HUGE win!!! Going into the game I was hoping we would keep the score to within 20 points. JMU is a good football team but we don't have the size or talent of VT. We had been outscored 90 to zero in our previous two meetings with Tech so I just wanted to keep it respectable.
The first half we didn't get anything going offensively. Our defense held up pretty well. We had good contain on Taylor and we held Tech's vaunted running game pretty well in check. Tech built a 10-0 lead deep into the second quarter. To that point, JMU had 1 first down the entire game and about 20 yards of total offense. All that changed on one play. We had a 3rd and 17 and we did a screen pass that our RB took 75+ yards to the house to make it a 10-7 game. Tech came down to score another FG before the half but I was VERY pleased to be at 13-7 at half time.
The second half was a totally different story. Our defense held up big time but our offense started really moving the ball. Dudzik was fantastic. He did a great job of managing the game and while he didn't throw much (although he seems to be pretty accurate to me when I have seen him), he kept the chains moving with great runs. Dudzik ended up scoring two TDs on two runs in the second half and we took a 21-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter. At that point, I was thinking to myself that I have been very entertained and I am very happy with being able to take a lead and even if we lose, I will be satisfied. As soon as that popped in my head, I said, no, we are so close, we have to win this thing.
Tech got the ball with over 8 minutes to go and marched down the field. Ryan Williams had a huge play on a 2nd and 7 at about our 40 where he took a safety valve pass and was closed in on by a JMU LB who was able to slow him down and who was holding on to him by his jersey as pursuit was closing in on him. Williams looked like he was going to take a loss but he spun free of the defender and ended up running across the field for like a 15 yard gain. The next play, Darren Evans ran for about 10 yards to inside our 20 yard line. The next play, Evans carried again but fumbled and JMU recovered.
At that point, there was still 5+ minutes left in the game but JMU did a good job of getting a couple of first downs to wind the clock down to about 20 seconds until we had to punt. There was a roughing the kicker call on our punt effectively ending the game.
JMU WINS 21-16!!! It is the biggest victory in JMU football history! Yes, we won the national championship back in 2004 but I still have to say that this was the biggest win for the program. It is only the second time in history that an FCS school has beaten a ranked FBS school. JMU has actually received votes this week in the FBS poll.
It's a great time to be a Duke!
8 comments:
Good win for the program. I'm always happy to see VT lose.
Sucks for Boise State.
Congrats.
You're going to go a long way as long as you keep your Dudzik healthy.
As a side note, UVA held up against USC Saturday night but made a few too many mistakes to come out with a win. Regardless, the 17-14 loss should inspire confidence in the team and in the coaching staff. Glad to see the Hoos not crumble like a house of cards when playing a strong opponent.
I watched the whole game on Saturday night (I was struggling to stay awake at the end) and felt good about the overall effort.
There is talent on the Cavs team and I think the attitude that London is instilling is raising the play.
I fully intended not to stay up to watch the game, but they kept it interesting and I ended up watching til the bitter end. I don't recall ever seeing a live game played until 2AM...ridiculous.
Tell me about it. I am sure USC did it in an effort to give themselves more of a home field advantage. Making an East Coast team fly out and play a night game on the West Coast gives them a little more of an edge.
Heck, that may have been the difference between winning and losing.
I don't say it is unfair, it is what it is.
Yeah, that's all well and good about UVA but lets not forget about DUDZIK!!!!
Dudzik reminds me of Tom Brady in college. They never wanted to give the ball to Brady and always wanted to give it to the more highly recruited/prized player but Brady always got the job done. The same is true with Dudzik. We have a sophomore who is more athletic and who was more highly recuited but Dudzik is the guy that seems to keep making the plays. Stay with Dudzik.
Going back to UVA for a moment, they do look much improved and despite Robs "loving" Groh, it was the best move for that program in years to fire him and bring in London. I like London and you can already see what he is doing for that program. He is a great coach and recruiter and in a couple of years UVA will be much stronger.
You have some kind of problem where you cannot let Groh go. What is your fascination with the guy?
Look ahead friend and let it go . . . let it go!
You're the one that "loved" Groh.
Deepie and I were saying that they should fire is arse. They finally did and good for them.
I am looking forward as I liked the pick of London and think he will recuit/coach well and get UVA where they should be.
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