Spring football kicks off

Dukes take field for first time since national title game win last December

Carolyn Walser / senior photographer JMU football coach Mickey Matthews provides moral support to two offensivemen taking part in the "Oklahoma Drill." The Dukes opened spring practice last Wednesday and went full pads for the first time last Saturday.

For the JMU football team, the work of title defense began last Wednesday when the Dukes kicked off spring practice 2005.

Last Saturday, the players donned pads for the first time since the December national title game (NCAA rules mandate, for safety reasons, two practices before they can be worn). However this time, the jerseys covering those pads came with more than just numbers.

"We’re going to have that bull’s eye on our back," JMU rising sophomore free safety Tony LeZotte said. "So we need to get the intensity up and come out and work hard."

This past week was the first time the Dukes have taken the field since defeating the University of Montana 31-21 for the Division I-AA national title game Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

"Really, our whole football team got better because we had all that extra practice in December," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. "We got 20 extra practices in the playoffs and everyone really improved."

Some time within those extra practices, the Dukes earned their bull’s eye.

"We have more of a swagger," rising junior quarterback Justin Rascati said. "I can definitely tell the difference from when I came here ‘til now. But we’ve got to keep working hard and not get egotistical. Last year, we were the underdogs a lot of the time, this year we will be favored."

Matthews was the favored one this off-season, being awarded a 5-year contract extension with JMU March 10. The contract is retroactive Jan. 1.

"I’m probably not as bad as everyone thought I was at 6-6 [in 2003]," Matthews said, "and probably not as good as everyone thinks I am now."

The Dukes went 13-2 last year, losing only to the Big East’s West Virginia University in Morgantown and the College of William & Mary at Bridgeforth Stadium. JMU avenged that loss a month later, beating the Tribe in the semifinals of the I-AA playoffs to advance to the national championship game.

"We’ve got a lot of our key guys back," Matthews said. "Because of that, we should have a good spring training."

So far, the players agree.

"It’s been going well," LeZotte said. "It’s been intense the past few days. We’ve been able to get some aggression out by being in pads and being able to hit someone."

LeZotte hit quite a few people last year. The 6-foot, 175-lb. Augusta, Ga., native led JMU in 2004 with 144 tackles which landed him Co-Rookie of the Year honors in the Atlantic 10.

LeZotte was a part of the top-rated scoring and rush defense in the A-10 a year ago and it seems that not a whole lot has changed.

"We’re the same as last year," LeZotte said. "We lost some guys, but we’re the same defense. We still run to the ball. That’s our trademark. Running to the ball, seeing the ball and trying not to give up big plays, and hopefully, we can do as well as we did last year."

Spring practice culminates April 23 at 1:30 p.m. in the annual spring game at Bridgeforth Stadium. The Dukes also have a scrimmage scheduled the weekend prior on April 16 which starts at 12:30 p.m.