Chants fall to Dukes

Chanticleer football played their last regular season game on Nov. 26 in Harrisonburg, Virginia at Bridgeforth Stadium, the home of the James Madison University Dukes.  

The team lost the contest 47-7 to finish the regular season with a record of nine wins and two losses. 

Wide receiver Tyson Mobley caught a touchdown with just under five minutes left in the first quarter to take a seven to three lead on the Dukes. This score remained true through the end of the first quarter, but it also turned out to be the only score of the game for the Chanticleers. 

The Dukes scored a field goal and two touchdowns to go up 20-7 before halftime and then went on to score four more unanswered touchdowns in the second half. 

The combination of a lack of offensive production and a struggle on the defensive side of the ball resulted in the big loss for the Chants. The team finished with under 100 yards in both the passing and running phases of the game.  

Quarterback Jarrett Guest completed 10 of 23 passes for 99 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The Chants’ leading rusher was Reese White, who took seven carries for 29 yards.  

The Dukes, on the contrary, ran for 215 yards and passed for 287 on the Chanticleer’s defense.  

Junior Daniel Panzano said the Chanticleer’s offense and defense was off during this matchup.  

“The Chants failed to execute on offense and the defense struggled again. A failure to gain first downs led to the defense being on the field more,” he said.  

The Chanticleers have lost two games this season, and both can be considered blowouts. Old Dominion University beat CCU 49-21 at home earlier in the season. So, this 47-7 loss against JMU seems to establish a bit of a pattern: when the Chants lose, they lose big. 

Freshman Keegan Maloney, who attended the game, cited a lack of motivation as what seemed to be the problem with the team in the loss. 

“I feel like the Chants fell apart at the seams today. There was no motivation between the offense and the defense. It looked like the game was over before it even really started,” Maloney said. 

Maloney said he was optimistic about the team moving forward, pointing to quarterback Grayson McCall’s absence as a hiccup in the team’s play.  

“I think that the return of McCall along with motivation from this embarrassing loss will spark the team back to the powerhouse that they have been all year,” he said. “I expect a dominant win from the Chants in their upcoming conference championship and bowl games.” 

The Chanticleers play next in the 2022 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Football Championship Game in Troy, Alabama on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3:30 p.m.