The Griz are back into the quarterfinals and just like 2019, they’re hitting the road. This time around it won’t be against a familiar team though, we’re headed to Virginia to play the JMU Dukes – a team I don’t think we’ve seen since we last beat them there in 2008. JMU, like Montana, has two FCS division titles (2004 & 2016). Of course we know who they beat in ’04 to get their first natty. They’ve been the dominant team in the CAA of late as well, winning the conference title 6 times in the last 7 years (2018 was the only year they didn’t win it). JMU since their 2016 national title has returned to the natty two more times – losing both to NDSU, they lost in the 2nd round in 2018, and lost to SHSU in the semifinals in the ’21 spring season. Outside of NDSU this James Madison program is the most experienced post-season program in the FCS.
JMU is ranked, nationally, at #2 in the country – but was knocked down a notch in the playoff seeding and is the #3 seed – as I assume we all know here. If you need a refresher on our last meetup, here’s some highlights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LzOnH-34to
James Madison Dukes 11-1
68-10 win vs Morehead State: An expected outcome against an inferior team, JMU just beat the hell out of Morehead State. They had 345 rushing / 342 passing and held Morehead to -57 rushing yards (yes, negative yards). JMU only had 3 sacks in the game, but I see Morehead had 5 drives that were net negative yardage as well. Ouch.
55-7 win vs Maine: JMU went to the air early and often, with 379 passing yards and 4 passing TDs on the day. Their defense totally shut Maine down, holding them to 194 total yards on the day. JMU also took a punt return to the house, and had a pick-6 score.
37-24 win @ Weber State: Playing against a more formidable defense, JMU’s numbers on offense peeled back (184 rushing / 177 passing) – yet they rolled into Ogden and put away Weber in a big road win. JMU was actually up 37-10 before Weber scored two late TDs to make the scoreboard look a little closer than it actually was. JMU’s aggressive defense scored another TD in this game on a scoop and score – and forced an interception as well. Weber was ranked 9th in the country at that time.
23-21 win @ New Hampshire: UNH at that point was ranked 25th in the country, this was a close game the whole way. JMU got up early – leading 17-7 at the half. In the 3rd quarter though, UNH bounced back, taking an interception to the house for a TD, and then scoring again to take a 21-17 lead. After trading a few punts and moving to the 4th quarter JMU put together a TD drive but had the extra point blocked. From there though, UNH had two possessions to try to go get the win, and couldn’t do it. Their first possession they gained 24 yards on 6 plays but had to punt. Their next possession they crossed midfield, but then were intercepted and JMU ran the clock out to secure the win. It’s funny because if you just looked at the box score, you’d assume that JMU beat the crap out of UNH. JMU out-gained UNH 432 yards to 162 yards, however JMU lost 3 turnovers, including that pick 6 – that kept this game close.
27-28 loss vs Villanova: JMU’s 3rd game in a row against a ranked team, then #11 (now 5 seed) Villanova. JMU actually was up 27-16 at the half, but then ‘Nova shut them out in the 2nd half, kicked two fieldgoals, and scored a TD (2 point conversion failed) and won the game. All of Villanova’s comeback scoring happened in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th JMU missed two fieldgoals that would’ve put them ahead – both from pretty close range too, a 27 yard attempt and a 36 yard attempt. Both teams didn’t have the sexiest day in terms of productivity, JMU had 339 total yards, ‘Nova had 388. I see JMU was 9-20 on 3rd down and 4-4 on 4th down.
19-3 win @ Richmond: JMU passed for 270 yards, and held Richmond to a total of 188 yards on offense in a solid bounce-back game after the tough Villanova loss. JMU’s kicker got back on track too, going 4-4 kicking field goals.
22-10 win @ Delaware: At that point UD was ranked #22 in the country, and they held a narrow 10-6 lead in the 2nd quarter. From there JMU would score 4 times (3 field goals / 1 TD) and keep UD from doing much at all after that. UD was held to just 109 yards of offense total and lost 3 turnovers in the game.
45-21 win vs Elon: JMU’s offense got back on track, largely spurred by a 28 point 2nd quarter explosion to take a 35-14 lead into the half. JMU had over 450 total yards of offense, with over 300 passing, and held Elon to 89 rushing yards and 198 passing yards.
51-14 win vs Campbell: So I had to look this up, The Campbell Fighting Camels are not a CAA school, they’re in the Big South (Kennesaw State won the auto-bid). They’re a non-scholarship team, and finished 3-8 on the year. It just seemed a little odd to have a tune-up game this late in the season, but hey it worked. JMU had almost 500 yards of total offense, I see Campbell did pass for almost 300 in the game… but also lost 3 fumbles.
