#15 James Madison Dukes at VMI Keydets

[JMU Duke Dog]

A preview of this upcoming game between two schools only an hour apart...

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/misc/extrapoint.htm


No. 15 James Madison (2-1) at VMI (1-3), 1:00

One week after getting a breakout performance on offense in a 52-14 win against Northeastern, James Madison gets a golden opportunity to keep the momentum going with a trip to VMI. The Dukes racked up 559 yards of total offense and built a 42-0 halftime lead against Northeastern, with an amazing 335 yards on the ground. Eugene Holloman continued to make his case as the permanent No. 1 running back with 137 yards and a touchdown on only 10 carries, while two other backs averaged five yards per carry or more. Justin Rascati had his usual efficient performance (12-of-16, 212 yards, 3 TD) and the Duke defense continued its early-season dominance with only 227 yards allowed and no points given up until they had a 52-0 lead in the fourth quarter. James Madison can’t expect that type of dominance against most Atlantic 10 opponents, but it can probably do the same thing against VMI. The Keydets have a 58-7 loss to Richmond and 38-6 defeat at William & Mary in the last two weeks, and will just be thankful to get out of the Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule. They are giving up 486 yards per game on defense, and not looking much better on offense. With this week’s game and a home date with Rhode Island next week, the Dukes should be rolling going into a brutal schedule stretch beginning on Oct. 14 at New Hampshire.

Prediction: James Madison 49, VMI 7

[HIU 93]

A preview of this upcoming game between two schools only an hour apart...

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/misc/extrapoint.htm

That won't be a game- that's going to be a slaughter!

JMU 63
VMI 0

[JMU Duke Dog]

I think the score will be closer than most are predicting. This is due to hopefully getting up early and then pulling our starters for rest and not risking injuries before heading into more A10 play and for our younger backups to get some more game experience.

[UofRfan]

Our second and third stringers were scoring at will on these guys, trust me, you are going to nail them harder than you think.

[Linehawg]

I think the score will be closer than most are predicting. This is due to hopefully getting up early and then pulling our starters for rest and not risking injuries before heading into more A10 play and for our younger backups to get some more game experience.

No doubt the Dukes are favored here but I don't believe for a second MM pulls his starters any sooner than than the fourth quarter. He's got a board to answer to and they're already pounding on him for a sluggish start. Starting a freshman QB, multiple true freshmen in the lineup and a defensive line that would have trouble stopping a Girl Scout troop, I'd say HIU's prediction of 63-0 is possible. Mickey will want to pad the stats with some big numbers here too to prove he belongs in the top 25 where many feel he doesn't. Having said that, the one thing VMI has going for it is that JMU actually expects that outcome...and the home turf. Like I said, anything within a couple of TDs is a victory for the Keydets. Who knows, maybe we'll pull a "Coastal"?

[WUTNDITWAA]

VMI always plays well at home. The final score may look as bad at the end, but those Keydets always battle for three good quarters.

[Linehawg]

VMI always plays well at home. The final score may look as bad at the end, but those Keydets always battle for three good quarters.

Yep! 1st, 3rd and 4th. Just wish I knew why the second quarter snakebite?xlolx

[vmisport]

Our second and third stringers were scoring at will on these guys, trust me, you are going to nail them harder than you think.
The game was over by the 2nd quarter. Both teams put their 2nd and 3rd teams into the 2nd half. But, the larger question is this. Reid recruited all but 2 or 3 of the starting 22 players on UR's team. Will Reid have comparable success in being able to recruit and retain similar athleticism at VMI as he did at UR? VMI plays very hard, but it is clearly outmanned this year. How good can Reid make this program and how long will that take?

[UofRfan]

Anything less than a 30 point win would be a major disapointment for JMU unless Mickey goes to the third/fourth strings and walk ons early in the second half - if he did that he would be smart and without an ego - both of which we know he isn't xlolx

[Tribe4SF]

This game won't be close, but VMI played much better against W&M than they did against UR. I was shocked when Reid described his team as "playing like pillows" against the Spiders, because that's certainly not their history. The W&M game was very physical, and they looked like the usual Keydets to me. They also have a good kicker.

The freshman QB (Kyle Hughes) is from Williamsburg, and he's a tough kid. Seems better suited to the new option attack than Wilson. He ran hard last week, and peformed quite well.

