CAA Picks: Week 5

HARRISONBURG – More tough calls this week, so I took an extra night to sleep on some of these picks. As balanced and competitive as the Colonial Athletic Association is this year, teams don’t want and can’t afford a second loss early in the season. Teams like Rhode Island and William & Mary face must-wins to avoid their third defeat.

I went 5-2 last week to bring my season total to 27-7. I was too high on UMass (they didn’t come close to upsetting Boston College) and too down on Villanova (they’re bad, but they beat Penn.)

Here are this week’s picks…

Holy Cross at New Hampshire: The Wildcats’ defense has given up over 40 points in each of the team’s first three games. And while the potent UNH offense – led by quarterback Kevin Decker – has been able to keep pace so far, that trend can’t – and shouldn’t – continue.

Holy Cross is no slouch of an opponent, having lost a close game against UMass in its season opener. This will be the crusaders first road game of 2011 and while Durham, N.H. isn’t exactly Death Valley or the Swamp (or even Harrisonburg or Newark) that should work to UNH’s favor.

Holy Cross senior quarterback Ryan Taggart will test the Wildcats’ defense yet again, but this week, they should have some answers.

PICK: UNH 37, Holy Cross 27

William & Mary at Villanova: The Wildcats scored their first win last weekend beating Penn after getting a pair of interception returns for touchdowns. William & Mary won’t be as careless with the football. The Tribe shored up its quarterbacking situation when Michael Graham played well in the loss to JMU. Bolstered by the return of wide receiver Ryan Moody, Graham and the W&M passing game is rounding into form.

And that means tailback Jonathan Grimes should become more and more an effective weapon as teams have to account for pass defense in addition to stopping the run.

While the Tribe’s offense is coming together, Villanova’s is still painfully young and inexperienced. Playing at home is an advantage, but not  big enough one to change the outcome.

PICK: W&M 27, Villanova 17

Delaware at Maine: Old Dominion gave Delaware fits last weekend before the Blue Hens finally put the CAA’s newest team away. New quarterback Tim Donnelly threw for 304 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help make up for a disappointing showing from tailback Andrew Pierce.

Maine went 2-1 in its non-conference slate and an upset over Delaware could get the Black Bears going in the right direction. The offense has developed good balance with Pushaun Brown churning out yards on the ground and quarterback Warren Smith moving the ball through the air without throwing the interceptions that plagued the team last year.

It’s tempting to give the Bears the nod for the upset, but not tempting enough. Delaware escapes Orono, barely.

PICK: Delaware 24, Maine 20

Towson at Maryland: The Tigers have come far under coach Rob Ambrose, but not that far. Ambrose may have some insight into new Maryland coach Randy Edsall’s approach, after working on Edsall’s staff at Connecticut, but that won’t make up for the talent gap.

Towson’s goal should be to play well for a quarter or two, and then escape without any major injuries. Because behind emerging star quarterback Grant Enders, the Tigers could have a shot at a I-AA playoff bid.

PICK: Maryland 34, Towson 13

Rhode Island at Brown: After an 0-2 start – with losses to Syracuse and UMass – the Rams eked out a surprisingly tight 21-17 win over Fordham last week. Now, it’s rivalry-game time against Brown. Rhode Island has a high-powered passing attack that should make it a sleeper pick in the CAA this year. But it needs this game to stay in contention for a playoff bid.

A year ago, Brown dragged Rhode Island into overtime before the Rams prevailed. The season before that, Brown won.

Too early in the year for a must-win? Nope. Rhode Island needs this game, and they’ll get it.

PICK: Rhode Island 31, Brown 20

Massachusetts at Old Dominion: This is a huge game for both teams. ODU has come up short in two valiant efforts against CAA teams so far. Last year, it lost a tough one to William & Mary. Last weekend, it took Delaware into the fourth quarter before falling. While those close-calls are earning the Monarchs kudos, what they really want to earn is some victories. Quarterback Thomas DeMarco has proven he can play in the CAA. Now he must prove he can win.

The Minutemen, meanwhile, will be relying more and more on tailback Jonathan Hernandez. UMass still isn’t getting great play from the quarterback spot and its defense has been extremely disappointing. This game being at ODU is a tough call.

PICK: UMass 24, ODU 21

Richmond at James Madison: For the second straight week, the biggest game in the CAA and one of the biggest in I-AA involved JMU. A week after beating then-No. 6 William & Mary in Williamsburg, the Dukes are hosting a Top 10 matchup against No. 10 Richmond.

Let’s dub this the Turmoil Bowl. Richmond has recovered well after shockingly losing its coach – Latrell Scott – just before the start of the season, after Scott was charged with a DWI. Interim coach Wayne Lineburg not only held things together, he led the Spiders to an upset over I-A Duke and then two more wins before falling last weekend to New Hampshire.

Led by USC transfer quarterback Aaron Corp, wide receiver Tre Gray and emerging tailback Kendall Gaskins, the Spiders offense is formidable.

