Shootout Doesn't Worry Schor, Dukes' Offense
HARRISONBURG — It won’t be any different for James Madison’s offense.
At least not according to junior quarterback Bryan Schor.
Schor said he isn’t worried about trying to match Sam Houston State score for score if today’s FCS quarterfinal between the fourth-seeded Dukes (11-1) and the fifth-seeded Bearkats (12-0) at Bridgeforth Stadium turns into a shootout.
Sam Houston State and JMU feature the nation’s two best scoring offenses. Sam Houston State ranks No. 1, averaging 53.1 points per game, and JMU ranks No. 2, averaging 48.3 points per game. The Bearkats also rank No. 1 in total offense, No. 2 in passing and No. 5 in third-down conversion rate. The Dukes
sit No. 3 total offense, No. 4 in rushing and No. 2 in third-down conversion rate.
“I think one thing we know going into each game is that we’re going to try to score on each drive,” Schor said. “We know they score a lot of points, but that’s really not for us. It isn’t something we worry about on our side of the ball.
“We’re going to go out there and try to score each time we have the ball and when it comes down to the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, we’re going to see where we’re at.”
Schor comes off of leading JMU to its first playoff win since 2011 and first since back-to-back one-and-done exits from the postseason the past two years.
In the second-round win over New Hampshire, Schor completed better than 80 percent of his throws for 371 yards and five touchdowns.
“Getting out of the first round is something we haven’t done in a while,” Schor said. “We won that, it boosted our confidence and now we want more.”
If Madison can get past Sam Houston State, it’ll mark the first time since 2008 that the program has reached the national semifinals. Under coach K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston State has reached the semifinals in each of the past two years.
Much like JMU, Keeler’s squad has excelled behind a talented quarterback — junior Jeremiah Briscoe.
Briscoe, a transfer from UAB, tops FCS with 57 touchdown passes this year. He has also thrown for 4,459 yards.
Schor leads the country with a 74 percent completion rate.
“Schor and Briscoe are the best two quarterbacks in the country probably,” Keeler said. “Schor’s accuracy is uncanny and he has great ability get himself out of trouble.
“Obviously, I think I have the best quarterback in the country, but he might be a close number two, and I’m bias because I see Jeremiah everyday.”
JMU coach Mike Houston said Briscoe is having a great season.
“He has a very quick release,” Houston said. “He’s got a very strong arm and the ball gets there in a hurry. You get a guy like that, who’s surrounded by the weapons they have, and that’s why they put up arcade-like numbers.”
The Madison defense, which ranks No. 5 nationally in interceptions, might need to force Briscoe into one if the Sam Houston State offense starts to gain momentum.
Junior safety Raven Greene leads the team with five interceptions.
“We’ve seen teams that pass the ball around, so we’ve seen something like it, but it still isn’t quite like this,” Greene said. “Their quarterback gets the ball around pretty good.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.