Published Jul 9, 2019
Position Previews: Quarterback
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Greg Madia  •  DukesofJMU
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Can DiNucci Minimize Mistakes This Fall?

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HARRISONBURG – What stood out most from the early-summer conversations with coaches around the Colonial Athletic Association regarding James Madison were the comments longtime New Hampshire headman Sean McDonnell made about new Dukes coach Curt Cignetti and senior quarterback Ben DiNucci.

McDonnell said Cignetti could positively impact DiNucci.

“I thought when [Cignetti] had [Elon quarterback Davis] Cheek and Cheek was healthy in that place, he had a great, great idea with how he wanted to move the football,” McDonnell said. “With Ben [DiNucci] coming back next year, [Cignetti]’s had a whole spring and will have a whole summer to figure out what his strengths are.”

McDonnell and the Wildcats saw DiNucci at a low point when the signal-caller turned the ball over twice in the first two possessions before being benched during a game UNH won 35-24 last November.

But McDonnell, who pays attention to what goes on in the league and had watched enough of DiNucci in preparation for the Dukes and other opponents last year, said he knows DiNucci is plenty capable when he protects the football.

And the Jekyll-and-Hyde play of DiNucci is where the story begins with JMU’s quarterback position heading into the 2019 season. Here’s a closer look at DiNucci and the rest of the quarterbacks at Madison:

Returning Starters: r-senior Ben DiNucci

Other Returners On Roster: r-junior Cole Johnson, r-sophomore Gage Moloney, r-sophomore Patrick Bentley, r-freshman Jake O’Donnell

Newcomers: none

Storyline: It’s not often a quarterback who started all of his team’s games and was a third-team all-league selection the previous season is thrown into a legitimate position battle going into the next one.

But that’s the scenario for DiNucci.

Cignetti and first-year offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery opened the job up for a full-fledged competition, forcing DiNucci to prove himself just like he had to last year after transferring to JMU from Pittsburgh.

Last August, a three-man race between DiNucci, Cole Johnson and Gage Moloney quickly became DiNucci and Johnson jockeying for the spot atop the depth chart. Eventually former Dukes coach Mike Houston named DiNucci the starter on the eve of the 2018 opener at N.C. State. DiNucci remained through the season as the starter, threw for 2,275 yards, 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and rushed for 433 yards and nine scores. Both Johnson and Moloney earned snaps in game action behind DiNucci.

This time around Moloney enters training camp with more momentum than Johnson following a strong spring and is likely DiNucci’s toughest competition. For DiNucci to keep his job, he must minimize mistakes and primarily the costly ones that come on heels of others like the turnovers that occurred against New Hampshire or when he threw five interceptions against Colgate.

When he doesn’t turn the ball over, DiNucci is dynamic – running for three scores against Towson, combining for five touchdowns against Rhode Island – and clearly the best player at the position for JMU.

And as McDonnell suggested, Cignetti, a former quarterback at West Virginia and quarterbacks coach at Temple, Rice, Pitt and N.C. State earlier in his football life, might work well enough with DiNucci to shrink the number of errors.