The Breeze Football Special Section 2023

CommonWealth One is JMU’s trusted, full-service credit union, and student banking is better here. We’re conveniently located on campus and offer everything you might need financially as a student. What we don’t have? Excessive and unnecessary fees.

When it comes to handling your finances as a student, we’ve got your back with:

The secret is out – CommonWealth One is here to help you thrive financially at JMU.

To open an account or learn more about JMU Student Perks, which include special events, free food and prizes, visit cofcu.org/DUKES or stop by our branch in The Union (next to the post office)

The best place for banking isn’t a bank at all!

Letter from the sports editors

‘Run it Back’: Meaning of the 2023 football preview

JMU football didn’t win — make that play in — a bowl game last season. It didn’t receive a physical Sun Belt trophy from the conference. It played 11 games, winning eight, and that was that.

Yet, for this year’s football special section, the front page says “Run it Back.” This of course begs the question: What exactly is JMU football … running back?

Well, the Dukes are in a pretty similar spot as last fall. Let us explain.

Last season, JMU demolished Coastal Carolina 47-7 to cap its season, and after the win, the Dukes proclaimed themselves as the “Kings of the East.” Because 2022 was JMU’s inaugural Sun Belt season and the NCAA has a two-year FBS transition rule that bars immediate bowl eligibility,

JMU couldn’t participate in any postseason competitions last year — and isn’t guaranteed a bowl game if it wins six games this fall. The Kings title was unofficial, but JMU didn’t treat it like that. It went as far as giving its players rings to commemorate the accomplishment. In an interview with The Breeze at Sun Belt Media Days on July 26, Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said he was supportive of the celebration, and that it was appropriate for the Dukes to celebrate the way they did.

“I really had no issues with it and think they should do everything they can to celebrate victories,” Gill said. “They had a great season, and I would not take that away from them.”

Ahead of this season, the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches’ Poll predicted that history would repeat itself, with JMU sitting atop the East Division. At Sun Belt Media Days, just a few days after the poll was released, JMU made it clear that finishing atop the Division was once again its goal. But it’ll be easier said than done.

Within this issue, you’ll find everything you need to know about this year’s Dukes — the new faces replacing those who’ve left, the mindset of the team going into this season and the opponents in the east that are eager to make sure that JMU can’t proclaim itself “Kings” again.

Of course, this JMU team is much different from last season,

but its goal is the same. That only leaves one question — can JMU “win” the Sun Belt East Division again? For that answer, we’ll just have to wait and see, but you’ll find everything you need to know before then in our special section, “Run it Back.”

Sincerely,

Kaiden Bridges Jackson Hephner Sports Editors

NAMES, FACES & NUMBERS NAMES, FACES & NUMBERS

New to JMU football? Here are some players to watch in 2023.

By KAIDEN BRIDGES The Breeze

• Redshirt senior

• Started nine games in 2022

• 2022 VaSID First-Team All-State

• Outland Trophy Watch List (best college football interior lineman)

• Preseason Sun Belt Offensive Lineman of the Year

• Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

• Redshirt senior

• Had five starts in eight games during the 2022 season

• Accumulated 401 receieving yards and four touchdowns

• Head football coach Curt Cignetti said after the spring game that Brown is “the guy we’re going to have a big year out of.”

• Redshirt sophomore

• Played in nine games, one start in 2022

• Rushed for 333 yards and three touchdowns last fall

• VaSID Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022

• Redshirt senior

• Transfer from Arizona

• Didn’t see the field in 2022 due to an injury

• Has thrown for 3,251 yards with 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his college career

• Redshirt junior

• Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team

• College Football Network

Preseason Sun Belt Linebacker of the Year

• Racked up 82 tackles (35 solo), two fumbles and an interception in 2022

• 2022 VaSID Second-Team All-State

• Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

• Junior

• Started 10 all 11 games in 2022

• Twice named onto the Pro Football Network Second Team of the Week in 2022 (weeks 5 and 11)

• Tallied 63 tackles (30 solo) and three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, last fall

Nick Kidwell, OL, No. 56

Reggie Brown, WR, No. 1

Kaelon Black, RB, No. 6

Jordan McCloud, QB, No. 2

Taurus Jones, LB, No. 0

Jailin Walker, LB, No. 5

GraphicsbyMichael Russo/TheBreeze

• Redshirt freshman

• Played in two games last season

• Totaled 14 passing and 16 rushing yards

• On Tuesday after practice, Cignetti said Barnett has “separated himself from the pack.”