[Linehawg]

The game was over by the 2nd quarter. Both teams put their 2nd and 3rd teams into the 2nd half. But, the larger question is this. Reid recruited all but 2 or 3 of the starting 22 players on UR's team. Will Reid have comparable success in being able to recruit and retain similar athleticism at VMI as he did at UR? VMI plays very hard, but it is clearly outmanned this year. How good can Reid make this program and how long will that take?

Recruiting: Dilemma here is nothing helps recruiting like winning. But you don't win if your hands are tied when recruiting. Recruiting priorities are: (1) Priority one is a defensive line. No more undersized DE/DT types that get blown off the line by 300lb o-linemen. Only 5 tackles all year from both starting DE's? That's sad. (2) The secondary and linebackers are good but inexpereienced. Still need some pure hitters on the corners...did I mention tackling lessons? (3) A workhorse running back instead of a stable of tiny little scatbacks. When arm tackles bring your backs down, you're going nowhere. (4) No more OL under 6'3/280. Obviously some "accomodation" with the school will have to be made here to keep these guys at military specs. Finally, (5) I think you need more receivers but throwing to them would be nice too. Only 8 passes at Richmond (-1 yards?)...5 completions per game with a QB capable of 2,000 yards a year? Ezekwe-Bell-Gilliland could be a deadly threat but it's like they don't exist? No wonder the defense is loading the box on the running game.

Retain: Keep the upper class off the Rats. Even if you recruit talent, it walks before breakout and doesn't give the school a fair chance. Get the current players involved in suggesting ways to fix this.

How good? Winning seasons are definitely possible and Big South championships are within reach but playing 3-5 top 25 schools and a 1-A every year on top of that is going to make a playoff appearance a rarity.

How quick? The 2008 season is the real test. The kids he recruits will hit their stride in "his" system about that point and some of the bad attitude types on the team will have graduated. All of this presumes he's given a long leash by the faculty and staff and they stay out of his way. He's brought a great staff on board and they're already breaking china. This has created a little chaos on the field but the things they're learning about different players in different positions and situations is the foundation for the future.

I like what I see in Lexington and I like what the future holds for these great kids but there's a lot I clearly don't understand from the average fan's standpoint. It takes a very special person to play football at VMI which isn't for your average wussy party athlete. VMI continues to produce higher quality men and women of better character than most other institutions and if Coach Reid can build on that, the Flying Squadron will return!

[Linehawg]

The freshman QB (Kyle Hughes) is from Williamsburg, and he's a tough kid. Seems better suited to the new option attack than Wilson. He ran hard last week, and peformed quite well.

Spot on, mate. I've watched Wilson since he was at Rockbridge Co HS and he's always been a pro-style QB who always needed a good o-line to excel...which explains why he hasn't. He's a real athlete though and is trying to make the most of the new option offense but he's no option QB which requires a dual-threat type. His 1 yard per carry says when he tucks and runs he goes nowhere. Kyle stepped in nicely and I'm looking forward to see how this kid (who was playing for a high school team 11 months ago) will do while Wilson's out with a shoulder seperation. (His average no better) Always wondered if Joey Robinson isn't the perfect option QB but the coaches are still "tinkering" I suspect.

[vmisport]

Recruiting: Dilemma here is nothing helps recruiting like winning. But you don't win if your hands are tied when recruiting. Recruiting priorities are: (1) Priority one is a defensive line. No more undersized DE/DT types that get blown off the line by 300lb o-linemen. Only 5 tackles all year from both starting DE's? That's sad. (2) The secondary and linebackers are good but inexpereienced. Still need some pure hitters on the corners...did I mention tackling lessons? (3) A workhorse running back instead of a stable of tiny little scatbacks. When arm tackles bring your backs down, you're going nowhere. (4) No more OL under 6'3/280. Obviously some "accomodation" with the school will have to be made here to keep these guys at military specs. Finally, (5) I think you need more receivers but throwing to them would be nice too. Only 8 passes at Richmond (-1 yards?)...5 completions per game with a QB capable of 2,000 yards a year? Ezekwe-Bell-Gilliland could be a deadly threat but it's like they don't exist? No wonder the defense is loading the box on the running game.

Retain: Keep the upper class off the Rats. Even if you recruit talent, it walks before breakout and doesn't give the school a fair chance. Get the current players involved in suggesting ways to fix this.

How good? Winning seasons are definitely possible and Big South championships are within reach but playing 3-5 top 25 schools and a 1-A every year on top of that is going to make a playoff appearance a rarity.