32-22 win vs William and Mary: JMU was in good control the whole game. They were up 16-0 at the half, 23-0 in the 3rd, and 32-15 in the 4th. W&M was never really in it, and they were playing for their post-season lives. This was the first game I’ve seen where someone had success rushing against JMU, W&M had 204 total yards rushing, but they lost 2 turnovers and had nearly 80 yards in penalties. JMU passed for 334 in the game and held the ball for 38:41 of clock.
56-10 win vs Towson: Another total beatdown by JMU, passing for 381 and holding Towson to under 300 total yards. JMU grabbed 3 interceptions, forced a fumble, and took a kickoff to the house for a TD.
59-20 win vs Southeastern Louisiana: In the 2nd round playoff game SELA came to town with the reigning Payton Award winning QB from the spring season. The game opened up looking like it would be a track meet, with each teams trading scores and JMU holding a 14-10 first quarter lead. From there though, it was all JMU. SELA would go on to lose 5 total turnovers – one for a pick 6 score, and 4 others setting JMU up on the SELA side of the field. SELA did pass for almost 400 yards, but that’s what their offense is designed to do. Despite so many short-field opportunities JMU still had 484 total yards of offense (321 passing / 163 rushing).
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General Stats
Passing yards per game JMU (230 for UM vs 280 for JMU)
Rushing yards per game JMU (138 for UM vs 163 for JMU)
Total offense JMU (368 for UM vs 443 for JMU)
Passing yards allowed per game JMU (242 for UM vs 192 for JMU)
Rushing yards allowed per game UM (73 for UM vs 80 for JMU)
Total defense JMU (315 for UM vs 272 for JMU)
Not a pretty look there for UM fans, the Griz get just 1 – by 7 yards – in total rushing defense, everywhere else JMU gets the nod. It’s 5-1 in JMU’s favor.
Offense points scored JMU (31.6 for UM vs 41.1 for JMU)
Defense points allowed UM (15.3 for UM vs 15.8 for JMU)
Turnover margin JMU – (+10 for UM / +21 for JMU)
Fieldgoal % JMU (84% for UM vs 90.1% for JMU)
Punt Returns UM (12.6 yards for UM vs 7.1 yards for JMU)
Kick Returns JMU (27.1 yards for UM vs 29.3 yards for JMU)
T.O.P. JMU (27:46 for UM vs 31:40 for JMU)
Red Zone defense (touchdowns) UM (52% UM / 55% JMU)
Red Zone offense (touchdowns) UM (52% UM / 50% JMU)
3rd down offense JMU – (36% for UM / 45% for JMU)
3rd down defense JMU – (31% allowed for UM vs 25% allowed for JMU)
Not much more help here either, JMU gets 7 more, while Montana gets 4. This might be the first time where I’ve seen Montana have a better RZ offense and a worse kick return number. Final total is JMU 12 – Montana 5.
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Players to Watch:
#12 Cole Johnson, QB: Johnson is the CAA OPOY, a Buchanan finalist, and considered to be one of the better NFL draft prospects at the FCS level. He’s 6-5, 214 pounds. He’s averaging 273 passing yards per game and 19 rushing yards per game. He’s got 37 passing TDs and just 2 interceptions thrown, add in another 6 rushing touchdowns.
#7 Antwane Wells Jr, WR: The 6-1, 204 pound WR has been on a crazy tear of late. He’s got 1117 receiving yards and 14 receiving TDs this season. Of those, his last 2 games he’s caught 3 TDs in each. He’s gone over 100 receiving in each of the last 3 games.
#8 Kris Thornton, WR: A VMI transfer a few years ago, he’s 5-8, 180 and is another one of Johnson’s top targets. He’s got 968 yards and 12 receiving TDs this season. He’s credited with 1 kick return as well. He’s scored a TD in each of the last 5 games he’s played, including the Campbell game where he scored 4 TDs. He caught a TD against SELA and ran in another as well.
#5 Latrele Palmer, RB: A big, 220 pound back, JMU’s been really beat up at RB this season but he’s been the main stay. He’s averaging about 60 ypg, his 691 rushing yards are the most on the team (Cole Johnson 2nd most). He’s got 2 rushing TDs this season. He’s got about 50 receiving yards this season.
