On Saturday, the James Madison Dukes (6-2, 2-2) enter another football matchup in conference play, as they host the Georgia State Panthers (2-6, 0-4). The Dukes come out of their bye into another sell-out crowd at Bridgeforth Stadium, looking to continue their strong run of the season. Will they be able to put away Georgia State in this Sun Belt Conference matchup? These are the three keys for the Dukes as they take on the Panthers in Week 11.
Three Keys for James Madison Football
Attack downfield
James Madison hasn’t hit 200 passing yards in three consecutive games. And, to be honest, the passing attack has started to trend downward since their loss to Louisiana-Monroe. That’s one month of mediocre football that falls on the offensive coordinator, and quarterback Alonza Barnett III.
Despite the slump in production, Barnett has actually been one of the better passers in college football this season at a statistical level. The quarterback’s 18 touchdowns are tied for 17th among his peers. He’s also taken care of the ball through the air with only two interceptions.
Yet despite the low interception numbers, Barnett hasn’t shied away from taking shots downfield. His 6.1 Big Time Throw percentage ranks 10th among all quarterbacks in FBS play. On top of that, he’s been fairly accurate, with an adjusted completion percentage of 73.1.
The problem for Barnett, is the sacks that he’s taken. His pressure to sack ratio is second-highest in college football. Barnett must be able to navigate the pocket, avoid the pressure, and take shots downfield.
The recipients of those passes are likely Omarion Dollison and Cameron Ross. Both players will need to step up and prove to be reliable targets for their quarterback in this matchup. There’s seven drops between the two receivers, and neither has been able to pull down a contested catch (nine combined opportunities).
Attacking downfield is important in this matchup, because of how susceptible the Georgia State defense is through the air. The Panthers have the 16th-worst coverage grade among 134 FBS teams so far this season. And despite them allowing completions at the 34th-lowest rate, that’s more due to teams gashing them through the ground than Georgia State’s ability to stop the pass.
Georgia State’s sack percentage is the 10th-lowest in college football at 3.59. That should allow Barnett the opportunity to pick apart the defense and take shots downfield.
Stop the run
Another key for James Madison to win this football game is stopping the run and forcing Georgia State to pass the football. The Panthers quarterback situation has been poor this season, and that’s forced them to rely on their rushing attack.
Georgia State running back Freddie Brock has started to emerge for the Panthers in his final year of eligibility. Brock is averaging 5.8 yards per attempt, but more importantly is his ability to break tackles. The fifth-year senior’s 4.24 yards after contact per attempt ranks 14th among all running backs (min. 95 carries). Brock will run aggressively, and hope to put the Panthers in positive situations for a struggling offense.
For James Madison, that means the defense will have to play four quarters of tough football. Linebacker Jacob Dobbs, and the defensive linemen will need to continue their solid play in this matchup.
As a unit, James Madison has the 35th-highest run defense in the nation, per PFF. A large part of that is their ability to get stops, and their low missed tackle percentage. A key to that will be interior defender Chris Fitzgerald, whose 10.7 stop percentage is tied for 82nd among all FBS defenders throughout every position.
If JMU can stop the run, they can stop the Georgia State offense and win the football game.
Keep the crowd in the game
As aforementioned, JMU will be playing in front a sold-out home crowd for the 10th consecutive game. Meanwhile, Georgia State will be entering this matchup after playing three games on the road – losing all three matchups. Because of that, the Panthers are likely limping into this Sun Belt matchup.
If the Dukes are able to keep the crowd in the ballgame, it will add an extra layer of pressure on a Panthers team that is starting to fall apart at the seams. Big plays, scoring drives, and defensive stops will go a long way in ensuring that the crowd stays active, and helps push the Dukes to victory.
