JMU’s Thorpe A (Late) Gamer
Posted: October 9, 2012
HARRISONBURG — To illustrate how unlikely a pass-fueled, game-winning James Madison drive seemed Saturday in the final minutes against Towson, Mickey Matthews invoked the game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” — specifically, its lifeline for help in answering a question.
“If we could have gotten the audience to vote, who would have picked us to go 80 yards in two minutes to win this game?” the Dukes’ 14th-year coach said Monday. “The percentage wouldn’t have been real high. But the most important thing was the guys in the purple shirts thought we were going to do it.”
Notably, quarterback Justin Thorpe, who engineered that rally and completed six of six passes for 60 yards before finishing the eight-play, 79-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown scramble to give JMU a 13-10 win and keep it undefeated in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The drive also shows an evolution in Thorpe, who, after an up-and-down career that’s included the conference Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2009, season-ending injuries and a suspension, may be emerging as an elite quarterback.
The fifth-year junior — who has received a sixth season of eligibility from the NCAA — rallied an offense that had, until that 1 minute and 57 seconds (the time of the drive), been M.I.A. in a game characterized by tough defense and too many punts.
“He’s been able to do whatever he’s needed to do this year,” said William & Mary coach Jimmye Laycock, whose team visits JMU on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., a game that will be televised regionally on Comcast Sportsnet.
But the two-minute offense helped JMU (4-1 overall, 2-0 in the CAA) overcome past futilities. It’s something the Dukes practice every day, putting 1:20 on the clock and giving the offense one timeout. Running the two-minute offense so smoothly is something, Matthews said, Thorpe has learned to do.
Last season, he guided game-winning drives against Liberty and William & Mary during the regular season and Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the playoffs.
“Justin has proven he can do it. He’s very confident,” Matthews said. “Whatever the reason — I couldn’t tell you why — he seems to save his best throws for the fourth quarter. … He’s matured a lot.”
For evidence, look to the past. In 2009, given a chance to win a game late against Richmond as a redshirt freshman, Thorpe fumbled inside the 10-yard line on a scramble with 58 seconds to play. JMU lost 21-17. Although not the same play call, Thorpe finished a similar play to win it Saturday against Towson.
In the big picture, the win showed JMU has the capacity to win hard games — and having a late-game clutch QB is a crucial ingredient in any championship-contending team.
“If you don’t have a quarterback — a good quarterback — you don’t have a good team,” said Towson coach Rob Ambrose, who described Thorpe as a “nightmare” after the game. “You don’t have a chance at a good team. You just don’t.”
JMU knows — so does William & Mary. The Tribe (2-4, 1-2) has played three quarterbacks this season, and the starter has been a week-to-week decision.
Since the graduation of Rodney Landers in 2008, the Dukes have struggled to find consistency at the position. It’s hurt their passing game, which, this season, has been resurgent and helped make Madison’s offense a multi-dimensional threat. Thorpe has completed 61.5 percent of 117 passes for 844 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions while averaging 5.1 yards a rush.
Thorpe has stabilized the quarterback position and, perhaps by extension, JMU’s team, which has weapons everywhere else — especially on defense.
“Our players are confident in Justin,” Matthews said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever doubted … that he was the guy.”
Before its last drive Saturday, Madison — which moved up to No. 4 in The Sports Network’s Division I-AA poll Monday — had just 176 yards of offense after entering the game averaging 454, which ranked 13th in I-AA.
Towson’s defense, top-ranked in the CAA, barely let the Dukes on the field. JMU ran just 58 plays, and eight of them came on the final drive. Towson ran 74. JMU also was only 2-for-12 on third down, which atrophied all progress toward the end zone, especially in the second half.
Matthews specifically criticized his team’s poor production in short-yardage situations, which was a leading cause of seven punts Saturday. For the season, JMU ranks seventh in the 11-team CAA on third down, converting 38.9 percent of the time. New Hampshire is tops at 49.5 percent.
“It’s third-and-1 and we get thrown for the loss — everyone’s coming to the sideline,” said Matthews, who got his 100th career win Saturday. “No one gets to throw the ball and catch the ball. We don’t get to run any more plays. Everyone wants touches. We’re pretty hard on them. We need to make first downs, and that’s what we did not do.”
NOTES: Matthews said wide receiver Marquis Woodyard who suffered a concussion and a knee injury Saturday is likely out for the William & Mary game and possibly beyond. Tight end Brian Barlow, who also suffered a concussion, looks like he could play. … Matthews said linebacker Stephon Robertson (knee) is “questionable” for W&M, but strong safety Titus Till (ankle) and cornerback Jeremiah Wilson (hamstring) should return after a two-game absence. ... James Madison junior kicker Cameron Starke was named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Special Teams Player of the Week while defensive lineman Alex Mosley was the league’s Rookie of the Week, the CAA announced Monday. Starke was 2-for-2 on field goals, including a career-long 49-yard make, during the Dukes’ 13-10 win over Towson on Saturday (he’s made all seven tries this season). Mosley had a career-best seven tackles for a defense that controlled much of the game.
