FIELD NOTES: Could JMU Play Both QBs?
HARRISONBURG — Through 10 training camp practices, James Madison coaches don’t have a decision made regarding their starting quarterback.
Neither Ben DiNucci nor Cole Johnson has done enough pull away from the other to take the job.
“We’ve got a battle going,” offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick said Tuesday following practice. “It’s kind of gone back and forth a little bit. Like, Cole had the better day today it, looked like and Ben had the better day yesterday, it looked like.”
Both Kirkpatrick and coach Mike Houston have said performances during the scrimmages hold more weight in the evaluation process. The first scrimmage was this past Saturday and the next one is this coming Saturday.
The Dukes open on Sept. 1 at N.C. State.
“Me and [Houston] talk a lot,” Kirkpatrick said. “I told him the other day, I’m not against playing both quarterbacks. It’s whatever it takes to win and there’s no entitlement and no ego.
“It’s everybody doing what it takes to win the game, especially early in the year if they don’t separate because I just don’t want to make a decision. I don’t want to say, ‘I don’t know’ and then just make a decision. ... There’s nothing illegal about playing them both.”
DiNucci, a Pitt transfer, made six starts with the Panthers as a redshirt sophomore last year. Johnson was former starter Bryan Schor’s backup in each of the last two seasons.
“Me and Mike will talk about that, so I’m not saying that [playing both quarterbacks will happen],” Kirkpatrick said. “But I’m saying a lot of time coaches are just keeping that information from people because they don’t want their opponent to know. I’ve been a part of that and that’s not what we’re doing.
“They are literally [back-and-forth] and so we’re putting them in so many situations, so that we’re not making the decision on seven snaps. We’re going to be making that decision on 300 snaps and what they did when they had to make the right decision and make the right play.”
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- Freshman receiver Josh Sims has taken advantage of his first-team reps after being redshirted last year. “What has shown is that Josh Sims has had an absolutely great camp,” Kirkpatrick said. “Josh Sims has proven that he is a player.”
- Sims’ primary competition for a starting spot at slot receiver is junior college transfer EJ Morgan.
- During practice Tuesday, a scuffle broke out in the middle of the team period. Jahee Jackson, Mac Patrick and Paris Black were involved. It was stopped before anyone got hurt, but Houston made the whole team run afterward.
- Senior outside linebacker Robert Carter Jr. hauled in an interception during the team period after sophomore safety Wayne Davis broke up a pass and tipped it into the air. This came with the second-team defense working against the second-team offense.
- A scout from the New York Jets visited Dukes practice on Tuesday. The Jets are the eighth NFL team to stop by JMU since it opened training camp on Aug. 3. The Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks have already checked in during this camp.