#3 Solomon Vanhorse, RB: Another 5-8 guy, he’s got stats all over the place, 109 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 273 receiving yards and 5 receiving TDs (3rd best in both categories), he’s also got 416 return yards and 1 KR for a TD. He’s maybe one of the more dynamic/dangerous multi-purpose guys we’ve seen, and probably the best kick returner.
#15 Bryce Carter, DE: A disruptive force of a player, Carter made 1st team all CAA. He has 7 sacks, he’s got 16.5 TFLs and has forced 3 fumbles to go with 43 total tackles.
#9 Greg Ross, CB: JMU’s Justin Ford-type guy. Ross has 4 interceptions this season, 26 tackles, a team best 9 PBU’s.
#2 Diamante Tucker-Dorsey, LB: A shorter LB at 5-10, he leads the team in tackles with 94, he’s got 7 TFLS, 2 sacks, and is tied with Ross with 4 interceptions. He’s forced 2 fumbles as well. His efforts landed him on the 1st team all-CAA.
#3 Mike Greene, DT: A 293 pound d-lineman that ended up on the 2nd team-all CAA. He’s got 41 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks.
#0 Isaac Ukuwu, DE: Another 2nd team all-CAA D-lineman, of his 36 tackles he’s got 16 TFLs, 9 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
#7 Kelvin Amazama, LB: A 5-11 LB, he’s 2nd on the team in tackles with 82, he’s got 6.5 sacks, 1.5 sacks, and has recovered a fumble.
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Keys to a Grizzly victory
1. The Grizzly O-line must play the best game of their lives. This is a better defensive front 7 than MSU’s. JMU’s group is just as fast and plays just as mean. They force more turnovers, and make fewer errors as well. 6 of their front 7 made the all conference teams. Montana’s going to need to do all they can to blunt this group from just kicking Cam’s ass and stuffing our running game all night.
2. Pressure Johnson, but keep him in the pocket as best as possible. I was really impressed with how Johnson could evade some pressure but still beat teams downfield. Once outside of the pocket he is still a threat and can fool teams where they think he’ll run, but then he fires a deep shot at the last second. With some pressure he’s not as accurate, but the Grizzly defense needs to also prepare for him as a runner – and cannot let him get going sideline to sideline. This kid throws one of the better passes I’ve seen in a while, rattling him can hopefully throw his timing off.
3. Expect an attack where we’re the weakest. I’m going to guess that JMU is going to really study both EWU games and the Sac game and come away with some good plans to have their WRs either find gaps in our zone, take some deep shots, and dump some screen passes over our blitzing defense. Montana can hopefully have some plans to prepare for that, this passing offense isn’t as diverse/dynamic as EWU’s – but it has a few guys that can beat anyone – and they’ve done it practically all season.
4. Be the better team in the red zone. It’s awfully interesting that both Montana and JMU have seemingly had a lot of ball carriers with really only 1 steady presence most of the season, and thus they’ve had equally challenging RZ showings on offense. JMU’s kicker is one of the best. He’s only missed 3 kicks all season. We know Money Macias is also damned good too. In a game with two stout defenses – the team that can turn more RZ trips into touchdowns will be at a great advantage.
5. Griz must play error free football. JMU’s +21 is astounding. We cannot give them short field – or kill nice drives with turnovers on their side of the field. JMU’s QB practically plays error free weekly, we need to match that as best we can.
6. Finish the day with the better special teams performance. This will be the best ST unit we’ve seen all season. They have great return units, a good punter, and a great kicker. Montana’s coverage units will be tested like they haven’t been yet this season. Montana’s ST play has been so pivotal on their current run, we need to keep that going.
7. The Montana offense has to move the ball so 3rd down conversions are attainable. We cannot fall back into the trap of asking the offense to convert too many 3rd and longs.
8. 30+ points. The most JMU has allowed this season in a game was 28, in their 1 loss. On the other side their offense has scored over 30 in all of their last 5 games, and in 8 games total this season. The Griz need to do something JMU’s not allowed yet this year…
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There you have it Griz Nation. This JMU team isn’t the JMU of the prior decades we’ve faced before. They are experienced as can be, unphased by challenges, and good at almost every position on the field. They have an experienced coaching staff and a veteran QB that’s one of the best in the FCS. Their defensive front is probably the best we’ll have faced this season as well. The forecast for the game is a pleasant mid-50’s evening.
The Griz are going to have to find the fire they’ve shown the last few games against conference foes, take it on the road, and keep it rolling. I’m having a hard time right now seeing that. After looking through this JMU team and how they’ve performed at this point I’m fearful that Friday night is where the Grizzlies season ends. I don’t have a score in mind, I think it’ll be a tough and lower scoring game most likely… the Griz need to pull out a shocker of a game like we saw against Washington – get to the 4th quarter, be in a spot to win it, and go get it.