• Redshirt senior

• Transfer from Stony Brook (2018-22)

• Has a career total of 2,102 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 77.9 rushing yards per game

• First-Team All-CAA running back in 2021

• Redshirt senior

• Transfer from North Dakota State (2018-22)

• Was present for three of NDSU’s FCS championships (2018, 2019 and 2021)

• Totaled 888 recieving yards and five touchdowns in his Bison career

• Senior

• Played in all 11 games with 10 starts last season

• 40 tackles (19 solo)

• 2022 Pro Football Network Second Team of the Week (Week 1)

• Returned 19 punts for 113 yards in 2022

• Redshirt senior

• Played in all 11 games with only one start

• Had a total of 23 tackles (13 solo) and an interception

• Senior

• Played in all 11 games in 2022, starting one

• Totaled 398 rushing yards, 47 recieving yards and five touchdowns last fall

• 2022 Pro Football Network Second Team of the Week (Week 5)

• Game-winning hit against App State to seal 32-28 win

Alonza Barnett III, QB, No. 14

Phoenix Sproles, WR, No. 0

Ty Son Lawton, RB, No. 7

Latrele Palmer, RB, No. 5

Josh “Cheese” Sarratt, S, No. 12

Que Reid, S, No. 1

JMU’s 2023 questions burning

By KAIDEN BRIDGES & GRANT JOHNSON The Breeze

Is JMU bowl eligible in 2023?

* Technically, no. Bylaw 20.6.2.1.4 in the 2023-24 NCAA Manual outlines a two-year reclassification period that FBS-transitioning teams must go through — an orientation session on FBS requirements, two annual reports, a compliance review session and more — before becoming bowl eligible. JMU is entering the second year of its FBS transition from the FCS.

* JMU filed a waiver to become bowl-eligible in 2023, an attempt to expedite its FBS transition to one year, outlined in bylaw 20.6.2.1.5. On April 26, the NCAA denied JMU’s waiver.

* An NCAA spokesperson told The Breeze at the time that the waiver was denied out of fairness, and because

So, JMU can’t play past its regular season game again?

* Actually, it could. But it’s not guaranteed. Under condition C of bylaw 18.7.2.1.3, JMU can play in a bowl game if there aren’t enough “deserving” teams — those that have won a number of games against FBS opponents equal to or greater than the number of its losses — because it’s in the second year of its transition.

* And bowl game fill-ins aren’t unprecedented: Just last season, Rice, which went 5-7 and therefore wasn’t a “deserving” bowl team as outlined in the bylaws, still played in the LendingTree Bowl because there weren’t enough sixwin teams, and it had the highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) of five-win teams.

JMU’s condition to play in a bowl game, C, is given priority over Rice’s 2022 condition, D. In an interview with The Breeze on May 18, JMU Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne said, despite the waiver denial, he hopes the Dukes’ bowl opportunity exists, as it’s a path to a bowl that JMU doesn’t need to get a waiver on.

Can JMU play in the Sun Belt Championship?

* No. Because of the uncertainty surrounding JMU’s bowl eligibility, it won’t be able to play for a Sun Belt title, commissioner Keith Gill reiterated to The Breeze at Sun Belt Media Days in July.

* Gill said because of the rare case that was JMU’s 2022 season — winning eight games versus a full FBS schedule — the waiver denial was “unfortunate,” although he said he understands where the committee’s decision came from in the sense of being

what we offer

Breeze fle photos

Without a postseason, JMU football is driven by past successes and a desire to win

By JACKSON HEPHNER The Breeze

When redshirt senior offensive lineman Nick Kidwell first came to JMU in 2018, the Dukes were then led by Mike Houston and competed in the FCS, dominating in their former conference, the CAA. They won seven conference championships from 2008-21 and competed in the playoffs for eight straight years from 2014-21.

Five years later, and a year removed from going 8-3 (6-2) after being projected in the preseason to finish sixth in the Sun Belt East Division, Kidwell says the program’s expectations have not changed from when he arrived in Harrisonburg.

“I came here to win,” he told The Breeze at Sun Belt Media Days. “I feel like having that high standard in our program, we want to go in week-to-week and win, basically.”

So when JMU was projected to finish first in the East Division in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll that released July 24, head coach Curt Cignetti, who took over the program in 2019, said his team was used to being first.

“I mean, we’ve won seven of the last eight conference championships, 48-3 at home the last seven years. It’s not a position we’re unfamiliar with,” he told The Breeze at media days. “I don’t think we were going to sneak up on anybody this year anyhow. Maybe the target got a little bit bigger.”

