James Madison at Old Dominion

[CAA Flagship]

We're 23-7 over our first 30 games and have never been "blown out". How many games do you have to play to get past the "initial" phase where you can say the level of play is no longer "exaggerated", but is typical? Hopefully it is not just over half a baseball season. If that is the case, we have another 5 years to go.

I'm not backing SCBH's prediction, but let's not act like the level of competition faced over those 30 games is the same. The sample size on playing up to your opponents is much smaller.

Trust me, I would be the first to agree with the "level of competition" argument. But we were young and inexperienced against our competion which leveled the playing field a bit (except GSU where we had a 1 year head start). We still blew out a lot of opponents then went into cruise control. How much do you have to win by to offset the low level of competition? And even with the toughest opponents that we have faced, we showed that we were competitive with them. Every good team plays a bad game once in a while. After the Delaware game, I thought that we just were not as good as I had hoped. But looking at the way we have played since then, and with some key injuries, the argument can be made that we had a bad game. Our defense is certainly not very good (we're not sure if it is the talent or the style that is the main culprit), but our offense is good, especially when healthy. I just don't think that this team has given anyone a reason to think they are not good. But there are a lot of people that are fighting the fact that this program is accomplishing something that is very difficult to do. And that is to get real good, real fast.

[JMUDuke2002]

I think it will be a good, close game. Hoping for a blowout of course, like the Richmond game, but I don't think this will happen.

What's more interesting is the over/under for personal fouls? I say more than 4.

[CAA Flagship]

I think it will be a good, close game. Hoping for a blowout of course, like the Richmond game, but I don't think this will happen.

What's more interesting is the over/under for personal fouls? I say more than 4.

I say 6.

[Tribal]

If ODU doesn't win another game, they've played better than most people expected. If they beat JMU, they should consider this season as one of the most remarkable seasons in CAA history. Just think if they would have beaten UD and TU (as they could have). JMU has the 7th best run defense in the FCS so I can't see ODU running on them. By that, I mean more than 110 yards.

Bold prediction: ODU's QB gets knocked out of the game and is lost for the remainder of the season.

[MadMaxMonarch]

Bold prediction: ODU's QB gets knocked out of the game and is lost for the remainder of the season.

Where did you come up with a crazy scenario like that?
I guess since that happened to your qb Sat. you don't need to worry about the whole karma thing.

[∞∞∞]

Bold prediction: ODU's QB gets knocked out of the game and is lost for the remainder of the season.

Oh noes, we'd be stuck with DeMarco...what shall we ever do?!

[93henfan]

Bold prediction: ODU's QB gets knocked out of the game and is lost for the remainder of the season.

Oh noes, we'd be stuck with DeMarco...what shall we ever do?!

You better be looking for a QB with bigger hands, that's what.

[BDKJMU]

If ODU doesn't win another game, they've played better than most people expected. If they beat JMU, they should consider this season as one of the most remarkable seasons in CAA history. Just think if they would have beaten UD and TU (as they could have). JMU has the 7th best run defense in the FCS so I can't see ODU running on them. By that, I mean more than 110 yards.

Bold prediction: ODU's QB gets knocked out of the game and is lost for the remainder of the season.

Thats not that bold a prediction. In 4 CAA games JMU has sacked:
W&M: 4
UR: 7
Maine: 3
Nova: 4

That ODU Fr QB better be either:
-damn mobile
-be throwing mostly short drop high % passes
If not, he is going to be taking ALOT of hits.

[ODUalum11]

I think ODU having at least 6 wins and a winning season overall in its first year of the CAA is quite remarkable in itself. I think anything positive from here on out will just add to it. Before the season even started a majority of ODU fans thought it was asking a lot to ask for 6+ wins. Heck, I don't think anybody thought we'd be anywhere close to the playoff discussion.

As for the game this weekend, I expect a game very similar to the one last year against WM...minus the personal foul penalties hopefully. I have a lot of respect for JMU's defense and I can't see us coming close to scoring 30+ points. I expect this to be a low scoring game where ODU is going to be in it for most of the game....I hope and I will be keeping my fingers crossed. I've changed my prediction a couple times but they pretty much have all said the same thing and thats JMU coming to Norfolk and getting the win unfortunately. ODU has a very weak secondary so I won't be surprised if JMU actually has success passing the ball for a change...just look at the UDel game. We limited AP but Donnelly had a great passing game. Again ODU's defense is crucial in this game...need to get pressure on JMU's QB whenever they will throw it as well as shutting down the run. In the end, it starts and ends with the success of our defensive line. There is a ton of pressure for them to perform well in this game and it doesn't help that we're down two starting D-linemen...Andrew Turner since the spring and Chad King for a week now. Ronnie Cameron has a great opportunity to impress the NFL scouts even more this weekend. My prediction is JMU 28, ODU 21. ...hope I'm wrong.

This is like Game 5 of a 7-game playoff series...ODU wins and we're 1 win away from making a very strong case for the playoffs, we lose and we'll have no choice but to win the last two games of the season to make it in the postseason tournament. I believe 8 is the magic number for ANY team in the CAA this year unless if you're Towson or Maine or UNH who could probably get in with 7 wins.

[CAA Flagship]

Thats not that bold a prediction. In 4 CAA games JMU has sacked:
W&M: 4
UR: 7
Maine: 3
Nova: 4

That ODU Fr QB better be either:
-damn mobile
-be throwing mostly short drop high % passes
If not, he is going to be taking ALOT of hits.