JMU’s offense is in flux. Starting quarterback Justin Thorpe is suspended for the next five games and his backups are largely untested. That should mean a Dukes’ attack that features a lot of Dae’Quan Scott, both at running back and at Wildcat quarterback. Jace Edwards figures to be the starting quarterback with freshman Andre Coble running some option plays with Scott.

This one may come down to which defense plays better. JMU will have its hands full with Corp and Co., but I expect that unit to finally put things together.

PICK: JMU 24, Richmond 21

Upon Further Review: Looking back at the W&M game (And A QB's suspension)

HARRISONBURG – Well, I never bothered to post the Upon Further Review blog I wrote Sunday morning after the Dukes’ big 20-14 win over William & Mary. In the wake of starting quarterback Justin Thorpe’s suspension, other topics seemed a bit more pressing.

First down: Did JMU’s offense find an identity running the ball Saturday? And will Thorpe’s suspension send them back to square one?

Against William & Mary, sophomore running back Dae’Quan Scott posted his third straight 100-plus-yard rushing performance, the first JMU running back to do so since Eugene Holloman in 2006. The Dukes also got 81 yards rushing from quarterback Justin Thorpe against the Tribe and had the look of a team that can impose its will on opponents running the ball.

Scott has proved to be a legit every-down back, running hard between the tackles and fast outside them, breaking tackles and proving a capable blocker. JMU has also used some – but not much – of its Wildcat package with Scott.

Now, with Thorpe out for at least the next five games, the Dukes have to go back to the offensive drawing board. It was poor play on offense – and the quarterback position – that sunk the past two seasons, as JMU went 6-5 and missed the playoffs in both years. JMU coach Mickey Matthews took over in the offseason as quarterbacks coach and play-caller and – through four games – the Dukes appeared to be making progress.

Thorpe looked sharp throwing the ball against North Carolina and Scott emerged as a star the next three games. After back-to-back road wins over ranked opponents (Liberty and William & Mary), JMU moved up to No. 9 in the latest I-AA Top 25 poll.

But if the Dukes were a stock, Jim Kramer would be yelling to sell. News of the suspension to Thorpe would have them plummeting. Going forward, to rebound, JMU will need its offensive line to be even more dominant and Scott and backup Jauan Latney to continue to play well.

Oh yeah. And…

Second down: JMU will need new quarterback Jace Edwards to step up.

Edwards practiced well in the preseason and beat out the more highly touted Billy Cosh – a transfer from Kansas State – for the backup job. He doesn’t have the speed or raw athleticism of Thorpe or the arm strength of Cosh, but Edwards impressed Matthews’ with the coach called a quarterback’s “moxie.”

If Edwards can get by primarily handing the ball to Scott and Latney as he gets comfortable running the show, he could prove a more than capable fill-in until Thorpe returns. But if JMU asks Edwards to pass the ball only on third-and-long – when defenses know what’s coming – he could damage his psyche.

Matthews said Edwards is more athletic than people realize, pointing out that he was a spread option quarterback in Texas in high school. But he’s young, playing earlier than would be ideal as a redshirt freshman. He saw some limited action in the season-opening loss to North Carolina, but that’s it.

There will be plenty of pressure on Edwards, but really, for all this talk of what the offense needs to do post-Thorpe, the unit that’s really under the gun is…

Third down: The defense. JMU needs its D to become the dominant force people expected.

The Dukes aren’t going to score much or be as explosive without Thorpe. That’s reality. But they can be efficient, controlling the ball and the clock. The defense will have to play, well, the way it played the last two years before switching to the 4-3.

JMU’s defensive line has been ravaged by injuries. Defensive tackle Sean O’Neill is out for the year after knee surgery. Nick Emmons, the other starter, hasn’t played yet this season because of a knee injury suffered in practice. Jordan Stanton came out of Saturday’s William & Mary game with an undisclosed injury.

The Dukes only lost two starters from last year -- defensive tackle Ronnell Brown was a senior and safety Jonathan Williams was booted from the team for off-field transgressions. But in the second half against William & Mary, new Tribe quarterback Mike Graham torched Madison’s secondary.

If the defense can play the way JMU is accustomed to seeing it play, the offense should be able to tread water all the way to the brink of a playoff berth. And that’s when Thorpe – who is allowed to practice with the team – would be back.

Game day blog: Three keys to the JMU-W&M game

WILLIAMSBURG – James Madison opens its Colonial Athletic Association slate today with a game at sold-out Zable Stadium against No. 6 William & Mary. A year ago, the Tribe was ranked No. 1 in Division I-AA and the Dukes were, well, floundering, having their season run aground by an inept offense that wasted the efforts of a tenacious defense.

But that day, JMU slid freshman Dae’Quan Scott from wide receiver to Wildcat quarterback and – running a limited playbook – upset William & Mary without a single passing yard.

Fast forward to this year’s meeting and once again there’s an underachieving offense asking a daunting D to bail it out game after game. But this year, those woes belong to William & Mary.

Here are three keys to watch for during tonight’s game.

1) How will W&M redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Graham perform in his first college start?

