HARRISONBURG – It didn’t hurt that James Madison knew how to win.

In Saturday’s victory over FBS East Carolina, the Dukes never panicked when the score got close or when the Pirates began to find success with backup quarterback Thomas Sirk.

JMU stayed even-keeled like it did in the 2016 national semifinal at North Dakota State, and in tight conference games at Richmond and Villanova.

“I think that experience is critical,” JMU coach Mike Houston said Tuesday at his weekly press conference.

The Dukes wasted two scoring chances by missing a field goal and turning the ball over on downs inside ECU territory during the first half.

“I felt like it should have been 21-0 at the half,” Houston said. “And the fear, when you’re in that situation is, if you let a quality team like East Carolina hang around, you’re going to end up losing a game that you should win because of those mistakes.

“Sometimes, you see teams tighten up and get frustrated and people start griping at each other, but our players have been through these tight ball games before. Everyone kept their cool and nobody lost their heads or anything like that.”

After halftime, JMU used a 27-point second half to outlast the Pirates.

“We kept fighting through, and all of a sudden, you see the runs start to break and the momentum starts to swing,” Houston said.

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- Houston said most teams are able to make their biggest improvements from Week 1 to Week 2.

- He stressed that the Dukes need to get their red zone struggles and the kicking game cleaned up. JMU was 2-of-3 in red zone scoring opportunities. Kicker Tyler Gray missed a field goal and an extra point.

- Sophomore tight end Nick Carlton fumbled after making a catch in the third quarter, but redeemed himself with a touchdown reception that put JMU ahead by two scores. Houston said he was happy with Carlton’s resiliency, and that he thought overall Carlton played well.

- Georgia Tech transfer Marcus Marshall broke a 70-yard touchdown run late in the game at ECU. Houston said Marshall is still learning how to play within JMU’s zone running scheme and added that Marshall’s “best days in our run game is ahead of him because he’s only going to improve.”

- On East Tennessee State, Houston said Buccaneers redshirt sophomore defensive end Nasir Player stands out. Player stands at 6-foot-6, 247 pounds. Houston said Player would probably start on JMU’s defense and on most FCS defenses. He was an All-Conference freshmen team selection last year.

- Houston said ETSU quarterback Austin Herink has a similar makeup to JMU’s Bryan Schor. Houston said Herink is an accurate passer, doesn’t turn the ball over and is the leader of the Bucs.

- Senior defensive end Andrew Ankrah said ETSU has good experience on the offensive line and that Herink is efficient. He said it’s critical for JMU “to get after” Herink.

- Ankrah, who had a sack in JMU’s win over East Carolina, said he thought the Dukes did a good job pressuring both of ECU’s quarterbacks, but that he also thought there’s room for improvement with the pass rush.

- JMU used a few different combinations of defensive linemen at ECU, one set included Anrkah, Darrious Carter and Ron’Dell Carter all on the field at the same time with Ron’Dell Carter moving inside. When asked if that combination is most athletic defensive front he’s play on in his time at JMU, Ankrah said, “by far.”

- Junior cornerback Rashad Robinson came up with a key third-quarter interception in the Dukes’ win at ECU. Robinson said he actually got beat off the line a scrimmage by ECU wide receiver Jimmy Williams. When that happens, Robinson said his job is to look at the receiver’s hands instead of looking for the ball. Robinson said when Williams jumped to make the catch, he put his hands through Williams’ to come up with the turnover.

- Robinson said JMU’s corners are very comfortable playing in man coverage. He said throughout August training camp the unit worked against it every day.

- Senior guard A.J. Bolden said he really liked how physical JMU played upfront on Saturday.

- Bolden said he likes how many young guys JMU played on the offensive line against the Pirates. Bolden said he was able to get rested on the occasional series, which is something that JMU couldn’t do for him last year.

- Bolden said Zaire Bethea does a great job of backing him up. He added that center Mac Patrick has taken a leadership role of being able to make all the calls even though he’s only a sophomore.

- A concern for JMU so far this week was refocusing its young guys after the win over ECU, but Bolden said the team has stayed tight, no one has gotten over excited and that its focused on ETSU.