HARRISONBURG — The country’s top defense will be represented when the Buck Buchanan Award is given out in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the national championship game.
James Madison senior defensive end Andrew Ankrah is one of three finalists for the award, as announced by STATS FCS on Tuesday. The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the best defensive player in FCS.
“Andrew is a player that really typifies what we’ve been defensively over the last couple of years,” second-year JMU coach Mike Houston said. “When we got here, he was coming off of an outstanding sophomore year where he put up some solid individual stats, but to be honest, he wasn’t a very good football player and he has worked very, very hard to change that over the last two years and he has become a complete player and a dominant player at his position.”
The Gaithersburg, Md., native has racked up 49 tackles to go along with 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. His scoop-and-score touchdown at Delaware on Sept. 30 helped the Dukes knock off the Blue Hens, 20-10.
Ankrah was also the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year.
The other two finalists for the Buchanan Award are Jacksonville State defensive end Darius Jackson and Western Illinois linebacker Brett Taylor.
“It’s a huge honor to be amongst some of the best players in the nation,” Ankrah said. “There are so many great many players, so I’m very privileged and very honored to be announced amongst those players.”
Ankrah is the first JMU finalist for the award since Stephon Robertson in 2012 and 2013. Robertson was the runner-up in the 2013. The last member of the Dukes to earn the award was current Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats in 2009.
For his career, Ankrah has 25 sacks and 34 tackles for loss.
“He’s great against the run. He’s great against the pass and he has put up huge numbers this season in tackles for loss and sacks and he’s leading what is the top-ranked defense in the country,” Houston said. “So I think it’s a very deserving award for Andrew and I’m sure Andrew would say that this is an award that would go to our defensive unit is as a whole.”
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- Ankrah isn’t the only JMU individual receiving recognition this week. On Monday, JMU wide receivers coach Drew Dudzik was named to the 2018 American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. According to a press release from the AFCA, “the program is aimed at identifying and developing premier future leaders in the profession.”
- JMU hosts Weber State in Friday’s FCS playoff quarterfinal. Houston calls Weber State “a veteran and explosive group.”
- Quarterback Stefan Cantwell and tight end Andrew Vollert lead Weber State on offense. Cantwell has thrown for more than 2,700 yards and rushed for more than 500 yards this season. Vollert, a first-team All-Big Sky selection, tops the Wildcats with 56 catches for 726 yards and five touchdowns.
- In addition to Vollert, Weber State will play with multiple tight ends and shift them before the snap. Houston said the way the Wildcats use tight ends reminds him of how Richmond and William & Mary used tight ends last season against JMU.
- Houston said having two senior safeties, Jordan Brown and Raven Greene, would help JMU defend against Vollert and company.
- Like Houston said Monday during the CAA teleconference, he pointed out how strong Weber State is up the middle on defense. Defensive tackle McKay Murphy and inside linebacker LeGrand Toia were both All-Big Sky first-team choices.
- Ankrah said Weber State is an all-around good team and that he even noticed how good the Wildcats are on special teams.
- Ankrah said with how much Weber State will use Cantwell in the running game, it’s important for JMU’s defense to lean on its experience of facing dual-threat quarterbacks like Trevor Knight at New Hampshire and others the Dukes saw throughout the season.
- Senior safety Raven Greene said Cantwell, “Is the trigger to their offense.” To slow Cantwell and Weber State’s offense, Greene said the Dukes must stay in their gaps.
- Greene said JMU’s defense is playing with more and more trust in each other each week. JMU has allowed 13 points or fewer in each of its last five games.
- Senior quarterback Bryan Schor said Weber State’s defense is big and fast, but what stands out immediately to him is that the Wildcats have an outstanding secondary. Schor said the Wildcats don’t blow assignments, which means JMU’s ability to win one-on-one matchups on the perimeter will be key.
