Mickey Matthews: Injury cost JMU Championship

[Skjellyfetti]

"I think he's the best back in the country," Matthews said this week. "His injury last year cost us the national championship. You look at our games, if we had him playing, we would have won. The other running backs were thrust into a role they weren't ready to assume. ... He was the one guy we couldn't afford to lose."

http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=30459&CHID=3

[Eight Legger]

Right, because I forgot that the JMU-App game was for the national title last year. Silly me.

[mcveyrl]

Right, because I forgot that the JMU-App game was for the national title last year. Silly me.

Mickey being Mickey....

Although I don't think he was referring just to the App game.

[IndianaAppMan]

Mickey being Mickey....

Reminds me of a certain ex-Red Sox player whose name also starts with "M" and got away with saying stuff that was totally stupid because of his production. As long as he doesn't do stuff that hurts his team like Manny did, I guess let Mickey be Mickey. :)

[CID1990]

Mickey must be an Elon grad.

[URMite]

I agree that kind of absolute certainty is Mickey being Mickey.

Yes, it would have been a significant boost to their chances but a sure thing? xrolleyesx

Actually we didn't know it at the time but I still wonder what impact Ahman Shields (now with the Raiders) would have had on our chances. He only played in the FBS opener and would have allowed us to stretch the field much better.

[blueballs]

Sour grapes and I don't want to hear it.

According to Coach Hatcher GSU only suited up 39 scholarship players the last two games last year so if injuries cost anybody the NC it was GSU, who had already defeated App and Wofford on the road.

[JMU2004]

Injuries are part of the game.....every team has them. The best teams find a way to adapt. JMU was unable to adapt, and therefore were not a NC team.

This is Mickey being Mickey, and it is the thing I MOST dislike about him. He needs to keep his mouth shut at times. I love him as a coach, and I like the way he represents JMU, but I cringe when he is in front of the microphone.

[bluehenbillk]

As much as some people might think you'd lash out at these comments they're par for the course with Mickey. He's good for at least 3 stupid-a#* comments a year.

Watching the way JMU plays in some games I'd think his coaching has more to do with why they don't win. I'm still puzzled what the heck they were doing the year before last against a YSU team they should've beat.

[The Cats]

Quote:
"His injury last year cost us the national championship"

xbabycryx

that's the kind of stuff you say in private, not to the press.

[WMTribe90]

Mickey being Mickey is a nice way of saying he's constantly putting his foot in his mouth.

[GannonFan]

Mickey - he's funny. xlolx

[IndianaAppMan]

Mickey Matthews is still young enough to make a career move to a higher-paying job. If he never does, there's nothing wrong with that. Head coach at a power FCS team is a pretty great gig, especially in pretty setting like Shenandoah.

Unfortunately, stupid comments like that hold people back from moving on to grander jobs. Let's say that one of the coaches on the hot seat at a BCS school (totally hypothetical: Syracuse) ends up getting the pink slip. Matthews could triple his salary because he's a talented coach, but those kinds of misjudgments hold him back from opportunities for achieving more.

Disclaimer: This is in no way a slam on JMU. Jerry Moore probably has been offered jobs at FBS schools, but he apparently has turned them down. I don't think anyone at Furman blamed Bobby Johnson for taking the Vandy job.

[BeauFoster]

While I agree that this was idiotic and childish, at least he didn't compare losing his starting RB to, oh I don't know, the Holocaust. Stupid Sabin. Coaches everywhere say something dumb every once in a while. It's saying it too often that gets you in trouble.

[appfan2008]

only four tough wins away...!!!

[DLS]

so i guess its safe to say that mickey isnt happy with the kid who had the fumble.

poor guy might become the next ray finkle.

[asknoquarter21]

man...I thought JMU lost the game because Mickey was an Idiot.....

who knew he was a bigger idiot than I ever thought.

[Tribe4SF]

Mickey comes through again!xthumbsupx Fortunately for JMU, the players know his deal. Otherwise he'd have a few RBs who gave their all for his team last year being plenty pissed off.xnodx

[asknoquarter21]

pretty sure that counts as throwing a guy under the bus....if he didn't like the guy before, why give him the ball in that situation....


doh!!!

[ur2k]

An honest question to the JMU fans - Does Mickey's routine ever get old to you guys? Or is it ok as long as he keeps winning games?

[th0m]

An honest question to the JMU fans - Does Mickey's routine ever get old to you guys? Or is it ok as long as he keeps winning games?

Some of the jokes he makes on air are entertaining, but I think most if not all JMU fans cringe when they see these kind of claims made.