Redshirt junior defensive James Carpenter, who joined the team as a walk-on in 2019, is well aware of the team’s standard. He said that it’s on him, Kidwell and other leaders to shut down any complacency among the roster.

“Everyone on our team, they come here with the goal to win, and they know what they came here for,” Carpenter said.

During preseason camp, redshirt senior safety Que Reid shared a similar sentiment, mentioning how the defense, which finished first in the Sun Belt in total production all season, has always strived to be the best in the conference.

“That’s what our goal has always been even when we were FCS that’s what our motto was — we’re going to be the number one defense in the conference,” he said,

Ultimately, all three of JMU’s media day attendees — Kidwell, Carpenter and Cignetti — said the preseason polls don’t matter. Kidwell and Carpenter said the same thing about the Preseason All-Sun Belt teams, despite both of them being named to the first team.

“It’s cool to be on the first team and picked to first [in the preseason poll] and all that stuff, but at the end of the day, we still got to go out there and physically do it,” Carpenter said.

Finishing first in the east for a second year in a row will be easier said than done. The preseason poll itself reflected the competitiveness of the league, with the top four teams in the east all finishing within 10 points of each other, and Appalachian State receiving just as many first place votes, four, as JMU.

“When you look at the east, really every single team’s capable of winning the championship,” Cignetti said.

While every team might be capable of winning the championship, for the second year in a row, JMU will be ineligible for the championship game if it finishes first in the east again. Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said that the decision came down to the fact that JMU isn’t eligible for a bowl — its waiver to the NCAA was denied in April and the conference has a rule that bars its teams from competing in the championship if they’re ineligible for the postseason.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” Gill said. “I mean, that’s just the way it kind of applies to everyone, and I think that really is related to making sure your champion has access to the postseason, and I think it’s a standard rule that fits everyone in our conference. So it’s not just specific to JMU, and I think it’s just what’s in our constitution bylaws.”

Despite this, Gill praised JMU for its first year in the conference, calling it unfortunate that

JMU’s waiver wasn’t considered more closely given their success, and adding that he was fine with the Dukes proclaiming themselves the “Kings of the East” at the end of last season.

“They won a bunch of games,” he said, “and I’m totally supportive of celebrating that in any way that they want to. I think that was totally appropriate.”

Carpenter said the postseason situation “is what it is,” and said the team doesn’t look too much into it. Kidwell expressed his gratitude toward the opportunity to play football at all, and said that if the Dukes only play 12 games this season, their goal will be to win all 12 — and they think they can do that.

As for Cignetti, while he brought up the fact that JMU could find themselves in a bowl if there aren’t enough eligible six-win teams at the end of the season, he made it clear bowl games are “not my focus at all.” Instead, he said his team’s motivation comes simply from the toughness of their schedule.

“We thrive on competition,” he said. “Some guys are driven by being successful, some guys are driven by fear of failure, but at the end of the day, there are no self-imposed limitations on what we can accomplish as a team.”

Cignetti talked more about his team after its final day of preseason camp on Aug. 22, and how every team takes on its own “personality,” especially with so many players coming in and leaving through the transfer portal.

“How will this team respond to success? How will this team respond to adversity? … There’s a lot of intangibles now that go into it once you start the season, how you respond to certain things that determine how successful you’ll be,” he said. “And I think we have a lot to find out about this football team.”

CONTACT Jackson Hephner at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter at @TheBreezeSports.

Head coach Curt Cignetti said his team is used to being first after JMU was projected to finish atop the East Division in the Sun Belt’s Preseason Coaches Poll. Breeze file photo

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Nick Kidwell said when he first came to JMU in 2018, he came to win. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze Redshirt senior Que Reid said that in his time, the defense has always strived to be the best in its conference. Breeze file photo

HEY DUKES

WHAT TIME IS IT?

Offensive preview

Offensive preview

JMU enters season with new skill position pieces but a returning offensive line

By KAIDEN BRIDGES The Breeze

The 8-3 (6-2 Sun Belt) Dukes averaged 37 points per game and 6.2 yards per play in 2022 — first in the Sun Belt.

But to replicate that offensive explosiveness in 2023, JMU will have to do it with multiple new faces and question marks.

