Backfield blitzkrieg
Dukes’ defense stifles Keydets’ option-run game
By John Galle, sports editor
Posted on October 2, 2006

LEXINGTON — If it weren’t for a late fourth-quarter touchdown, the  JMU football team would have posted a shutout — and the freshmen Keydets of Virginia Military Institute watching from the stands wouldn’t have had any celebratory push-ups to do.

The Dukes were all over the Keydets’ primary offensive strategy: the option running game. As a team, JMU tallied nine tackles for losses — three of which were sacks.

“This is the first time we’ve faced an option team like this,” JMU senior safety Tony LeZotte said. “Our scout team isn’t as fast and can’t simulate it as good as they do it out here. So, it was just getting used to that first drive and then going from there.”

JMU senior defensive end Kevin Winston led the charge, accounting for two sacks and three-and-a-half tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He and senior linebacker Isaiah Dottin-Carter led JMU with seven tackles.

“It’s all about assignment football,” LeZotte said. “That’s the key to beating these triple-option teams.”

The Keydets had trouble making plays on offense for much of the game. Their offensive leader, tailback Sean Mizzer, had 417 yards and two touchdowns on 74 carries (5.6 average) going into Saturday’s contest. However, Mizzer was held to just 42 yards on 12 carries.

“Their [defensive] ends did pretty good,” Mizzer said. “At times, they were able to play both the pitch and the dive. They were physical.”

After falling behind early, the Keydets found themselves down 38-0 and were forced to go to the air more in the second half. Hughes threw 13 times, completing 10 of those passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.

“They passed the most we’ve seen them pass today,” Winston said. “When we watched film, it was all runs, runs, runs. They were running the ball, going for it on fourth downs, and on [passing downs] like third and long. So, we weren’t really respecting [the pass].”

Though VMI had few penalties and no turnovers, they had trouble moving the ball against the Dukes’ eight-man fronts.

“[The defense] did a great job — they do every week,” senior quarterback Justin Rascati said. “It’s a shame they didn’t get that shutout, but they played great. They help us offensively in getting field position. If they continue to do that and we continue playing like we are, we’re going to be a hard team to beat.”

Through three quarters, the Dukes had allowed 77 yards of total offense, including just 28 yards rushing on as many attempts.

JMU finished the game with their second-team defense. At the sound of the final cannon, the Keydets had 199 total yards of offense and seven points. Prior to this game, VMI was averaging 289 yards of total offense and 13 points per game.

In comparison, VMI’s defense allowed 525 yards of total offense and had just one takeaway with an interception in the third quarter.

Rascati’s interception was the only drive that the Dukes did not score on, besides their final one where he took a knee.

“It was the right read, the right person to throw to,” Rascati said. “It was just a fundamental error; I threw it a little too high. [But] I’ll live with those. I’d rather throw a pick because I overthrew somebody than throw it to the wrong guy.”

JMU was the third-straight Atlantic 10 opponent VMI has lost to. Richmond beat the Keydets 58-7 at home, and William & Mary beat them last week 38-6 in Williamsburg.

The Dukes will be able to focus on their A-10 conference now having completed their non-conference schedule Saturday against VMI.