The Honeymoon Phase is Over
Time to get Down to Business
Before we get into this article, let’s establish the “tone” here. Whenever articles are critical, sometimes it can just feel like the writer is whining/venting for an audience. They can even sound mean and downright hateful. So, when you read this, I want this to be the tone you imagine. Think, disappointed parent who is trying their best not to say I told you so. But they’re also not raising their voice. Or, for you music people out there, perhaps a band/choir director that knew the performance was flat, knows they don’t have to say much, and also knows you have a performance in a few days that can make up for it.
Good. Now that we have that out of the way…
JMU’s performance yesterday was completely unacceptable. We all knew there would be growing pains with a new staff. We also knew there would be an adjustment period with so many new players as well. I think *most* JMU fans and players are understanding that sometimes when you lose, you just get outplayed. Other times, the team on the other side is just better than you are.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t think either of those things are what happened yesterday at ULM.
Now, let’s give ULM credit. They played the exact game that they needed to play to win, and how they have been winning all year. They capitalized on a massive turnover that was a momentum shift right before halftime and used field position to fuel two other scores. Couple that with a stifling defense, and the Warhawks had just enough to hold off JMU. They have a coach who knows what he’s doing, and they seem to have things headed in the right direction now 4-1 on the year.
However, as many JMU fans have pointed out, yesterday was probably the worst performance we have seen from the Dukes in some time. Some harkened back to losing at home in 2018 to Elon, or also Colgate in the 2018 playoffs. I think those comparisons are apt in that while you want to give the other team credit, you also know the Dukes did not perform anywhere near their potential in either of those games as well. Again, it’s one thing when you just get beat because a team is better than you in all phases. It’s completely different when you can point out precisely what went wrong for you and how a game could have been different.
Hence, the disappointed parent tone.
A Very Underwhelming Game
Let’s start with coaching. Coach Chesney will be the first to say that any criticism will start with him, and I think that he and the staff did not put JMU in the best position to win yesterday. I am all for an aggressive mindset, especially when it works. But when you are on the road in a sterile environment, you have to take points when you can, or at least attempt to try. There were drives where JMU could have opted for long field goals instead of going for it or playing field position. That might have been the difference in this game.
Then there’s also the squib kick at the end of the game. Again, aggression is fine in moderation. But when you have 4 plus minutes left, plenty of timeouts, the two minute timeout, and you’re up against a team that hasn’t really shown an ability to sustain drives, kick the ball deep. Let your defense put in work. They were really the only bright spot of an otherwise incredibly underwhelming performance. Sure, JMU did get the ball back, but they might have had much better field position had these decisions been handled better.
Without sounding too condescending, I think this is a game that showed that the coaching staff needs to mature. Understand exactly what the game situation is, and perhaps understand the level of the opponent on the other side. There are just some places and cases where it’s better to play a gray suit businesslike get in and get out kind of game. I hope the coaching staff learns from this and learns to adapt moving forward.
Negative plays also did the Dukes in yesterday. While ULM did have a stifling defense with a more than formidable defensive line, JMU just had way too many self-inflicted wounds. Barnett was sacked and banged up all game. False start penalties and holding calls were killing drives for the Dukes before they could even get started. It was a sloppy game, and again one of the reasons fans are saying it’s one of the worst performances they have seen in quite some time. They MUST clean this up if they want to have a hope of playing for the SunBelt title come December.
I am not someone who thinks that just because college athletes are now getting paid (above the table) that it’s ok to have open season on them. 1, most of them aren’t being paid THAT much, but also, someone having an income is not an excuse for being a jerk to them. That said, I think even Alonza Barnett III would say that his performance yesterday did not live up to his own standards or potential. I will acknowledge that he did look banged up and seemed to have a bloody hand as well, but he has to be better, and I am sure he knows that. I expect to see improvement this Thursday.
The Bigger Picture
Look, objectively speaking, JMU has played 4 distinctively different kinds of games this year.
They looked excellent against Ball State.
They looked very good against UNC.
They were ok/serviceable against Charlotte (a Charlotte team that waxed ECU yesterday mind you).
They looked bad against Gardner Webb and ULM.
So, JMU up until this point has been inconsistent to say the least, and yet they have a 4-1 record. If you told us that before the season we would have been over the moon, even if we may not have predicted where the loss was coming from. If there’s one thing JMU fans love more than winning, it’s consistency and competence. JMU has been inconsistent this year, and it is to be somewhat expected given the reasons mentioned. But this was also game 5, and some of those reasons should be working themselves out by now. The Dukes have it all in front of them. If they can beat Coastal this Thursday, they will still be favored to win the SunBelt East, with perhaps only Marshall looking like the other serious contender. Therefore, a conference championship is absolutely on the table. For a first-year head coach and revamped football team, you can’t ask for much more than that.
I am not worried about bowl eligibility. I expect we can wrap that up by October. But what I am worried about is consistency. If you have “ok” games against the likes of ODU or Georgia Southern, you will lose those games. Georgia State knocked off a Vanderbilt team that just upset Alabama. You think they’re going to be scared coming into Bridgeforth? Marshall is obviously a very proud program that won’t go down without a fight, and Appalachian State has more to play for this year than many of us could ever imagine.
Our team needs to be more consistent, and our coaching staff needs to step up to the plate with their decision making. If we have to win some games 29-19, I am all for it. But I’d rather do that than lose because we were looking for big momentum plays when they weren’t always needed.
That ULM game was one of the classic old CAA games where JMU would travel up north, and you were like ugh…weird stuff happens up there. It’s one of many reasons the Dukes hated playing at UNH and also the likes of Hofstra and Northeastern once upon a time. Alumni had a bad feeling about this game for a reason. I hope the coaches and players can grow from this experience.
Conclusion
Anyway, like I said, the tone here is disappointed parent/music director. This team has it all to play for in front of them, and I have every bit of faith that they can do so. Levelheaded critiques may not be what get the most engagement or attention, but I do believe it is how teams and fan bases grow. You’re not going to catch me flying off the handle saying change the quarterback or we made the wrong coaching hire, but I will certainly be pointed while trying to keep things in perspective.
Yesterday’s performance against ULM was unacceptable. I am sure the team knows this, and I look forward to seeing how they respond in a short week. Bridgeforth will still be rocking on Thursday, and I expect the Dukes to feed off of that energy.
Go Dukes.
Thank you for reading Preston’s Sports Musings. If you enjoy the sports thoughts that fly through my mind on a wide range of subjects, consider becoming a free subscriber.
If a subscription is not in the cards at the moment, consider clicking the link below for a one time donation with “Buy Me A Coffee”. Anything is always appreciated, and you can click the button below as well:
More than anything if this piece moved you, share it far and wide with friends! I love reaching new people and learning new perspectives:
If you believe the writing I do here would be a beneficial read for the people in your life, please consider sharing my publication: