Seven weeks ago, while the world was burying Virginia Tech and anointing James Madison, Hokies coach Frank Beamer delivered a rather direct quote.
“The bottom line is: You need to get it done,” Beamer said.
That afternoon, Beamer’s Hokies were humbled at home by the Football Championship Subdivision Dukes — an upset that was supposed to do two things: kill Virginia Tech’s season and launch JMU on a run to the FCS national championship.
Um, oops.
The Hokies, perhaps heeding Beamer’s words, somehow survived that cataclysmic loss, ripping off six wins in a row to take a commanding lead in the ACC Coastal Division. Their rebound, while impressive, hasn’t been all that unexpected given their talent. No, the real surprise team from that Week 2 matchup is JMU because the Dukes, for lack of a better phrase, have gone into the tank.
The men of Madison — architects of the second biggest upset ever of an FBS team by an FCS team — are 2-4 since beating Virginia Tech. The Dukes, playing in the monster Colonial Athletic Association, are 1-4 in conference play and in danger of missing the playoffs after Saturday’s 21-14 loss to UMass.
JMU’s season — full of promise after a 3-0 start — is collapsing under a pile of injuries and an anemic offense that averaged 12.4 points a game in October. The Dukes have scored 13 points in the second half of their last six games. Meanwhile, the “vanquished” Hokies come out of their bye week in prime position to make a BCS bowl run.
My, how the tables have turned.
