Coach made tough decisions
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

James Madison coach Mickey Matthews had two critical decisions to make during the fourth quarter of the Dukes’ playoff game with Appalachian State. One was made to preserve a Dukes lead. Another was made to overcome a Mountaineers advantage.

The first was made with James Madison leading 27-22 with 2:54 left in the game. The Dukes faced a fourth-and-two at their own 31-yard line. James Madison converted 11-of-19 third downs and all four of their chances up to that point.

So, Matthews decided to go for the first and keep the ball away from a Mountaineers defense that averaged 43 points per game heading into the playoffs.

It backfired.

An Appalachian State defense that struggled to stop the run finally did. James Madison quarterback Rodney Landers was stopped for no gain and the Mountaineers took over.

“We almost had been running it at will against them,” Matthews said. “We just didn’t think they could stop us, to be honest with you. Just as Rodney took the snap, somebody walked in front of me and I didn’t see the play. If I didn’t think we could make it, I would not have called it. We had made a lot of fourth down conversions in the game, so we took a chance.”

“I wouldn’t change that decision,” Matthews added. “I really thought that if we make the first down, the game is over.”

Then it was Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore’s turn to go for it on fourth down. Facing a fourth-and-three from the 25, Armanti Edwards hit Devon Moore for a 20-yard pass on a fake screen to move the chains.

Two plays later, Edwards crossed the goal line for the eventual winning touchdown.

“We had been running (screens) for most of the second half, so we knew they would be coming up hard,” Devon Moore said. “I just faked my block real well and I squeezed between two DBs and I was in the open.”

Jerry Moore defended Matthews’ decision to go for the first down.

“He made that call based on the momentum of his team,” Moore said. “If they make that first down, they probably run the clock out. That’s what makes this such a great game.

“It was a gutsy call.”

Matthews’ second call is the one that he said would haunt him. With 31 seconds left, on a second-and-goal from the 9-yard line and on the right hashmark, redshirt freshman Jamal Sullivan was sent in to run the ball to the left side in order to give kicker Dave Stannard a better angle at a game-winning field goal.

Stannard never got a chance. The ball was swatted out of Sullivan’s hands by Appalachian State defensive end Gary Tharrington and recovered by linebacker Pierre Banks.

The Mountaineers ran out the final 22.1 seconds to seal the win.

“I came off the big block from the tackle and I just swung and hoped to get an ankle or something and trip him up and let the linebackers fill,” Tharrington said. “Luckily, I hit the ball and it popped loose.”

Matthews took the blame for the call, saying Sullivan should not have been put in that position in the first place.

“When a kid fumbles like that, it rips your heart out,” Matthews said. “It never should have come to that. We did a lot of things in the game, but that was bad.”

Edwards said he was hoping that the defense would force a turnover.

“You’ve got to be still hopeful until there are triple zeroes on the scoreboard,” Edwards said. “We saw they were still running the ball, so we were hoping for a fumble.”

FCS playoffs
First round
Friday, Nov. 23
Delaware 44, Delaware State 7
Saturday, Nov. 24
Massachusetts 49, Fordham 35
Appalachian State 28, James Madison 27
Wofford 23, Montana 22
Southern Illinois 30, Eastern Illinois 11
Richmond 31, Eastern Kentucky 14
Northern Iowa 38, New Hampshire 35
Eastern Washington 44, McNeese State 15
Second round
Saturday, Dec. 1
Eastern Washington (9-3) at Appalachian State (10-2), Noon
Delaware (9-3) at Northern Iowa (12-0), 2 p.m.
Massachusetts (10-2) at Southern Illinois (11-1), 3:30 p.m.
Richmond (10-2) at Wofford (9-3), 7 p.m.
Semifinals
Friday Dec. 7 or Saturday, Dec. 8
Delaware-Northern Iowa winner vs. Massachusetts-Southern Illinois winner, TBD
Eastern Washington-Appalachian State winner vs. Richmond-Wofford winner, TBD
Championship
Friday, Dec. 14
At Finley Stadium/Davenport Field
Chattanooga, Tenn.
TBD, 8 p.m.