It’s been all too easy for opposing defenses to key in on William & Mary’s do-it-all running back Jonathan Grimes so far this season. That’s because the Tribe lost their only experienced receiver – Ryan Moody – to a preseason injury and its first two quarterbacks – Mike Paulus and Brent Caprio – have been ineffective. Enter Graham, who was not too shabby in relief against Division II New Haven in last weekend’s uninspired 13-10 win.

JMU will likely make stopping Grimes – the CAA’s co-Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – its top priority, even though the Dukes’ pass defense has been shoddy at best this year. If Madison dares the Tribe to beat them by throwing the ball, can Graham do it?

JMU hasn’t been great rushing the passer this year – and its two starting defensive tackles are both out today – but you’d think with a rookie like Graham behind center, it’ll want to dial up some blitzes and pressure him.

2) Playing an offense that is having problems, can JMU’s defense get its act together?

The players have said all week that they’re confident this is the week the Dukes’ defense lives up to its advanced billing. There is no question JMU has plenty of talent and experience on that side of the ball. But the Dukes have struggled defensively the first three weeks.

Missing starting defensive tackles Nick Emmons and Sean O’Neill has hurt. And senior Vidal Nelson said, despite the similarities between the eight-man front from last year and the 4-3 JMU is using this year, the subtle differences have slowed down the Dukes’ explosive play makers on defense.

Against Liberty, defensive end D.J. Bryant and defensive tackle Jordan Stanton did an improved job of rushing the quarterback. Cornerback Leavander Jones has been good and safety Jakarie Jackson made some big plays in the win over the Flames. Linebacker Stephon Robertson has – as expected – been a tackling machine.

But JMU hasn’t gotten the big third down stops it needs to truly be a stifling unit. Maybe this is the week.

3) Can Dae’Quan Scott become the first JMU back with three-straight 100-yard games since Eugene Holloman?

The Dukes’ young offensive line is getting better week to week and Scott – after an impressive first game at running back against North Carolina – has been close to unstoppable the past two games. His exception balance and surprisingly toughness make him a hard mark to tackle. And his explosive speed means if you miss him, you may not get a second shot to bring him down.

Certainly William & Mary will be concentrating on stopping Scott after he shredded them a year ago in Harrisonburg. And watching tape of JMU’s past two games, his running has been the bulk of the offense. But quarterback Justin Thorpe and the passing attack showed enough ability in the season-opening loss to North Carolina that W&M will have to at least respect that facet of the Dukes’ game.

Add to that Thorpe’s running ability and keying on Scott isn’t as easy a chore as it might seem.

CAA Picks: Week 4

HARRISONBURG – Bandwagons. I’m jumping off William & Mary’s until the Tribe settles on a quarterback. I’m hopping on with James Madison, Richmond and Towson. (Yeah, that says Towson).

But what about the CAA’s big mystery team – Old Dominion? The Monarchs could be great. They could be lousy. Don’t pretend to know based on what they’ve done to date. Talk to me after a few weeks of CAA play. For now, I’ll jog alongside the unbeaten ODU bandwagon, keeping pace but not grabbing a seat just yet.

Who’s on my bandwagon? I went 6-2 last week and am 22-5 on picks this year. Let’s pick up some more followers this week.

Here are this week’s picks…

Old Dominion at Delaware: We’ll start with this one even though it’s a tough-y. That’s not me talking. That’s got to be ODU’s reaction to drawing Delaware in its CAA opener. A trip to Newark is no easy chore, even if Hens fans tend to be a little on the geriatric side. And Delaware’s team? It’s good.

Offensively, the passing game is still a work in progress, but the talented tailback Andrew Pierce and the line should be able to move the ball on Old Dominion. Defensively, the Blue Hens will give the Monarchs and quarterback Thomas Demarco a whole different level of competition.

It’s hard to predict ODU games until I see them play. I don’t know how good they are. I know about the Hens. For now, I’m sticking with an oldie and a goodie.

PICK: Delaware 20, ODU 16

Massachusetts at Boston College: I really like UMass this year, but this week? It runs the ball well, plays great defense and has apparently figured things out at quarterback. This is not a strong Boston College team, so the Minutemen – headed to Division I-A (yes, the MAC technically counts) – should be thinking upset.

The last time the teams met was 2007, when Boston College won 24-14. This year they get closer. In fact, they win.

PICK: UMASS 27, BC 24

Fordham at Rhode Island: Speaking of bandwagons, I was all over Joe Trainer’s Rams as the sleeper pick in the CAA. Now they’re 0-2 after a one-score loss at Syracuse and shootout loss to UMass. My hopes for URI haven’t diminished any, but to be in the hunt for a playoff bid, they’ll have to get by Fordham.

A year ago, Fordham nipped Rhode Island by two. This time around, Rhody gets revenge with a big game from quarterback Steve Probst.

PICK: Rhode Island 31, Fordham 17

New Hampshire at Richmond: I didn’t expect the Spiders to be this good. And when they went through their pre-season drama – with Latrell Scott literally steering them off course – I figured they’d be even worse. Boy was I wrong. How about a 3-0 start going into CAA play.

