Editor’s Note – Mike Barber, the assistant sports editor of the Daily News Record in Harrisonburg, will be offering a weekly look around the CAA to readers of Virginia Sports Now. Keep up with Mike’s great work daily at the paper’s site - www.dnronline.com – and look for a notebook and James Madison University story here weekly.
HARRISONBURG – Massachusetts launched itself back into both CAA title contention and the national championship picture with its win over then-No. 4 New Hampshire. And the Minutemen did it without their top offensive player.
This week, when UMass plays at No. 1 Richmond – the defending Division I-AA national champions – it can take another huge step toward both those goals. And it’ll have Tony Nelson back.
“We think he’s going to be full go,” UMass coach Kevin Morris said of Nelson.
Nelson carried the ball just twice against New Hampshire before leaving the game early in the first quarter with tightness in his thigh. The CAA’s leading rusher heading into the game, he is now third averaging 75.4 yards per outing.
Jon Hernandez, filling in for the injured Nelson, had 166 yards and the game winning score, a 42-yard touchdown run with 5:23 to go.
“Really in the fourth quarter, we were able to give him the rock and he did a great job getting positive yards for us every time we gave him the football,” Morris said. “Jon’s got that kind of ability. He’s just a tough, hardnosed, blue-collar kid. He’s got some quicks. He hit that big touchdown run for us when he was able to leg it out into the end zone and that was a huge boost for us.”
He got 5.7 yards per carry, rushed 29 times and didn’t lose yards a single time. He also caught three for 23 yards.
“They wanted to run the football against us and did a great job doing that,” UNH coach Sean McDonnell said.
It’s the second time this season the 5-foot-11, 190-pound sophomore has subbed for Nelson. Against Stony Brook, with Nelson out, Hernandez carried it 29 times for 140 yards and three scores in a 44-7 Minutemen win.
“We knew Jon could do all those things,” Morris said. “I just didn’t think he’d have that many touches.”
It won’t hurt to have both Nelson and Hernandez available to run the ball against Richmond. The Spiders, who have won 15 straight games dating back to last season, have the second best rushing defense in the CAA, allowing 71.2 yards per game.
Dukes done?: With their fourth loss of the season, including three straight to open CAA play, James Madison’s streak of playoff appearances is almost certainly over.
Saturday’s 27-0 loss to Villanova most likely eliminated JMU (2-4 overall, 0-3 in the CAA) from playoff contention.
“I don’t know, it probably does,” JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. “That’s just not on our mind. We’re trying to play better.”
The Dukes had made the postseason each of the past three seasons and four of the last five years, starting with 2004 when they won the I-AA national championship. After Saturday’s loss, Matthews’ players echoed his sentiments.
“I’m not worried about playoffs,” senior offensive guard Dorian Brooks said. “We need to focus on winning each game. Playoffs aren’t even in our minds right now.”
Said the normally outspoken Arthur Moats, a senior defensive end: “I don’t concern myself with that.”
What a difference a year – and a QB – makes: A year after bumbling on offense and finishing 4-8, Delaware is on fire with Pat Devlin, a Penn State transfer, taking over at quarterback.
While Devlin is the obvious catalyst behind the Blue Hens’ offensive resurgence – taking over for the never-effective Rob Schoenhoft, a transfer from Ohio State – there are plenty of other weapons starring for Delaware.
Wide receiver Mark Duncan has scored five touchdowns in the past three games, and young tailback Leon Jackson scored three times in Saturday’s blowout of Towson.
“Mark has had a lot of opportunities to be that dynamic guy,” Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said. “He has great speed. Boy he’s played really wetll he past three weeks. Pat feels very comfortable finding him. Mark’s done a great job getting behind people and using his speed.”
Add to that mix, tailback Jerry Butler – who appears to finally living up to expectations – and Delaware’s dip into mediocrity looks like a thing of the past.
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