FIELD NOTES: Simeyon's Superb Performance
FRISCO, Texas – If James Madison had managed to finish its final drive with a touchdown, Simeyon Robinson likely would’ve been the Most Outstanding Player of the National Championship Game.
The Dukes’ senior defensive tackle put together a strong individual effort, compiling four tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal.
His first sack of North Dakota State quarterback Easton Stick jarred the ball free and JMU linebacker Gus Little recovered it.
“Those are big sacks, but it doesn’t really matter at this point,” Robinson said afterward, as he deflected personal praise. “They’re big stops and they create opportunities for offense, but to still come up short, it doesn't pay off at all.”
Robinson’s blocked kick came with 4:37 remaining in the contest and prevented North Dakota State from pushing its lead from four points to a touchdown advantage.
“I needed to block the field goal,” Robinson said. “I needed to block the field goal for the offense to get back on the field and have the opportunity to score. That was my mindset.
“That was everybody else’s mindset, block the field goal. I didn’t really see anything. I just played for my team.”
The Most Outstanding Player Award went to NDSU quarterback Easton Stick, who passed for 130 yards and a touchdown without an interception.
*****
- JMU finishes the season at 14-1 overall. It had entered Saturday with the longest active-winning streak in all of college football at 26 straight victories.
- Second-year Dukes coach Mike Houston said, “It’s a disappointing ending to a phenomenal season.”
- JMU’s senior class finishes their careers as the best in school history. In the last four seasons, the group went 46-9 and was the first ever class at the school to make the postseason in four consecutive years.
- JMU is now 2-1 all-time in title games. The Dukes beat Youngstown State in last year’s championship game 28-14 and beat Montana 31-21 in 2004.
- Attendance at Toyota Stadium was 19,090 – a more-than capacity crowd.
- Robinson’s two sacks matched his career high for sacks in a game.
- The defense became the first team to shut out North Dakota State for an entire half when it held the Bison scoreless in the final 30 minutes. Robinson said the defensive took it upon themselves to help the team get back in the game.
- JMU was limited to 93 rushing yards as a team in the championship game and 24 of those rushing yards came on freshman punter Harry O’Kelly’s fake punt. Dukes senior left tackle Aaron Stinnie said NDSU had a scheme that made it tough on JMU’s front. He said NDSU, “had a lot of wide rushers, blitzers and ran different games.”
- Houston said NDSU’s defense forced JMU to become a little bit more one dimensional while leaning on the passing game.
- JMU senior quarterback Bryan Schor was 14-of-32 for 148 yards and two interceptions. Half of his completions went to sophomore wide receiver Riley Stapleton, who recorded a game-best seven catches for 107 yards.
- Stapleton’s fumble in the second quarter motivated him to have a strong final drive of the first half and continue on into the third quarter, he said.