#1 Dukes Match Up with #10 Stony Brook in FCS Second Round

Saturday, December 2

Harrisonburg, Va.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

Stony Brook

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#1 Dukes Match Up with #10 Stony Brook in FCS Second Round

11/28/2017 8:45:00 PM | Football

@JMUFootball JMU Game Notes FCS Playoffs Bracket

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Top-seeded James Madison hosts 10th-ranked Stony Brook in the second round of the NCAA FCS playoffs on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium and will be streamed on ESPN3 and the ESPN app. It can also be heard on the JMU/Sprint Broadcast Network, with pregame coverage starting at 1 p.m.

JMU's run through the 2017 FCS playoffs is presented by Excel Heating and Cooling.

FAN AND PRESS LUNCHEON

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday marks the fourth meeting between JMU and Stony Brook, with the Dukes leading 2-1. This matchup features the league's top-two teams, as JMU won the outright CAA championship with an unblemished 8-0 record, while SBU went 7-1 to finish in second place

ROAD TO FRISCO GOES THROUGH BRIDGEFORTH
After going undefeated during the regular season and holding a No. 1 ranking in both polls all season long, the FCS Selection Committee awarded JMU the No. 1 seed for the 2017 NCAA FCS playoffs.

It's the second time in school history the Dukes earned the top seed (2008) and a program-record third straight year they garnered a national seed and first-round bye. JMU is making its program-record fourth straight playoff appearance in 2017.

JMU'S PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Dukes are making their 14th FCS playoff appearance in 2017, which includes a program-record fourth straight berth. They have gone 13-11 overall with a pair of national championships - 2004 and 2016. JMU has won multiple playoff games in three postseason trips, going 4-0 in both national title runs, and 2-1 in 2008 where it reached the national semifinals.

The Dukes are 5-4 all-time at home in the playoffs, including three straight wins at Bridgeforth. They are also 6-7 on the road and 2-0 in neutral-site matchups. In last year's run to the championship, JMU outscored its four opponents 175-60 (43.75 to 15.0 avg). That included back-to-back games recording program bests for scoring, with 55 against New Hampshire and 65 versus Sam Houston. The 65-7 win over SHSU was the second-largest margin-of-victory by any team in FCS playoff history.

UNDISPUTED CAA CHAMPS
JMU won its third straight CAA title and the second consecutive outright crown with its 31-3 win at Elon. It's the first time in CAA history a team has gone 8-0 in back-to-back season.

It's also the first time JMU has won three straight titles and the first for the CAA since Boston University won three in a row from 1982-84. The Dukes are the first CAA team to go 8-0 three times, as New Hampshire has accomplished the feat twice. JMU is also the first team since UMass in 1977-78 to go unbeaten in back-to-back conference seasons.

SCOUTING STONY BROOK
The Seawolves, who finished second in the CAA season, come to town sporting a 10-2 record, which included a 7-1 mark in CAA play. Stony Brook has won six straight after dispatching Lehigh 59-29 in last weekend's first round at LaValle Stadium. SBU scores 31.1 points per game, which is second to JMU in the CAA, while conceding 20.2 points per outing. The Seawolves rank third in the league in rushing defense (101.1) and turnover margin (+10) and is also fourth in total defense (328.2) and fourth in rushing offense (165.9).

First Team All-CAA running back Stacey Bedell has rushed for 776 yards and eight touchdowns. Donald Liotine leads all players with 11 touchdowns, including 10 on the ground. Joe Carbone has thrown for 2,263 yards and 22 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. First Team All-CAA receiver Ray Bolden is third in the CAA with 6.0 catches per game. He has 780 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Chuck Priore is in his 12th season at SBU, holding a 77-60 overall record. Now in his 18th season as a head coach, he holds a 116-71 career record after a distinguished Division III career.

JMU AGAINST CAA FOES IN PLAYOFFS
Saturday marks JMU's fifth game ever in the postseason against a conference opponent. The Dukes are 4-0 versus CAA teams in the FCS playoffs, which included a 55-20 win over New Hampshire in the 2016 Second Round. JMU also owns postseason wins at Delaware, at William & Mary and against Villanova.

The Dukes won the program's first-ever playoff game on Nov. 30, 1991 in a 42-35 double-overtime win at Delaware. They advanced to their first national title game with a 48-34 victory at W&M on Dec. 10, 2004. The Dukes also downed 'Nova 31-27 at home in the 2008 quarterfinals on Dec. 6, 2008.

WIN STREAK AT 23, 4TH IN FCS HISTORY
JMU's 31-3 at Elon on Nov. 18 marked JMU's program-record 23rd consecutive triumph, which extended the CAA record and longest mark in all of Division I. JMU is one of five FCS teams to have won at least 10 in row, as Kennesaw State and North Carolina A&T both have 11 wins in a row, while Central Arkansas and Grambling have each claimed 10 straight. At the FBS level, Wisconsin has won 13 consecutive, and UCF has won 11 in a row. The Dukes have also won a CAA-record 18 straight league games and became the league's first team ever to go 8-0 back-to-back years.

The 23-game mark is fourth all-time in FCS history and one off a tie for second place. The Dukes last saw defeat on Sept. 24, 2016 - a 56-28 setback at ACC-foe North Carolina. JMU has also won 24 straight games against FCS opponents, with the last loss coming on Dec. 5, 2015 versus Colgate in the second round of the playoffs. The Dukes have won 14 straight at Bridgeforth Stadium and hold a program-record 10-game road win streak.

DUKES WIN THREE MAJOR CAA AWARDS
JMU won three major CAA yearly awards after going 11-0 in the regular season. Andrew Ankrah was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year. He's the ninth JMU player to win the accolade and the first since 2013. John Miller was voted CAA Special Teams Player of the Year. It marked the second straight year a JMU player won the award and the third time since winning its first one in 2008. Bryan Schor garnered the Chuck Boone Leadership Award, as he became JMU's first winner of the prestigious laurel. Since joining the league in 1993, JMU players have claimed 21 end-of-year awards.

16 PLAYERS NAMED ALL-CAA
The Dukes tied the program record with 16 All-CAA honorees, matching the 2006 season. They led all teams with total selections and eight First Team All-CAA members. In addition to Ankrah and Miller, the six other Dukes to earn First Team All-CAA honors were Aaron Stinnie, Simeyon Robinson, Kyre Hawkins, Rashad Robinson, Jimmy Moreland and Raven Greene. Four player were named to the All-CAA Second Team in Schor, Jahee Jackson, Jordan Brown and Harry O'Kelly. Also earning Third Team All-CAA accolades were Trai Sharp, Terrence Alls, Darrious Carter and Brandon Hereford.

FCS PLAYOFFS ON ESPN3
All eight second-round games will be streamed live on ESPN3 and can also be seen through the ESPN App. Up in the booth at Bridgeforth Stadium this weekend are play-by-play man Bob Picozzi and color commentator Matt Chatham. This same crew was in town last December for JMU's second-round win against CAA-foe New Hampshire.

JMU SPRINT BROADCAST NETWORK
All 11 regular-season games, as well as any postseason matchups can be heard online on the JMU/Sprint Broadcast Network or on airwaves at WSVA 550AM and 92.1 FM. Dave Thomas is in his third season as the play-by-play man for the Dukes and is joined by Clint Estes on color commentary.

UP NEXT
The winner of Saturday's game advances to next week's FCS quarterfinals against the winner of No. 8 Southern Utah and 11th-ranked Weber State. Should JMU win, it will automatically host the other winner by virtue of its top seed. Both SUU and WSU shared the Big Sky championship. That game will take place either Friday night or Saturday afternoon (TV dependent).