Gone from last season’s offense is quarterback Todd Centeio, wide receiver Kris Thornton, running back Percy Agyei-Obese and tight end Drew Painter, among other contributors, a group that included the Sun Belt’s Offensive and Newcomer Player of the Year (Centeio), a First Team All-Sun Belt wideout (Thornton) and Third Team All-Sun Belt ball carrier (Agyei-Obese).

The 2023 rendition of the Dukes’ offense has some 2022 holdovers, notably all five starters from the offensive line, as well as senior running back Latrele Palmer and redshirt senior wide receiver Reggie Brown. There’s also room for younger players and transfers that the Dukes picked up in the offseason to make a sizable impact this year.

Quarterbacks

JMU found itself in a similar situation to last year’s preseason: an undecided decision for most of fall camp pertaining to who’s starting under center Week 1.

That was, in all liklihood, until Tuesday.

After practice then, Cignetti said he believed Barnett had “separated from the rest of the pack pretty significantly.”

While Cignetti didn’t officially announce the redshirt freshman the winner of the quarterback battle, he provided plenty of evidence to hint at Barnett being named the starter.

“He’s gonna walk into a challenging situation

here,” Cignetti said. “Got some tough contests on the road early in the season, got some pretty capable teams, but we’ve got weapons around him and just don’t try to do too much, you know, which I have total confidence in, and the offense does, too.”

Barnett played in just two games last season, his scant stats — 14 passing yards and 16 rushing — coming in mop-up duty against Norfolk State last September. While JMU head coach Curt Cignetti hadn’t spoken much about the quarterback battle, after the last scrimmage of fall camp on Aug. 22, Cignetti said he’s seen progress in the passing game, while specifically mentioning that he’s liked what he’s seen from Barnett on the field.

“We had a lot of question marks in our passing game,” Cignetti said. “I’ve been pleased with Barnett’s progress at quarterback, and we’ve had some receivers step up. We’ve made some plays; there are still plays to be made.”

The other quarterback who has been in the running to take the first snap against Bucknell on Saturday is redshirt senior and two-time transfer Jordan McCloud.

McCloud started his career at USF before a more recent stint at Arizona. McCloud totaled 3,251 passing yards and 432 rushing with 28 total touchdowns (23 passing and five rushing) and 15 interceptions in 23 games during his five combined years with the Bulls and Wildcats. With knee and ankle injuries in fall 2021, McCloud didn’t see the field for the Wildcats in 2022 before coming to Harrisonburg this offseason. In the Dukes’ spring game, McCloud connected with Brown on a 64-yard touchdown.

Cignetti said toward the end of his press conference and quarterback talk Tuesday that, “if we had to play an hour from now, I would say Jordan McCloud would be the backup.”

Without graduate tight ends Drew Painter and Noah Turner, junior tight end Zach Horton has the chance of taking on a bigger offensive role for the Dukes this year. Breeze file photos

Wide receivers

The most notable name back in the Dukes’ receiving core is Brown, who’s taking on an increased role this year with the departure of Thornton and Terrance Greene Jr. After finishing the 2022 season with 401 receiving yards and four touchdowns in eight games, Brown should be on track for a sharp increase in production, should he stay healthy the whole season.

“Reggie’s the guy we’re going to have to have a big year out of,” Cignetti said after the spring game in April. “And you know, he’s totally capable. He knows what’s expected.”

Transfer wide receiver Phoenix Sproles is the only other JMU redshirt senior out wide this season. Sproles comes to Harrisonburg after playing for an FCS foe that JMU is more than familiar with, North Dakota State, where he played since 2018. Sproles was there for three of the Bison’s FCS championships — 2018, 2019 and 2021 — and through his career, he amassed 888 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

“I really like, you know, Reggie and Phoenix out there,” redshirt junior offensive lineman Tanner Morris said Friday. “They’re doing a great job this camp for sure.”

Offensive linemen

With all five of JMU’s starting offensive lineman returning from last year, Morris said it’s been easy to pick up where the group left off in 2022.

“We really want to keep pushing forward and making sure that, you know, we get the synergy back together,” Morris said. “But as of right now, I feel like we’re progressing fairly well.”

With the help of the offensive line last season, JMU averaged 4.3 rushing yards per attempt and 186.7 yards per game on the ground, fourth in the Sun Belt.

Morris said that the offseason was easy for the linemen in terms of improving on last season because of the four years of experience they’ve had practicing with one another.

“We know each other’s ins and outs,” Morris said. “We really know what our weaknesses are and our strengths … We know the calls into the offense really well, so that’s definitely helped progress us from where we were last season for sure.”

Redshirt senior right tackle Nick Kidwell, who’s going into his sixth year with the Dukes after being named to the VaSID First-Team All-State and Second-Team All-Sun Belt teams, has been a leading force for the linemen and is coming into the 2023 season with plenty of preseason accolades to accompany it, including:

* Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

* College Football Network Preseason

* Sun Belt Offensive Lineman of the Year

* Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List

* HERO Sports Group of Five Second- Team Preseason

All-American

* Outland Trophy Watch List

Running backs

Palmer appeared in all 11 games in 2022, rushing for 398

yards and five touchdowns, while tacking on 47 receiving yards. Palmer was also the second team of the Pro Football Network Team of the Week after his 111 rushing yards and three touchdown performance against Texas State on Oct. 1. Complementing the veteran Palmer is Lawton, who’s entering his first in purple and gold. Coming from Stony Brook after five seasons, Lawton racked up 2,102 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 77.9 rushing yards per game, across his career. Lawton was also named a First-Team All-CAA running back in 2021 after rushing for 1,088 yards.

After the spring game, Lawton said he sees himself as a versatile player with a lot of speed, something he hopes people think of when they hear his name. With a lot of depth in the running back room this season, Lawton said he’s been kept on his toes with competition.

“It keeps me focused,” Lawton said. “I’m trying to get the [starting] job, obviously, but I appreciate them being there with me.”

A younger running back in the mix is redshirt sophomore running back Kaelon Black, who logged one start in nine games last fall. Alongside what was also a veteran-laded backfield in 2022, Black proved himself as a do-it-all back, totaling 510 yards — 177 through the air — and five touchdowns. Black was named the VaSID Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.

Tight ends

Without graduates Painter and Noah Turner, who collectively had 19 catches for 221 yards in 2022, junior tight end Zach Horton is the lone contributing tight end returning this fall. In 11 games, five of which he started in, Horton tallied 159 receiving yards and two touchdowns — numbers he could expand upon in a bigger role this fall.

Junior Taylor Thompson, a transfer from Charlotte, is joining Horton in the tight end room after playing for the 49ers from 2020-22. Despite undergoing a season-ending ACL injury in October 2021, Thompson still recorded 580 yards and two touchdowns during his three years in the Queen City. After fall camp, Cignetti said he was pleased with the progress made across the roster, but that he still believes there’s progress to be made heading into the Bucknell game on Saturday and beyond.

“I’ve seen development in the passing game, and I’m pleased with where we are at in terms of progress,” Cignetti said. “We’ve made some plays, and there are still plays to be made.”

CONTACT Kaiden Bridges at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter at @TheBreezeSports.

With senior running back Latrele Palmer, redshirt seniors Solomon Vanhorse and Ty Son Lawton, the Dukes can be comfortable with their running back depth.

Stony Brook transfer, redshirt senior Ty Son Lawton, is one of the Dukes’ weapons at running back for the 2023 season.

BEASTS OF THE EAST

Sun Belt East Preview: JMU picked first, but coaches say competition is fierce

By JACKSON HEPHNER The Breeze

#1 JMU

78 points

4 first place votes

#2 App State

75 points

4 first place votes #3 Coastal Carolina

71 points

3 first place votes

#4 Marshall

points

2 first place votes

Only three points separated first place JMU (78) and second place Appalachian State (75) in the East Division of the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches’ Poll, and just 10 points divided the Dukes from fourth place Marshall (68).

In contrast, Troy took the west’s top spot in the July poll with 92 points, seven more than second place South Alabama and 28 more than third place Louisiana (64). Troy also received 10 first place votes, with South Alabama taking the other four. JMU got four, with four other east teams also receiving at least one first place vote.

The final results of the poll confirm what coaches, and even ESPN’s Bill Connelly, knew at last year’s Sun Belt Media Days: The east is competitive — top to bottom. App State head coach Shawn Clark, whose team won four straight Sun Belt championships from 2016-19, knows that the days of winning the East every season are over.

“Things have changed, and that’s a good thing,” he said to The Breeze at media days in July. “We are the best non-autonomy conference in the country. You can’t deny that.”

Appalachian State

The Mountaineers’ first year in the revamped Sun Belt was below average, senior offensive lineman Isiah Helms said. After upsetting No. 6 Texas A&M in Week 2 and hosting ESPN College GameDay the following week, Clark called his team the “darlings of college football.” But after falling to JMU 32-28 in Week 4, App State lost four of its final six conference games, finishing the season 6-6 (3-5 Sun Belt). On top of that, five of its losses were by seven points or less.

“Every day is a new day,” Clark said, “and that’s what we had to get to from all those big wins is, ‘That was yesterday. Today is a new day. How are we going to address today to be successful?’”

Going into this year, the Mountaineers are hoping to reset rather than either rebuilding or reloading, despite the team returning just 11 starters on offense and defense combined. The decision to simply reset was made, Clark said, because he believes that App State can still compete for the Sun Belt crown once again in 2023 after winning the conference four times since joining in 2014.

“Everyone was worried ‘Is App State gone?’” Clark said. “That was one season. We were 6-6 and lost five games by less than seven points.”

Coastal Carolina

Right behind the Mountaineers in the poll at third was Coastal Carolina, which advanced to the Sun Belt championship last season despite being blown out by the Dukes in the regular season finale 47-7. Because of JMU’s postseason ineligibility, the Chanticleers had already clinched the East Division championship before the championship,

leading to a feeling of complacency during the loss, redshirt senior quarterback Grayson McCall said at media days.

“It was kind of weird for us because we just got our butts whooped but were going to play in the Sun Belt championship game,” McCall said.

Coastal Carolina lost the Sun Belt championship to Troy 45-26, then finished the season with a 53-29 loss to East Carolina in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. Before the Chanticleers played in that final game, then-head coach Jamey Chadwell left for the same position at Liberty on Dec. 4. Eight days after Chadwell left, McCall put his name in the transfer portal.

“He knew I wouldn’t let him leave,” redshirt senior linebacker JT Killen jokingly said.

He didn’t. McCall withdrew his name from the portal Jan. 1. He told The Breeze at Sun Belt Media Days that he never came to the conclusion he wanted to leave Coastal, but that opportunities to leave presented themselves with the staff transition.

Coastal’s new head coach, Tim Beck, and McCall’s teammates recruited him “just as hard as any team in the country,” the quarterback said. After getting to know his new coach, McCall said he grew confident that he made the right decision to stay a Chanticleer.

McCall is returning to a bunch with eight returning starters on offense and nine on defense. Beck said he admires what’s already been built at Coastal because of the players’ passion for the sport.

“These guys love football,” Beck said. “I’ve been a lot of places. Sometimes guys are playing for the wrong reasons. They’re worried about the next level, they’re worried about their careers. These guys love each other and love football. It’s such a joy to be around them.”

McCall and Killen said Beck has put a lot of emphasis on finishing 2023 strong after the end of last season. But Beck said that he hasn’t changed the culture much since arriving in Conway, South Carolina — “We’re still going to have fun,” he said.

“We’re still gonna have the mullet and hair,” Beck said of the tradition that started in 2020 when the players couldn’t get haricuts during the COVID-19 Pandemic. “I think it’s become a trademark, so we’re definitely going to ride that trademark.”

Marshall

Rounding out the top four is Marshall, which finished 2022 9-4 (5-3 Sun Belt) and third in the east, missing out on a championship game appearance because it lost the tiebreaker to Coastal. Head coach Charles Huff’s second year at the helm was highlighted by a 26-21 win over then-No. 8 Notre Dame.

This year, despite being picked fourth in the east in preseason poll, the Herd have the fourth best odds to win the conference as a whole. Huff said that the Herd’s position speaks to the quality of the conference, but predictions aren’t the team’s focus.

“Writers get to project, and we get to play,” he said.

Courtesy of JMU Athletics

Courtesy of Marshall Athletics

Huff highlighted depth at media day, both throughout the conference and at Marshall. He said he wants his squad to have as much depth as possible, not just in case of injury, but to increase competition and, in turn, improve his team.

A piece present in Marshall’s deep roster is redshirt sophomore quarterback Cam Fancher, who returns under center for the Herd after taking over as the starter midway through last season. He went 6-1, beginning with a 26-12 win over a short-handed JMU and finishing with five straight wins to end the year.

Ahead of this season, Fancher expressed confidence in the Herd’s offense and named a number of players who will be returning this season, including junior running back Rasheen Ali — who missed most of last year with injury after a breakout 2021 — who was named MVP of the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl with 92 yards and a touchdown.

As for the defense, redshirt senior defensive lineman Owen Porter said there shouldn’t be a dropoff for the unit that ranked second in total defense in the Sun Belt last season.

“We are a hard-nosed football team on our side,” said Porter, who racked up 9.5 sacks in

2022, 3.5 of them coming against JMU. “We love nothing more than to get after other teams and shut down the run specifically.”

