This morning the Colonial Athletic Association held its first coaches teleconference of the season. James Madison coach Mike Houston took questions from reporters on his team and Saturday’s opener against Morehead State.

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- Mike Houston said he doesn’t have a decision yet regarding his starting quarterback. Houston said junior Bryan Schor and South Carolina transfer Connor Mitch are both “playing at a high level.”

- On Morehead State, Houston said the Eagles have most of their roster including quarterback Austin Gahafer and wide receiver Jake Raymond returning from a team that won seven games last season.

- Gahafer – the 2015 Offensive Player of the Year in the Pioneer Football League – “is probably [the] biggest thing that stands out,” Houston said. Gahafer threw for 3,244 yards and 24 touchdowns last fall to lead the conference in both categories. He is also on the 2016 Preseason STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year watch list.

- Raymond racked up 72 catches for 722 yards and six touchdowns in 2015. In last year’s matchup between Morehead State and JMU, Raymond made 11 catches for 130 yards.

- This is Houston’s first game week as coach of the Dukes. The former Citadel coach laid out what a typical game week will consist of for JMU. Houston said Sundays will serve as a transitional day between the previous day's game and the next game on the schedule. Players will watch film of the game that they just played and the coaching staff will start to introduce the next opponent. Players will have Mondays off while coaches do their heavy game planning. Tuesday and Wednesdays will be “heavy-work days” at practice for the team and Thursday will be to refine everything from Tuesday and Wednesday. On Fridays the team will have a walk through on their last day of preparation before Saturday’s games.

- Going into the game against Morehead State, Houston said JMU is comfortable at linebacker and cornerback. Houston has two established starters at linebacker in senior Gage Steele and sophomore Dimitri Holloway as well as a reliable backup in junior Brandon Hereford. Sophomore cornerback Rashad Robinson will start opposite senior Taylor Reynolds at corner. Read more about JMU's cornerbacks here.

- When asked about which first-year players could make an impact for his team this season, Houston listed names that kept coming up throughout fall camp – defensive end John Daka, linebacker John Kinney and offensive lineman Mac Patrick. Daka will be listed on the two-deep, Kinney will play as backup on JMU’s nickel package as well as contribute to special teams while Patrick can spell starters on the interior of the offensive line.