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James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU NO. 6 IN PRESEASON TSN FOOTBALL POLL
8/19/2008 4:00:00 AM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Va., Aug. 19, 2008 – The James Madison University football team is ranked sixth in The Sports Network's 2008 Football Championship Subdivision preseason poll that was released Tuesday.
The Dukes, who are coming off an 8-4 NCAA playoff season a year ago and who return 15 starters, received three first-place votes and are ranked behind defending national champion Appalachian State (1), North Dakota State (2), Northern Iowa (3), Richmond (4) and Massachusetts (5).
Appalachian State, which has won the last three FCS national titles and which will play at JMU Sept. 20, received 97 of the 101 first-place votes. The Mountaineers were 13-2 last season and defeated JMU 28-27 in Boone, N.C., in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.
North Dakota State, which was 10-1 a year ago, received the other first-place vote.
JMU, which was 12th in the final 2007 TSN poll, is among four Colonial Athletic Association teams ranked in the poll's top nine, among five CAA squads in the top 16 and among six CAA teams overall in the top 25.
In addition to No. 4 Richmond, No. 5 Massachusetts and No. 6 JMU, the CAA's Delaware is ranked No. 9, New Hampshire No. 16 and Villanova No. 21.
Including Appalachian State, JMU in 2008 will play five preseason top-25 teams. The Dukes host Massachusetts Sept. 13, play at Richmond Oct. 11, visit Villanova Oct. 25 and host Delaware Nov. 1. JMU opens its season Aug. 30 at Football Bowl Subdivision member Duke.
The Dukes have 46 lettermen from their 2007 team, and they have compiled a 37-13 record, have made their NCAA playoff appearances and have won the 2004 NCAA championship during the last four seasons.
TSN Preseason FCS Poll
Team (First-Place Votes), 2007 Record, Voting Points, Final 2007 Rank
1. Appalachian State (97), 13-2, 2546, 1
2. North Dakota State (1) 10-1, 2275, 9
3. Northern Iowa, 12-1, 2204, 4
4 Richmond, 11-3, 2162, 5
5. Massachusetts, 10-3, 2148, 7
6. JMU (3), 8-4, 2078, 12
7. Eastern Washington, 9-4, 1951, 8
8. Montana, 11-1, 1848, 10
9. Delaware, 11-4, 1747, 2
10. McNeese State, 11-1, 1687, 11
11. Southern Illinois, 12-2, 1286, 3
12. Youngstown State, 7-4, 1228, 16
13. Wofford, 9-4, 1158, 6
14. Cal Poly, 7-4, 1081, 24
15. Elon, 7-4, 1028, 23
16. New Hampshire, 7-5, 760, 14
17. Georgia Southern, 7-4, 656, 17
18. Eastern Illinois, 8-4, 622, 18
19. South Dakota State, 7-4, 547, 19
20. Eastern Kentucky, 9-3, 487, 13
21. Villanova, 7-4, 396, NR
22. Central Arkansas, 6-5, 374, NR
23. The Citadel, 7-4, 317, NR
24. Harvard, 8-2, 316, 21
25. Western Illinois, 6-6, 299, NR
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