How quick? The 2008 season is the real test. The kids he recruits will hit their stride in "his" system about that point and some of the bad attitude types on the team will have graduated. All of this presumes he's given a long leash by the faculty and staff and they stay out of his way. He's brought a great staff on board and they're already breaking china. This has created a little chaos on the field but the things they're learning about different players in different positions and situations is the foundation for the future.

I like what I see in Lexington and I like what the future holds for these great kids but there's a lot I clearly don't understand from the average fan's standpoint. It takes a very special person to play football at VMI which isn't for your average wussy party athlete. VMI continues to produce higher quality men and women of better character than most other institutions and if Coach Reid can build on that, the Flying Squadron will return!
Great info, but my question is a bit more less tactical. Let's say that Beamer at Tech is a great coach and his president of Tech came to him today and said "I really like the winning tradition we have here and by all means we want to see that continue. However, beginning next year all your players will need to be a part of the Tech Corps of Cadets and will need to drop any phys ed type majors." Now can Beamer continue to field the athleticism that he has enjoyed? or does he need to try something different to continue that winning tradition? Just how good can the Tech football program be with this change?
Reid is an excellent coach and I truly believe that VMI football is in the best hands for its future. My question is just how good can this program get relative to its peers?

[Linehawg]

Great info, but my question is a bit more less tactical. Let's say that Beamer at Tech is a great coach and his president of Tech came to him today and said "I really like the winning tradition we have here and by all means we want to see that continue. However, beginning next year all your players will need to be a part of the Tech Corps of Cadets and will need to drop any phys ed type majors." Now can Beamer continue to field the athleticism that he has enjoyed? or does he need to try something different to continue that winning tradition? Just how good can the Tech football program be with this change?
Reid is an excellent coach and I truly believe that VMI football is in the best hands for its future. My question is just how good can this program get relative to its peers?

Just some random thoughts in that regard:

1. The optimist in me says the sky's the limit. Military schools (Texas A&M, Citadel, Navy, West Point, VMI, etc) are always encumbered with the developmental discipline of a regimented environment vice the party atmosphere that draws most of today's irresponsible and undisciplined youth away from challenging themselves that much. Pity really. This country is in desperate need of more VMI's.

2. After the opiate of the 1-A halucinogen sucks up most of the over-hyped and underanalyzed "better" athletes, 1-AA schools benefit from the great kids that are left. VMI could lure them to Lexington with playing time but will have to establish two things to do this:

a. A winning program. Success breeds success and playing for four years on a winning team, vice riding the bench at the 1-A level hoping for playing time frequently works. Liberty got OL Pinigis from UVa and a LB from VaTech this way. Vic Hall is going nowhere fast at UVa and is the country's absolute BEST option QB for the matter. Not sure what kool-aid they're feeding him in Hooville. These kids are around, the network just requires some work to find them--only 116 other 1-AA's competing with you.xlolx

b. An NFL pipeline. The one thing VMI has absolutely TOTAL control over is the selection and devlopment of their players once on campus. Jim Reid has put kids in the pros at Richmond and needs to single out a few now that have the potential and build some early successes. Right now I see maybe one R-Fr lineman and LB that have the specs to start qualifying in this regard. This won't happen though unless world class training and strength & conditioning programs are set up. : smh :

Better players = winning record
Winning record = quality players
Quality players = NFL selections
NFL selections = magnet to even better players
No secret here really...:nod:

3. I'm still in the wait-and-see mode with Jim Reid but I've been impressed so far. My recalcitrance is primarily due to the historical institutional obstacles VMI seems to enjoy hanging around athletes and athletic programs like an albatross staying comfortable with their "lose with grace" philosophy. Reid may be the right guy at the right time. But, as he's proven before, when the institution gets in the way of his vision, he's gone and VMI drops to D-II after this one last best chance to turn things around.

By the way, VaTech's program was poo-poo until their cadre became inconsequential. I'd love to see us knocking heads with them in Roanoke on Thanksgiving every year again. Quit laughing, I can dream can't I?

[JMU Duke Dog]

Here is a related article from today's Daily News-Record out of Harrisonburg...

http://dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=6549&CHID=3


Reid: VMI Can Be A Winner
The ex-UR coach has better facilities to help prove it

By Mike Barber

Jim Reid wanted to solve the mystery.

