Image courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications

By Bennett Conlin

JMU football landed a massive win over Virginia on Saturday, but the Dukes (2-0) don’t have long to appreciate the win. Their next opponent, Troy, won the Sun Belt in 2022.

After an emotional high, the Dukes hope to rest to face the Trojans, who are 1-1 after falling to Kansas State last week.

Here are three keys to Saturday’s game between two of the Sun Belt’s best teams.

Turn the page

Beating Virginia was massive for JMU players and coaches. That win will be remembered for decades by JMU football fans. Not only did the Dukes defeat the Cavaliers, but they also erased a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit with numerous clutch plays.

It was an incredible win for the program.

The Dukes can’t read their own press clippings if they want to win this weekend, though. They need to move beyond Week 2 and focus on a Troy team that’s arguably a more complete football team than Virginia.

Curt Cignetti mentioned to the media that he wants to avoid a similar letdown from last fall, when the Dukes broke into the AP Top 25 poll but quickly fell out of the rankings after losing 45-38 to Georgia Southern. Dumb mistakes — turnovers and a blocked punt — hurt JMU’s chances of moving to 6-0 last season.

For JMU to beat Troy, the Dukes need to leave the UVA victory in the past.

Editor’s note: Thanks to Christopher William Jewelers for their advertising support this season.

Game-managing McCloud

Jordan McCloud hasn’t turned the ball over through a game and a half of action. That’s massive for JMU.

If JMU’s starting quarterback continues to keep the ball away from the defense, the Dukes are strong enough in the running game and solid enough defensively to compete with every team in the Sun Belt. McCloud did well to make smart decisions with the football against Bucknell, and he did similar things against UVA.

JMU doesn’t need McCloud to win Sun Belt Player of the Year to have a great season. The Dukes need the quarterback to play within himself and distribute the ball efficiently to open receivers. He’s done that well early in the season, but Troy’s defense has playmakers capable of forcing mistakes.

Winning the turnover battle figures to be critical Saturday, as Troy and JMU are both solid teams with good players and coaches. Not much separates the two teams, which likely means an interception or fumble could be the difference between winning and losing.

I also wouldn’t be shocked to see JMU try to get McCloud in space a few times Saturday. The Dukes haven’t leaned heavily on the quarterback run yet this season, but he’s dynamic in space and can stress a defense when given the opportunity to run.

Prevent explosive passes

JMU finished second nationally in rushing defense in 2022, and the Dukes are in the top five in the category through two weeks of the 2023 season.

Running back Kimani Vidal is arguably Troy’s best offensive player, and he’s leading the Sun Belt with an average of 165 rushing yards per game. Stopping him is important, and the Dukes are built to stop the run.

JMU’s bigger issue than rushing defense, however, is the passing defense. Virginia true freshman quarterback Anthony Colandrea cooked JMU’s linebackers and secondary through the air last weekend, throwing for nearly 400 yards.

In fairness, UVA had athletic mismatches against JMU’s secondary. Even if UVA isn’t an elite ACC team, the Cavaliers’ receivers and running backs are quality ACC players that held a speed advantage over several JMU defenders in one-on-one matchups.

The Dukes, against slightly lesser receivers, need to prevent Troy from creating explosive passing plays.

JMU allowed UVA too many easy scoring drives. The Dukes need to make Troy earn their points Saturday with lengthy, sustained drives.