Topic: +ESPN loves our defense, exposes our Offense and Spc teams w/ +SP analytics

[Johnnyherd]

Long article, they basically focus on Coastal and Grayson as the darlings of the sunbelt.   They say JMU has the most talented football team on paper.  They say basically it's up to what we do on the field, particularly on offense if we push to the top of the conference. 

  There's room for another East contender. Is it Marshall or App State? (Or both?) Coastal's collapse overshadowed another one. Despite an exhausting early slate and an upset loss to Texas State, App State was still 5-3 and 40th in SP+ heading into November before road losses to Coastal, Marshall and ODU (the first two more forgivable than the last) knocked the Mountaineers to 6-6. They were one of college football's brightest early-season stories, but because they had two wins over FCS foes, they finished short of bowl eligibility and spent December at home.

Marshall's trajectory was the direct opposite. Charles Huff's Thundering Herd started just 4-4 due to a dismal offense and frustrating losses to Bowling Green and Louisiana, but the offense improved just enough behind freshman quarterback Cam Fancher to get out of the dominant defense's way. They won their last five games, averaging just 23.8 points per game in that span but allowing a paltry 13.6.

SP+ ranked the Herd 122nd on offense (and 121st in special teams) and eighth on defense. 

SP+ likes Marshall a bit more than App this season, but I can't decide. Fancher had a run of strong November performances, but the offense still must replace last year's three best players in running back Khalan Laborn, receiver Corey Gammage and left guard Cedrice Paillant. The return of Rasheen Ali from injury will help; he rushed for 1,401 yards in 2021, then knocked out 273 in the last three games of last season. The line should still have solid experience, but there are no proven big-play threats in the receiving corps. Scoring some easy points via chunk plays could be important if or when the defense regresses. Of the 14 defenders who logged 300-plus snaps, eight are gone. So is coordinator Lance Guidry, who was promoted to the same job at Miami.

New coordinator Jason Semore will inherit some excellent pieces in each unit, from ace pass rusher Owen Porter to linebacker Eli Neal to corner Micah Abraham, but Huff felt the need to bring in eight transfers -- including App State linebacker KeSean Brown and former Texas A&M four-star corner Josh Moten -- to keep standards high. After ranking eighth, the defense has almost nowhere to go but down, so the offense will need to lurch forward a good amount. 
 

[svherd]

Just don't understand the JMU love. Can't wait to spank them at home this fall.

[Johnnyherd]

Just don't understand the JMU love. Can't wait to spank them at home this fall.

Apparently they're a different team with their starting QB in the line up.  We manhandled them in their house so we should feel pretty good about having them at home.

[HerdEcon]

I thought their starting QB from last season was no long with them.  Is he still with the team?

[Big City]

I think special teams will be a force this season based on pick ups to this point. Kick blocking has potential to be a big strength. Need a speedster that can catch and return and that unit will be hard to stop.

[HerdEcon]

I think special teams will be a force this season based on pick ups to this point. Kick blocking has potential to be a big strength. Need a speedster that can catch and return and that unit will be hard to stop.

I think we got that kick/punt returner in the transfer portal.  Player from FCS.  Forget his name.  He had impressive return numbers.   

And to answer my own question.  Yes, JMU?s stud QB from last season is gone but they hit the portal for a transfer from Arizona.   

I?m agree about the love for JMU.  One season does not make them an annual contender in the East.  Jury is still out as far as I?m concerned. 

[svherd]

I thought their starting QB from last season was no long with them.  Is he still with the team?

He did graduate. They lost a few WR's and some guys on D. Their best defensive player, a DL, went into the portal as well.