HARRISONBURG – Weber State must travel more than 2,000 miles during a short week for Friday’s FCS national quarterfinal at James Madison, but Dukes Mike Houston said he doesn’t necessarily see it as an advantage for his top-seeded squad.

Kickoff on Friday is set for 7 p.m.

“It’s a short week for us. It’s a short week for them,” Houston said Monday during the Colonial Athletic Association coaches teleconference. “They do have to travel, but that’s just part of it.

“We had to deal with that last year when we went to North Dakota State, so obviously we showed that you can have a short week, have a long travel and still go out and play at a high level on Friday night, so I would expect them to have the same attitude.”

Weber State, co-champion of the Big Sky, knocked out fellow conference member and eighth-seeded Southern Utah this past Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

JMU beat Stony Brook in its second-round contest. It was the fifth-straight postseason victory for the Dukes dating back to last season’s run to a national title, which included two Friday-night victories.

Last year, JMU beat Sam Houston State 65-7 in the quarterfinal on a Friday and followed that win up with a 27-17 victory in the semifinal at North Dakota State.

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- Weber State quarterback Stefan Cantwell has thrown for 2,740 yards and 23 touchdowns. He’s also the Wildcats’ second-leading rusher with 550 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

- Cantwell, a 25-year old senior, is experienced and Houston said he doesn’t expect the Weber State signal-called to be rattled by a hostile crowd or a defense that will pressure him on Friday.

- Houston said Weber State is a “West-coast version of a CAA-looking football team.” Weber State has offensive and defensive fronts that Houston said reminds him of Delaware, Maine and New Hampshire’s fronts.

- Houston still is unsure if JMU senior wide receiver and punt returner John Miller will play Friday. Miller left this past Saturday’s game with an injury when he limped off the field and then was spotted in street clothes on the sideline during the second half. “We’ll see. Kickoff is seven o’clock on Friday night. I’ll let you know about 7:01,” Houston said.