control the clock in the first half. A 25 game winning streak says there’s something to be said for his approach.

What was up with the lead official last night constantly giving us play-by-play after so many obvious plays? I've never seen a ref use his mic as much as that guy. I expected at any moment for him to break out singing Frosty the Snowman or something. Maybe he just enjoys hearing his voice over the stadium PA. I envision him talking to the other refs at halftime in the refs locker room with stuff like... "Hey guys, how'd I sound out there? Do I need to raise the tone or lower it some? Do you guys want me to sing a Kenny Rogers diddy during the 2nd half between a play, maybe The Gambler?"

So, just curious, I'm a little surprised Weber didn't go for 2 on their last score. They get it, they go up by two scores, they don't, still up 7. That's not enough? They got a penalty on the kick they made, they could've accepted then gone for 2. I was really shocked, and very happy that we weren't down 9.

(12-09-2017 10:29 PM)JMU08 Wrote:  So, just curious, I'm a little surprised Weber didn't go for 2 on their last score. They get it, they go up by two scores, they don't, still up 7. That's not enough? They got a penalty on the kick they made, they could've accepted then gone for 2. I was really shocked, and very happy that we weren't down 9.

I've always felt you should go for 2 when up by 7 late in a game. You miss...you're still up 7. You make it... you're up two scores and game over (if it's late enough). But coaches just don't do it. I don't get it

(12-09-2017 11:16 PM)s2dsayer Wrote:  

(12-09-2017 10:29 PM)JMU08 Wrote:  So, just curious, I'm a little surprised Weber didn't go for 2 on their last score. They get it, they go up by two scores, they don't, still up 7. That's not enough? They got a penalty on the kick they made, they could've accepted then gone for 2. I was really shocked, and very happy that we weren't down 9.

I've always felt you should go for 2 when up by 7 late in a game. You miss...you're still up 7. You make it... you're up two scores and game over (if it's late enough). But coaches just don't do it. I don't get it

Make the extra point, and you force the other team to go for two to tie.
Miss the two point conversion, the other team can win by making one themselves. Probably the "odds" are less than 50% on two point conversions (haven't researched).