Rest of the division

Of course, the projected bottom three east teams could also make some noise. Georgia Southern was the only Sun Belt team besides Marshall to beat JMU last season, topping the Dukes 45-38 in October. Georgia State went up on the Dukes by 20 twice when they came to Harrisonburg in JMU’s penultimate game, though eventually losing in a back-and-forth 42-40 contest. Last place Old Dominion will be led on defense by junior linebacker and Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jason Henderson.

Simply put, up and down the east, competition will be fierce this season.

“If you don’t bring your A game to JMU or Marshall or App State or Georgia State or any of them, you’re going to get your butt beat,” Georgia Southern head coach Clay Helton said to The Breeze at media days, “so you better treat them all like your rivals.”

CONTACT Jackson Hephner at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter at @TheBreezeSports.

App State head coach Shawn Clark said his team is trying to reset in 2023. Breeze file photo

JMU fell to Marshall 26-12 in last year’s Homecoming Game on Oct. 22. Kailey Garner / The Breeze

The Dukes blew out Coastal Carolina 47-7 in the final game of their 2022 season. Breeze file photo

Who’s on top?

Who’s on top?

The sports desk breaks down who they think will take the east

By JACKSON HEPHNER & WILLIAM MORAN The Breeze

Breeze sports writers voted on the Sun Belt East Division rankings and explained why they put teams where they did. The writers ranked each team, then points were awarded based on where each team finished in writers’ rankings. (First place = seven points).

SECOND PLACE: 41 POINTS

“Now, with head coach Tim Beck on the sidelines and [quarterback Grayson] McCall in his final season, expect the Chanticleers to once again contend for the Sun Belt Championship.” - Hephner

FOURTH PLACE: 36 POINTS

“After a disappointing 6-6 season last year, they’ll have to battle longtime rival Coastal Carolina and second-year members JMU and Marshall for the top spot.” -Hephner

SIXTH PLACE: 12 POINTS

“Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliot talked a lot at Sun Belt Media Days about how his team had a, “total reset” this past offseason, but their on-the-field performance is yet to be seen.” - Hephner

FIRST PLACE: 45 POINTS

“Returning all five offensive line starters and a majority of defensive starters ... While it’s also dependent on QB play, I trust the staff will develop whoever starts into a leader to help bring JMU to the top.” - Moran

THIRD PLACE: 38 POINTS

“Charles Huff proved himself in the second year at the helm of the Herd. The Herd finished 9-4 in 2022, and they could be a dark horse to win the east this season.” -

Hephner

FIFTH PLACE: 20 POINTS

“The Eagles showed flashes of brilliance last year with a win over JMU, but it wasn’t enough to result in a winning season. I doubt that this year’s ultra-competitive east will allow them to slip into the upper half of the division.” -Hephner

SEVENTH PLACE: 10 POINTS

“Old Dominion has talent with guys such as junior linebacker Jason Henderson, but not enough of it. Simply put, the rebuild isn’t quite over for the Monarchs.”

- Hephner

Georgia Southern Athletics

Graphics by KaidenBridges/Th

Gill excited for JMU’s Sun Belt sequel

Despite bowl waiver denial, commissioner sees potential in Dukes’ slate

By KAIDEN BRIDGES The Breeze

Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill was in Harrisonburg for the Dukes’ strong start to a historical football 2022 season, when they defeated Middle Tennessee 44-7 Sept. 3. From its very first football game as a Sun Belt Conference member, JMU football’s performance impressed Gill — an impression he said he’s excited to see JMU follow up on in 2023.

“From a football standpoint, it’s really, really great,” Gill said. “I don’t know how you could have a more successful start than the one JMU had.”

Gill spoke to The Breez e in an interview July 26 at Sun Belt Media Days about JMU Athletics’ first year in the Sun Belt, though mostly focused on football’s 8-3 (6-2 Sun Belt) showing and the conference’s landscape in the sport. Overall, Gill said, “I don’t know that you could script kind of a better start,” adding that he’s looking forward to when the football program’s transition window is over.

Regarding JMU’s FBS transition, Gill maintained what he told The Breeze in December: JMU should have a shortened transition to the FBS than the normal two years and, therefore, be eligible to play in a bowl game. The NCAA, however, denied JMU’s waiver in April for an abbreviated transition that would allow it to be eligible for a bowl game this season. Gill called the situation “unfortunate” but said he understands why the decision was made, as the historical precedent has been to not allow abbreviated transitions, though he added that the Dukes don’t fit the mold of past transitioning programs.

