Each Wednesday, James Madison coordinators and assistants coaches are available to the media. This week, a few spoke following the team’s practice at Bridgeforth Stadium about JMU’s season-opening win over Morehead State and Saturday’s Week 2 contest against Central Connecticut State.

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- James Madison defensive coordinator Bob Trott said he was happy with how his players fit within the 4-2-5 scheme for the first time in a game Saturday against Morehead State. Trott said JMU did everything that causes the team to win. "We got the turnovers,” he said, which eventually turned into 28 points.

- Trott said he was encouraged after JMU backup quarterback Connor Mitch threw an interception. On the consequent play, the Dukes defense forced a turnover and got the ball back for Mitch and the offense.

- "It was a good start," Trott said.

- The veteran coordinator said Central Connecticut State runs the zone read like Morehead State with the exception being that the Blue Devils will have a pitch man, creating a triple-option look. Trott added his defensive players must follow their individual responsibilities in order for the unit to have success again.

- Offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick has spoken at length regarding his passing game, but not much about his run offense. After JMU ran for 498 yards on Saturday, Kirkpatrick said if opponents aren’t going to stop the run, then the Dukes would continue to run the football.

- Kirkpatrick said JMU ran the same four or five run plays over and over again out of different formations against the Eagles.

- JMU’s run concept is based on three different offenses – what JMU ran last year, what Kirkpatrick did at East Carolina and what tights ends coach Bryan Stinespring ran at Virginia Tech. Kirkpatrick said those three offenses helped create JMU’s rushing attack.

- Stinespring said it was fun when the offensive staff initially started to create the offense. He said all the offensive assistants had a hand in it, which he enjoyed. He said it was exciting to learn the different approaches that the staff had to creating the run scheme.

- The ex-Hokie assistant said it rewarding to see how well the run game was executed against Morehead State. He added that the Eagles were determined to stop the run and stacked the box, but JMU was able to run it anyway.

- Running backs coach De’Rail Sims said even after everyone in his position group scored at least one touchdown in Week 1 “no one is satisfied.”

- Sims said “from top to bottom” JMU’s group of running backs is as good it can get for a group of backs at the FCS level. He said what makes Khalid Abdullah, Cardon Johnson, Trai Sharp and Taylor Woods standout is that they try to outwork each other and that they have natural talent.