New Hampshire’s defense has not played well yet this season, but its offense – behind new quarterback Kevin Decker – is coming on strong. It’s a third straight road game to open the year for UNH. The Wildcats won’t head home empty-handed.

PICK: New Hampshire 27, Richmond 21

Colgate at Towson: Sorry Towson. For all the reasons I thought you’d beat Villanova, I still couldn’t pull the trigger and pick you guys a few weeks ago. I won’t make that mistake again.

New quarterback Grant Enders is a weapon and these ain’t your grandfather’s Tigers. Heck, they’re not even your fathers or your older brothers. There legit. No, I don’t think they’ll contend for a CAA title this year but they should be more than a Patriot League foe can handle.

PICK: Towson 27, Colgate 17

Penn at Villanova: This is the eighth straight year the two teams play and almost every meeting has been ultra-competitive. Villanova, however, has won each one of those. That could change Saturday. When the youngest – and, consequently least competitive – Wildcats team of Andy Talley’s tenure plays Penn in what could be Villanova’s last best chance to get a win this year. Lose to the Quakers and VU could be staring 0-11 in the face.

I picked the Wildcats to find a way to get by Towson. They didn’t. I trusted they could handle Monmouth. They couldn’t. This week?

PICK: Penn 24, Villanova 21

James Madison at William & Mary: This is the big one in the CAA this week. The Dukes – long known for their defense – have struggled to slow opponents down this year. The Tribe – with its reputation for big-time offense – has been punchless offensively so far.

A JMU defensive player told me this week he thinks the Dukes’ defense is ready to put things together. He said it just took a few weeks to adjust to the new 4-3 scheme the team is playing.

W&M? They don’t seem any closer to figuring things out on offense. JMU will be able to handle the ridiculously-talented Jonathan Grimes because the Tribe has no passing attack to take heat off him.

Offensively, JMU has found its stride behind the powerful and speedy running of Dae’Quan Scott, who has posted back-to-back 100-yard games.

Pick: JMU 24, W&M 10

Upon Further Review: A look back at the JMU-Liberty game

HARRISONBURG – James Madison’s offense had its most effective outing of the young season. It’s defense stepped up in key spots. And a rookie kicker gave the Dukes’ a dramatic 27-24 win over Liberty on Saturday.

The Flames’ television network aired the game and MASN rebroadcast it this morning. After a second viewing, here are some thoughts about Saturday’s battle in Lynchburg.

First down: Who really needed this game more?

All the hype said this was a signature chance for Liberty, an opportunity to elevate the status of its program within the state of Virginia. In the big picture, a win Saturday would have done more for the Flames’ program, in terms of national recognition and impact on in-state recruiting.

But for this season, there’s no question the Dukes needed this one more. Even after losing, Liberty still has a great chance to reach the Division I-AA playoffs by winning the Big South. JMU? It plays in the CAA – now 15-1 in non-conference I-AA games this year – a much tougher league. The Dukes can’t count on a league title to make the tournament. It needs to pick up seven or eight wins to be in line for an at-large bid.

By beating Liberty, and going 2-1 in its non-conference schedule (the Dukes lost to North Carolina in the season opener), JMU is in position, with a winning season in the CAA, to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

And who knows? If both teams get there, Liberty may get another shot at the Dukes in November.

Second down: Will JMU’s defense get it together already?

With so many starters back from a unit that has played superbly the past two seasons, it was just assumed the Dukes would boast a dominating defense. But through three games, JMU has been anything but.

Saturday was an improvement at times. The team bowed up in the red zone in the first half, holding Liberty to field goal tries. Jakarie Jackson – who had a strong game – came up with a key interception near the goal line in the contest. And, after not recording a sack in the first two games, JMU got three Saturday.

The unit was playing without either starting defensive tackle (it should get senior Nick Emmons back for the next game, at William & Mary, but junior Sean O’Neill is out for the year). The Dukes aggressively got hits (and some penalties) going after Mike Brown.

Sophomore middle linebacker Stephon Robertson has been strong all year long.

But Liberty quarterback Mike Brown shredded the Dukes’ secondary for 298 yards, including some long pass plays to B.J. Hayes and Chris Summers.

To compete in the CAA, JMU will need the defense to be a more dominant bunch.

Third down: Has the offense found its rhythm?

Liberty’s television announcers accidentally referred to JMU’s 5-foot-9 running back as “Dae’Quan Squat” during Saturday’s game. He’s not the tallest player in the league but he’s been of the most productive.

Saturday, Scott ran incredibly hard, breaking tackles and carrying defenders for extra yardage. He finished with 126 yards and three touchdowns.

But his biggest play of the game came with 9:40 to go when Thorpe threw away an option pitch. Scott come out of a pack of three Liberty defenders with the ball, avoiding disaster.

For the game, JMU had 173 yards on the ground and 141 through the air, perhaps the best balance to the attack in recent memory. Maybe most impressively, when the Dukes lined up for big third-down conversions, no one was quite sure what they’d run.