“When you look at JMU, in terms of most teams that are transitioning from FCS and FBS, it’s just different, you know, they’re just different,” Gill said. “They showed that on the field, which you would think would be another part of that criteria.” JMU, as a second-year FBS transitioning program, can play in a bowl game if there aren’t enough six-win bowleligible teams.

Alongside the denial of a bowl game, the Dukes are also ineligible for the Sun Belt Championship this season because, Gill said, the conference wants its

champion to have access to a bowl.

“That’s just the way it kind of applies to everyone,” Gill said. “So it’s not anything specific to JMU, and it just is kind of what’s in our constitution and bylaws.”

But despite not being guaranteed a spot in a bowl if they reach six wins, Gill said he’s looking forward to monitoring the Dukes’ season, as they still have a tough slate in front of them and games with “good storylines.”

JMU’s two West Division foes include the defending Sun Belt champions, Troy, as well as South Alabama, which finished last season 10-3 (7-1 Sun Belt). In the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Troy (92 points) and South Alabama (85 points) were projected to finish first and second place in the west, respectively, while JMU (78 points) was picked to win the east.

“I think that those two games are going to be huge,” Gill said. “Obviously the game against Troy is there, but you know, the game against South Alabama will be in Harrisonburg, so they will be pretty fired up.”

Even without a bowl game, JMU has opportunities for exposure that it didn’t have last year. The Dukes travel to Huntington, West Virginia, to face Marshall in their first standalone midweek game as an FBS school on Thursday, Oct. 19. Gill said weeknight matchups are appealing for the Sun Belt because of its ESPN contract and because there’s less football saturation compared to Saturdays.

“Everyone knows JMU; everybody knows Marshall,” Gill said. “So if you’re sitting around Thursday at your college, you’re gonna watch that game … It just draws a lot of people in to see those games, and particularly with them being on ESPN, where you’re just getting a bigger rating than you would if that game was on a Saturday and you’re competing against four or five, six other games that would be on at the same time slot.”

CONTACT Kaiden Bridges at breezesports gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter at @TheBreezeSports.

Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said JMU’s matchups with top West Division opponents, Troy and South Alabama, will be “huge.” Courtesy of the Sun Belt Conference

Students’ guide to securing football tickets

By JACKSON HEPHNER & LIZZIE STONE The Breeze

* Student tickets to JMU football’s opening game Saturday against Bucknell are still available as of Tuesday. Still thinking about getting one? Here’s what to do.

* Like regular admission tickets, they can be reserved at jmusports.evenue.net. Each student ticket is free but only available for one game at a time. If you wish to purchase a student guest ticket, you can do so when reserving your free ticket. All student tickets are available 12 days before each home game.

Only football, men’s and women’s basketball events require ticket reservations from JMU Athletics. All other sports have free and open admission to home events.

MIX & MATCH

* A free student ticket must be used by the student who reserved it. Tickets cannot be resold or transferred, and doing so may lead to your ticket being canceled. Free ticket privileges can be revoked if students don’t show up to a reservation twice.

* Students have the option to join the Student Duke Club, the official fan group for JMU Athletics that hosts membersonly day early ticket sales. Members pay $25 annually and also receive apparel and exclusive game seating.

LEFT: Tickets are available on a central website, jmusports.evenue.net. Screengrabs from JMU Athletics

Jackson Hephner at breezesports@gmail.com and Lizzie Stone at breezenews@gmail.com. For more sports coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter at @TheBreezeSports.

Student tickets are free and become available 12 days before each home game. Breeze file photo

THE HOME SLATE AHEAD

THE HOME SLATE AHEAD

Who to see and what to wear at Bridgeforth Stadium this fall

Sept. 2 vs. Bucknell — 6:00 p.m. Hall of Fame Weekend Home Opener

Sept. 30 vs. South Alabama Time TBA Family Weekend

Oct. 14 vs. Ga. Southern — Time TBA

Brighten the Lights of Madison Exclusive Fan Giveaways

Oct. 28 vs. ODU — Time TBA

Homecoming Weekend Purple Out

Nov. 11 vs. UConn — Time TBA

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Game

Heroes Day, Puppy Pound Game

Nov. 18 vs. App State — Time TBA

Senior Day Black Out

Best flicks: photos that encapsulated the 2022 dukes

Breeze

Kailey Garner / The Breeze