[asknoquarter21]

I have no problems with JMU, I have had good talks with any fans I have ever talked with.

The players appear to be classy, except that stupid CB that started saying crap last year...

but mickey appears to do his own thing, but the players don't reflect that in general....which is a good thing.


I have tremendous respect for JMU and can't wait for the game.

[mcveyrl]

An honest question to the JMU fans - Does Mickey's routine ever get old to you guys? Or is it ok as long as he keeps winning games?

Doesn't get old for me. He's our coach and I like it. I'll be the first to admit that he frequently engages in ridiculous hyperbole, but I prefer that to Belichik.

Plus, as somebody stated before, the players know what's up, so as long as it doesn't affect them, no big deal.

[MountainMan]

Doesn't get old for me. He's our coach and I like it. I'll be the first to admit that he frequently engages in ridiculous hyperbole, but I prefer that to Belichik.

Plus, as somebody stated before, the players know what's up, so as long as it doesn't affect them, no big deal.

I just think Mickey is taking all of this so personally that he is risking hurting his teams success to try to even the score with Jerry Moore. Even before Mickey took over at JMU we handed him some tough losses as the OC at Marshall. I can't believe a coach would come out in public and say they have the team focused on game #3 of the season especially when game 1 is an FBS, and game 2 is against one of the best CAA teams. There is no reason they can't win both of those games, but it will be much harder without the proper mindset.

[mcveyrl]

I just think Mickey is taking all of this so personally that he is risking hurting his teams success to try to even the score with Jerry Moore. Even before Mickey took over at JMU we handed him some tough losses as the OC at Marshall. I can't believe a coach would come out in public and say they have the team focused on game #3 of the season especially when game 1 is an FBS, and game 2 is against one of the best CAA teams. There is no reason they can't win both of those games, but it will be much harder without the proper mindset.

Who said they're focusing on the App game (which is game 4 by the way)?? Where did you read he's trying to even the score?

Again, it was Mickey's normal hyperbole. I'm sure the team will be as ready as they can be for each game.

[AppStsGr8]

I'm glad I'm not one of the kids who busted his behind to try and take up the slack when a key player went down for the rest of the season. Isn't football a team sport?

[MountainMan]

Who said they're focusing on the App game (which is game 4 by the way)?? Where did you read he's trying to even the score?

Again, it was Mickey's normal hyperbole. I'm sure the team will be as ready as they can be for each game.

I'm sorry it wasn't in the paper. One of our fans that lives near JMU heard a radio interview a few days back and said Mickey made that comment. There has been so much written and said about this game it is hard to remember what article/interview said what.

[Henny]

Actually Mickey is somewhat speechless during the season. He sounds very frustrated at times. On a Comcast TV broadcast of the JMU-UD game he somewhat ripped the announcers for one of their questions and proceeded to take the headset off and run away from the halftime interview. During that game he went ballistic, running toward multiple officials like he wanted to attack them. It was quite a scene. There were some questionable calls but still..........

One thing is that he has brought a winner to Harrisonburg.

[mcveyrl]

I'm sorry it wasn't in the paper. One of our fans that lives near JMU heard a radio interview a few days back and said Mickey made that comment. There has been so much written and said about this game it is hard to remember what article/interview said what.

So what did he say?

[mcveyrl]

Actually Mickey is somewhat speechless during the season. He sounds very frustrated at times. On a Comcast TV broadcast of the JMU-UD game he somewhat ripped the announcers for one of their questions and proceeded to take the headset off and run away from the halftime interview. During that game he went ballistic, running toward multiple officials like he wanted to attack them. It was quite a scene. There were some questionable calls but still..........

One thing is that he has brought a winner to Harrisonburg.

I was watching that game. It was definitely quality Mickey.

[AppMan]

It appears Mickey learned well at Marshall.

[BDKJMU]

pretty sure that counts as throwing a guy under the bus....if he didn't like the guy before, why give him the ball in that situation....


doh!!!

Mickey didn't throw Jamal Sullivan (the JMU back who fumbled) under the bus. Mickey never mentioned Sullivan. Neither did the reporter. Mickey again said:
"I think he's the best back in the country,"
Thats a REASONABLE OPINION given that Holloman in 06' in 10 games while sharing backfield duties rushed for 1085 yards. Entered 07' pre season All CAA but went out after 2 games. Gained 82 yards (and separated his shoulder against UNC. Gained 98 yards against UNH despite playing with that separated shoulder and then injuring his knee (believe it was a cartilage tear) on the 1st carry.
http://www.dnronline.com/details.php?AID=12150&CHID=3
http://www.dnronline.com/details.php?AID=12345&CHID=3

Mickey likes to heap praise on his players when he believes its warranted. He wasn't throwing Sullivan (or Yancey or Noble) under the bus but was rather praising Holloman. I think it would have been more appropriate to say "one of the best backs in the country"

"His injury last year cost us the national championship. You look at our games, if we had him playing, we would have won. The other running backs were thrust into a role they weren't ready to assume. ... He was the one guy we couldn't afford to lose."

