James Madison looks to take one step closer to repeating as national champions this week in the FCS Playoffs against Weber State led by quarterback, Stefan Cantwell.
James Madison comes into this Friday’s FCS Playoff matchup riding a 24-game winning streak and is looking to take one more step towards repeating as national champions.
The Dukes are led by their defense who are only giving up 8.8 points per game and allowing 235 yards per game. Their defense is anchored by a veteran secondary who has intercepted 24 opponent passes including five in their second round win vs Stony Brook.
On offense, the Dukes are led by senior quarterback, Bryan Schor and junior running back, Trai Sharp. Schor has passed for 2,512 yards, 23 touchdowns, all while completing 69 percent of his passes. Sharp has done a nice job replacing star running back Cardon Johnson who was lost due to injury by rushing for 709 yards and four touchdowns on the year.
Weber State comes into this game having won seven straight including their second round upset over the eighth seed in the country, Southern Utah.
The Wildcats are led by senior quarterback, Stefan Cantwell and a trio of running backs. Cantwell has been great all year passing for 2,740 yards and 23 touchdowns while also rushing for another 550 yards and seven touchdowns. The running back trio of Treshawn Garrett, Kevin Smith, and David Jones average 132 combined yards per game.
Here is how to watch Friday night’s game:
Date: Friday, December 8
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Bridgeforth Stadium
Venue: Harrisonburg, Virginia
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
Keys to Victory
For James Madison it comes down to their defense. With Weber State being such a balanced offensive team, it will be key to make them one-dimensional. With such a talented secondary, look for the Dukes to load the box and trust their corners and safeties. Expect a lot of man to man with help over the top leaving seven to eight guys in the box at a time.
Weber State needs to score early and get James Madison uncomfortable. James Madison has not allowed more than 14 points to a team all year. For Weber State to be successful quarterback Stefan Cantwell will have to have a huge game, and not allow the talented secondary of the Dukes to impose their will.
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Prediction
Anticipate this game to be a low scoring affair. Luckily for James Madison, they have the best scoring defense in the country. JMU will allow more points than usual, but not enough for the Wildcat’s to come out on top.
Final Score: JMU 24, WSU 17