Boca Raton Bowl
hey, if nothing else, gotta give them respect for not adding a sponsor to the bowl title. i keep expecting to see the Bob's Snake Emporium Boca Raton Bowl. stay pure, Boca!
so damn much to unpack in this game. as usual, most of it revolves around WHO THE FUCK IS PLAYING??? here's the latest from actionnetwork.com & sportsbettingdime.com.
Western Kentucky starting LT Travon Taylor got hurt for Western Kentucky in the regular-season finale and didn’t play in the conference championship game. Top cornerback Anthony Johnson Jr. also missed the conference title game.
James Madison's top LB, Jacob Dobbs, missed the last four games — and he still leads the team in tackles. His status for the bowl TBD, but looks like he is likely to return.
JMU quarterback Alzona Barnett will miss the bowl game with an injury, leaving Billy Atkins to start.
Western Kentucky Transfer Portal
Helton confirmed that Veltkamp will play in the bowl game.
Western Kentucky Potential Opt-Outs
seriously, wtf do you do with that list? 9 WKU starters, plus their kicker? and one source specifically says Veltkamp is playing, while the other states that he's not. Ok, I researched that one, and he is playing. and it looks like Wibberley, their starting Center, is also playing (but visiting Kentucky on Friday). i'm just not taking the time to dig into the rest of them. i'll assume most, if not all of them, are playing. Except Wheeler, he's definitely out.
so we have JMU, with their 3rd string qb, laying 7 to WKU with their starting qb. sure, makes sense.
some info on that JMU 3rd string qb, billy atkins. he is a redshirt junior, who has spent his entire career at JMU. he started one game, against marshall in 2022. it did not go well, in all fairness, if i recall correctly, marshall had a very good defense that year. but JMU was favored by 9.5, let after the first quarter 12-2 (it would have been 13-0, but marshall blocked a PAT and returned it for 2 points. that is the kind of detail you're not going to get in any other write-up of the boca raton bowl. you're welcome.) anyway, JMU didn't score again and lost 26-12. back to mr. atkins... he completed 13 of 35 for 164 with 1 TD and... brace yourself... 4 INTs. he was also sacked 7 times and lost a fumble. says a lot about your OC when you're leading at halftime with your backup qb, and you still call 42 pass plays, even as he keeps getting sacked and giving the other team the ball. but i digress. OCs are all idiots. atkins threw one more pass that year. it was also intercepted. anyway, since that fateful day, atkins has thrown all of 3 passes. and somehow JMU is favored by 7!!
JMU is led by Bob Chesney, in his first year.
they are expecting thunderstorms earlier in the day, but currently about a 35% chance of rain during the game. they are predicting wind (13 mph, gusts 16 mph) around kickoff, and gradually lessening through the evening. FAU Stadium has a grass field. Celebration Bermuda Turf Grass, to be exact.
ok, let's take a look at the #s.
JMU averages 4.81 yds/rush (44th in the country)
WKU allows 5.03 (110th)
WKU averages 3.59 yds/carry (110th)
JMU allows 3.62 (27th)
WKU averages 7.9 yds/pass att (34th)
JMU allows 6.11/att (19th)
JMU averages 7.34/att (68th)
WKU allows 7.69/att (71st)
JMU's strength on offense (the run game) matches up perfectly with WKU's weakness, while JMU's defense matches up well with WKU's offensive strength.
JMU tied for 5th in the country with 17 INTs (4 returned for TDs). Veltkamp did throw 10 INTs this year.
so two positive factors for Atkins... JMU should be able to run the ball, and WKU is 88th in the country with only 22 sacks on the year. and WKU is 62nd in the country with only 10 INTs.
big question mark as to WKU's mindset coming in. never mind the 94 guys in the portal. how excited will they be for this game? last game of the regular season, they earned their way into the conference title game by beating jax st 19-17 on a last-second fg. then jax st turned around and blew them out 52-12.
JMU, in their 2nd bowl appearance, is looking for their first win.
the fact that JMU is laying 7 with their 3rd string qb speaks volumes. realistically, their game plan HAS to be grinding out long drives and keeping the WKU offense off the field.
JMU (-7) 4 units
WKU TT Under (21.5) 5 to win 4
hey, if nothing else, gotta give them respect for not adding a sponsor to the bowl title. i keep expecting to see the Bob's Snake Emporium Boca Raton Bowl. stay pure, Boca!
so damn much to unpack in this game. as usual, most of it revolves around WHO THE FUCK IS PLAYING??? here's the latest from actionnetwork.com & sportsbettingdime.com.
Western Kentucky starting LT Travon Taylor got hurt for Western Kentucky in the regular-season finale and didn’t play in the conference championship game. Top cornerback Anthony Johnson Jr. also missed the conference title game.