Thorpe continues to prove himself and leading the game-winning drive Saturday was another big step.

Extra points: Aaron Harper, Tyler Snow and Jordan Stanton had sacks for the Dukes on Saturday … JMU’s next opponent, William & Mary, barely snuck by Division II New Haven, 13-10. The Tribe benched quarterback Mike Paulus in the game.

Game day blog: Three keys for the JMU-Liberty game

HARRISONBURG – James Madison is right where most people thought it would be after two games. The Dukes are 1-1 heading into a hostile environment in Lynchburg to take on a Liberty team with something to prove.

But JMU might have just as much to prove. The defense – highly touted going into the year – hasn’t been overwhelming. The young, inconsistent offensive has been underwhelming.

A win today is pivotal to the Dukes’ chances of ending their 2-year playoff drought. Here are three keys to today’s game.

1) Is this Liberty team the real deal?

Don’t judge a book by its cover and don’t judge the Flames by their conference. No, the Big South can’t carry the CAA’s shoulder pads, but that doesn’t mean Liberty can’t knock JMU right out of its pads. That might be a tough reality for some fans to accept. A win by the Flames today, however, would open some eyes.

I talked to LU senior linebacker Mike Connolly this week and he told me this is easily the best Liberty team he’s been on, meaning coach Danny Rocco has been steadily building toward this season.

Senior quarterback Mike Brown – an undeniably gifted athlete who began his career at wide receiver -- has developed into an adept passer, the Flames have added legitimate size and speed on both sides of the ball and LU has been drawing big crowds at its renovated stadium. Rocco expects over 20,000.

The days of those fans coming out to see Liberty play are over. Today, they’re coming to see the Flames win.

2) Will the Dukes’ offense be one dimensional again?

JMU’s offense hasn’t been able to put things together yet this season, a big reason the Flames should have a good chance today. That said, the Dukes are a young, inexperienced group on offense. If today’s the day they run and pass the ball effectively in the same game, they could be poised for a big show.

JMU quarterback Justin Thorpe told me this week that the Flames’ 3-4 alignment actually makes it easier for the Dukes to capture the edge with their option-based running game. Dae’Quan Scott – ineffective in the opener against UNC – bounced back with a big game against Central Connecticut state.

Against North Carolina, Thorpe – a redshirt junior – showed off his ability to the throw the ball, something JMU coaches said he’s made strides in since his rookie year.

JMU catches a break with Liberty nose tackle Asa Chapman suspended indefinitely after getting into some off-field legal trouble, but the Dukes haven’t put up huge offensive numbers against LU the past two meetings.

3) Can JMU’s defense disrupt the passing rhythm of Mike Brown?

The Dukes haven’t gotten a sack yet in 2011. This would be a good game to change that. Brown and the Flames’ run a passing attack based on timing, lining Brown up in the shotgun and having him get rid of the ball after just a few steps.

The problem with just flushing Brown from the pocket is he is a threat to run. But if the Dukes can lay licks on Brown throw after throw.

JMU’s defense has dominated the Flames in the last two meetings, holding Liberty to just 13 points in those two games. This defense is supposed to be smother this year.

Senior linebacker/safety Vidal Nelson wanted to dub the unit “the steel curtain” until I pointed out “purple people eaters” would make more sense. We’ll see if either moniker applies today.

CAA Picks: Week 3

HARRISONBURG – Most Colonial Athletic Association teams are still playing non-conference games this week. Take out the money games against I-A opponents, and the CAA is 9-0 this year against other I-AA leagues. That shouldn’t change much this week, though James Madison has a stiff test playing at Liberty. The game of the week, however, is a CAA title between Rhode Island and UMass.

I was 8-1 last week bringing my mark for the year to 16-3. Nothing like getting off to a fast start. Here are this week’s picks…

Monmouth at Villanova: The Wildcats lost to Towson last week, which means they can officially lose any game. It also means their chances for wins will be few and far between the rest of the way. They do have this game and a beatable Penn team next week. Villanova started the year young and a bevy of injuries on offense – including one to redshirt freshman quarterback Dustin Thomas – has only made things worse. But the Wildcats should circle the wagons this week and get their first win of the year. Will it be their last?

PICK: Villanova 17, Monmouth 10

VMI at Richmond: A week after getting beat 24-7 by William & Mary, VMI faces its second CAA team with a trip to Richmond. The Spiders, who upset Duke in their season-opener, need this win to have that oh-so-valuable 3-0 non-conference mark going into the tough slate of league games. The Spiders are turning more and more to fullback Kendall Gaskins as a ball carrier. The one-two punch of Gaskins on the ground and Aaron Corp through the air has Richmond looking like a contender.

PICK: Richmond 31, VMI 7

Delaware State at Delaware: This is just the third meeting between the in-state rivals and the Hornets, under a new coach, are off to a 2-0 start. That should come to an end Saturday at Delaware, where the Blue Hens should be big favorites. Sophomore tailback Andrew Pierce is rushing for over 120 yards a game this year and has scored three touchdowns, helping mask some question marks at quarterback. Pierce should have a big day at against Delaware State.

