Head Coach: Mike Houston
2017 Record: 14-1 (Lost in the FCS National Championship)
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
After building The Citadel into a competitive FCS playoff contender, many had high hopes for Mike Houston when he accepted the job at James Madison. Few however realized just how quickly the Dukes would rise to the top. In his first year, he guided JMU to an upset of powerhouse North Dakota State in the semi-finals, and ultimately to the Dukes' second national title. There would be no sophomore slump either. JMU returned the championship game last season but fell in the closing minutes, 17-13.
While the back-to-back NC appearances are certainly promising, JMU loses 14 starters from last year's team due to graduation. Now in year three, this is where Mike Houston takes full ownership of this team. These are mostly his recruits, and the players he didn't recruit are ingrained in his system. Although there aren't expectations of a third consecutive championship appearance, this isn't a rebuilding year either.
Key Losses from 2017:
Bryan Schor - QB
If there was a Virginia MVP award, Schor would have won it hands-down. As a dual-threat QB, he ran for over 500 yards and 7 TD's, while throwing for over 3,000 yards and 26 TD's. Out of his 15 starts last season, he had multiple touchdowns in 12 of those matches. Schor ended his career as the most decorated quarterback in JMU's history. Head Coach, Mike Houston, knew before the season ended that replacing Schor would be an incredibly tough, maybe even impossible, task.
John Miller - WR
Miller actually signed with JMU as a RB during his freshman year. As a freshman, he ran for 5 TD's, and 371 yards on just 83 attempts. When Houston arrived to campus in the spring of 2016, he quickly realized Miller's versatility and moved him to WR. While his statistics as a receiver won't blow anyone away, his ability to block, catch and run will be greatly missed. More than anything though, Miller was a dominant force on special teams. Last year, he led the CAA averaging nearly 12 yards per punt return on 18 tries and had a 41 yard return for a touchdown against ETSU. His performance won him CAA special teams player of the year.
Andrew Ankrah - DE/LB
Growing up, Andrew didn't really care much about football. It wasn't until high school that he even tried out, and that was mostly out of obligation due to his brother's success. It's clear though that he's a natural. We felt giving him a position title was a disservice. He could probably be classified as an edge rusher but he's incredibly disruptive in the running game as well as the passing game. We always encourage readers to watch games rather than just look at stat lines but Ankrah 2017 stat line is just absurd. 8.5 sacks for 40 yards, 2 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one which went for 23 yards and a TD. 59 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, and a deflected pass.
Additionally, Ankrah was one of the most reliable players in JMU history. He started every game from freshman to senior, and rarely so much as went to the sideline with injury. Despite not being drafted, his incredible senior season earned him FCS ADA Defensive Player of the Year.
*Ankrah did sign an undrafted free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans*
Key Returnees from 2017:
Jimmy Moreland & Rashad Robinson - CB
We've never listed two players like this before but you can't ignore the #1 secondary in FCS returning two first-team ALL conference cornerbacks. JMU led FCS in defensive pass efficiency, scoring defense, and interceptions. You can attribute most of that success to Moreland and Robinson. Of the 31 interceptions, Moreland had 8 and Robinson had 7. These two also combined for 38 pass-deflections. So, in case you were wondering, they're pretty good. Despite the many losses on defense, these two will keep the Dukes' defense among the best in the country.
Marcus Marshall - RB
Marcus isn't going to jump off the screen and may be a bit of a surprise here. However, when an offense loses multiple key linemen and their starting QB, we believe experience becomes ever the more valuable. This is one major reason we believe Marshall will see an increase in rushing attempts this fall. Despite only averaging 9.5 carries per game in 2017, he ran for 850 yards and 11 TD's. He showcased his ability by rushing for 200 yards and two TD's in the semi-finals against South Dakota State.
2018 Schedule:
September 1, @ NC State
September 8, @ Norfolk State
September 15, vs Robert Morris
September 22, vs William & Mary
September 29, @ Richmond
October 6, vs Elon
October 13, @ Villanova
October 27, vs Stony Brook
November 3, @ New Hampshire
November 10, vs Rhode Island
November 17, @ Towson
Schedule Notes:
After last season, most would consider the October 6th matchup verse Elon as a key game. But as we have stated before, we believe Elon will take a step back this year. There are two games we have circled. The first being the September 29th trip to Richmond. The Dukes struggled in this game last year and most of that struggle was on the offensive side. UofR is likely making a switch to a RPO offense, and that could pose a threat to a relatively young defensive line. While JMU should still snag the win, that will be a key game for the Spiders and they are likely to keep it close again. Secondly, keep an eye on the November 3rd matchup at New Hampshire. The Wildcats return 16 starters and reached the quarterfinals last year, and the last time JMU made the long trip up north, the Dukes escaped with a 42-39 win.
Offensive Outlook:
If some are arguing that Bryan Schor is the best QB in school history, there is good reason to expect a drop in production this season. Not to mention, there really isn't a great replacement lined up either. We expect Ben Dinucci to get the nod, but have him rated the 5th best QB in the state. Depending on how he starts the year, there is a chance he could be replaced mid-season. Not to mention, replacing a number of key OL isn't an easy task. With so many new pieces, we expect offensive production to be limited early. If things have not improved after the September 22nd contest, that's where Houston is likely to make a change or two.
Defensive Outlook:
Replacing Ankrah will be nearly as difficult as replacing Schor, but the notable difference here is that the Dukes do return two of the best defensive backs in the country. Outside of NC State and New Hampshire, JMU really doesn't face a dominant offense. While one shouldn't expect this to be the best defense in FCS again, they're still loaded. All of that said, the question will be, is the defense good enough to win games alone? Due to the multiple questions on the other side of the ball, expect a number of low scoring games.
Prediction:
It's hard to not have high expectations after back-to-back championship appearances, but we can not emphasize enough how difficult it will be for Mike Houston to replace 14 starters from last year's squad. You can't just lose players like Ankrah and Simeyon Robinson and not take at least a small step back. Outside of NC State and New Hampshire though, all of their match-ups are probable wins. So, even though there are multiple offensive questions and the Dukes have to replace an elite pass-rusher, they should still be one of the top programs in all of FCS.
Breakdown:
September 1, @ NC State - Loss
September 8, @ Norfolk State - Win
September 15, vs Robert Morris - Win
September 22, vs William & Mary - Win
September 29, @ Richmond - Win
October 6, vs Elon - Win
October 13, @ Villanova - Win
October 27, vs Stony Brook - Win
November 3, @ New Hampshire - Loss
November 10, vs Rhode Island - Win
November 17, @ Towson - Win
Record: 9-2
