I think this may have been the most complete game played so far this season, coaches and players. Our defense made a really good QB (Cheek) look average at best. I was expecting Elon's O-line to be much better than they were. Elon needs to fire the professor that teaches video production, those kids aren't learning a damn thing.
Food for thought...
In 3 career games against JMU, Cheek is 38-82 46% with 2 TD’s and 1 INT.
Minus 60 yards rushing from Lots of sacks and very little threat to run.
That is sucktastic
Avoids the turnover, yes.
Good enough to win without a strong running game? I haven’t seen it.
(09-26-2019 08:07 AM)Anders Wrote: I’ll be in the burg for the game this weekend. First time watching the game there that hasn’t been in Bridgefoeth. What are some places that will show the game? O’Neill’s, Brothers Brewing? Any suggestions? Going to make sure to finally try an Urgie’s Cheesesteak while I’m in town too. Appreciate it!
End up catching the game anywhere? Thinking I might have to hit up Urgies this Saturday evening.
(09-28-2019 02:42 PM)Northeast Duke Wrote: Feel like KD has regressed a little this season so far. It seems he's getting less targets compared to last season, but when the ball is coming this way he's not making plays.
Towards the end of the 2nd qtr Ben had a great throw under pressure that hit him in the hands and he just dropped it. I agree.
(09-28-2019 02:55 PM)Purple Wrote:
(09-28-2019 02:51 PM)2Buck Wrote:
(09-28-2019 02:45 PM)Purple Wrote: Proud of our Dukes. They are looking great against a ranked team. If our O-line could pass block the way they can run block, we would be unbeatable. We can push opposing defenses straight down the field, but any pocket breaks down way too early. Good to see Nooch throwing the ball away instead of forcing something or taking a sack.
Roll, Dukes!
There have been plenty of plays with good pass protection that ended up with poor throws and missed catches. The OL isn't playing defensive backfield either, or special teams either. Give it a rest.
Where the hell did that come from? Are you the only person here allowed to criticize? I make several very positive comments and one criticism and all you see is the one criticism and insist I "give it a rest!" I won't be giving it a rest.
I think he meant how much you back up Nooch but blame everyone else when bad plays happen. It's kind of over the top.
(09-28-2019 02:42 PM)Northeast Duke Wrote: Feel like KD has regressed a little this season so far. It seems he's getting less targets compared to last season, but when the ball is coming this way he's not making plays.
Towards the end of the 2nd qtr Ben had a great throw under pressure that hit him in the hands and he just dropped it. I agree.
(09-28-2019 02:55 PM)Purple Wrote:
(09-28-2019 02:51 PM)2Buck Wrote:
(09-28-2019 02:45 PM)Purple Wrote: Proud of our Dukes. They are looking great against a ranked team. If our O-line could pass block the way they can run block, we would be unbeatable. We can push opposing defenses straight down the field, but any pocket breaks down way too early. Good to see Nooch throwing the ball away instead of forcing something or taking a sack.
Roll, Dukes!
There have been plenty of plays with good pass protection that ended up with poor throws and missed catches. The OL isn't playing defensive backfield either, or special teams either. Give it a rest.
Where the hell did that come from? Are you the only person here allowed to criticize? I make several very positive comments and one criticism and all you see is the one criticism and insist I "give it a rest!" I won't be giving it a rest.
I think he meant how much you back up Nooch but blame everyone else when bad plays happen. It's kind of over the top.
(09-30-2019 01:30 PM)Hart Foundation Wrote: Food for thought...
In 3 career games against JMU, Cheek is 38-82 46% with 2 TD’s and 1 INT.
Minus 60 yards rushing from Lots of sacks and very little threat to run.
That is sucktastic
Avoids the turnover, yes.
Good enough to win without a strong running game? I haven’t seen it.
Have never been that impressed w/ Cheek. He is a smart, serviceable FCS level QB. But he struggles against good athleticism on defense.
I find any opinion that would rank him below DiNucci to be ludicrous (though I will grant that Cheek minimizes mistakes).
(09-28-2019 01:13 PM)BleedingPurple Wrote: Nooch is blowing this game for the Dukes.
You must be watching a different game..
Poor attempt at sarcasm I’m guessing.
