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

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – They say you should never make decisions in the heat of the moment. And with temperatures in North Carolina in the 90s and Tar Heels quarterback Bryn Renner even hotter, I waited until Sunday to write this follow up from James Madison’s season-opening, 42-10 loss to UNC. Having slept on it (and watched a rebroadcast of the game in my hotel room) here’s this week’s Upon Further Review.

First down: Mission accomplished?

While JMU certainly won’t be unfurling any banners after being whipped by 32 points, the Dukes did two of the key things they talked about going into the game.

First, they didn’t commit a single turnover, no small accomplishment for a team playing a new quarterback, new running backs and throwing to mostly inexperienced wide receivers against a defense that was dominating the line of scrimmage and getting into the backfield.

Second, JMU didn’t have major issues with penalties. The Dukes committed six penalties for 36 yards but they never disrupted the offense the way a slew of calls did in JMU’s overtime loss at Maryland in 2009.

There was a third goal the team talked about going into the game. What was it again? Oh yeah…

Second down: It was, ‘Limit big plays by tackling well’

Well, UNC didn’t hit any plays of over 40 yards, but some of that had to do with the Tar Heels’ solid field position. Senior wide receiver Dwight Jones had touchdown catches of 34 and 21 yards and freshman tailback Giovani Bernard scored on runs of 12 and 14 yards. Especially on Bernard’s runs, JMU should have been able to tackle him before he reached the end zone.

JMU coach Mickey Matthews apparently saw the same thing in his secondary that UNC rookie quarterback Bryn Renner – who went 22-for-23 in the game – did.

“I saw a lot of wide open receivers,” Matthews said. “We just really played bad on defense. The quarterback played well. The receivers were good. They had good protection.”

Third down: Dae’Quan Scott struggled in his move from wide receiver to running back.

The speedy former R.E. Lee High School star got off to a rough start at his new position. On the game’s very first play, Scott collided with JMU quarterback Justin Thorpe while taking a handoff. Scott tried to bounce outside to save the play, but was tackled out of bounds for a 3-yard loss, derailing the Dukes’ first possession of 2011.

From there, Scott rushed for 19 yards on seven carries, staying in the game until the end of the first possession of the second quarter. That series ended in a three-and-out when – on third-and-3 – Scott ran right and tripped over the foot of a teammate, stumbling down a yard short of the first down.

When JMU’s offense returned to the field for its next possession, sophomore Jordan Anderson had taken Scott’s place.

“The biggest juice we got in the game offensively was when we put Jordan Anderson in the game,” Matthews said. “We really thought we got them blocked in the first quarter two or three plays and we didn’t get the quality of run that we were looking for. So we made a change at running back. I though Jordan really came in and played well.”

Anderson rushed for 40 yards on 13 carries. Scott, who came back in the game in the fourth quarter, finished with 22 yards on 12 carries.

Punts: Defensive end Sage Harold and wide receiver Deandre Smith were the only true freshmen to play Saturday for the Dukes. UNC played 10 true freshmen. … JMU escaped the game without a major injury. Defensive end D.J. Bryant appeared to injure his shoulder but Matthews said Bryant simply missed time do to cramps. … The Dukes’ opponent for this Saturday’s home opener, Central Connecticut State, beat Division II Southern Connecticut State, 35-21. CCSU is the favorite to win the Northeast Conference this season.