JMU Shows Off New Wrinkles

In the summer months, prognosticators and writers evaluate the number of returning starters a team has back, what the program did in the previous season and the makeup of its head coach.

But Saturday, during FCS No. 1 James Madison’s win at FBS East Carolina, the Dukes, who returned more than they lost from last season’s national championship squad, unveiled new wrinkles and tweaks to their offense and defense that they wouldn’t have been able to show off in 2016.

“The big thing is, each year you’re going to try to take advantage of the players with ability on your roster,” second-year JMU coach Mike Houston said. “Certainly, we have great depth in the running back room, so it only makes sense to get those guys on the field in a variety of different ways and a variety of different situations.”

In the first quarter, the Dukes rolled out a three-back set in a diamond formation.

With senior quarterback Bryan Schor in the shotgun, senior running back Cardon Johnson was lined up behind him. On the left side of Schor was senior running back Taylor Woods and on the right was junior running back Trai Sharp.

Later in the game, JMU used the same formation with Georgia Tech transfer running back Marcus Marshall in the same spot Johnson was in.

But for its season-opening touchdown, Schor scored on a four-yard keeper out of that set to give the Dukes a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

He faked a dive handoff to Johnson as Sharp and Woods blocked downfield. ECU’s defense bit toward Johnson when Schor showed the give, so the signal-caller pulled it before trotting right, bypassing a scrum of defenders and into the end zone without being touched.

“It really sets the mindset that we’re going to come right at somebody,” Schor said of JMU’s diamond formation. “I think it just adds another thing to our weaponry.

“When we have the talent in the backfield that we have, we’re trying to get those guys on the field as much as possible.”

JMU offensive coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick also showed he was willing to create opportunities aside from the traditional handoff for his different running backs.

In the second quarter, Woods lined up in the slot before catching a jet-sweep touch pass for an 11-yard gain. The Dukes rarely used their running backs in the slot or at wide receiver last season.

The addition of Marshall, and most of JMU’s FBS imports, has allowed the staff to tinker with new ideas.

On defense, Rutgers transfer defensive lineman Ron’Dell Carter was used both at defensive tackle and defensive end.

Carter played on the interior during some pass-rushing situations, which enabled the Dukes to keep senior Andrew Ankrah and junior Darrious Carter at their defensive end spots to get all three speed-rushers on the field at the same time.

Ankrah had a sack and Ron’Dell Carter had three quarterback hurries.

“With certain packages Ron’Dell is outside and in certain packages Ron’Dell is inside,” Houston said. “And the thing is we do have a lot of guys that can rotate in and out and around different places on that defensive front, so we try to use all of our weapons.”

It wasn’t often last season that JMU moved its defensive linemen from one spot to the other.

Houston said he was happy with all the newcomers that played at ECU.

“I thought that Ron’Dell played extremely hard and extremely physical and I think that he’s going to be a really solid player for us there on the defensive front,” Houston said. “[Virginia transfer wide receiver] David [Eldridge] I thought had a really solid game at wide out and made some big catches on third down and I thought that [Maryland transfer linebacker] Gus [Little] played a very solid game.

“We’re really pleased with all of our first-time guys that played Saturday night.”