Pick: Delaware 37, Delaware State 13

Hampton at Old Dominion: Another local rivalry that likely won’t be close when the two teams get on the field. ODU’s program has quickly flown by Hampton’s and that should be on display Saturday. Senior quarterback Thomas Demarco has Old Dominion at 2-0 and eager to lock down that third win heading into league play. The only potential pitfall for Old Dominion would be if the Monarchs have begun looking ahead to next weekend’s CAA opener against Delaware.

PICK: ODU 31, Hampton 10

Maine at Albany: The Black Bears opened eyes last week playing Pittsburgh tough into the fourth quarter before falling. But Maine really wants a win this week to atone for last year’s 3-0 loss to Albany in a stinker of a season opener. Senior tailback Pushaun Brown should be too much for Albany to handle. And senior quarterback Warren Smith hasn’t thrown an interception in his first two games. That’s the kind of ball security the Black Bears need from that position.

PICK: Maine 17, Albany 3

New Haven at William & Mary: After getting whipped by Virginia in the opener, the Tribe is gearing up for CAA play with some lighter fare. They took out VMI last Saturday and this weekend host New Haven. It should give William & Mary’s struggling offense a chance to get going, especially star tailback Jonathan Grimes, who has just 107 yards in the first two games.

PICK: William & Mary 24, New Haven 3

Rhode Island at Massachusetts: This is the big one in the CAA this week. Yes, UMass can’t win the league title or go to the I-AA playoffs because it’s transitioning to Division I-A and the MAC. But its seniors still want to claim a de facto league crown by running the table. Rhode Island is the league’s up-and-comer, even though it’s downshifting to the limited-scholarship Northeast Conference after next season. This should be a wildly entertaining game featuring two high-powered offenses and two solid defenses. UMass’s defense is a bit better. That combined with the running of tailback Jonathan Hernandez should be the difference in this one.

PICK: UMass 27, Rhode Island 24

JMU at Liberty: Is this the year Liberty gets over the hump against instate rival James Madison? I think so. The Dukes haven’t put a full game together yet this season, struggling on defense and with the running game against North Carolina, while struggling in the passing game last week in a win over Central Connecticut State. If JMU puts it all together, it could handle the Flames. But if the Dukes are still a bit shaky, Liberty is poised to take advantage. Quarterback Mike Brown can make plays with his arms and legs and the Flames’ 3-4 defense is steady. JMU hasn’t proven it can score yet.

PICK: Liberty 17, JMU 16

JMU Could Be Minus Both Starting DTs On Saturday

HARRISONBURG – James Madison will most likely be without both its starting defensive tackles for Saturday’s game at Liberty.

Junior Sean O’Neill will have knee surgery – “major reconstruction,” JMU coach Mickey Mattewhs said after practice Tuesday -- next week and will miss the rest of the season. O’Neill injured his knee during the Dukes’ 14-9 win over Central Connecticut State on Saturday.

Senior Nick Emmons (knee) said he does not expect to play Saturday either, though Matthews said Emmons – who did not practice Tuesday – is “highly questionable.”

“He’s not well yet,” said Matthews, whose 13th ranked Dukes play at No. 22 Liberty on Saturday in Lynchburg. “Obviously Nick’s knee is a more serious injury than we thought.”

Emmons has not played yet this year after having his knee rolled up on by running back Dae’Quan Scott in preseason practice.

Senior Lamar Middleton and sophomore Jordan Stanton will likely start in Emmons and O’Neill’s places.

Matthews said sophomore Bingham Togia and redshirt freshman Anthony McDaniel will see increased playing time and said he is considering moving defensive end Tyler Snow inside.

Snow played defensive tackle near the end of last season because of injuries.

Junior linebacker Jamie Veney (hamstring) is also out for Saturday’s game.

Upon Further Review: A look back at the JMU-CCSU game

HARRISONBURG – As he entered the post-game interview area, James Madison football coach Mickey Matthews looked forlorn. 

“I think somebody said we won,” Matthews said after his Dukes opened the newly-renovated Bridgeforth Stadium with a lackluster 14-9 win over Central Connecticut State. “You’d probably have a hard time convincing our staff and our players of that right now.”

JMU is 1-1 and – at times in its first two games – has shown all the necessary ability to return to the playoffs. Unfortunately, it hasn’t put it all together yet, leaving many to wonder just what kind of team the Dukes will be in 2011.

Here’s a look back at Saturday’s win that lacked that winning feeling.

First down: What’s wrong with the offense?

JMU’s offense put up just two scores against an overmatched CCSU defense. And while the performance may have had Dukes’ fans ready to jump off that flashy new upper deck at Bridgeforth Stadium, the offense really deserves a mixed review.

A week after being completely unable to move the ball against North Carolina’s hulking defensive front, the Dukes mauled Central Connecticut’s defensive line and piled up 342 rushing yards. New running back Dae’Quan Scott looked lost a week ago, literally running into quarterback Justin Thorpe on his first play. Saturday, Scott churned out 138 yards, averaged 6.9 yards per carry and scored the game-clinching touchdown out of the Wildcat package.

