TONIGHT’SXXGAME INFO xx Robertson Getting In On the Play: Redshirt-junior linebacker
Stephon Robertson has shown a nose for the football throughout his collegiate career. A 2013 Sports Network First-Team Preseason All-American, Robertson opened his final collegiate season with 12 tackles, two of the solo, in the season-opening victory over Central Connecticut State. He also tied for teamhigh honors with seven stops at Akron, Sept. 7. Most recently, he posted 14 total tackles with career bests of 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. As CAA Defensive Player of the Year at linebacker in 2012, Robertson led the Dukes in tackles in seven of the 11 games last season, including a career-high 15 in the win over No. 12 Towson. He averaged 9.18 tackles per game (101 total, 48 solos), which was third in the CAA and tied for 43rd in the nation. He had his first pass interception of the year and second of his career at Maine. He has contributed five pass breakups on the season, along with 8.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks. He recorded double-digit tackles in last games this season, including five of the last seven - all CAA games. In his career, Robertson has started in all 37 games played. He has amassed 337 career tackles, an average of 9.11 tackles per game, despite being targeted as a threat by every opposing offense. He has also been named a 2013 Preseason All-American by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview and The Sports Network and is also on the initial watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award after finishing second among underclassmen and eighth overall in last year’s balloting despite appearing on just the final watch list. Stanton, Harold Leading the Pressure On the Passer: Defensive ends Jordan Stanton and Sage Harold have helped lead assistant coach Jeff Hanson and the Dukes’ rejuvenated pass rush so far this season. Both players have 5.0 tackles for loss with Stanton posting 3.5 sacks and Harold 3.0 sacks on the year. As a whole, the Dukes have 12 sacks on the season, all earned in the last two games, and are just six shy of last season’s total of 18 through 11 games. For Harold individually against Saint Francis, he had career bests with seven tackles (four solos), 4.0 tackles for 28 yards of loss and 3.0 sacks for 26 yards of loss. He also added a pair of quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in the victory over the Red Flash.
Spreading the Ball Around the Wide Side of the Fields: JMU is doing an effective job of spreading the ball around to various receivers in the passing game. In the season opener against Central Connecticut State, quarterback Michael Birdsong connected on 10 completions in the win. The bigger part was that eight different players had at least one catch, with two getting two receptionse each. In the contest at Akron, eight different Dukes made receptions, with all but one having at least three catches on the day. Overall, 11 players have had catches this season for the Dukes, just four shy of last year’s total Starke Moving Up the Charts: Senior kicker Cameron Starke is continuing to move up the career charts among JMU’s kickers: His 29 career field goals puts him fifth all-time, trailing Mickey Stinnett (1982-84) by one in fourth. John Coursey (1993-96) holds the all-time record with 39. Starke is almost automatic as well when the spot is inside the 30-yard line, as he has hit on 23-of-25 field goal attempts from 39 yards or less in his career, with the only misses being his first career attempt at North Carolina and a questionable call on a 36-yard attempt at Eastern Kentucky, both in 2011. In fact, he has connected on 12 straight field goal attempts of less than 40 yards. James Madison Football On TV: Six 2013 James Madison University football games are scheduled to be televised through a package coordinated by the Colonial Athletic Association, the conference announced today. Another JMU game was available for viewing through the Web-streaming service ESPN3, with all home games available on MadiZONE HD SportsNet presented by JMU Alumni Association. The Dukes’ will be nationally televised in CAA games on the NBC Sports Network three times during the year, as well as on the NBC Sports Regional Networks three times, making Madison the most televised CAA squad in the package. JMU’s national broadcasts will be the home contest against Richmond on Oct. 12 at 3:30 p.m., as well as road contests at New Hampshire on Nov. 9 at 12:30 p.m., and at Towson on Nov. 23 at 3:30 p.m. The regional broadcasts include the Sept. 28 game at Delaware at 7 p.m. and home tilts with Villanova on Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m. and Nov. 16 against CAA newcomer Stony Brook at 3:30 p.m. JMU’s game at Akron on Sept. 7 was televised live on ESPN3, giving Madison fans the opportunity to watch four of the five road contests free of charge via television or the internet.
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RESPECT MADISON! 2013 JMU Football Program - 3