A perfectly REASONABLE OPINION IF you saw Holloman play in 06', then saw after Holloman went down the fumbles by 3 of the 4 replacements in the tailback by committee. Matthews and Moore both later said they felt at the time of that 1st round game who ever won that game would win the NC.

[ericsaid]

Mickey didn't throw Jamal Sullivan (the JMU back who fumbled) under the bus. Mickey never mentioned Sullivan. Neither did the reporter. Mickey again said:
"I think he's the best back in the country,"
Thats a REASONABLE OPINION given that Holloman in 06' in 10 games while sharing backfield duties rushed for 1085 yards. Entered 07' pre season All CAA but went out after 2 games. Gained 82 yards (and separated his shoulder against UUNC. Gained 98 yards against UNH despite playing with that separated shoulder and then injuring his knee (believe it was a cartilage tear) on the 1st carry.
http://www.dnronline.com/details.php?AID=12150&CHID=3
http://www.dnronline.com/details.php?AID=12345&CHID=3

Mickey likes to heap praise on his players when he believes its warranted. He wasn't throwing Sullivan (or Yancey or Noble) under the bus but was rather praising Holloman. I think it would have been more appropriate to say "one of the best backs in the country"

"His injury last year cost us the national championship. You look at our games, if we had him playing, we would have won. The other running backs were thrust into a role they weren't ready to assume. ... He was the one guy we couldn't afford to lose."

A perfectly REASONABLE OPINION IF you saw Holloman play in 06', then saw after Holloman went down the fumbles by 3 of the 4 replacements in the tailback by committee. Matthews and Moore both later said they felt at the time of that 1st round game who ever won that game would win the NC.


Yancey will be a great player along with a young reciever Richmond has(not sure of his name but i'm sure someone knows who im talking about)and Aaron Love. Aaron Love was probably the best reciever I saw App face last season. He was by far the quickest, and almost 10 times more agile than any player I saw period(yes more so than Armanti) Also had great hands, making multiple one handed grabs in the NC game. Just a great reciever in my opinion.xthumbsupx

[BDKJMU]

xbabycryx

that's the kind of stuff you say in private, not to the press.

For most of Mickey Matthew's 32 yrs' coaching there wasn't the internet. For most of his career when the head coach makes comments to a local paper in a small or medium size city like Huntington or Harrisonburg or the numerous places Matthews coached in TX, its intended for the local audience who reads these small city papers. Then it was a case of almost no-one outside the local area ever saw or read the articles. When Mickey got to JMU in 99' there was no online Harrisonburg Daily News Record (heck, at that time, most papers didn't have an online edition). Mickey isn't a computer saavy guy- I heard him asked on the weekly show I think it was last season about CoachMatthews.com and he said something along the lines of he doesn't have anything to do with it- his son runs it, and that he (Mickey) doesn't know hardly anything about computers- joked that he barely knew how to turn them on. Now 7-8 years ago Mickey makes the same comment to the Harrisonburg paper, 90-99% of us that read about it now wouldn't know about it. But in 02' the Daily News Record goes online, and in 03? you have AGS, and around then other message boards popping up. Now if a coach makes a comment in their small city paper, as soon as it goes to print/online fans all over the country (or world) could read them, and those comments can be pasted or linked on message boards/forums, and be sent by e-mail to others, and within hrs fans of that school and rivals all over the country can be reading about it. Now Miceky's old school West Texas, having coached TX HS and at West TX State, UTEP, Houston, TCU, SW TX State before Marshall and JMU. Just a theory of mine is that he isn't going to change his folksy intended for a local audience comments just just because of the internet. When he's making these comments I bet he's just thinking about the Harrisonburg area & JMU fans reading them. Just my .02.

[BDKJMU]

Yancey will be a great player along with a young reciever Richmond has(not sure of his name but i'm sure someone knows who im talking about)and Aaron Love. Aaron Love was probably the best reciever I saw App face last season. He was by far the quickest, and almost 10 times more agile than any player I saw period(yes more so than Armanti) Also had great hands, making multiple one handed grabs in the NC game. Just a great reciever in my opinion.xthumbsupx

xconfusedx xconfusedx xconfusedx Think you're on the wrong message thread . Talking about Matthew's comments, not UR and UD's receivers.