But if all that meant JMU’s glass of purple kool-aid was half full, the ineptitude of the passing game smashed that glass on the kitchen floor.

Thorpe, who looked sharp throwing the ball against UNC, was just 5-for-11 with two interceptions, one an underthrown deep post that could have gone for a touchdown and the other a forced throw over the middle into double coverage.

“He made a lot of rookie mistakes tonight,” Matthews said. “Justin made a lot of rookie mistakes.  He hadn’t played in a year, two years. And I think he’s going to make some mistakes.”

The Dukes also didn’t get tight end Brian Barlow involved as much as last week, when he caught five passes.

The running game made progress, while the passing attack regressed. JMU has one more non-conference to put it all together. That comes Saturday at Liberty.

Second down: A week after getting slapped by UNC, did the Dukes’ show they will be a top-of-the-line defense?

Well, that question hasn’t been totally answered. JMU was playing an opponent with just 36 scholarships (fully-funded I-AA teams like the Dukes use 63) and they gave up a late touchdown drive.

Through two games, JMU hasn’t come up with one quarterback sack.

But the Dukes were miles better against the Blue Devils than they were against the Tar Heels. Sophomore middle linebacker Stephon Robertson continues to be a tackling machine and cornerback Leavander Jones not only played well in coverage, he also dropped some big-time hits Saturday.

Jones insisted the defense wasn’t out to prove anything by drilling CCSU ball carriers.

“We just go out and play. If big hits come, they come,” Jones said. “We just go out and try to be the best defense in the country. We have the ability to be and we’re just trying to work towards that every day.”

Third down: What happened to the ball security?

Against UNC, JMU didn’t commit a turnover. But Saturday against Central Connecticut, the Dukes turned the ball over every way they could.  Seriously. In 13 years of covering college football I’d never seen a team cough up the ball on offense, defense and special teams in the same game.

But the Dukes did just that Saturday. Thorpe threw the two interceptions. Running back Jordan Anderson had a costly fumble near the goal line in the third quarter.

Return man Lee Reynolds fumbled while running back a kickoff and cornerback Taveion Cuffee – after intercepting a pass – gave it right back fumbling on the return.

The turnovers basically negated all the yards JMU was pounding out on the ground. Better ball security – like it had against UNC – will be a must as the Dukes address their offensive issues.

Punts: Junior defensive tackle Sean O’Neill injured his knee and will likely miss the rest of the season, Matthews said. … The announced crowd of 25,102 was (obviously) a stadium record. … This week’s opponent, Liberty, routed Robert Morris 38-7 in the Flames’ home opener. They drew 15,805 in Lynchburg.

Game day blog: Three keys for the JMU-CCSU game

HARRISONBURG – A week ago, James Madison's football team traveled to North Carolina to play the sacrificial lamb to the I-A Tar Heels. This week? Well, that's Central Connecticut State's role. The scholarship-challenged Blue Devils insist their not overly concerned with winning this game, saying their focus is squarely on capturing a league title and a playoff bid. But make no doubt about it, CCSU wants to pull the upset and spoil JMU's debut in its renovated stadium. 

The Dukes obviously don't plan to let that happen. Here are three keys to keep an eye on today, when you're not busy starting at the graphics on the stadium's massive scoreboard.

1) Will the Dukes do a better job tackling the Blue Devils than they did the Tar Heels?

Forget giving up 42 points. Forget a few blown assignments in the secondary. The biggest issue the JMU defense had in its season opener was a surprising inability to tackle. The Dukes are big favorites against Central Connecticut State, but if their linebackers start sliding off CCSU’s ball carriers, they could be in a for a dog fight.

Sophomore linebacker Stephon Robertson doesn’t expect that to happen.

“The Carolina game, that’s in the past,” Robertson said. “The only option now is to tackle better and play better.”

2) How long will CCSU go with starting quarterback Gunnar Jespersen?

Jespersen is the Blue Devils’ tough-as-nails quarterback who told me this week, “When I’m running, instead of juking a guy, I’d rather run into a guy sand see how many hard yards I could get.”

Before the team’s walk-through at Bridgeforth on Friday night, Jespersen spent about five minutes having his left hand heavily bandaged by the team’s trainers. He broke the pinky finger on his left (non-throwing hand) in Central Connecticut’s season opening win over Division II Southern Connecticut.

CCSU coach Jeff McInerney makes no bones about the fact that this game means little to the Blue Devils’ aspirations. To reach the Division I-AA playoffs, the team needs to win the NEC title and the automatic bid. Meaning risking further injury to Jespersen in a non-conference game doesn’t make much sense.

But Jespersen is an athletic and gritty competitor and Central Connecticut’s best chance to the move the ball against the Dukes.

3) What will the offense look like in Week 2?

The Dukes were decidedly conservative against North Carolina, fearing that a bad play could swing field position and turn the game into a route. (Yeah, yeah, I know. That happened anyway.) This week, against a CCSU defense that should be giving up size and speed at every spot, JMU should be able to run anything it wants.

