There is comfort in the predictable, the reliable and the constant.
And if James Madison can count on anything to show up each Saturday this spring season – in what is fair to believe will come with twists and turns considering the eight-game slate will play out through the pandemic – is the Dukes’ robust rushing attack.
They have enough running backs to fill a two-deep and two more, and a mature offensive line anchored by multi-year starting bookend tackles.
“I feel like we haven’t missed a beat,” JMU senior running back Jawon Hamilton said. “With these [offensive linemen], we’re all on the same page and everyone has experience. And as far as the running back group, it’s just a great group to be a part of. It’s like pick your poison because whoever is in is going to get the job done.”
Hamilton and fellow senior Percy Agyei-Obese combined for 2,135 rushing yards in 2019, and as a team JMU boasted the Colonial Athletic Association’s top running game while averaging 242.8 yards on the ground per contest. The Dukes got other contributions from Latrele Palmer and Solomon Vanhorse.
Those four should all see action today when JMU kicks off its campaign in non-conference action against Morehead State, a member of the Pioneer Football League, at noon at Bridgeforth Stadium.
It’ll be the Dukes’ first game since they lost the FCS national title bout to North Dakota State in January of 2020.
“I feel like this year we’re going to be a little more run-heavy with our offense,” Agyei-Obese said. “And the running backs are ready to take that role.”
The offensive line should benefit from a second season with position coach Damian Wroblewski, All-American right tackle Liam Fornadel said during the preseason, which means the unit will only understand the scheme and blocking techniques better to continue paving the way for Agyei-Obese, Hamilton and company.
Because JMU is breaking in new starters everywhere else on offense and throughout most of the defense, the proven ability of its run game should ease the pressure on the rest of the roster.
In theory, it should allow quarterback Cole Johnson and the passing game to see more one-on-one matchups when opposing defenses decide to pack the line of scrimmage in order to not giveaway rushing yards. Then, if the Dukes’ defense struggles, one solution JMU coach Curt Cignetti can turn to in an effort to alleviate stress on the defense is running the ball to drain the clock and keep it away from the opposing offense.
He has enough personnel to lean on in the running game, too.
In addition to Agyei-Obese, Hamilton, Palmer and Vanhorse, Cignetti and his staff have been impressed with freshman running back Kaelon Black. Redshirt freshman Austin Douglas is still on the roster also.
“It’s going to be hard to get them all the touches they’d like to have,” Cignetti said. “But the approach really won’t change. You’ll go in with a starter and first two guys, and then maybe after three straight carries the next guy is in. And then after a few series, maybe the rotation changes. … We’ll just have to see how the game goes, but I’m hoping to get them all in, get their feet wet and we’re going to need them all.”
In Morehead State’s 5-7 finish last season, the Eagles gave up 246.1 rushing yards per game – the seventh worst rate in all of FCS.
The Coaches: Cignetti begins his second season as JMU’s coach and Rob Tenyer is starting his eighth as the man in charge at Morehad State.
Tenyer is 30-50 in his role. He’s elevated Andrew Strobel to the job of defensive coordinator and Cignetti said readying for the first-year coordinator is tricky because there’s no film or tendencies to see what Strobel wants to do. Morehead State used a three- and four-man front in years past.
Cignetti is 81-28 entering his 10th season as a head coach. He went 14-2 in his first year at JMU in 2019.
The Quarterbacks: The fifth-year senior Johnson won the Dukes’ quarterback competition, so after four seasons as the primary backup signal-caller, he'll get his shot as QB1.
Tenyer said Morehead State is planning on playing two quarterbacks against JMU. Returning starter Mark Pappas, who threw for 2,327 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2019, as well as Virginia native DeAndre Clayton will both see action.
Series History: The Dukes and the Eagles have met nine times previously and JMU leads the all-time series 7-2.
In the most the recent matchups, JMU topped Morehead State 80-7 in 2016 and 56-7 in 2015.
The two schools will open the 2021 fall season against each other on Sept. 4.
It’s Finally Here: Both sides agree after a postponed campaign in the fall that they’re eager to begin playing games again. It’s been 13 months for JMU and even longer for Morehead State.
“We hope all the extra time,” Tenyer said, “with the meetings, the virtual, the installs that our football IQ is improved and gotten better and at this point I’m just excited to be playing football again. I know our players are, too.”
Hamilton said the quarantine period was tough and mentally draining to be away from teammates for a few months last spring, and that even returning to practice in October was encouraging.
“It just feels good to be able to have something to look forward to and to be able to play,” he said.
Same Faces, New Places: Two of the Dukes’ top returning defenders, Mike Greene and Wayne Davis, have changed positions.
Greene, an Athlon Sports Preseason All-American, has moved from defensive tackle to defensive end after registering 7.5 sacks from the interior spot in 2019. Davis has moved from spur to strong safety for this season.
Both players said their respective transitions have gone well.
Transfers Aplenty: Across Morehead State’s roster, there are 29 players who began their college careers somewhere else, whether it be in the FCS, the FBS, Division II, Division III or junior college.
Tenyer said recruiting transfers is necessary to create depth in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League. In recent cycles, his staff targeted players who were at schools that scrapped their football programs like Jacksonville.
“We vet the process very hard,” Tenyer said. “We only take guys who are 3.0 [GPA] and above, so we’ve tried to find the right pieces and not just take guys who want to transfer.”
Two imports to watch for Morehead State are defensive end Vaughn Taylor (Kansas) and running back Carter Rivenburg (Virginia Tech). Taylor left the Jayhawks for the Eagles in 2018, and in 2019 tallied 61 tackles, a PFL best 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Rivenburg, a former standout for Buffalo Gap, is in his first season with Morehead State and will make his college debut at Bridgeforth Stadium where he once ran for more 300 yards in a Virginia High School League postseason game.
Don’t Be Surprised If: Vanhorse is all over the field for JMU.
During the preseason, Cignetti said, “Vanhorse practices like a champion every day,” and throughout the offseason the Dukes have given him practice reps at running back, in the slot and as a kick returner. So even though Vanhorse likely won’t lead the Dukes in rushing this spring, he’ll get plenty of playing time.