JMU is ranked, nationally, at #2 in the country – but was knocked down a notch in the playoff seeding and is the #3 seed – as I assume we all know here. If you need a refresher on our last meetup, here’s some highlights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LzOnH-34to
James Madison Dukes 11-1
68-10 win vs Morehead State: An expected outcome against an inferior team, JMU just beat the hell out of Morehead State. They had 345 rushing / 342 passing and held Morehead to -57 rushing yards (yes, negative yards). JMU only had 3 sacks in the game, but I see Morehead had 5 drives that were net negative yardage as well. Ouch.
55-7 win vs Maine: JMU went to the air early and often, with 379 passing yards and 4 passing TDs on the day. Their defense totally shut Maine down, holding them to 194 total yards on the day. JMU also took a punt return to the house, and had a pick-6 score.
37-24 win @ Weber State: Playing against a more formidable defense, JMU’s numbers on offense peeled back (184 rushing / 177 passing) – yet they rolled into Ogden and put away Weber in a big road win. JMU was actually up 37-10 before Weber scored two late TDs to make the scoreboard look a little closer than it actually was. JMU’s aggressive defense scored another TD in this game on a scoop and score – and forced an interception as well. Weber was ranked 9th in the country at that time.
23-21 win @ New Hampshire: UNH at that point was ranked 25th in the country, this was a close game the whole way. JMU got up early – leading 17-7 at the half. In the 3rd quarter though, UNH bounced back, taking an interception to the house for a TD, and then scoring again to take a 21-17 lead. After trading a few punts and moving to the 4th quarter JMU put together a TD drive but had the extra point blocked. From there though, UNH had two possessions to try to go get the win, and couldn’t do it. Their first possession they gained 24 yards on 6 plays but had to punt. Their next possession they crossed midfield, but then were intercepted and JMU ran the clock out to secure the win. It’s funny because if you just looked at the box score, you’d assume that JMU beat the crap out of UNH. JMU out-gained UNH 432 yards to 162 yards, however JMU lost 3 turnovers, including that pick 6 – that kept this game close.
27-28 loss vs Villanova: JMU’s 3rd game in a row against a ranked team, then #11 (now 5 seed) Villanova. JMU actually was up 27-16 at the half, but then ‘Nova shut them out in the 2nd half, kicked two fieldgoals, and scored a TD (2 point conversion failed) and won the game. All of Villanova’s comeback scoring happened in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th JMU missed two fieldgoals that would’ve put them ahead – both from pretty close range too, a 27 yard attempt and a 36 yard attempt. Both teams didn’t have the sexiest day in terms of productivity, JMU had 339 total yards, ‘Nova had 388. I see JMU was 9-20 on 3rd down and 4-4 on 4th down.
19-3 win @ Richmond: JMU passed for 270 yards, and held Richmond to a total of 188 yards on offense in a solid bounce-back game after the tough Villanova loss. JMU’s kicker got back on track too, going 4-4 kicking field goals.
22-10 win @ Delaware: At that point UD was ranked #22 in the country, and they held a narrow 10-6 lead in the 2nd quarter. From there JMU would score 4 times (3 field goals / 1 TD) and keep UD from doing much at all after that. UD was held to just 109 yards of offense total and lost 3 turnovers in the game.
45-21 win vs Elon: JMU’s offense got back on track, largely spurred by a 28 point 2nd quarter explosion to take a 35-14 lead into the half. JMU had over 450 total yards of offense, with over 300 passing, and held Elon to 89 rushing yards and 198 passing yards.
51-14 win vs Campbell: So I had to look this up, The Campbell Fighting Camels are not a CAA school, they’re in the Big South (Kennesaw State won the auto-bid). They’re a non-scholarship team, and finished 3-8 on the year. It just seemed a little odd to have a tune-up game this late in the season, but hey it worked. JMU had almost 500 yards of total offense, I see Campbell did pass for almost 300 in the game… but also lost 3 fumbles.
32-22 win vs William and Mary: JMU was in good control the whole game. They were up 16-0 at the half, 23-0 in the 3rd, and 32-15 in the 4th. W&M was never really in it, and they were playing for their post-season lives. This was the first game I’ve seen where someone had success rushing against JMU, W&M had 204 total yards rushing, but they lost 2 turnovers and had nearly 80 yards in penalties. JMU passed for 334 in the game and held the ball for 38:41 of clock.
