In advance of Saturday’s FCS Championship Game between James Madison and Youngstown State, the NCAA held media availability for both teams on Thursday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Coaches and players discussed the game.
*****
- Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini said JMU’s offense would be tough to slow down. He said JMU has good balance and called quarterback Bryan Schor a “great player.”
- Pelini said in order to win, Youngstown State must play the way it has played recently. He said the Penguins have to be disciplined on defense and take care of the ball on offense.
- JMU offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick said one attribute of JMU’s offense that could help slow Youngstown State’s pass rush is Schor’s ability to extend plays. Youngstown State has 47 sacks as a team this year. Kirkpatrick said there isn’t a way to script that intangible before the game – he added JMU works a scramble drill each day in practice, but it doesn’t equate to the chaos of a game. He said Schor saved JMU from some sacks in the win at North Dakota State.
- Kirkpatrick said the two Youngstown State defensive ends Derek Rivers and Avery Moss are NFL prospects and that he doesn’t expect his tackles to go one-on-one with those edge rushers all game. He said JMU would mix its protections throughout the game and have both running backs and tight end Jonathan Kloosterman help with pass protection at times.
- Tyree Chavious will against start at right tackle for JMU. Chavious has filled in throughout the playoffs for the injured Mitchell Kirsch.
- Kloosterman has developed into a key red-zone asset for Schor. The tight end has four red-zone touchdown catches in the postseason. Kirkpatrick said in those tight red-zone situations, a big guy could help simply with his size. He said Kloosterman has a good feel for how to get open inside the 20-yardline as well.
- Kloosterman said JMU’s run game is what allows him to get open. He said the passes he caught for scores came on run-pass options, when linebackers bit toward the line of scrimmage showing their respect for running back Khalid Abdullah.
- Junior running back Cardon Johnson won’t play Saturday – he’s been sidelined for the season since mid-November, but he said the surgery on his Achilles was successful. He had surgery on Dec. 6. The recovery timetable is six to eight months.
- On defense, JMU safety Raven Greene leads the team with six interceptions. JMU has 20 on the year. Greene said defensive coordinator Bob Trott always emphasizes the importance of defenders catching the ball during practice. He also said the way JMU’s offense plays puts the opposing team at a disadvantage, typically because Madison is ahead by a few scores. He said when the opposing offense trails, it’s more likely to take risks in the passing game.
- Greene says YSU quarterback Hunter Wells does a great job of staying poised in the pocket even when there’s pressure from an opposing pass rush. Greene said JMU’s job is to force Wells and YSU’s offense into third-and-long situations.
- Wells took over the quarterback job midseason. He said at the start of the year the Penguins coaching staff wanted a more mobile quarterback to the run the offense. Wells said he was supposed to redshirt this season, so he could figure out what was next for him.
- Wells said he didn’t have immediate reaction to transfer. He said he’s not one to move on just because things get tough. Wells said he gave it everything he had and it’s worked out. He said the biggest the key to his success is protecting the ball. He’s had six touchdown throws compared to only one interception during the postseason.
- Wells said JMU has a “very good defense.” He said on film the athleticism of the Dukes defense jumps out. The Youngstown State signal-caller added that he believes JMU would play man coverage on the outside against his wide receivers and stack the box to stop running back Jody Webb.
