Appalachian State (4-5, 2-4) vs James Madison (8-2, 4-2)
Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 2:30pm EST
TV/Video: ESPN+
Radio: FLAGSHIP 97.3 FM (North Wilkesboro),1060 AM/97.3 FM, & 1030 AM/99.1 FM (Charlotte), 96.3 FM (Greensboro), 96.3 FM (Winston-Salem), 1350 AM/96.1 FM (Asheville), 790 AM/93.7 FM (Johnson City), 1450 AM107.7 FM (Hendersonville), 1250 AM/103.9 FM (Marion); The Varsity Network App, Sirius/XM 990
Kidd Brewer Stadium
Capacity: 30,000
Surface: Astroturf
Jeff Sagarin Ratings
App State: 63.02
James Madison: 72.23
Home: 3.12
James Madison is favored by the Sagarin ratings by 6.09 points
VegasInsider Line: James Madison -7
Series: App State leads 13-5
Last Meeting: App State 26, James Madison, 23 November 18, 2023, Harrisonburg, VA
Now, with just two games remaining in the regular season, the Mountaineers are firmly backed up against the wall. If they want to play another game beyond this weekend and next, they have to win both games. And what two better opponents to play, then against two teams who have provided some surprising results of late. We all know how you can toss out the records when the Mountaineers and Eagles play. And the last couple seasons have provided exciting games between App State and James Madison. In 2022, the Mountaineers had no business losing that game, giving up a huge first half lead after one of the most controversial non-calls by an officiating group that I have ever seen. And then again in 2023, James Madison was likely the better team, but it was App State that led the entire game, until the Dukes improbably forced overtime before the Mountaineers walked them off. Some schools want to manufacture a rivalry. When it comes to App State and James Madison, you let the games speak for themselves.
James Madison has had a very solid season to date. A lot of teams will take an 8-2 record at this point in the season. The Dukes are also still in contention for a championship game berth, but they need to take care of business these next two weeks to give themselves a chance, and also get some help from the Mountaineers next weekend. James Madison currently sits third in the division, behind Georgia Southern due to a tiebreaker that was decided in a head-to-head matchup that the Eagles won 28-14. Marshall sits atop the division with a 5-1 conference record, and James Madison will host the Herd next weekend. The Dukes are fresh off a win over Old Dominion in Norfolk in which they had to rally in the second half after facing a three point deficit at halftime. The Dukes and Monarchs have played tight games in each of the last two seasons, both decided by three points and won by the Dukes.
After last season, when Curt Cignetti jumped to Indiana, he took a lot of help with him to Bloomington. After the fallout, Jordan McCloud went to play for Texas State and Tino Sunseri, the James Madison quarterbacks coach followed Cignetti. Bryant Haines served as JMU’s linebacker’s coach from 2019-2023 and also hitched a ride with Sunseri to Indiana. However, when Bob Chesney was hired away from Holy Cross, the cupboard was not completely bare at James Madison. An additional fourteen players from Madison also made the leap. They have plenty depth to contend in the Sun Belt, but they have taken a small step backwards from 2023. That makes the Dukes an easy target. There will always be some type of fallout when a program reaches peak national exposure with a College Gameday appearance, and then does not deliver in the following games with the expectations that are sky high. After James Madison lost to App State last year, they destroyed Coastal, but the staff exodus occurred prior to their bowl loss to Air Force.
I mentioned earlier this season how I hate discussing old box scores from what seems like weeks ago. We are long past a game from November 7th which resulted in the same inconsistencies that have led to many other losses this season. But that loss to Coastal fell firmly in the category of getting too cute when it was unnecessary. A naked bootleg on a 1st and Goal situation from the five yard line is getting too cute. It’s especially getting too cute when you have run the ball five times for 39 yards to get down the field. And when you play a team like Coastal, you cannot give them any indication that you have lost momentum. They love playing with the lead. A turnover after going down 7-0 takes away any type of game plan that was in place. Coastal went on to score on that drive, and suddenly the Mountaineers were down 14-0 with no hope of a comeback.
The inconsistencies of this Mountaineer group is probably the most frustrating part of being a fan. It does not feel like its been this way ever before. Making light of injury concerns is valid, but sometimes does not pass the smell test to the casual fan. It does not hurt that the majority of the injuries have come on one side of the ball that does not share the same limelight as the offensive side. And then that happened last week when the Mountaineers lost Kaedin Robinson, one of the more valuable offensive threats. His last play of his college career was a meaningless touchdown, which sort of feels like how this season has gone. A step forward and two steps back. James Madison has also lost players due to injury at the running back spot, but still they remain in a conference title hunt. Madison has a balanced offense, and that balance is one reason why they are very good. But when they have struggled in games this season, it has been noticeable from the start. On the road at Georgia Southern in October, the Dukes were only able to muster 67 yards on the ground, which was a season low. Southern has been giving up yards all season long on the ground, ranking 103rd in the country, and 8th out of fourteen teams in the Sun Belt. So, there is hope? James Madison’s second worst rushing game of the season also occurred on the road at UL-Monroe. They ran for 148 yards. In both games, the Dukes were held to under 20 points. There are a couple nuggets here, in that James Madison is 3-0 on the road in games played in North Carolina and Virginia, with shorter travel itinerary, while they are 0-2 with longer travel. James Madison also does an excellent job on the turnover front. They are the best team in the country in turnover margin at +1.9 per game. The difference between James Madison and the second best team Notre Dame is +.4. That is absurd. So clearly, a team like Appalachian which has thrown 14 interceptions on the year, and James Madison which has intercepted 17 passes and returned four for touchdowns, is a problem. There is no way Appalachian has a chance to win this game if they turn the ball over like they have all season long. The Mountaineers have to have the right combination of smart play calling and smart play to come out on top on Saturday.
The First Pick
Furple Dogs 27
Mountaineers 30