56-10 win vs Towson: Another total beatdown by JMU, passing for 381 and holding Towson to under 300 total yards. JMU grabbed 3 interceptions, forced a fumble, and took a kickoff to the house for a TD.
59-20 win vs Southeastern Louisiana: In the 2nd round playoff game SELA came to town with the reigning Payton Award winning QB from the spring season. The game opened up looking like it would be a track meet, with each teams trading scores and JMU holding a 14-10 first quarter lead. From there though, it was all JMU. SELA would go on to lose 5 total turnovers – one for a pick 6 score, and 4 others setting JMU up on the SELA side of the field. SELA did pass for almost 400 yards, but that’s what their offense is designed to do. Despite so many short-field opportunities JMU still had 484 total yards of offense (321 passing / 163 rushing).
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General Stats
Passing yards per game JMU (230 for UM vs 280 for JMU)
Rushing yards per game JMU (138 for UM vs 163 for JMU)
Total offense JMU (368 for UM vs 443 for JMU)
Passing yards allowed per game JMU (242 for UM vs 192 for JMU)
Rushing yards allowed per game UM (73 for UM vs 80 for JMU)
Total defense JMU (315 for UM vs 272 for JMU)
Not a pretty look there for UM fans, the Griz get just 1 – by 7 yards – in total rushing defense, everywhere else JMU gets the nod. It’s 5-1 in JMU’s favor.
Offense points scored JMU (31.6 for UM vs 41.1 for JMU)
Defense points allowed UM (15.3 for UM vs 15.8 for JMU)
Turnover margin JMU – (+10 for UM / +21 for JMU)
Fieldgoal % JMU (84% for UM vs 90.1% for JMU)
Punt Returns UM (12.6 yards for UM vs 7.1 yards for JMU)
Kick Returns JMU (27.1 yards for UM vs 29.3 yards for JMU)
T.O.P. JMU (27:46 for UM vs 31:40 for JMU)
Red Zone defense (touchdowns) UM (52% UM / 55% JMU)
Red Zone offense (touchdowns) UM (52% UM / 50% JMU)
3rd down offense JMU – (36% for UM / 45% for JMU)
3rd down defense JMU – (31% allowed for UM vs 25% allowed for JMU)
Not much more help here either, JMU gets 7 more, while Montana gets 4. This might be the first time where I’ve seen Montana have a better RZ offense and a worse kick return number. Final total is JMU 12 – Montana 5.
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Players to Watch:
#12 Cole Johnson, QB: Johnson is the CAA OPOY, a Buchanan finalist, and considered to be one of the better NFL draft prospects at the FCS level. He’s 6-5, 214 pounds. He’s averaging 273 passing yards per game and 19 rushing yards per game. He’s got 37 passing TDs and just 2 interceptions thrown, add in another 6 rushing touchdowns.
#7 Antwane Wells Jr, WR: The 6-1, 204 pound WR has been on a crazy tear of late. He’s got 1117 receiving yards and 14 receiving TDs this season. Of those, his last 2 games he’s caught 3 TDs in each. He’s gone over 100 receiving in each of the last 3 games.
#8 Kris Thornton, WR: A VMI transfer a few years ago, he’s 5-8, 180 and is another one of Johnson’s top targets. He’s got 968 yards and 12 receiving TDs this season. He’s credited with 1 kick return as well. He’s scored a TD in each of the last 5 games he’s played, including the Campbell game where he scored 4 TDs. He caught a TD against SELA and ran in another as well.
#5 Latrele Palmer, RB: A big, 220 pound back, JMU’s been really beat up at RB this season but he’s been the main stay. He’s averaging about 60 ypg, his 691 rushing yards are the most on the team (Cole Johnson 2nd most). He’s got 2 rushing TDs this season. He’s got about 50 receiving yards this season.
#3 Solomon Vanhorse, RB: Another 5-8 guy, he’s got stats all over the place, 109 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 273 receiving yards and 5 receiving TDs (3rd best in both categories), he’s also got 416 return yards and 1 KR for a TD. He’s maybe one of the more dynamic/dangerous multi-purpose guys we’ve seen, and probably the best kick returner.
#15 Bryce Carter, DE: A disruptive force of a player, Carter made 1st team all CAA. He has 7 sacks, he’s got 16.5 TFLs and has forced 3 fumbles to go with 43 total tackles.
