Matthews makes changes to depth chart

James Madison football coach Mickey Matthews has announced several personnel moves for his team.

Matthews has shifted junior Griff Yancey (Glen Allen, Va./Hermitage) from free safety to running back, will employ sophomore Corwin Acker (Landover, Md./Blake) in more of a receiver’s role than at running back where he’s been used previously, and will start redshirt freshman Justin Thorpe (Richmond, Va./Varina) at quarterback when the Dukes host Richmond Saturday (Oct. 10).

The Dukes at Hofstra Oct. 3 played without injured junior tailback Jamal Sullivan (Ruther Glen, Va./Caroline), and Sullivan isn’t expected to play Saturday. The team also has been without several players expected to fill key roles at wide receiver.

Thorpe and junior Drew Dudzik (Clifton, Va./Centreville) have shared playing time at quarterback through JMU’s first four games of 2009, and Matthews said both will play Saturday.

Yancey was a two-year running back for the Dukes, carrying for 1,183 yards and scoring 22 touchdowns as offensive player, before moving to defense during the 2009 spring practice period. He started three of JMU’s first four games this season on defense and sat out another with an injury.

Acker ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-10 win at Liberty Sept. 26, mostly after Sullivan was injured. He and sophomore Scott Noble (Baltimore, Md./Franklin) were used at tailback at Hofstra, running for 15 and 33 yards, respectively.

Thorpe this season has completed 13 of 19 passes (68.4 percent) for 189 yards and a touchdown and has thrown an interception. He has run 43 times for 225 yards and two scores, and he started against Virginia Military Institute.

Dudzik has completed 25 of 44 passes (56.8 percent) for 404 yards and five touchdowns and has thrown two interceptions. He has run 33 times for 155 yards and a score, and he started against Maryland, Liberty and Hofstra.

JMU’s game Saturday will begin at 12:07 p.m. and will be televised by regional cable affiliate Comcast SportsNet. Gates at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field will open at 10:30 a.m. to accommodate the sell-out Family Weekend crowd.

JMU will take a 2-2 overall record and a 0-1 Colonial Athletic Association mark into Saturday’s game. Richmond is 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the CAA.