When: 4 p.m.
  On the air: TV—ESPN; radio—WXGI (950), WLFV (93.1) 3:30

Fans of the James Madison University football team received something they neither wanted nor expected: a long, and by night’s end encouraging, glimpse into the future. Late in the second period of last night’s FCS playoff semifinal game, shorn of Dudley Award-winning quarterback Rodney Landers, the Dukes had no alternative but to turn to redshirt sophomore Drew Dudzik.

Senior running back Corey Lewis (1) powered through Maine’s defense in the second half of their playoff game Nov. 29. Northern Iowa won 40-15. Jack Cosgrove’s Maine squad lost 44-17 at UR and 40-15 at Northern Iowa. An informed source—the most informed source, really—believes the University of Richmond will win today at Northern Iowa in the FCS semifinals.

Football playbooks and Christmas lists are not written at the same time. When the University of Richmond faces Northern Iowa tomorrow in the FCS semifinals, the Spiders will do what they’ve done all season: try to move the pile. “We always go into the game wanting to establish the run, and making sure that we dominate people up front,“ said 232-pound UR tailback Josh Vaughan.

The University of Richmond once before took its football operation to Iowa, where the Spiders play Northern Iowa on Saturday in the FCS semifinals. On that 1967 trip, UR faced a school that no longer exists, for reasons that aren’t clear, on a day so windy and cold that former Spiders receiver Walker Gillette recalled, “We couldn’t wait to get out of there.“

The University of Richmond reserve cornerback looked as if he knew what he was doing Saturday with three interceptions for 74 return yards. Seth Williams may be a non-starter, but he is the most experienced of UR’s defensive backs.

When: 1 p.m.  Tickets: $22 for adults, $10 for 12 and under
  Radio: WXGI (950), 12:30 p.m.
  Records: Eastern Kentucky 8-3; Richmond 9-3
  Players to watch: EKU—DB Brandon Gathof, Sr., three-time all-Ohio Valley Conference pick; DL Chris Coy, Sr., two-time all-OVC pick; TE Stephen Sizemore, Sr., top pass-catching TE in OVC (46 receptions); UR—LB Eric McBride, Soph., leading tackler; DB Justin Rogers, Soph., leads team in interceptions (6), averages 21.5 yards on kickoff returns.

How can you stop—or even slow down—an offensive machine like Wofford, which is averaging 470 yards and 36.6 points? “Get’em to have five turnovers,“ said Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore.

The way Mike Ayers figures it, the NCAA selection committee for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs was so impressed with what his Wofford team did in 2007, it upped the ante. “Last year, we went out to Montana to play the number two [seeded] team, and evidently they wanted to see what we could do against the number one team this year,“ said Ayers, whose Terriers knocked off the Grizzlies 23-22 in the opening round.

A year ago, job security was on Russ Huesman’s mind. UR’s defensive coordinator built a quality portfolio in four seasons with Dave Clawson as the Spiders’ head coach. But Clawson left following 2007 to be Tennessee’s offensive coordinator. He was succeeded by Mike London. “Was I sure I was going to stay? No, anything could have happened. Mike could have said ‘No, you don’t have a job,‘“ Huesman said.

Don’t ask Eugene Holloman about 2007. “I don’t like to even think about last year,“ said James Madison’s senior tailback. There’s a good reason Holloman prefers to forget the past.