#9 Greg Ross, CB: JMU’s Justin Ford-type guy. Ross has 4 interceptions this season, 26 tackles, a team best 9 PBU’s.
#2 Diamante Tucker-Dorsey, LB: A shorter LB at 5-10, he leads the team in tackles with 94, he’s got 7 TFLS, 2 sacks, and is tied with Ross with 4 interceptions. He’s forced 2 fumbles as well. His efforts landed him on the 1st team all-CAA.
#3 Mike Greene, DT: A 293 pound d-lineman that ended up on the 2nd team-all CAA. He’s got 41 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks.
#0 Isaac Ukuwu, DE: Another 2nd team all-CAA D-lineman, of his 36 tackles he’s got 16 TFLs, 9 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
#7 Kelvin Amazama, LB: A 5-11 LB, he’s 2nd on the team in tackles with 82, he’s got 6.5 sacks, 1.5 sacks, and has recovered a fumble.
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Keys to a Grizzly victory
1. The Grizzly O-line must play the best game of their lives. This is a better defensive front 7 than MSU’s. JMU’s group is just as fast and plays just as mean. They force more turnovers, and make fewer errors as well. 6 of their front 7 made the all conference teams. Montana’s going to need to do all they can to blunt this group from just kicking Cam’s ass and stuffing our running game all night.
2. Pressure Johnson, but keep him in the pocket as best as possible. I was really impressed with how Johnson could evade some pressure but still beat teams downfield. Once outside of the pocket he is still a threat and can fool teams where they think he’ll run, but then he fires a deep shot at the last second. With some pressure he’s not as accurate, but the Grizzly defense needs to also prepare for him as a runner – and cannot let him get going sideline to sideline. This kid throws one of the better passes I’ve seen in a while, rattling him can hopefully throw his timing off.
3. Expect an attack where we’re the weakest. I’m going to guess that JMU is going to really study both EWU games and the Sac game and come away with some good plans to have their WRs either find gaps in our zone, take some deep shots, and dump some screen passes over our blitzing defense. Montana can hopefully have some plans to prepare for that, this passing offense isn’t as diverse/dynamic as EWU’s – but it has a few guys that can beat anyone – and they’ve done it practically all season.
4. Be the better team in the red zone. It’s awfully interesting that both Montana and JMU have seemingly had a lot of ball carriers with really only 1 steady presence most of the season, and thus they’ve had equally challenging RZ showings on offense. JMU’s kicker is one of the best. He’s only missed 3 kicks all season. We know Money Macias is also damned good too. In a game with two stout defenses – the team that can turn more RZ trips into touchdowns will be at a great advantage.
5. Griz must play error free football. JMU’s +21 is astounding. We cannot give them short field – or kill nice drives with turnovers on their side of the field. JMU’s QB practically plays error free weekly, we need to match that as best we can.
6. Finish the day with the better special teams performance. This will be the best ST unit we’ve seen all season. They have great return units, a good punter, and a great kicker. Montana’s coverage units will be tested like they haven’t been yet this season. Montana’s ST play has been so pivotal on their current run, we need to keep that going.
7. The Montana offense has to move the ball so 3rd down conversions are attainable. We cannot fall back into the trap of asking the offense to convert too many 3rd and longs.
8. 30+ points. The most JMU has allowed this season in a game was 28, in their 1 loss. On the other side their offense has scored over 30 in all of their last 5 games, and in 8 games total this season. The Griz need to do something JMU’s not allowed yet this year…
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There you have it Griz Nation. This JMU team isn’t the JMU of the prior decades we’ve faced before. They are experienced as can be, unphased by challenges, and good at almost every position on the field. They have an experienced coaching staff and a veteran QB that’s one of the best in the FCS. Their defensive front is probably the best we’ll have faced this season as well. The forecast for the game is a pleasant mid-50’s evening.
The Griz are going to have to find the fire they’ve shown the last few games against conference foes, take it on the road, and keep it rolling. I’m having a hard time right now seeing that. After looking through this JMU team and how they’ve performed at this point I’m fearful that Friday night is where the Grizzlies season ends. I don’t have a score in mind, I think it’ll be a tough and lower scoring game most likely… the Griz need to pull out a shocker of a game like we saw against Washington – get to the 4th quarter, be in a spot to win it, and go get it.
Can the offensive line do enough to win? We’ll see but to make a half hazard prediction that this will be Montana’s last playoff game is an insult to the body of work this team has done all season. We have as a good a chance as we did against ewu, msu, sac state etc…. unless the author thinks the BSC didn’t deserve its seeds or at large bids.
