(09-05-2013 10:15 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 10:13 AM)bridgeforthduke Wrote:  We have almost more students at our games than they do in total attendance. I'm not sure it'll be much of a homefield advantage.

Just thinking about it, this should be a game we can win outright. But the 2008 version of JMU was outstanding and somehow got blown out by Duke, so who knows.

Duke would also crush this Akron team...even Duke back in 08 would probably cruise against these guys.

That Duke team actually had some talent. Thaddeus Lewis comes to mind...they finished 4-8, but most games were close. Crushed UVA and lost to VT 14-3.

(09-05-2013 10:15 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 10:13 AM)bridgeforthduke Wrote:  We have almost more students at our games than they do in total attendance. I'm not sure it'll be much of a homefield advantage.

Just thinking about it, this should be a game we can win outright. But the 2008 version of JMU was outstanding and somehow got blown out by Duke, so who knows.

Duke would also crush this Akron team...even Duke back in 08 would probably cruise against these guys.

Akron is unlike any FBS team JMU has faced recently. The closest analogue may be the Navy teams we beat in 1989 and 1990. The '89 Navy team went 3-8 and lost to Delaware and the Citadel, and the '90 team went 5-6 with the JMU loss, but two of its victories were against Richmond and Villanova. Maybe the Terrapins team we took to OT in 2009, whose only other victory was against Clemson?

Any of the VA Tech teams JMU has faced would beat this current Akron team badly.

(09-05-2013 10:28 AM)JMU2004 Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 10:15 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 10:13 AM)bridgeforthduke Wrote:  We have almost more students at our games than they do in total attendance. I'm not sure it'll be much of a homefield advantage.

Just thinking about it, this should be a game we can win outright. But the 2008 version of JMU was outstanding and somehow got blown out by Duke, so who knows.

Duke would also crush this Akron team...even Duke back in 08 would probably cruise against these guys.

That Duke team actually had some talent. Thaddeus Lewis comes to mind...they finished 4-8, but most games were close. Crushed UVA and lost to VT 14-3.

Oh yeah, Thad Lewis was pretty good. We were also in that Duke game at halftime...7-7 I believe.

(09-05-2013 10:02 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  Love to pick the Dukes, but I was unimpressed last week on both sides of the ball (although very impressed with the punting unit considering how everyone thought it would be a total disaster). I also think if Akron puts up 10 quick points that Mickey will pressure O'Cain to close the playbook and just concede defeat and prevent injuries.

20 extra schollies and a home field advantage is going to be hard to overcome as well. I think the Zips win 28-17.

If we go down by 10+ points and give up like we did against Duke, that will piss me off very much. Towson, NDSU, EWU and several other FCS teams would roll into Akron and beat the crap out of them. We need to do the same. Losing by more than 2 TDs against Akron is unacceptable to begin with.

Go dukes. Beat Akron

(09-05-2013 12:06 PM)jmusuperfan Wrote:  Go dukes. Beat Akron

brilliant !

(09-05-2013 10:42 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  We were also in that Duke game at halftime...7-7 I believe.

Yes, we were in the game at halftime, but the score was 14-7. Duke scored a TD with 5 seconds to go in the half.

Hell Yeah Sportsnetwork:

"No. 20 James Madison (1-0) at Akron (0-1)

Kickoff: 6 p.m. (ESPN3.com)

What to know: Akron, a Mid-American Conference program, didn't have such a great start to the season in Week 1. The Zips dropped a 38-7 decision to Central Florida, which gained 476 total yards on the Zips defense.

Akron also turned the ball over twice and drew six penalties Thursday. James Madison isn't a bottom-tier FCS team, and if the Zips continue to poison their play with mistakes, the Dukes will take advantage.

Central Florida's Storm Johnson rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns last Thursday, and we expect Dae'Quan Scott to have similar success. Against Central Connecticut State, Scott carried the ball 15 times for 120 yards and returned a punt for a touchdown.

This could easily be one potential FCS upset that will build on Week 1's eight FCS-over-FBS victories.

Prediction: James Madison 28, Akron 21"

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnfo.../index.htm

(09-05-2013 03:35 PM)Top Dawg Wrote:  

(09-05-2013 10:42 AM)All Dukes_All Day Wrote:  We were also in that Duke game at halftime...7-7 I believe.

Yes, we were in the game at halftime, but the score was 14-7. Duke scored a TD with 5 seconds to go in the half.

Then Scotty opens up the 2nd half w/ a great return and Landers followed that up w/ an int. Duke goes on to score , 21-7 and Mickey packed it in.

I've been trying all week to come up with reasons for Akron to win. They're easy: depth from the scholarship advantage, a weight mismatch for their OL v. our DL, the recruiting and competition advantage for a FBS league over a FCS league, Terry Bowden's proven resume for resurrecting programs. Add to that JMU's inconsistent play, especially on offense, through much of the opener, and it's easy to see why Akron should win this game.

I keep coming back, though, to Akron's problems and a feeling of JMU's strengths. Akron is one of the worst teams in FBS. Is that enough to be favored over a top-20 FCS squad? Akron is strong on the DL and will likely be able to generate pressure against Birdsong, but UCF's speed on the outside killed Akron; I don't claim JMU has athletes like UCF's, but Dae'Quan has real speed and there's talent in the rest of JMU's RB stable, and if JMU can establish the outside game and force Akron to relax then Birdsong can generate some movement on the inside as well. Can Akron's pressure and backfield play make JMU one-dimensional? I think- I hope- that Mickey and O'Cain have a gameplan for this and the personnel to pull it off.

On defense, JMU will give up yards, but Akron doesn't have the players to exploit us like, unfortunately, ODU did. I hope the pass rush can develop more tomorrow, but it's still a work in process.

Akron and JMU are both in the process of revamping their teams. I think JMU started from a better position and has less ground to cover.

Dukes 29
Zips 26

Got to go with my preseason prediction as 1 of 3 losses for JMU:

Akron 27, JMU 24.

(09-04-2013 11:23 AM)TheDudeWithTheJMUTat Wrote:  Dukes: 58
Zips: Zip

Book it

This man knows how to root. He also stole my prediction, so:

JMU: 59
Akron: Zip

Feeling pretty good about this one, actually.

the improvements between weeks 1 and 2 can often be the largest of the season, and it's much easier to come in ready to work after a solid W. Another head hanging L? Uh, no. That sucks. Advantage Dukes.

Gotta say, with the non existent "home field" advantage (I'm predicting more noise from those rootin', than from those zipping), one could almost make claim to a home field disadvantage...

That said:

Mighty Dukes of JMU 31

501's 17

It's really funny how this will likely be the second smallest crowd the Dukes play in front of this year....the only other crowd that won't eclipse 12000 will likely be New Hampshire.

Compughter Ratings simulation has the Dukes 25-19.

http://www.compughterratings.com/CFB/matchups