JMU Football coach Bob Chesney addressed his team’s loss to Appalachian State while looking ahead to a crucial matchup against Marshall this weekend.
The stakes were high as JMU took the field to take on App State on Saturday; it was a decisive game to win if they hoped to keep their Sun Belt title aspirations alive. The Dukes, in conversation with Marshall and Georgia Southern, entered the game third in the East Division and needed wins against App State and Marshall to have a mathematical chance at the title. With the Thundering Herd having just one conference loss and the Eagles having two, the pressure was palpable.
However, a fateful second quarter saw the Dukes bogged down with critical errors, resulting in a dramatic turnaround that led to a disappointing 34-20 loss to the Mountaineers. JMU’s early lead evaporated before halftime, taking with it their hopes for the championship showdown.
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Initially, JMU had the upper hand, establishing a commanding 14-0 lead. Their defense, even without linebacker and team captain Jacob Dobbs, effectively stifled the Mountaineers in the first quarter.
The Dukes opened the scoring, with redshirt sophomore quarterback Alonza Barnett III connecting with sophomore Yamir Knight, who made a sensational reception over an App State defender and managed to keep his feet inbounds to the pylon. Another score followed in the second quarter, with a play that deceptively appeared to be a run. Barnett skillfully faked a handoff and threw a deep pass to an unmarked tight end, Josh Phifer, who scampered for a 37-yard touchdown. The odds looked promising for JMU.
But disaster struck when Barnett lost the ball on a play-action attempt to wide receiver George Pettaway, allowing App State to recover the ball and score a touchdown soon after, cutting JMU’s lead to 14-10.
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What followed was a troubling two-minute stretch for JMU that dramatically changed the dynamic of the game. Under the pressure of a roaring Boone crowd, Mountaineers quarterback Joey Aguilar connected with Makai Jackson for a spectacular 64-yard touchdown, tying the score at 17 with just 1:23 to go. -time.
“You can feel the change, it’s palpable,” Barnett admitted after the match. “When you’re in the lead like that, you have to seal it decisively. We got out to a 14-0 lead, but then they executed perfectly on special teams. »
The decisive special teams play occurred with less than a minute remaining. JMU punter Ryan Hanson had his shot blocked by Mountaineer Cahari Haynes, who quickly recovered and returned for a touchdown, completely swinging the momentum of the game. “We allowed someone to get into the A-gap too easily,” Chesney said regarding the blocked punt. “This is something we simply cannot afford. »
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JMU was only able to score one field goal before halftime, trailing 24-17 heading to the locker room.
The battle of turnovers, a pillar of JMU’s success thus far, turned against them during this matchup. Until this game, the Dukes had won the turnover margin in every game played this season, with a league-best 17 steals, but against App State, they came up short. The Dukes did not record a fumble recovery or interception, while the Mountaineers capitalized on two turnovers.
In the closing moments, when JMU trailed 34-20, Barnett threw a critical interception to App State’s Jason Chambers. Trying to reach senior Omarion Dollison deep, Chambers intercepted the ball, effectively sealing JMU’s fate. Barnett’s earlier fumble had already shifted the momentum to App State.
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Compounding their problems are penalties; JMU struggled with discipline throughout the game. With nine penalties for 69 yards, and App State having none, JMU found itself in trouble. Not only did they struggle to maintain momentum, but several key offenses disrupted scoring opportunities. A peculiar holding penalty late in the game negated a significant catch, forcing the Dukes back when they wanted points.
“It’s really those little details that we need to fix going forward,” Barnett noted earnestly after the game.
Looming ahead is the Dukes’ season finale and Senior Day celebrations this Saturday, where they host the Thundering Herd at Bridgeforth Stadium. Marshall currently leads the Sun Belt East division, adding even more intensity to the matchup. JMU, despite going 1-3 historically against Marshall, is coming off a decisive win last season on the road, but remains winless at home against this fierce rival.
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With Marshall’s star linebacker Jaden Yates leading the league in total tackles this season, JMU will be eager to perform well as they look to honor their seniors and thwart Marshall’s attempt to ruin their day.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