I simply struggle with an abundance of attacking our student athletes. Especially when I see and hear that they are working there tails off. I'll be the first to climb on a coach or AD for showing his/her tail. They are compensated well, but unless I see an athlete taking a play off or simply being less than mature, i.e. Justin Thorpe when taken out of a game and quiting on the team, I prefer respectable comments. Talking about a player's weakness is okay but don't say something in a manner in which you wouldn't say it to the athlete's grandmother.
Amen, my sentiments exactly. Maybe these keyboard warriors should sit a few games among the players families if they would like to convey some of these comments. I am sure that would not go over too well.
(09-28-2019 07:43 PM)JMU_Newbill Wrote: How many times can Amos muff a punt before it’s too many? Literally my only complaint today.
My guess is the next one will be the last if it happens in the next few games. He seems to have lost some confidence as a returner ever since the WVU game. It's not even just dropping the ball, he's also not coming up and making a fair catch and hence punters are getting a lot of roll which in several cases has created a long field for our offense. I hope he has a big return soon and gets his swagger back. We obviously know he can do it, but I don't think he's got much rope left. If there's another one, I would expect to see Hamilton or Polk back there.
While I expect the same, FWIW Jack Sroba is listed as the backup PR.
I watched pre-game warmups and Sroba was taking reps with Amos fielding punts. Looked really solid, not a a single bobble doing it. I know it is different in the game, but Amos bobbled 1 or 2 during the same pregame drills. Amos just needs to get his confidence back and concentrate on making the catch first and not dropping his eyes. He will probably be OK, but I think the leash has gotten pretty short at this point and patience is worn thin.
(09-28-2019 07:43 PM)JMU_Newbill Wrote: How many times can Amos muff a punt before it’s too many? Literally my only complaint today.
My guess is the next one will be the last if it happens in the next few games. He seems to have lost some confidence as a returner ever since the WVU game. It's not even just dropping the ball, he's also not coming up and making a fair catch and hence punters are getting a lot of roll which in several cases has created a long field for our offense. I hope he has a big return soon and gets his swagger back. We obviously know he can do it, but I don't think he's got much rope left. If there's another one, I would expect to see Hamilton or Polk back there.
While I expect the same, FWIW Jack Sroba is listed as the backup PR.
I watched pre-game warmups and Sroba was taking reps with Amos fielding punts. Looked really solid, not a a single bobble doing it. I know it is different in the game, but Amos bobbled 1 or 2 during the same pregame drills. Amos just needs to get his confidence back and concentrate on making the catch first and not dropping his eyes. He will probably be OK, but I think the leash has gotten pretty short at this point and patience is worn thin.
Amos needs a scheme that will allow him some space.
(09-28-2019 07:43 PM)JMU_Newbill Wrote: How many times can Amos muff a punt before it’s too many? Literally my only complaint today.
My guess is the next one will be the last if it happens in the next few games. He seems to have lost some confidence as a returner ever since the WVU game. It's not even just dropping the ball, he's also not coming up and making a fair catch and hence punters are getting a lot of roll which in several cases has created a long field for our offense. I hope he has a big return soon and gets his swagger back. We obviously know he can do it, but I don't think he's got much rope left. If there's another one, I would expect to see Hamilton or Polk back there.
While I expect the same, FWIW Jack Sroba is listed as the backup PR.
I watched pre-game warmups and Sroba was taking reps with Amos fielding punts. Looked really solid, not a a single bobble doing it. I know it is different in the game, but Amos bobbled 1 or 2 during the same pregame drills. Amos just needs to get his confidence back and concentrate on making the catch first and not dropping his eyes. He will probably be OK, but I think the leash has gotten pretty short at this point and patience is worn thin.
Amos needs a scheme that will allow him some space.
He is in a lot of traffic at times. I think sometimes he may be too deep or the punt is shorter than expected and he has to run up into a ton of traffic. May be better off to just let those go.
(09-29-2019 07:30 PM)DoubleDDuke Wrote: My guess is the next one will be the last if it happens in the next few games. He seems to have lost some confidence as a returner ever since the WVU game. It's not even just dropping the ball, he's also not coming up and making a fair catch and hence punters are getting a lot of roll which in several cases has created a long field for our offense. I hope he has a big return soon and gets his swagger back. We obviously know he can do it, but I don't think he's got much rope left. If there's another one, I would expect to see Hamilton or Polk back there.
While I expect the same, FWIW Jack Sroba is listed as the backup PR.