[slostang]

I don't mean do run against the stream, but I think he is right. They were one fumble away from beating the three time national champions in their house. Had they had their best RB I think it would have made a difference.

That being said, I think there are certain things you can think, but you should not say them to the press. This is one of those things. I also think had Mickey called a better game against App. State they would not have needed their star back.

[Tribe4SF]

Yancey will be a great player along with a young reciever Richmond has(not sure of his name but i'm sure someone knows who im talking about)and Aaron Love. Aaron Love was probably the best reciever I saw App face last season. He was by far the quickest, and almost 10 times more agile than any player I saw period(yes more so than Armanti) Also had great hands, making multiple one handed grabs in the NC game. Just a great reciever in my opinion.xthumbsupx

The UR receiver is Kevin Grayson, and he and Love are certainly good ones. Some new faces coming into the CAA to watch for the future include Nihja White at Delaware, Harry Lee Daniel at Richmond, and CJ Thomas and Ryan Moody at W&M.

Wanted to continue the threadjack, BDKJMU!:D

[PaladinFan]

If Furman's Ced Gipson hadn't fumbled in 2004 JMU wouldn't have won that national championship. That touchdown would have iced the game.

Sometimes luck is with you, sometimes luck is against you. Everyone falls on hard times, no one wants to hear about it.

[ASU88]

I don't mean do run against the stream, but I think he is right. They were one fumble away from beating the three time national champions in their house. Had they had their best RB I think it would have made a difference.

If he had said that cost them THAT GAME, I think most would tend to agree. But he's saying it cost them a National Championship. All they would have gained from winning the ASU game is getting into the next round of the playoffs.

No one knows how the games that followed would have gone ...

[ChickenMan]

If he had said that cost them THAT GAME, I think most would tend to agree. But he's saying it cost them a National Championship. All they would have gained from winning the ASU game is getting into the next round of the playoffs.

No one knows how the games that followed would have gone ...



100% correct.. JMU was good.. but so were ALL the teams that were still alive after the 1st round.

[Dukie95]

If he had said that cost them THAT GAME, I think most would tend to agree. But he's saying it cost them a National Championship. All they would have gained from winning the ASU game is getting into the next round of the playoffs.

No one knows how the games that followed would have gone ...


I'm not saying I agree with his assessment, BUT he's probably talking about more than just one fumble in one game.

We also lost close games to UR (one point) and UD (three points). In each of those games we had critical fumbles that may have cost us the game. If JMU has Holloman for those games, we just never know how things would have been different over the course of the entire season, including our first round matchup/location.

[DRocksDad]

I don't mean do run against the stream, but I think he is right. They were one fumble away from beating the three time national champions in their house. Had they had their best RB I think it would have made a difference.

That being said, I think there are certain things you can think, but you should not say them to the press. This is one of those things. I also think had Mickey called a better game against App. State they would not have needed their star back.


IMHO the fumble(s) were due to a lack of quality in the depth chart and or preparation.............both coaches responsiblities. To blame a green, freshman back is unfair.

[Tribe4SF]

IMHO the fumble(s) were due to a lack of quality in the depth chart and or preparation.............both coaches responsiblities. To blame a green, freshman back is unfair.

There's plenty of blame to go around in a team sport. On that play alone, who was responsible to occupy Gary Tharrington? You would hope a DT would not be able to make that kind of hit right at the line. Somebody got beat.

[IndianaAppMan]

For most of Mickey Matthew's 32 yrs' coaching there wasn't the internet. For most of his career when the head coach makes comments to a local paper in a small or medium size city like Huntington or Harrisonburg or the numerous places Matthews coached in TX, its intended for the local audience who reads these small city papers. Then it was a case of almost no-one outside the local area ever saw or read the articles. When Mickey got to JMU in 99' there was no online Harrisonburg Daily News Record (heck, at that time, most papers didn't have an online edition). Mickey isn't a computer saavy guy- I heard him asked on the weekly show I think it was last season about CoachMatthews.com and he said something along the lines of he doesn't have anything to do with it- his son runs it, and that he (Mickey) doesn't know hardly anything about computers- joked that he barely knew how to turn them on. Now 7-8 years ago Mickey makes the same comment to the Harrisonburg paper, 90-99% of us that read about it now wouldn't know about it. But in 02' the Daily News Record goes online, and in 03? you have AGS, and around then other message boards popping up. Now if a coach makes a comment in their small city paper, as soon as it goes to print/online fans all over the country (or world) could read them, and those comments can be pasted or linked on message boards/forums, and be sent by e-mail to others, and within hrs fans of that school and rivals all over the country can be reading about it. Now Miceky's old school West Texas, having coached TX HS and at West TX State, UTEP, Houston, TCU, SW TX State before Marshall and JMU. He isn't going to change his folksy intended for a local audience comments just just because of the internet. When he's making these comments I bet he's just thinking about the Harrisonburg area & JMU fans reading them. Just my .02.

