College Football Playoff Notebook: Dukes Deliver on Dobbs's Year-Old CFP Prediction

EUGENE, Ore. – After JMU beat Western Kentucky last year in the Boca Raton Bowl, the program's first-ever bowl victory, senior linebacker Jacob Dobbs had a prediction about the future of the Dukes and head coach Bob Chesney.

"Next year, I guarantee this team will be competing as that Group of 5 team in the CFP," Dobbs said that day in Florida, after his final college game. "Because I know what that man, this staff and those guys in that locker room will do next year."

What made Dobbs so sure that JMU would get to this point?

"It was kind of an easy prediction, in my opinion, with all the information I had," Dobbs said. "Obviously I believe in Coach Chesney and all the guys on staff. It's easy to believe in someone who's as good of a person as he is and the type of people he brings in around him. And then I had a really good sense of what was going to be left behind, in terms of the talent here, and then ultimately what they were able to add through the portal and recruiting with the incoming class. I saw the potential for the young guys to develop the way they ended up doing."

The Dukes made good on Dobbs' declaration, and face fifth-seeded Oregon on Saturday at Autzen Stadium – and Dobbs has been with them every step of the way, working as a quality control coach on the staff.

The linebacker, who started his career at Holy Cross before following Chesney to JMU before last season, made a run at an NFL career.

"I was not ready to be done with football when I got cut," Dobbs said. "So, the first call I made was to Coach Chesney, in the airport as my flight got delayed in Tennessee when I got cut by the Titans, so it was really cool to be able to come back to JMU and go on this journey. And we're not done yet."

A homecoming: Many members of the JMU program have never played a game – or even been to – Oregon or the West Coast. But not backup running back Jobi Malary.

Malary is from Gresham, Ore., just outside Portland and about two hours north of Eugene.

He starred at Sam Barlow High School, earning second-team all-state honors as a senior, when he rushed for 1,800 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Malary started his college career at home at Portland State, developing into a starter in his fifth season there.

Malary transferred to JMU before the 2024 season and has given the Dukes a reliable and powerful second option to pair with starter Wayne Knight.

Malary walked on and earned a scholarship with the Dukes.

"He's just positive," Chesney said. "He's a kid that came in as a walk-on, didn't ask for much, just wanted the chance to prove himself."

This season, Mallory has run for 343 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. He went for 105 yards and three scores in a win over App State and 154 yards and a score in the victory at Coastal Carolina.

Purple rain?: Much of Oregon has been pounded by rain for much of last week and more precipitation is in the forecast for next week. The Dukes landed in a pouring rainstorm in Eugene on Thursday night.

But the forecast for gametime Saturday is rain-free. The National Weather Service predicts a partly sunny day with temperatures between 32-41 degrees.

Harrisonburg traveling: There's no doubt Oregon's fabled Autzen Stadium will be awash in green Saturday, but there should be more than just a smattering of JMU's purple and gold, as well. The school sold 3,500 tickets in its block and more Dukes fans were able to get tickets through Oregon and on the secondary market. The official tailgate event at Essig Field, across from Autzen, is expected to draw over 5,000 JMU faithful.

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