Kickin’ It Far Post
Road to Chattanooga spoiled for football team with playoff loss to Youngstown State
By John Galle, sports editor
Posted on November 30, 2006

I was never one for long road trips, and when No. 6 JMU was slated to play a first-round NCAA playoff game in Ohio against No. 5 Youngstown State, I was less than delighted. When JMU fell just four points shy of advancing on ESPN2’s grand stage, all the comfort of my weekend Massanutten condo turned to disappointment.
 
But, in all honesty, with school pride aside, it was a great college football game. It was everything ESPN could have hoped for, or, should I say, planned for. Having said that, a change needs to be made to the system in place.

Whoever is in charge of seeding teams in the Division I-AA playoffs needs to send Mickey Matthews an “I’m sorry” note, some flowers, something. Pitting two top-six teams against one another in the opening round is senseless. This should have been a semifinal matchup, or even a game made for a championship. Instead, JMU — a team that is better than half of the remaining field — has been eliminated by Youngstown State.

Sure, the Penguins had it tough, too, but at least they got home-field advantage. Instead of sending New Hampshire  — the third team out of the Atlantic 10 that JMU knocked out of the No. 1 spot — to Youngstown State, and giving the Dukes a home game, they sent them to MEAC-champion Hampton. The Pirates represent perhaps the weakest conference in Division I-AA.

Apparently, it made sense to “reward” JMU’s 9-2 season by giving them the Gateway Conference champion over the MEAC champion in Hampton. Somehow, I think Madison got shafted.

Even so, JMU showed its grit keeping up with the Penguins all game long and even had a 31-20 lead early in the fourth quarter — the largest lead of the game.

The game was full of rarities. The Dukes’ defense didn’t register a single sack or takeaway, but the usually sure-handed Rascati fumbled away the only turnover of the game. L.C. Baker and the Dukes’ receivers were dropping passes, and the Penguins offense featured a passing game over the dominant run, which got them to the playoffs in the first place.

YSU quarterback Tom Zetts went off, throwing for 314 yards while completing 24 of 40 passes. Most of those went to wide receiver T.J. Peterson, who torched the Dukes’ secondary with 11 catches, 144 yards and a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion.

Then, the Dukes opted to go for it on a fourth-and-one in field goal range at the YSU 12-yard line, who was surprised?

It was the right call.

A field goal would have only put them up by six points and the Penguins offense was firing on all cylinders with plenty of time left. If they had converted, it would have almost guaranteed a touchdown for JMU and seal a victory. I’m not sure a quarterback sneak was the best play call, but seeing that it has worked all season long, I wasn’t surprised.

But, don’t blame Rascati’s fumble. Don’t blame the coaching staff. Anyone calling for Mickey Matthews’ head after this one clearly needs a history lesson. The same critics came forward in 2003, and Matthews responded by leading JMU the next year to its first national championship. How quickly some are to judge, and how easily we forget.

John Galle is a senior SMAD major with a concentration in print journalism.