Week 8 Preview: James madison
Georgia Southern, fresh off of a thrilling come from behind win over Marshall, will host James Madison on Saturday, October 19, 2024 in Statesboro, Georgia. After losing Head Coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana in the offseason and having several players transfer out, James Madison hired Head Coach Bob Chesney and reloaded with talent. So far, they have played poorly in just one game that saw the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) pull the upset 21-19 over the Dukes. Other than that, JMU has been lights out including 70-50 win over ACC foe, North Carolina. The Dukes are well coached, play fast, and are extremely physical. Chesney is one of the best young coaches in all of college football and has been a winner at every level he has coached at which is proven by is 116-47 overall record as a head coach.
Offensively, the Dukes are led by RS Sophomore QB Alonza Barnett III who has completed 102-177 passes for 1,472 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has thrown just one interception in those 177 attempts. In addition to his passing, he is the second leading rusher on the team with 61 carries for 309 yards and 5 touchdowns. RB George Pettaway is by far the most used running back for the Dukes as he currently has 64 attempts for 387 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Dukes’ receiver and tight end groups are arguably the deepest in the conference as they have four guys with over 250 receiving yards. WR Omarion Dollison (334 yards, 3 TDs), TE Taylor Thompson (290 yards, 3 TDs), WR Cam Ross (275 yards, 2 TDs), and WR Yamir Knight (254 yards, 2 TDs) are all widely used in the passing game. The offense has been up and down throughout the year, but when they are on… they are on. On average, this group gains 439.2 yards per game while scoring 39 points per game. The Georgia Southern defense will have to be on its A-Game to slow down the Dukes high powered offense. The Dukes have fumbled 5 times and lost 4 of them through 6 games so expect the Eagles defense to be attempting to separate the ball from the ball carrier early and often.
Defensively, James Madison has one of the stingiest defenses in all of college football giving up just 316.2 yards and 16.33 points per game. The group is led in tackles by LB Jacob Dobbs who has 46 tackles through 6 games. He is the Dukes’ version of Marques Watson-Trent who just always seems to be in on every play. They have seven players that have recorded 0.5 sacks or more this season but are led by DL Khairi Manns (3.5 Sacks), DL Eric O’Neill (3.0 Sacks), LB Trent Hendrick (2.0 Sacks), and DL Chris Fitzgerald (2.0 Sacks). The Eagles offensive line got banged up a little in the Marshall game, but it will be up to them slow this defensive front down and keep QB JC French upright. The Dukes defense has forced 10 fumbles, recovering 5 of them through 6 games. In addition to causing a lot of fumbles, the group has 12 interceptions on the season led by CB Terrence Spence who has 4 interceptions of his own. This defense puts pressure on the quarterback, causes errant throws, and capitalizes on those and gains extra possessions for the offense.
On Special Teams, K Noe Ruelas is 7-8 on field goals with a long of 50 yards. P Ryan Hanson has punted just 17 times for an average of 45.71 yards but has had 7 punts inside of the 20-yard line so he is extremely valuable in flipping the field when offensive drives stall. The Dukes have only attempted to return 5 kicks this season - three by George Pettaway and two by Cam Ross - for an average of 29.80 yards per return. In the punt return game, the Dukes most often send WR Yamir Knight to field the punts as he has seven returns for an average of 13.43 yards per return. The Eagles punt coverage team will need to be sure to stay disciplined and active to keep Knight from breaking a long one.
Overall, this game is going to be extremely competitive and after a huge comeback win last week against Marshall, Paulson Stadium should have a raucous crowd trying to will the Eagles to victory. The winner of this game will be in control of their own Sun Belt East destiny, so this is a massive game for both teams. Coach Chesney is a hell of a coach and will have his guys ready to go, so Helton and the Eagles coaching staff will need to ensure there is no emotional hangover from the crazy game last weekend and have the guys ready to roll. James Madison’s defense does not give up many points, so do not expect this game to be a shootout.
The Eagles win this game if:
1) Win the Turnover Battle
Turnovers create extra possessions and if JMU gets more possessions than we do, their offense is capable of turning those extras into a lot of points
2) They can stop Alonza Barnett III on the ground
This is easier said than done as Barnett III is a phenomenal athlete that can make defenses pay with his legs but if the Eagles can keep his ground game at bay and force them to beat them through the air, that gives them the best chance to stop him
3) RB Jalen White and RB OJ Arnold gain more than 125 yards rushing combined
This is said every week, but the Eagles HAVE to establish a run game to keep pressure off JC French and open up play action passes for the offense
