Monday morning the Colonial Athletic Association held its weekly coaches teleconference. James Madison coach Mike Houston and linebacker Gage Steele as well as New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell and running back Dalton Crossan took questions from reporters on this weekend’s second-round playoff game between the Dukes and Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., on Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg.

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- Back in October, JMU won at New Hampshire, 42-39. In the game, UNH scored four unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cut JMU’s 30-point lead to just three points. Houston said during the final 10 minutes, the defense broke down because players were out of position and not doing what they were coached to do. He said the greatest lesson his team learned that day was to, “do your job.” He did add that UNH played well in the final quarter.

- Steele said the fourth quarter of the UNH game was a “nail-biter” and it, “probably made me lose a few years off my life.” He said the take away from the bad 10 minutes was that it couldn’t happen again. He said JMU’s defense used it to “fuel the fire” for wins at Richmond and at Villanova.

- In the game, UNH turned to its backup quarterback Adam Riese after JMU slowed UNH starter Trevor Knight. Riese threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead the comeback. Riese also started in UNH’s first-round game against Lehigh over the weekend. He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another with Knight sidelined due to injury. Houston said he doesn’t consider Riese the backup. He said Riese, “plays like the starter.”

- UNH coach Sean McDonnell said Riese’s five years in the system allows him to be successful when called upon. McDonnell said the only attribute that separated Knight from Riese the battle for the starting job was that Knight's ability to run. McDonnell added his team has total confidence in Riese.

- As for JMU’s quarterback situation, Houston said, “We’ll see. We’ll see,” when he was asked whether or not JMU starter Bryan Schor would play Saturday. Schor missed the team’s regular-season finale against Elon after getting injured during the second quarter of the Nov. 12 game at Villanova.

- Since JMU played at UNH, McDonnell said the JMU defense is playing better. He said the Dukes run to ball very well. McDonnell said it starts with Steele and extends to the back end with Raven Greene and Taylor Reynolds and to the front end with Andrew Ankrah, Martez Stone, Cornell Urquhart and Simeyon Robinson.

- The UNH defense managed to slow Lehigh, which entered Saturday at No. 7 nationally in total offense. McDonnell said he told his team Lehigh, “was only the lead up” to what the Wildcats would see this week with JMU. McDonnell said he thinks JMU has the best offense in the country.

- Crossan echoed McDonnell and said JMU’s defense is better now compared to when JMU played at UNH earlier this season.

- Under McDonnell, UNH has now reached the postseason in 13 straight years. JMU is the fourth CAA opponent UNH will meet in the playoffs since 2009. McDonnell said rematches, “are just part of the deal.” McDonnell said he doesn’t get caught up in it. He said the one advantage is that UNH at least knows a little bit about JMU.

- Houston said there are both things he likes and doesn't like about a rematch. He said what’s good is that the CAA is guaranteed a team in the quarterfinals.