Tar Heels not taking Dukes lightly

In Virginia Tech’s 2010 home opener, James Madison shocked the college football world by beating the No. 13-ranked Hokies 21-16.

North Carolina opens its 2011 football season against the Dukes on Saturday and interim head coach Everett Withers doesn’t feel the need to remind his team about the Dukes’ recent success against a tough ACC opponent.

“You don’t have to mention it to them. They know,” Withers said. “Our kids know. They’ve seen them on tape. They’re talented.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the Dukes haven’t changed all that much since their 2010 stunner. James Madison’s defense — ranked third in the Football Championship Subdivision last season in scoring defense — will return nine of 11 starters in 2011.

That includes preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association safety Vidal Nelson and linebacker Stephon Robertson.

James Madison coach Mickey Matthews said he is very happy with the strengths of his defensive squad.

“It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmies and the Joes,” Matthews said at CAA media day. “And there’s some really good Jimmies and Joes in this league.”

“When NFL scouts come by to watch us practice, they always comment how many good football players there are.”

Robertson was the CAA’s 2010 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he forced a key fumble late in the game against Virginia Tech to help James Madison clinch the upset.

But despite Robertson’s dominance, Matthews said he thinks redshirt junior linebacker Jamie Veney could be even more impressive.

“The best defensive player we had in the spring was Jamie Veney,” Matthews said at CAA media day. “As long as he stays healthy, Jamie Veney has a chance to be a dominant football player.”

The Dukes seem to have the defense all figured out, but James Madison’s offense is of much more concern. The quarterback position is the biggest question mark for the Dukes, who lost 2010 starter Drew Dudzik to graduation.

Dudzik scored both of James Madison’s second-half touchdowns against the Hokies and served as team captain during his senior season.

This season Matthews had the challenge of replacing Dudzik’s senior leadership, and at least for Saturday’s season opener against the Tar Heels, he selected redshirt junior Justin Thorpe to take the reins.

In 2010, Thorpe rushed three times for 31 yards in James Madison’s season opener against Morehead State, but he missed the rest of the season due to injury.

As a redshirt freshman in 2009, Thorpe played in 11 games, made eight starts and broke the school record for freshman quarterback rushing yards with 642.

Matthews will look to Thorpe to help lead the Dukes to their second win against an ACC opponent in two seasons, and the 2009 CAA Rookie of the Year could be just what James Madison needs to succeed down the road this season.

If so, Thorpe could very well be the answer to Matthew’s prayers.

“If we had a top quarterback coming back, we’d be picked to win it all,” Matthews told the Los Angeles Times. “We’ve got to do something at quarterback.”

From staff and wire reports

Compiled by David Adler