Monday morning the Colonial Athletic Association held its weekly coaches teleconference. James Madison coach Mike Houston and New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell took questions from reporters on this weekend’s contest between the Dukes and Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Saturday at Wildcat Stadium in Durham, N.H.

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- Since the start of CAA play three weeks ago, JMU’s defense has recorded 17 tackles for loss, seven sacks and five interceptions. In the three weeks of nonconference play prior to league action, the Dukes had only seven tackles for loss and three interceptions, while also failing to record a sack. Houston said JMU hasn’t opened up the defensive playbook, “as much as we’d like to,” but the difference between the last three weeks and first three weeks is that the defensive players are doing a better job of executing within the new 4-2-5 defense.

- Houston said he doesn’t want to try to add too much to his defensive scheme because he doesn’t want a complicated system to result in confusion. This is especially true considering JMU is only in its first year of using the system, Houston said. The first-year Dukes coach added he and coordinator Bob Trott would implement more to the defense, slowly as the season progresses.

- JMU tight end Jonathan Kloosterman and linebacker Dimitri Holloway didn’t play in the team’s 31-24 win against William & Mary over the weekend. Holloway injured his foot during JMU’s Oct. 1 win over Delaware. Houston said neither player has anything “serious” and both are “day-to-day.”

- New Hampshire running back Dalton Crossan, “has stuck out on film,” Houston said. Crossan ranks fourth in the CAA with 103.2 rushing yards per game. Houston said the combination of Crossan and UNH quarterback Trevor Knight give opposing defenses trouble because both have the ability to run for positive yards.

- Houston said the UNH offense, “has a lot of aspects of Oregon.” Current San Francisco 49ers coach and former Oregon coach Chip Kelly served as the New Hampshire offensive coordinator from 1999 to 2006 under McDonnell. Houston said UNH would use multiple formations, different motions that could put stress on the defense.

- Like JMU, UNH is 3-0 in CAA play. McDonnell said the key to his team’s good start includes a solid run defense, making plays in the fourth quarter of tight games and simply finding ways to win. UNH got two fourth-quarter field goals to beat Elon on Friday, used a key fourth-quarter drive to beat William & Mary in Week 5 and two important fourth-quarter scores to beat Rhode Island on Sept. 24.

- McDonnell said JMU’s success on the ground goes beyond starters Khalid Abdullah and Cardon Johnson. McDonnell said, “I love quarterback [Bryan] Schor. He does a great job.” The longtime UNH coach added that from the backs to the offensive line to the wide receivers, JMU has plenty of good players helping the unit run so efficiently.

- McDonnell called JMU’s defense “a lot better.” He said the unit swarms to the ball. He also said he, “really likes defensive tackle Simeyon Robinson.” Robinson leads JMU with three sacks and six tackles for loss.