In the '98 season, Chris Weinke broke his neck (and darn near was paralyzed) late in the season. Had he been in the BCS title game against Tennessee, I bet FSU would have won, making back-to-back titles in '98-'99. They only lost by touchdown without him, anyway.

Here's the difference: Bobby Bowden, like Matthews, is as old-school and country as can be, but he didn't use that as an excuse to complain to the media that FSU would have won the title with Weinke. He probably doesn't know the difference between an iPod and a blog, but he's smart enough to know that the media has rabbit ears, and anything he says can reach the entire country, good or bad.

[WVAPPmountaineer]

I don't mean do run against the stream, but I think he is right. They were one fumble away from beating the three time national champions in their house. Had they had their best RB I think it would have made a difference.

That play just shortened their agony by a few seconds - APP would have blocked the attempted FG anyway ---

[mcveyrl]

I'm sorry it wasn't in the paper. One of our fans that lives near JMU heard a radio interview a few days back and said Mickey made that comment. There has been so much written and said about this game it is hard to remember what article/interview said what.


So what did he say?

Never got an answer to this...

BTW, we, as a board, have put way more thought into this comment than MM did.

[JohnStOnge]

I'll just say that James Madison wasn't the only team that entered the playoffs with key injuries. Some teams had things like their top running back, their top defensive player, their top all purpose player, and a number of others out due to injuries.

[BDKJMU]

If Furman's Ced Gipson hadn't fumbled in 2004 JMU wouldn't have won that national championship. That touchdown would have iced the game.

Sometimes luck is with you, sometimes luck is against you. Everyone falls on hard times, no one wants to hear about it.

True- Furman was the best team JMU played in 04'. I believe they were ranked #2 going into the playoffs behind then #1 and undefeated SIU. Mickey later said that he thought before the game if JMU could get by Furman they'd win the NC. In additon to Moore at ASU Lamb at Furman is another So-Con coach Matthews is buddies with. After the win he talked about how on the one hand he felt bad for Coach Lamb.

[BDKJMU]

In the '98 season, Chris Weinke broke his neck (and darn near was paralyzed) late in the season. Had he been in the BCS title game against Tennessee, I bet FSU would have won, making back-to-back titles in '98-'99. They only lost by touchdown without him, anyway.

Here's the difference: Bobby Bowden, like Matthews, is as old-school and country as can be, but he didn't use that as an excuse to complain to the media that FSU would have won the title with Weinke. He probably doesn't know the difference between an iPod and a blog, but he's smart enough to know that the media has rabbit ears, and anything he says can reach the entire country, good or bad.

Huge difference- Bowden was dealing with media attention on an entirely different scale. FSU at their height was getting 100x to 1,000x the attention JMU is getting know. Bowden had been dealing with national press since the 80s. He knew his comments would be carried by ESPN, the major networks, in the sports pages of national papers, on sports talk radio naitonwide, etc. Matthews is just talking to a local (some would say podunk) paper that no other media outlet is going to pick up, well, at least they used to not.

[Monarch History]

As they say, that's just Mickey being Mickey xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx xblahblahx

[BDKJMU]

Sullivan is doing just fine:

"The 5-foot-9 Sullivan rushed for 212 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries last year. His red-zone fumble in the final seconds of the Dukes' 28-27 loss to Appalachian State is obviously the most memorable, but Sullivan also coughed the ball up in a 17-16 home loss to Richmond. (JMU's defense ended up stoning the Spiders on the 1-yard line on fourth down to prevent any points from being scored.)

Sullivan said he doesn't let himself dwell on any of those miscues, in particular the App State fumble.

"Nah, that's in the past," Sullivan said. "I don't think about that any more. You've just got to get past it. You can't think about fumbling every time. You can't think about messing up, or you'll mess up. Just think positive thoughts and do what you've got to do.""

more...

"Matthews said he spoke with Sullivan in the wake of the Appalachian State game, but said the young back was handling it all well without any interventions.

"He played great against Appalachian, he just fumbled at the 8-yard line," Matthews said. "If he doesn't fumble on the 8-yard line, he's the hero of that game because of how great he played. ... I've said many times: He was a freshman and should never have been put in that position in the first place.""

http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=30552&CHID=3&sub=