During his nine years coaching the University of Richmond, Reid said he constantly met alumni from Virginia Military Institute. His Spider teams played VMI five times during that stretch. So when the Keydets’ coaching job came open after last season, Reid, then a defensive-line coach at Bucknell, jumped.

"There’s really a great mystery about VMI and the education here," Reid said Thursday morning by phone from the Lexington campus. "I really wanted to be a part of this education process and find out for myself."

(click here to continue... (http://dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=6549&CHID=3))

[goasu984Life]

That won't be a game- that's going to be a slaughter!

JMU 63
VMI 0

You're giving VMI too much credit. They can't hold James Madison to only 63 points.

[Linehawg]

You're giving VMI too much credit. They can't hold James Madison to only 63 points.

...since, as an analyst, you both pretty much wiffed.

[SoCon48]

...since, as an analyst, you both pretty much wiffed.

Personally I've always liked VMI from the days you guys were in the SoCon. But you don't think JMU could have hung 60 on the Keydets Saturday had that been their goal?

[Linehawg]

Personally I've always liked VMI from the days you guys were in the SoCon. But you don't think JMU could have hung 60 on the Keydets Saturday had that been their goal?

No, I don't. 7-0 1st quarter, scoreless third. Host of self-inflicted wounds with a freshmen heavy team in-between. You're giving JMU way too much credit and VMI not enough.

[MR. CHICKEN]

AH CAIN'T BELIEVE...DIS IS REALLY.......UH ON-GOIN' THREAD!......xidiotx.....AWK!

VMI's.........UH TRACTOR-TRAILER LOAD O' PILLOWS....HEADED FO'....WAL-MART!

[jmufootball2]

it was no contest

[SoCon48]

No, I don't. 7-0 1st quarter, scoreless third. Host of self-inflicted wounds with a freshmen heavy team in-between. You're giving JMU way too much credit and VMI not enough.

Oh, my bad. I only noticed the 17 points in the 3rd and 21 in the fourth.

[SoCon48]

it was no contest

Why,then, did JMU keep Rascati in for all but the last two drives of the 4th quarter? I'm sure there was a reason.

[rufus]

Because Mickey Matthews almost always leaves his starters in until the fourth quarter. That's just his style, and it drives a lot of JMU fans crazy when he risks injuries in this type of scenario. You could also argue that Mickey was giving Rascati a chance to inflate his numbers for Payton purposes.

Anyway you look at it, the game was no contest. JMU scored on 7 of its first 8 drives, never had to punt once, and didn't allow VMI to score until the 4th quarter. No we probably shouldn't have given up the TD, but it was a small dent in an otherwise strong performance.

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

Some people also believe in making sure your starters are well-conditioned to play 60 min. of football. I personally don't like risking injury, but come conference schedule in the A-10, you need to be fit enough to play every last second of the game. I think that "football" shape comes only from playing in real time, not just the conditioning in off-season.

On a side note, we lost a CB for the year due to a WR on VMI who apparently was constantly throwing low blocks at our CBs. We're young there already, and this only makes our secondary more vulnerable. A 15-yd penalty was given, but it was at the end of the game and no need for it. Why the refs didn't take action is a sad mystery. Now a young athlete is left with an ankle broken in three places. :bang: :mad: :mad: :mad: :nonono2:

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

AH CAIN'T BELIEVE...DIS IS REALLY.......UH ON-GOIN' THREAD!......xidiotx.....AWK!

VMI's.........UH TRACTOR-TRAILER LOAD O' PILLOWS....HEADED FO'....WAL-MART!

What he said...

[SoCon48]

Because Mickey Matthews almost always leaves his starters in until the fourth quarter. That's just his style, and it drives a lot of JMU fans crazy when he risks injuries in this type of scenario. You could also argue that Mickey was giving Rascati a chance to inflate his numbers for Payton purposes.

Anyway you look at it, the game was no contest. JMU scored on 7 of its first 8 drives, never had to punt once, and didn't allow VMI to score until the 4th quarter. No we probably shouldn't have given up the TD, but it was a small dent in an otherwise strong performance.

Because Mickey Matthews almost always leaves his starters in until the fourth quarter.

Rufus, I totally understand the "until the 4th quarter." But, unless the sub came in in the middle of a Rascati drive, the sub QB only entered with 7:40 left in the game and engineered a 2 minute and 3 minute JMU drive.

But hey, if it works for JMU, who should criticize?

And not having to punt even once is a good sign JMU must have had the game under control.