Dukes: Northeastern May Look Small-Time, But Watch Out

[BDKJMU]

Dukes: Northeastern May Look Small-Time, But Watch Out xcoffeex
http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=12531&CHID=3

[EmeryZach]

Yeah Northeastern's stadium sucks, but wow your coach just gave some great quotes for the Northeastern coaches to put up on the players lockers.

[TonkaBison]

Yeah Northeastern's stadium sucks, but wow your coach just gave some great quotes for the Northeastern coaches to put up on the players lockers.

It is best not to be insulting a good North Dakota (State) boy like Rocky Hager lest we come east for a butt kickin! xeyebrowx

[TonkaBison]

It is best not to be insulting a good North Dakota (State) boy like Rocky Hager lest we come east for a butt kickin! xeyebrowx

Sorry re-read the post and now I feel like the fool. Being #2 that will get the wild dogs feeding! My apologies to JMU hope to play you someday.

[EmeryZach]

Yeah, Tonka you even got me confused there for a minute.

[BDKJMU]

Yeah Northeastern's stadium sucks, but wow your coach just gave some great quotes for the Northeastern coaches to put up on the players lockers.

I beg to differ. He stated how their facilities suck big time, but was complimentary of their players and coaches:

“You fall into that trap with our players that if their facilities are bad, their players must be bad,” Matthews said. “And that’s not the case. They have good players and they have good coaches.”

[th0m]

Damn I didn't know we had so many injuries.

[Minuteman87]

Sometimes it amazes me Northeastern ever wins because of that sorry high school "stadium" of theirs. Recruits can't possibly be impressed when they compare it to other FCS facilities they visit. There's almost no place to expand, there's almost no parking (I always park on Beacon Street and walk) and I swear when standing on the back row of those sorry aluminum bleachers on the visitors side I can just about climb into the window of one of those houses surrounding the field to use the bathroom and make a sandwich. Just makes me marvel at what Brown and Hager have been able to accomplish.
Northeastern has undergone a campus building boom the past few years. Any of you Huskies hear of any talk of a new stadium?

[henfan]

Recruits can't possibly be impressed when they compare it to other FCS facilities they visit.

I'm not so sure NU shows recruits Parsons Field. If it's like it was in the early 1980's, they're still presenting drafts for the Stadium of the Future.

I saw a mock up of the new facility that was to be built along, I believe, Huntington Ave. It was a beaut. Whether or not NU ever gets it built is not something any recruit can bank on.

Back in 1980, NU was showing recruits renderings of a new stadium to be built atop a parking garage. A buddy of mine who played for NU didn't realize that it was nothing more than a ploy until after he committed to NU. The recruiters never showed him Parsons Field.

Parsons Field is bad but it's lack of environment definitely plays in home team's favor. It's an experience that has to be witnessed first hand to be believed. As much as I despise the stadium, there is a certain charm to it.

[EmeryZach]

As much as I despise the stadium, there is a certain charm to it.


That's what everyone says about Fenway, but the place is still a dump. Seems like Boston really needs to work on their stadiums.

[BDKJMU]

This is what I posted over on the CAAZone JMU board, cut and pasted it and just changed a couple things for the this AGS post:

Well, I said I wasn’t going to do my big weekly analysis and predictions for Northeastern, just predict the score. Well, I sort of lied. But instead of the usual about 15 predictions on the game, I am keeping it to 5.

Things going against JMU in this game:
-MM is 0-5 in Mass. A lot of that might have to do with the climate, but I checked the weather and its calling for 77, partially cloudy, wind from the SW at 11 mph in Boston Saturday, which could of course change, but right now it doesn’t look like the weather will be a factor
-Parson’s Field is basically a glorified HS stadium in a residential neighborhood with horrible facilities. Its probably hard to get up playing at a place like that, esp if you’re not used to it, esp after UNC then 4 straight at home for JMU.
-NU will be looking for a little bit of revenge given last years 52-14 beat down in Harrisonburg, which was even worse than the score indicates since it was 42-0 at the half and 52-0 until midway through the 4th.
-JMU is banged up on offense, see below.


NORTHEASTERN (1-3, 0-1 CAA Football)
Sept. 1 at Northwestern 0-21 L
Sept. 8 RICHMOND* 14-49 L
Sept. 15 NORTHWESTERN STATE 42-14 W
Sept. 22 at UC Davis 10-28 L

The CAA media guide lists 8 offensive, and 7 defensive starters plus all 4 specialists back for Northeastern from last years 5-6 (4-4 CAA team). Pretty much everyone thought they would have looked improved over last year’s team that upset top 10 UNH and still ranked Delaware @ Parsons, when in fact they don’t look as good.

JMU offense vs Northeastern defense.

JMU is averaging per game:
234 yards rushing
198 yards passing
36 points

Northeastern is giving up:
208 yards rushing
237.5 passing
29.5 points

Given the fact that JMU:
-still won’t have Ward, who I guess was JMU’s 5th receiver
-likely won’t have their top receiver LC Baker (pre season 1st team ALL CAA at both receiver and kick returner)
-won’t have Holloman (1st team ALL A-10 running back last year)
-Sullivan (was 3rd now 2nd team tailback) is questionable (ankle)
- and aren’t likely to bring their “A” game I think JMU is really sluggish on offense, at least the 1st half, and only puts up less total offense than Northeastern is currently giving up, about:
-1. 400 (+- 25) yards total offense

JMU defense vs Northeastern offense:

Northeastern’s starting QB, Anthony Orio, listed 6’2”, 230, JR, was a part time starter last year, splitting time with the current backup, fellow Junior John Sperraza, due to nagging injuries, so he’s got some experience. Their tailback, Maurice Murray, listed 6’0”, 230, SR, was 2nd team All A-10 each of the last 2 seasons, and has 2778 career yards through last week.

Northeastern's listed O-line starters on the game notes listed avg is about 6'4", 289.

Northeastern is averaging per game:
144 yards rushing
124 yards passing
16.5 points

JMU is giving up:
91 yards rushing
187 yards passing
19 points

Northeastern catches JMU sluggish in the 1st half and puts up a score or 2, and gets another in the 4th after the game is basically over.
-2. 250 (+- 25) yards total offense

Final score
-3. JMU 31
-4. NU 13
-5. JMU by 18 regardless of score.

There you have it, only 5 predictions on the game.xrulesx JMU wins by a lot less than they should. I’m not even saying anything about JMU getting a non offensive TD, since each of the last 2 weeks I predicted they would and they didn’t.