I watched pre-game warmups and Sroba was taking reps with Amos fielding punts. Looked really solid, not a a single bobble doing it. I know it is different in the game, but Amos bobbled 1 or 2 during the same pregame drills. Amos just needs to get his confidence back and concentrate on making the catch first and not dropping his eyes. He will probably be OK, but I think the leash has gotten pretty short at this point and patience is worn thin.
Amos needs a scheme that will allow him some space.
He is in a lot of traffic at times. I think sometimes he may be too deep or the punt is shorter than expected and he has to run up into a ton of traffic. May be better off to just let those go.
Did the best punt returner in FCS last year (and perhaps in JMU history) just get bad over the summer, or is the return team not as well coached? Hard for me the major reason for the difference is not coaching. If you watched last year you would say there is no stopping him, and he may have a career in the NFL returning punts. If you watched him only this year you would say not a lot of openings and perhaps it's time for a change at PR.
I'm not sure if last year we played more starters on special teams, or what the difference is, but I doubt it's Amos.
(09-30-2019 08:06 AM)JMU08 Wrote: While I expect the same, FWIW Jack Sroba is listed as the backup PR.
I watched pre-game warmups and Sroba was taking reps with Amos fielding punts. Looked really solid, not a a single bobble doing it. I know it is different in the game, but Amos bobbled 1 or 2 during the same pregame drills. Amos just needs to get his confidence back and concentrate on making the catch first and not dropping his eyes. He will probably be OK, but I think the leash has gotten pretty short at this point and patience is worn thin.
Amos needs a scheme that will allow him some space.
He is in a lot of traffic at times. I think sometimes he may be too deep or the punt is shorter than expected and he has to run up into a ton of traffic. May be better off to just let those go.
Did the best punt returner in FCS last year (and perhaps in JMU history) just get bad over the summer, or is the return team not as well coached? Hard for me the major reason for the difference is not coaching. If you watched last year you would say there is no stopping him, and he may have a career in the NFL returning punts. If you watched him only this year you would say not a lot of openings and perhaps it's time for a change at PR.
I'm not sure if last year we played more starters on special teams, or what the difference is, but I doubt it's Amos.
Coaching has nothing to do with him catching the football, which he has failed to do three times now.
PR number one job is to secure the football so that the offense can have possession. Secondary function is return yards.
A couple of points:
1) Amos's troubles may be due to the fact that he muffed the first punt of the season which has caused him to become gun shy. This could mean his only concentration is on catching the ball which then affects his return game.
2) Our ST coach had the 14th best PR team in FCS last year so it would be strange if he somehow forgot to coach Special Teams since last year.
3) It could be that the scheme is different and the players have not fully gotten it down.
4) It could be just blind luck and Amos will return punts of TD's over the next few games.
(10-01-2019 12:30 PM)jmu98 Wrote: PR number one job is to secure the football so that the offense can have possession. Secondary function is return yards.
A couple of points:
1) Amos's troubles may be due to the fact that he muffed the first punt of the season which has caused him to become gun shy. This could mean his only concentration is on catching the ball which then affects his return game.
2) Our ST coach had the 14th best PR team in FCS last year so it would be strange if he somehow forgot to coach Special Teams since last year.
3) It could be that the scheme is different and the players have not fully gotten it down.
4) It could be just blind luck and Amos will return punts of TD's over the next few games.
Agree, I think 2 of the 3 that he's muffed were short punts that he tried to field on the fly in traffic. That's sometimes a recipe for disaster. There's also the factor of struggling with a new defensive scheme, which has caused him some additional attention that hasn't always been positive. I'm sure there's a lot going on in his head right now besides just fielding the next punt, I feel like one of the best return men in the country didn't suddenly lose it and neither did a good ST coach. It will all mesh eventually, and hopefully we'll get to see it in the 2nd half of the season heading into the playoffs. We might even need it in a game, eventually.
(10-01-2019 12:30 PM)jmu98 Wrote: PR number one job is to secure the football so that the offense can have possession. Secondary function is return yards.
A couple of points:
1) Amos's troubles may be due to the fact that he muffed the first punt of the season which has caused him to become gun shy. This could mean his only concentration is on catching the ball which then affects his return game.
2) Our ST coach had the 14th best PR team in FCS last year so it would be strange if he somehow forgot to coach Special Teams since last year.
