JMU vs. Appalachian St. Part 3: The Aftermath

Sorry I didn't get this up after the game, we had to drive back and finish up the game story last night.

But it basically came down to two main factors that contributed to the Dukes previous two losses against Richmond and Delaware.

1. Turnovers:
Like in the Delaware game, Matthews elected to put the ball in the hands of a redshirt-freshman running back late in the game. In Newark it was Griff Yancey who coughed up the ball in the closing minutes when the Dukes were nearing field goal range for the possible tie.

Yesterday in Boone, it was Jamal Sullivan who came in to replace Yancey when he went down in the third quarter. Sullivan played well rushing 12 times for 67 yards and carrying tacklers to first down markers. But Matthews expected too much out of the youngster and neglected to take into account his team's recent past. Sullivan fumbled with 22 seconds left on the ASU 9-yard line and that was the game.

2. Questionable Coaching:
Matthews didn't shy away from accepting responsibility for the loss, admitting that Sullivan shouldn't have been put in that situation. But really should anyone have been put in that situation. The Dukes spiked the ball after Yancey's 17-yard rush to the 9-yard line and instead of kicking the chip-shot field-goal well within junior Dave Stannard's range, Matthews decided to run another play.

He didn't give it Antoinne Bolton, a small back at 5-foot-8, but a reliable senior who would've have protected the ball. He didn't give it to Landers who could have just moved the ball to the center of the field, for a centered field goal attempt. Instead Sullivan tried to break outside where he was met by a gang of Mountaineer defenders and the ball was wrangled out.

Landers was the team's leading rusher all year and is as hard to take down as almost any rusher in the CAA. Just like in the Delaware and Richmond games Matthews didn't let Landers finish fourth quarter drives with his legs, the way he easily has game after game.

Madison fans can only hope that Matthews figures out how to utilize his personnel better next year when Eugene Holloman returns.