So I recently got to thinking about how I couldn't readily recall the last time JMU was on the receiving end of a beat down against a FCS team. It has always seemed like that ever since I started following JMU football around the mid 2000's, they rarely got beat badly. In fact, I had to go back and look to see the last time JMU got hosed.

I went full nerd in Excel and did some basic number crunching on our losses against FCS competition and found a few interesting things, none of which are really of consequence. I wish I had also taken a look at our victories vs FCS and looked at our average margin of victory.

Assuming I entered numbers right:

Since the start of the 2004 season, JMU is 109-39 vs FCS teams. In the aggregate for those 39 losses, the average margin of defeat for JMU was 7.74 points. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe we have a winning record against all of our conference mates since 2004, if you include playoff games.

Since 2004, JMU's margin of defeat was only 10 or more on thirteen occasions. Once once since 2004 has JMU been completely shut out once or beaten by more than three scores against a FCS team (2009 vs Villanova, 27-0).

Year Margin of Defeat Team

2009 27 Villanova
2009 21 William and Mary
2014 18 Villanova
2011 18 New Hampshire
2013 16 New Hampshire
2012 15 Villanova
2010 14 New Hampshire
2011 12 North Dakota St
2013 11 Towson
2006 11 App State
2013 10 William and Mary
2012 10 ODU
2015 10 Richmond


I hadn't fully realized how impressive the 2004-2008 seasons were for JMU football on paper. Obviously 2004 and 2008 were unforgettable but between 2005-2007, a few bad plays for JMU cost them potential greatness (cough cough 2007 App State fumble).

Year Win Loss Average Margin of Loss
2008 12 1 8
2007 8 3 1.66
2006 9 3 5.33
2005 7 4 4
2004 13 1 3
Total 49 12 4.4


If you exclude the years 2009-2013 and focus on the years 2004-2008 and 2014-2016, things get even more impressive. In those 8 seasons, we lost 18 games and the total number of points we lost by was 97. Juxtapose that against the 77 points Rhode Island lost by and the 73 that Morehead State lost by to us in one game this year.

In summation, 2004-2016 has been a solid run for us. In this time frame, we have had consistent success, doldrums of mediocrity (2009-2013) and moments of greatness (2004, 2008, 2016). I know there are no moral victories and that losing is losing, no matter if by 77 points or 1 point. However, these numbers just reaffirm to me that JMU has been and continues to be, a handful of well executed plays, a few healthy players, or a non-obstinate coach away from greatness. Fortunately, it looks like 2016 is a fortuitous year in that we are executing well/ not turning the ball over much, have a (mostly) healthy team, and have a coach in Mike Houston who is laser focused.

Roll Damn Dukes, punch SHSU in the dadgum neck. KC Keeler? More like Garrison Keillor!