3) It could be that the scheme is different and the players have not fully gotten it down.
4) It could be just blind luck and Amos will return punts of TD's over the next few games.
I will take door #4 in this week's game against Stony Brook. Their special teams are not so special and it is time for JMU to put it together on the punt return.
I know Moreland was only one guy, but he often was the lead blocker and Amos would follow him for huge gains and/or TD's. Maybe Moreland had the unteachable vision that is key in a broken field play.
Of course, Amos has to catch the ball first and then worry about the other stuff. first things first
(10-01-2019 08:26 AM)ShadyP Wrote: I watched pre-game warmups and Sroba was taking reps with Amos fielding punts. Looked really solid, not a a single bobble doing it. I know it is different in the game, but Amos bobbled 1 or 2 during the same pregame drills. Amos just needs to get his confidence back and concentrate on making the catch first and not dropping his eyes. He will probably be OK, but I think the leash has gotten pretty short at this point and patience is worn thin.
Amos needs a scheme that will allow him some space.
He is in a lot of traffic at times. I think sometimes he may be too deep or the punt is shorter than expected and he has to run up into a ton of traffic. May be better off to just let those go.
Did the best punt returner in FCS last year (and perhaps in JMU history) just get bad over the summer, or is the return team not as well coached? Hard for me the major reason for the difference is not coaching. If you watched last year you would say there is no stopping him, and he may have a career in the NFL returning punts. If you watched him only this year you would say not a lot of openings and perhaps it's time for a change at PR.
I'm not sure if last year we played more starters on special teams, or what the difference is, but I doubt it's Amos.
Coaching has nothing to do with him catching the football, which he has failed to do three times now.
No excuses in football but to be fair to Mr. Amos, I'm 99% sure he lost the ball in the sun at the Nooga game, he was still looking up as the ball hit his arms. The same thing may have happened at Elon. Maybe a tinted face mask would be helpful when he's returning.
(10-01-2019 12:30 PM)jmu98 Wrote: PR number one job is to secure the football so that the offense can have possession. Secondary function is return yards.
A couple of points:
1) Amos's troubles may be due to the fact that he muffed the first punt of the season which has caused him to become gun shy. This could mean his only concentration is on catching the ball which then affects his return game.
2) Our ST coach had the 14th best PR team in FCS last year so it would be strange if he somehow forgot to coach Special Teams since last year.
3) It could be that the scheme is different and the players have not fully gotten it down.
4) It could be just blind luck and Amos will return punts of TD's over the next few games.
I will take door #4 in this week's game against Stony Brook. Their special teams are not so special and it is time for JMU to put it together on the punt return.
I know Moreland was only one guy, but he often was the lead blocker and Amos would follow him for huge gains and/or TD's. Maybe Moreland had the unteachable vision that is key in a broken field play.
Of course, Amos has to catch the ball first and then worry about the other stuff. first things first
Moreland ran the best escort service ever seen.
(This post was last modified: 10-01-2019 03:49 PM by jmuroadwarrior.)
(10-01-2019 12:30 PM)jmu98 Wrote: PR number one job is to secure the football so that the offense can have possession. Secondary function is return yards.
A couple of points:
1) Amos's troubles may be due to the fact that he muffed the first punt of the season which has caused him to become gun shy. This could mean his only concentration is on catching the ball which then affects his return game.
2) Our ST coach had the 14th best PR team in FCS last year so it would be strange if he somehow forgot to coach Special Teams since last year.
3) It could be that the scheme is different and the players have not fully gotten it down.
4) It could be just blind luck and Amos will return punts of TD's over the next few games.
I will take door #4 in this week's game against Stony Brook. Their special teams are not so special and it is time for JMU to put it together on the punt return.
I know Moreland was only one guy, but he often was the lead blocker and Amos would follow him for huge gains and/or TD's. Maybe Moreland had the unteachable vision that is key in a broken field play.
Of course, Amos has to catch the ball first and then worry about the other stuff. first things first
WTF to whoever puts together the CAA highlights. For the JMU/Elon highlights, included all the scoring plays and big plays except for Dinucci’s 2nd qtr 30 yd pass to Ravenel & subsequent TD, and Dinucci’s 42 yd pass to Brown. Why would they not include JMU’s 2 best passing plays of the game, yet include much lesser non scoring plays?
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JMU @ Elon 9/28, 2 PM
