JMU Hosts CAA Rival Delaware in FCS First Round on Saturday

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Sixth-ranked James Madison begins its pursuit to a third national championship on Saturday, Nov. 24 when it hosts CAA rival and No. 21 Delaware in the first round of the 2018 NCAA FCS Playoffs.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field and will be streamed on ESPN3 and Watch ESPN. The game can be heard on the JMU Sprint Broadcast Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 2 p.m. or immediately following the conclusion of JMU men's basketball's game, which tips off at noon.

JMU's run through the 2018 FCS Playoffs is presented by Excel Heating and Cooling.

PRESS CONFERENCE

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday marks the 26th meeting all-time, with Delaware leading 14-11. JMU has won three straight in the series, including last season's 20-10 win in Newark. JMU is 6-6 at home against the Blue Hens.

JMU POSTSEASON HISTORY
JMU is making its 15th FCS playoff appearance in 2018, which includes a program-record fifth straight berth. The Dukes are 16-12 in the playoffs with a pair of national championships - 2004 and 2016. They also advanced to the title game in 2017, falling just short (17-13 vs. North Dakota State).

JMU has won multiple playoff games in four postseason trips, going 4-0 in both national title runs and 3-1 in last year's playoff and 2-1 in 2008 when it reached the semifinals. The Dukes are 8-4 all-time at home in the playoffs, including six straight wins at Bridgeforth. They're also 6-7 on the road and 2-1 in neutral-site matchups.

TOP QUARTER OF BRACKET HAS FAMILIAR PLAYOFF FOES
JMU is playing in its second game against Delaware in the postseason, with the previous coming on Nov. 30, 1991. The Dukes won 42-35 in double overtime in Newark, marking JMU's first win over the Hens and the program's first-ever postseason win.

A potential second-round matchup pits JMU against its 2015 second-round opponent - Colgate. In the only previous meeting between the two, Colgate upset the Dukes 44-38 in Harrisonburg to advance.

Should JMU win its first two playoff games and the top seed wins next week, that would set up a national championship rematch between JMU and North Dakota State. NDSU leads 2-1 (all in playoffs), which includes wins in the 2011 Second Round (26-14) and in the 2017 title game (17-13). JMU ended NDSU's five-year title reign in 2016 with a 27-17 triumph in the Fargodome in the national semifinals.

SCOUTING DELAWARE
The Blue Hens enter Saturday's first round with a 7-4 overall record, to go with a 5-3 mark in CAA play, finishing tied for third in the standings. This is the 21st berth in the playoffs for Delaware and the first since 2010.

UD enters the postseason having lost two straight, including a 42-21 setback last week at home against Villanova. Delaware averages 26.1 points per game while allowing 21.6 to its foes. The Hens have a pair of Buck Buchanan finalists in linebacker Troy Reeder and defensive back Nasir Adderley. Those two headlined UD's All-CAA selections as the team had nine picks total. Joining the duo in the All-CAA First Team were offensive lineman Mario Farinella, tight end Charles Scarff and punter Nick Pritchard.

Danny Rocco is in his second season at the helm, holding a 14-8 mark with a pair of 7-4 regular seasons in Newark. He was previously head coach at Richmond for five seasons and Liberty for six. He won four Big South titles with the Flames and led the Spiders to two CAA titles and three NCAA appearances.

MORELAND DEFENSIVE POTY, 14 DUKES NAMED ALL-CAA
Jimmy Moreland was named 2018 CAA Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league's 12 head coaches and the Dukes led the conference with 14 All-CAA honorees, including five on the First Team.

A Buck Buchanan Award finalist, Moreland leads the CAA with five interceptions, which is also seventh nationally. Moreland set the program and CAA record with three interceptions for a touchdown in a season and has tallied a JMU single-season record 217 interception return yards.

He registered pick-sixes in three straight games in September, including a 100-yard return at Richmond. He is JMU's all-time leader with 18 career interceptions and six interceptions for a score, which is also a CAA record.

First Team: Jimmy Moreland (CB), D'Angelo Amos (PR), Ron'Dell Carter (DL), Adam Smith (S), Robert Carter Jr. (SPEC).

Second Team: Liam Fornadel (OL), Dimitri Holloway (LB), Harry O'Kelly (P), Riley Stapleton (WR).

Third Team: John Daka (DL), Ben DiNucci (QB), Jawon Hamilton (KR), Mac Patrick (OL), Ethan Ratke (PK).

DUKES RUN AWAY WITH TOWSON WIN
Cardon Johnson rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown to lead three 100-yard rushers, as JMU rolled past Towson 38-17 last Saturday.

Trai Sharp ran for 107 yards and a score and Ben DiNucci had 104 yards and a career-high three TDs. It was the third time in school history the Dukes had three 100-yard rushers in a game as the team racked up 395 rushing yards.

JMU's defense held Towson without a score for eight straight possessions, while scoring 31 unanswered.

WAYS TO WATCH THE GAME
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN3 and Watch ESPN (http://www.espn.com/watch). Robert Lee will provide the call for the game with Matt Chatham on color commentary.

LISTEN ON THE 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. Stepping in for Dave Thomas this week on play-by-play is Curt Dudley. He is joined by Clint Estes on color commentary and Nikki Newman will be on the sideline. The pregame show begins this week at 2 p.m., ahead of the 3 p.m. kickoff.

UP NEXT
The winner advances to the FCS Playoffs Second Round to face No. 8 seed Colgate. That game is set for Saturday, Dec. 1 in Hamilton, N.Y. with a 1 p.m. kickoff on ESPN3 and Watch ESPN.

Calendar