“We were opening up against the best defensive front we’ve played in 13 years,” Matthews said. “We didn’t want to have a lot of bad plays against North Carolina. You had to be rather simple. We’re going to run our offense the rest of the year.”

That could mean a heavy dose or the option with Justin Thorpe and Dae’Quan Scott and plenty of zone running plays with Jordan Anderson and Jauan Latney.

But JMU’s coaches and players said the team called about 28 passing plays last week (Only 15 turned into passes and another five went down as sacks.) So will the Dukes – given the choice of being balanced or just running the ball – let Thorpe air it out again?

CAA Picks: Week 2

HARRISONBURG – It’s bounce back week for many of the teams in the Colonial Athletic Association. Six of the squads opened on the road at Division I-A teams, and five of them came up woefully short.

This week’s schedule is chock full of chances for those teams to get right, playing lesser teams.

I went 8-2 picking CAA games last week. I knew the league would score one I-A upset, but I picked Delaware to topple Navy instead of trusting Richmond to continue its mastery of Duke. Oh well. Still a respectable start.

Let’s keep the ball rolling…

Old Dominion at Georgia State: A year ago, ODU won this game 34-20 at home. This year’s installment is on the road but the Monarchs have a little extra motivation. Playing a full CAA slate, Old Dominion has to win its non-conference games to make a run at the postseason. Quarterback Thomas DeMarco threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Of course, Georgia State wants to show it’s ready for CAA play. Could be a tight one.

PICK: ODU 30, Georgia State 17

New Hampshire at Lehigh: Quarterback Kevin Decker was effective in the Wildcats’ season-opening loss to Toledo. Moving back down into I-AA competition should give Decker the chance to be exceptional. UNH has a pair of studs on defense in defensive lineman Brian McNally and linebacker Matt Evans. But Lehigh is the preseason favorite to win the Patriot League and it’s playing at home, so this game could be close as well. Expect Decker to pull it out after the defense makes a late stand.

PICK: New Hampshire 24, Lehigh 17

Maine at Pittsburgh: Take the money and run, Maine. That’s exactly what the Black Bears are likely to do Saturday. First, they’ll run – run the ball and keep the clock moving – in an effort not to get their clocks cleaned by Pittsburgh. Then, they’ll get the money, a big day for playing a I-A squad. Yes, the CAA has pulled a number of upsets in recent years against top-division teams. It won’t happen in this one.

PICK: Pittsburgh 37, Maine 10

William & Mary at VMI: The Tribe are the league’s preseason favorite and a I-AA national title contender. Yes, they got walloped by Virginia in the opening week, but that doesn’t mean much. Neither will this week’s likely road romp of always-overmatched VMI. The biggest deal in this one will be how W&M quarterback Mike Paulus – who struggled last week – plays.

PICK: William & Mary 41, VMI 3

Rhode Island at Syracuse: Rhode Island could be a sleeper in the league this year. Quarterback Steve Probst is back to lead an offense that should put up plenty of points. How much will Coach Joe Trainer reveal against the I-A Orangemen? I’m guessing, not much.

PICK: Syracuse 24, Rhode Island 13

West Chester at Delaware: The Blue Hens won’t be continuing this lopsided series with Division II West Chester after next year. This year, Delaware gets to put its first W in the win column. Expect tailback Andrew Pierce – who rushed for over 100 yards against Navy – to put up big numbers while he’s in the game. New starting quarterback Trevor Sasek was injured in the opener and won’t play Saturday. It shouldn’t matter.

PICK: Delaware 44, West Chester 3

Wagner at Richmond: The Spiders’ home opener is sold out after the team – under interim coach Wayne Lineburg – upset Duke in its opener. Quarterback Aaron Corps appears recovered from the knee injury that sidelined him last year. And wide receiver Tre Gray has emerged as his top target. I doubted Richmond last week. I won’t make the same mistake this time.

PICK: Richmond 27, Wagner 13

Villanova at Towson: It is so tempting to pick the Tigers in this one. Villanova is so young and inexperienced. New starting quarterback Dustin Thomas did an awful job protecting the football in the season-opening loss to Temple. Towson’s new quarterback – Grant Enders – looks like a play maker and the Tigers are playing at home. Can I really predict Towson to beat Villanova. It’s tempting but, no. I can’t. The Wildcats aren’t going to have a good year, but it’s not going to be that bad. They pull this one out in too-close-for-comfort fashion.

PICK: Villanova 24, Towson 21

Central Connecticut State at JMU: For what its worth, Central Connecticut State is the preseason favorite to win the Northeast Conference – a limited-scholarship league that does get an automatic bid to the I-AA playoffs. The Blue Devils’ starting quarterback is dinged up and it’s unlikely the team will risk letting him play more than a half. JMU’s defense was embarrassed by giving up 42 points last week to North Carolina. Privately, the players are talking about a shutout. They’ll probably lose that late when the subs are in, but the Dukes should dominate in their home opener.

PICK: JMU 31, CCSU 6