James Madison's top LB, Jacob Dobbs, missed the last four games — and he still leads the team in tackles. His status for the bowl TBD, but looks like he is likely to return.
JMU quarterback Alzona Barnett will miss the bowl game with an injury, leaving Billy Atkins to start.
Western Kentucky Transfer Portal
- Starting QB Caden Veltkamp (will play in bowl)
- Starting WR Easton Messer
- Starting C Evan Wibberley
- Starting RG Rodney Newsom
- Starting LB Darius Thomas
- Starting DE Deante McCray
- Starting NT Dallas Walker
- Starting DT Hosea Wheeler (committed to Indiana)
- Starting S Demarko Williams
- Starting K Lucas Carneiro
- DE Marcus Patterson ( 344 snaps)
- S Alex Ford (170 snaps)
- WR Moussa Barry (120 snaps)
- DL Jayden Loving (121 snaps)
- DL Jalil Rivera-Harvey (88 snaps)
- WR Demick Starling (88 snaps)
- RB LT Sanders (80 snaps)
- Backup QB TJ Finley (original starter but lost job; signed with Tulane)
- Third-string QB Turner Helton
- Tight end River Helms (out for the season with an injury)
- WR Koy Moore
Helton confirmed that Veltkamp will play in the bowl game.
Western Kentucky Potential Opt-Outs
- DB Upton Stout
- Starting LT Jesse Ramil
- DL Darold DeNgohe (275 snaps)
- WR Max Moss (51 snaps)
seriously, wtf do you do with that list? 9 WKU starters, plus their kicker? and one source specifically says Veltkamp is playing, while the other states that he's not. Ok, I researched that one, and he is playing. and it looks like Wibberley, their starting Center, is also playing (but visiting Kentucky on Friday). i'm just not taking the time to dig into the rest of them. i'll assume most, if not all of them, are playing. Except Wheeler, he's definitely out.
so we have JMU, with their 3rd string qb, laying 7 to WKU with their starting qb. sure, makes sense.
some info on that JMU 3rd string qb, billy atkins. he is a redshirt junior, who has spent his entire career at JMU. he started one game, against marshall in 2022. it did not go well, in all fairness, if i recall correctly, marshall had a very good defense that year. but JMU was favored by 9.5, let after the first quarter 12-2 (it would have been 13-0, but marshall blocked a PAT and returned it for 2 points. that is the kind of detail you're not going to get in any other write-up of the boca raton bowl. you're welcome.) anyway, JMU didn't score again and lost 26-12. back to mr. atkins... he completed 13 of 35 for 164 with 1 TD and... brace yourself... 4 INTs. he was also sacked 7 times and lost a fumble. says a lot about your OC when you're leading at halftime with your backup qb, and you still call 42 pass plays, even as he keeps getting sacked and giving the other team the ball. but i digress. OCs are all idiots. atkins threw one more pass that year. it was also intercepted. anyway, since that fateful day, atkins has thrown all of 3 passes. and somehow JMU is favored by 7!!
JMU is led by Bob Chesney, in his first year.
they are expecting thunderstorms earlier in the day, but currently about a 35% chance of rain during the game. they are predicting wind (13 mph, gusts 16 mph) around kickoff, and gradually lessening through the evening. FAU Stadium has a grass field. Celebration Bermuda Turf Grass, to be exact.
ok, let's take a look at the #s.
JMU averages 4.81 yds/rush (44th in the country)
WKU allows 5.03 (110th)
WKU averages 3.59 yds/carry (110th)
JMU allows 3.62 (27th)
WKU averages 7.9 yds/pass att (34th)
JMU allows 6.11/att (19th)
JMU averages 7.34/att (68th)
WKU allows 7.69/att (71st)
JMU's strength on offense (the run game) matches up perfectly with WKU's weakness, while JMU's defense matches up well with WKU's offensive strength.
JMU tied for 5th in the country with 17 INTs (4 returned for TDs). Veltkamp did throw 10 INTs this year.
so two positive factors for Atkins... JMU should be able to run the ball, and WKU is 88th in the country with only 22 sacks on the year. and WKU is 62nd in the country with only 10 INTs.
big question mark as to WKU's mindset coming in. never mind the 94 guys in the portal. how excited will they be for this game? last game of the regular season, they earned their way into the conference title game by beating jax st 19-17 on a last-second fg. then jax st turned around and blew them out 52-12.
JMU, in their 2nd bowl appearance, is looking for their first win.
the fact that JMU is laying 7 with their 3rd string qb speaks volumes. realistically, their game plan HAS to be grinding out long drives and keeping the WKU offense off the field.
JMU (-7) 4 units
WKU TT Under (21.5) 5 to win 4
