From the big-picture vantage point, it’s been a typical and successful beginning to the football campaign for James Madison.
The Dukes are No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and they’ve won three straight contests to start the season.
But tucked behind their 3-0 mark are oddities highlighting the abnormality of playing in this pandemic-impacted spring. Heavily-favored JMU needed to rally to beat Robert Morris and squeak past Elon in the last two weeks. The Dukes have already made a quarterback change – promoting Gage Moloney to starter and relegating Cole Johnson to the backup job – and they won’t get to see Moloney make his first career start in a few days as expected.
Due to coronavirus protocols within the Dukes’ program their home contest with William & Mary, which was previously set for this Saturday, got postponed.
So, with JMU sidelined this weekend, it’s timely to evaluate how this version of the Dukes operated on the field through three games and what the rest of this season could look like for them.
What's Working On Offense?
JMU’s most prominent strength entering this season was its rushing attack, and three contests haven’t given any reason to change that opinion.
The Dukes are fourth in all of FCS and first in the Colonial Athletic Association for rushing offense (265.3 yards per game). Senior running backs Percy Agyei-Obese and Jawon Hamilton are the dangerous duo they were expected to be. Agyei-Obese is averaging 101 rushing yards per game and has four rushing scores already. He’s 14th nationally for yards and sixth nationally for rushing touchdowns. Hamilton is ninth in FCS for averaging 6.83 yards per carry.
And even though the Dukes have used sophomores Latrele Palmer and Solomon Vanhorse as well as freshman Kaelon Black at times in the backfield, they’re going to stick with Agyei-Obese and Hamilton when the game matters most.
Second-year JMU coach Curt Cignetti proved that, going back to Agyei-Obese after a fumble in the third quarter this past Saturday at Elon when the Dukes were trying to build a comeback.
“I knew he could put that fumble behind him,” Cignetti said.
Agyei-Obese rewarded Cignetti for the decision and scored the deciding touchdown on an 8-yard run with 7:43 to play.
What's Working On Defense?
Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman has done a better than adequate job of adapting following the graduations of former standout ends Ron’Dell Carter and John Daka, the transfer of tackle Adeeb Atariwa and the injuries to ends Isaac Ukwu and Jalen Green.
Hetherman isn’t using four starters for a whole game like he did in 2019. The Dukes played their four starters and deployed four or five more defensive linemen off the bench for contests early this spring, and that strategy of rotating defensive linemen in and out of the game has worked well.
Cignetti said: “To keep ‘em fresh and playing hard every play is a real plus.”
All-American defensive end Mike Greene doesn’t come off the field. But also contributing are ends Mikail Kamara, Abi N-Okonji and Mike Wilcox as well as interior defensive linemen James Carpenter, Mason Cholewa, Garrett Groulx and Tony Thurston.
JMU leads the country in rushing defense, yielding only 31 yards on the ground per game.
What's Not Working?
The slow starts are a troubling trend for the Dukes, because there could be a game when bringing improved energy in the second half doesn’t work for JMU or is too late to overcome a deficit.
On Feb. 27, Robert Morris looked like the better team for the first quarter and deep into the second quarter. Against Elon, the Phoenix were the more physical bunch for the full first half while taking a 17-3 lead.
“They looked like us and we looked like them,” Cignetti said about Elon’s first-half performance against the Dukes.
Cignetti knows the sleepwalking starts have to change, and so do his players.
“We got to come out faster,” cornerback Wesley McCormick said following the win over the Phoenix. “We can’t keep doing this. This is two weeks in a row now, so we’ve got to come out with more energy earlier and get started earlier.”
Cignetti said one solution for JMU is to have more consistency on offense. The Dukes failed on their first seven third-down attempts against Elon and didn’t pick up a first down until the second quarter.
“It’d be nice to make a first down on offense,” Cignetti said as he chuckled. “That would help and help get a little momentum going because good plays lead to good plays and momentum. So you can analyze it and write down 100 things or you can keep it pretty simple. We just need to execute better.”
And then the penalties need to be cleaned up. JMU is averaging 50.33 self-inflicting yards of penalties per game. The Dukes have had too many to extend an opponent’s drive or stall their own drives.
Can Anyone Block Mike Greene?
The answer is not yet.
Senior Mike Greene has been the best player on the field in each of the first three JMU games, and that includes against Robert Morris when he missed the first quarter because he was feeling a bit under the weather.
His 6.5 tackles for loss are the fourth-most in the country and his switch from defensive tackle to defensive end is going smoothly. He’s also tallied 11 tackles and two sacks. And if he keeps dominating the way he has, Greene will certainly get consideration for CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
Who Is Flying Under The Radar?
Two JMU players making a larger-than-expected impact are McCormick and tight end Clayton Cheatham.
McCormick, one of only three returning starters to the defense, was the second corner last season to Rashad Robinson and the second or third corner to Jimmy Moreland the year before. But this year, McCormick has steadied and improved his play for the Dukes. His interception this past Saturday halted Elon’s momentum and gave JMU the second-half boost it needed to rally from behind.
The 5-foot-11 defensive back has 10 tackles, a tackle for loss, the interception and a pass breakup.
On offense, Cheatham is healthy allowing him to perform as a blocker and a receiver. When JMU turns to its heavy offensive package with the quarterback under center, Cheatham is used as a fullback, too.
“It’s really awesome going out there feeling 100 percent and really feeling like myself,” he said earlier this season.
He has five catches for 62 yards and is the third leading receiver on the roster.
How Does The Offense Change With A New QB?
The switch from Johnson to Moloney leaves the door open for JMU to fit its offense to the skills of Moloney.
“You can run a quarterback run or two, if you desire,” Cignetti said. “We’re not a quarterback-run team, but that’s always part of the package with [Moloney].”
Moloney, at 6-foot-2, 216 pounds, has already proven he can handle running the football. He did that in the Dukes’ loss to North Dakota State in last season’s FCS championship game when he made a cameo appearance as a wildcat quarterback.
But Cignetti said Moloney’s throwing of the deep ball has bettered, too, and that he’s gained knowledge of the offense also.
If he can both run and throw effectively, opponents will be forced to respect his capability of taking off with his feet to extend plays or move the chains even in obvious passing situations.
Duke transfer wide receiver Scott Bracey could see an uptick in targets from Moloney, too, if his one quarter sample-size is any indication. Against Elon, Moloney targeted Bracey four times, completing two passes for 28 yards. With Johnson, Bracey wasn’t targeted more than three times in a game.
Will Freshmen Continue Their Success?
If JMU is going to have an upward trajectory and get better as the season goes along, it’d be logical to think that its freshmen will mature and build on their already important contributions.
The Dukes are starting three freshmen currently – defensive end Kamara, left tackle Tyler Stephens and wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr.
Kamara has been a starter since Week 1. Stephens moved into the starting lineup as part of a reshuffled offensive line because of the spring-ending injury to All-American right tackle Liam Fornadel. Wells caught a critical 18-yard touchdown pass as part of the Dukes’ comeback against Elon.
Those three have been good early on and could be a factor considering more experience should only help them improve. Other freshmen to see action include Black and defensive back Sammy Malignaggi.