He's mobile. Our offense is typically designed to throw a lot of short passes. He will take a lot of hits despite all of that.
We're gonna kick your purple a$$e$ up and down the field.
ODU by 13.

[CAA Flagship]

Got Thorpe???

[mcveyrl]

Well if we do not suddenly get healthy, we will be without at least 4 starters that I can think of. At two of those positions, the #2 may be out as well. RB and CB is where we are hurting the most. Last week we played #3, #5, and #6 at RB. #1 and #4 are lost for the season and we are hoping #2 can be ready this week with at best 90% health.

What's the story with the JMU players that were suspended earlier? Will they return this week?

I have a feeling the result of this game will be influenced by turnovers.

JMU Injury report:

Offense: None since season started.

-UVgay 4 star transfer & returning starting WR Quintin Hunter taking redshirt due to torn Achilles in Spring (he played as a true Fr in 09' at UVGay.
-Returning 2 deep WR Kaveon Seaton been out the whole season.

-We all know about Thorpe suspended.

Defense:

-Jr starting DT Sean O'Neil season ending knee injury vs CCSU, should get redshirt

-rSr starting DT Nick Emmmons season ending knee injury vs Maine

-2 deep rJr LB Jamie Veney (started in 08' as a *true FR (PG yr FUMA) and 09', redshirt last yr due to calcium dceposits knee, season ending knee injury vs Maine. The other backup OLB Chase Williams is still suspended along with Thorpe.

JMU has 3 VERY GOOD LBs (MM said at the beginning of the season "We have 5 starting LBs") but is now a little thin at the position if anyone goes down.

What's up with Jakarie Jackson? It would be helpful to have him back to face a pass happy offense like ODU.

[mcveyrl]

So I had to Wikipedia Oyster Bowl to know what it was (even though I lived in Virginia Beach for four years... )

Check it out. Pay particular attention to the score of this year's game...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_Bowl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ODUalum11]

I know this is a football discussion forum but I thought that I'd just point out that JMU and ODU will also face each other tomorrow night in a men's soccer match-up at JMU. This is a HUGE game as both teams are 7-1 in the conference and are tied for 1st with only a couple games remaining. ODU is ranked just inside the top 10 at around 8-9 in numerous different polls as I believe JMU is just around 20th in the country if I remember correctly. With only about 2-3 games remaining I think it's safe to say whoever wins this game will clinch the CAA Regular Season Championship and I believe will host the CAA Tournament. It sure is a big week between the two schools.

[ODUalum11]

So I had to Wikipedia Oyster Bowl to know what it was (even though I lived in Virginia Beach for four years... )

Check it out. Pay particular attention to the score of this year's game...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_Bowl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

just another reason to hate wikipedia

[CAA Flagship]

So I had to Wikipedia Oyster Bowl to know what it was (even though I lived in Virginia Beach for four years... )

Check it out. Pay particular attention to the score of this year's game...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_Bowl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

just another reason to hate wikipedia

Looks about right to me.

[mcveyrl]

just another reason to hate wikipedia

Looks about right to me.

You look guilty...

[CAA Flagship]

Someone's got some splainin' to do.

[JmuSkinsfan]

Someone over on the CAAZone pointed this out: JMU has faired VERY well in recent years against highly touted passing offenses ... offenses I do not think ODU can claim to be in the same company yet ...

2011:
JMU beats Richmond 31-7 against Corp/Grey combo.
JMU beats Liberty 27-24 and the vaunted Brown/Summers combo

2010:
JMU beats Liberty 10-3 and shut down Brown/Summers

2008:
JMU beat #3 UMass 52-38 in 2008 against the highly touted Liam Cohen-Victor Cruz combo.

2007:
JMU beat #5 UNH 41-24 and shut down the UNH pass-happy offense.

2006:
JMU beat #1 UNH 42-23 and shut down the dynamic Santos/Ball combo
JMU beat ranked Delaware 44-24 (Joe Flacco team?)

[CAA Flagship]

OK. So you can cover one good receiver. Now try to cover 6 good ones.
ODU by 15.

[JmuSkinsfan]

OK. So you can cover one good receiver. Now try to cover 6 good ones.
ODU by 15.

Lol, you're getting more and more dillusional as the week goes forward. I'll give you ODU having a shot to win ... but if they do it will be a nail-biter. NO WAY they beat JMU by more than 1 score.

[CAA Flagship]

OK. So you can cover one good receiver. Now try to cover 6 good ones.
ODU by 15.

Lol, you're getting more and more dillusional as the week goes forward. I'll give you ODU having a shot to win ... but if they do it will be a nail-biter. NO WAY they beat JMU by more than 1 score.

Heck, it's only Tuesday. Wait until Friday. I'll be in lakesbison territory.
ODU by 16

[CAA Flagship]

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/10/jmuodu- ... st-meeting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MonarchMan]

To you JMU fans.....

I understand that ODU is only a 2-1/2 year old program. But, let's be reasonable about it. We are ranked number 15 this week. If we are so terrible, I guess all the voters are a bunch of dummies, and only JMU fans know what's up?

Somebody said JMU wins by 4 scores. Are you REALLY serious? Have you even watched any ODU games?

Well, there is only one way to determine any of this, and that's ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD. Which this week, is at ODU. I'll bet you money that you haven't been there yet, but I'll bet you won't wish to come back.

Lot's of fun.

[CAA Flagship]

OYSTER BOWL - Be prepared for these sights.