“If we could have gotten the audience to vote, who would have picked us to go 80 yards in two minutes to win this game?” the Dukes’ 14th-year coach said Monday. “The percentage wouldn’t have been real high. But the most important thing was the guys in the purple shirts thought we were going to do it.”
Notably, quarterback Justin Thorpe, who engineered that rally and completed six of six passes for 60 yards before finishing the eight-play, 79-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown scramble to give JMU a 13-10 win and keep it undefeated in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The drive also shows an evolution in Thorpe, who, after an up-and-down career that’s included the conference Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2009, season-ending injuries and a suspension, may be emerging as an elite quarterback.
The fifth-year junior — who has received a sixth season of eligibility from the NCAA — rallied an offense that had, until that 1 minute and 57 seconds (the time of the drive), been M.I.A. in a game characterized by tough defense and too many punts.
“He’s been able to do whatever he’s needed to do this year,” said William & Mary coach Jimmye Laycock, whose team visits JMU on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., a game that will be televised regionally on Comcast Sportsnet.
But the two-minute offense helped JMU (4-1 overall, 2-0 in the CAA) overcome past futilities. It’s something the Dukes practice every day, putting 1:20 on the clock and giving the offense one timeout. Running the two-minute offense so smoothly is something, Matthews said, Thorpe has learned to do.
Last season, he guided game-winning drives against Liberty and William & Mary during the regular season and Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the playoffs.
“Justin has proven he can do it. He’s very confident,” Matthews said. “Whatever the reason — I couldn’t tell you why — he seems to save his best throws for the fourth quarter. … He’s matured a lot.”
For evidence, look to the past. In 2009, given a chance to win a game late against Richmond as a redshirt freshman, Thorpe fumbled inside the 10-yard line on a scramble with 58 seconds to play. JMU lost 21-17. Although not the same play call, Thorpe finished a similar play to win it Saturday against Towson.
In the big picture, the win showed JMU has the capacity to win hard games — and having a late-game clutch QB is a crucial ingredient in any championship-contending team.
“If you don’t have a quarterback — a good quarterback — you don’t have a good team,” said Towson coach Rob Ambrose, who described Thorpe as a “nightmare” after the game. “You don’t have a chance at a good team. You just don’t.”
JMU knows — so does William & Mary. The Tribe (2-4, 1-2) has played three quarterbacks this season, and the starter has been a week-to-week decision.
Since the graduation of Rodney Landers in 2008, the Dukes have struggled to find consistency at the position. It’s hurt their passing game, which, this season, has been resurgent and helped make Madison’s offense a multi-dimensional threat. Thorpe has completed 61.5 percent of 117 passes for 844 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions while averaging 5.1 yards a rush.
Thorpe has stabilized the quarterback position and, perhaps by extension, JMU’s team, which has weapons everywhere else — especially on defense.
“Our players are confident in Justin,” Matthews said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever doubted … that he was the guy.”
Before its last drive Saturday, Madison — which moved up to No. 4 in The Sports Network’s Division I-AA poll Monday — had just 176 yards of offense after entering the game averaging 454, which ranked 13th in I-AA.
Towson’s defense, top-ranked in the CAA, barely let the Dukes on the field. JMU ran just 58 plays, and eight of them came on the final drive. Towson ran 74. JMU also was only 2-for-12 on third down, which atrophied all progress toward the end zone, especially in the second half.
Matthews specifically criticized his team’s poor production in short-yardage situations, which was a leading cause of seven punts Saturday. For the season, JMU ranks seventh in the 11-team CAA on third down, converting 38.9 percent of the time. New Hampshire is tops at 49.5 percent.
“It’s third-and-1 and we get thrown for the loss — everyone’s coming to the sideline,” said Matthews, who got his 100th career win Saturday. “No one gets to throw the ball and catch the ball. We don’t get to run any more plays. Everyone wants touches. We’re pretty hard on them. We need to make first downs, and that’s what we did not do.”
NOTES: Matthews said wide receiver Marquis Woodyard who suffered a concussion and a knee injury Saturday is likely out for the William & Mary game and possibly beyond. Tight end Brian Barlow, who also suffered a concussion, looks like he could play. … Matthews said linebacker Stephon Robertson (knee) is “questionable” for W&M, but strong safety Titus Till (ankle) and cornerback Jeremiah Wilson (hamstring) should return after a two-game absence. ... James Madison junior kicker Cameron Starke was named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Special Teams Player of the Week while defensive lineman Alex Mosley was the league’s Rookie of the Week, the CAA announced Monday. Starke was 2-for-2 on field goals, including a career-long 49-yard make, during the Dukes’ 13-10 win over Towson on Saturday (he’s made all seven tries this season). Mosley had a career-best seven tackles for a defense that controlled much of the game.