Who needs a Win more?- UMass Preview

#18 Massachusetts Minuteman (4-3,2-2)  @ #15 James Madison University (4-3,1-3) , 3:30

What to watch for: Two teams who made national headlines in September, JMU beating Tech in Blacksburg and UMass almost knocking off Michigan in the Big House, meet in a CAA to end the month of October. Last week the UMass Minuteman were apart of history, when they squared off against New Hampshire at Gillette Stadium. The crowd on hand was 32,848, a CAA record, and also drew a 0.88 TV rating. Over one million fans watched New Hampshire beat UMass, which means both teams come into Bridgeforth Stadium coming off losses with both desperately needing a win. The Dukes lost a tough contest last Saturday in Philadelphia 14-7, but coach Matthews said that he thought his team show a good effort in a hostile environment. With both teams really need a victory to improve on their playoff chances, the Dukes might kiss the playoffs goodbye if they go down in defeat.


Key Matchup: UMass Offense vs. JMU Pass Defense
Both teams are No. 1 in their category and expect this to be this to be a positional battle. Quarterback Kyle Havens has thrown nine touchdowns on the season but he has distributed the ball well, with four players having two touchdowns each. The Dukes have done an excellent job on the defensive side of the ball, but are getting banged up in doing so. JMU gets back DE Max Alexandre, who was supposed to be out all season, who will provide support. The Dukes are looking into playing true freshman Dean Marlowe at cornerback, but this late in the season might be a loss of a redshirt. If he plays, expect Havens to go at him. The Dukes might need to pick Havens off a couple of time and give the offense good field position if it wants to stand any chance in becoming victorious.  

Difference Maker: Penalties. I always pick a person here, but this week Coach Matthews talked about how penalties have been crushing this team. “I hate to keep beating a dead horse and beating a dead horse and beating a dead horse,” JMU coach Mickey Matthews said this week. “ The penalties we got on offense were ab solutely critical, critical, critical.” JMU is the 2nd most penalized team in the league, with 67.9 yards per game. That won't cut it for a team that is trying to make the playoffs.

Players to Watch: Drew Dudzik, QB James Madison. Dudzik had his first 200+ yard game off the season on the road last week at Villanova. Hopefully, now that he is back home he can produce some of the same stuff he succeed with last week. The Minuteman have the 3rd ranked pass defense in the CAA, but are at the bottom in rushing. Look for Dudzik to use his legs and make some plays tomorrow at Bridgeforth. 

Prediction: Don't have a whole lot of faith in this squad anymore. When your 7th game of the season is the first time you have thrown for over 200 yards that says a lot. JMU has only won one home game this season, so I'm going to say they continue their downfall and get dashed by UMass. Massachusetts 28 James Madison 10. 
-MO