HARRISONBURG — The FCS champion will give fans a first glimpse at what its 2017 team will look like today at 1 p.m., when James Madison football holds its annual spring game at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg.
Second-year coach Mike Houston and his Dukes have held 13 spring practices over the last four weeks in preparation for the scrimmage.
Earlier this week, Houston said even he puts more emphasis on the spring game than the practices leading up to it.
“You’re putting a lot of young kids like a [redshirt freshman offensive lineman] Zaire Bethea or a [rising sophomore center] Mac Patrick, kids like that, that have not played a ton in ball games,” Houston said. “And now you’re creating a game situation.
“I know what [rising senior quarterback] Bryan Schor can do, but [rising sophomore quarterback] Cole Johnson, he played in only one and a half games last year, so it’s a great chance to put him in a game situation to see if he can execute there. You find out a lot about young kids and you get a live look at the players who could be depended upon in the fall.”
Here’s what to watch for today as Madison takes the field:
Rings
Technically this is going to happen postgame, but JMU will receive its 2016 national championship rings today.
At the conclusion of the spring game, JMU coaches and players will be presented with their championship rings.
“There aren’t many moments that can top the confetti and all that,” Schor said. “I’ve put the championship behind me for a little while and I have the championship memories kind of locked up somewhere inside my head, but when I get the ring, I’ll open it back up and enjoy it a little bit.
“I’ll enjoy the day with my family, enjoy the spring game and then I’ll put it back away and focus on next season, but I’m excited.”
‘Best QB In The Country’
Ahead of starting spring football, JMU offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick said in February that he thought his unit was returning “the best quarterback in the country, at this level.”
And in the spring, Kirkpatrick said Schor only improved.
“He looks better than ever,” Kirkpatrick said. “And that’s good to see because you do worry that at some point the quarterback will just plateau and eventually you’ll just see that, ‘Well, this is about as good as they are.’”
Schor, who threw for 3,002 yards and 29 touchdowns this past season, said he cleaned up his mechanics to add a little more zip to his throws.
“There were certain things I realized with my fundamentals,” Schor said. “Since I got here, I’ve had some bad habits and I’ve been tweaking them slowly, and one thing I noticed was that I wasn’t getting my shoulders to my target well enough and it was restricting my arm, not letting me come over the top. Now that I’ve gotten that taken care of, I feel like I can throw the ball harder and further.”
First Look At Little, Marshall
Over the last few seasons, from ex-quarterback Vad Lee to current wide receiver Terrence Alls, JMU has had its success with FBS transfers.
The two newest FBS transfers, linebacker Gus Little from Maryland and running back Marcus Marshall from Georgia Tech, make their debuts in a Dukes uniform.
Marshall was the leading rusher for the Yellow Jackets in each of the past two seasons.
“Marcus is the one that has the gas,” JMU running backs coach De’Rail Sims said. “He has the home-run capability that we’ve lacked.”
Little has taken first-team reps at inside linebacker throughout the spring.
Spring’s Standout
Maybe the most daunting task for Schor all spring was developing chemistry with a new core of wide receivers, and one of those wide receivers had a huge spring.
Every offensive coach and player had plenty positive to say about rising senior Ishmael Hyman. The New Jersey native showed off his speed, catching downfield pass after downfield pass for touchdowns in each of the 13 practices.
“I just feel like I can bring a big spark to the offense,” Hyman said. “We were a great running and passing team last year. I think I can really stretch the field and open up the defense for the running backs and even for some of the other receivers, too.”
Comfortable, Deep Defense
JMU returns more from its 2016 championship squad on defense than it does on offense. The Dukes have back four defensive linemen, two linebackers, two safeties and three corners that started at least a game this past season.
It’s also year two for the defense in coordinator Bob Trott’s system and those players that are on their second season in the scheme say they feel more comfortable.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence,” safety Jordan Brown said. “And we’re playing a lot better together.”
Trott’s defense led the country with 21 interceptions in 2016.
Shuffled Offensive Line
No position group has been hit harder by injury this spring than the Dukes’ offensive line. Returning starting left tackle Aaron Stinnie and expected starting right tackle Tyree Chavious have missed the last couple weeks of practice due to injuries, which forced offensive line coach Bryan Stinespring to do some shuffling up front.
Jahee Jackson has played some left tackle and Nick Edwards has filled in at right tackle, while rising Patrick anchors the unit. The only returning starter on the offensive line likely to play today is left guard A.J. Bolden.
HHS Alum At Linebacker
In his first fall at JMU, former Harrisonburg High School standout Devin Medley redshirted and spent the majority of his time with the scout-team defense.
This spring, Medley has prepped for his redshirt freshman season by taking snaps at linebacker with the second- and third-team defense.
The ex-Blue Streak is likely to see action with the reserves today.
