Alonza Burnett began the second half of Saturday’s game against Charlotte with big questions hanging over him. Burnett was the surprising winner of an offseason quarterback battle among Power Five transfers, but his first half against the 49ers left fans stressed and sparked questions on social media about whether the redshirt sophomore was looking to repeat his performance against Bucknell in 2023.
Barnett became famous (at least in JMU circles) after going 3-11 against Bucknell and losing his starting role to Jordan McCloud after just two quarters, and McCloud never looked back, leading JMU to an 11-0 victory. Barnett played two series in the second half against Bucknell, and then JMU turned to McCloud for the rest of the season.
A lackluster first half on Saturday (4-10, two turnovers and one touchdown pass) left some in the high-stakes fanbase questioning Barnett’s suitability as QB1. Barnett quickly silenced his critics in the second half, with some help from the man he’d been facing in a quarterback battle all offseason.
Burnett’s first pass of the second half was a perfect 73-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Drission to give JMU a two-point lead that they held onto ever since, a play call recommended by backup quarterback Dylan Morris.
“Dylan’s been phenomenal,” coach Bob Chesney said after the game. “It was his idea to come out after halftime and do the out-and-up. I told him after the game, ‘You’re an unbelievable teammate. You’re an unbelievable person.'”
Barnett takes the job.
Though Burnett looked to have a tough first half (some of the blame was on the offensive line), a 33-yard touchdown pass to running back George Pettaway late in the first half seemed to ease his nerves.
The touchdown pass to Dollarson showcased Burnett’s incredible deep-ball accuracy on JMU’s second drive and turned skeptical JMU fans in the stands into some of the most vocal supporters.
Burnett went 6-for-8 in the second half with no turnovers and 126 yards and a touchdown, and he also ran nine times for a team-high 89 yards, with all of those rushing yards coming in the second half.
“It took him about a minute, but then he calmed down,” Chesney said.
Burnett proved during offseason camp why both Cignetti and Chesney were enthralled with his skill set.
Different coaching styles
Last year’s schedule didn’t give JMU the luxury of time to expect high-level quarterback performance right away, as it played UVA in Week 2 and Troy in Week 3. As a result, Burnett had little room for error to maintain his starting spot.
It’s hard to question coach Kurt Cignetti’s decision to move on from Barnett, who led JMU to a 10-0 start and was the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2023. He was JMU’s quarterback.
But it’s easy to question why Cignetti parted ways with Burnett. During his press conference after graduating from Bucknell, Cignetti made some disparaging comments about the young quarterback.
“We just couldn’t throw the ball,” Cignetti said. “We were scared to call passes. Am I surprised by how the quarterback played after camp? Yes. I think he was like a golfer who’s scared to swing the club.”
It feels sacrilegious to question Cignetti’s QB coaching philosophy after he compiled a 19-5 record over the past two seasons and was named multiple conference player of the year at the position. But Cignetti didn’t need to insinuate that Burnett suffered from “the yips” in his first collegiate start. He openly lambasted the quarterback to a level that felt unnecessary and did absolutely nothing to help Burnett’s future development.
On Saturday, Chesney and company continued to use Burnett despite armchair quarterbacks clamoring to bench him, so why isn’t JMU using him?
Burnett struggled early, but Coach Chesney felt the quarterback was making the right reads and just needed to settle into the game. Burnett is beloved by his current and former teammates, and everyone agrees he has the makings to be a top quarterback and elite leader in the Sun Belt.
Plus, with Charlotte in Week 1, Garner-Webb in Week 2 and a bye week in Week 3, Chesney and company could afford to hang in there with Burnett until he relaxed. Cignetti didn’t have that luxury, but it’s easy to imagine the younger quarterback preferring the 2024 approach to Cignetti’s foul-mouthed criticism.
After the game, Barnett was asked if there was a “different kind of trust” with this coaching staff compared to his predecessors, and he began to answer the question.
“I mean,” Barnett stammered, trying to think of how to respond. A smile quickly formed on his face, then he burst out laughing.
That laugh said it all.
Of course, the young quarterback wasn’t happy with his head coach’s open criticism of his nightmare performance against Bucknell. Chesney told offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy after Burnett’s 1-6 start this year that he still had plenty of confidence in Burnett.
“I said, ‘Hey, he’s right on time. He’s got the ball exactly where it needs to be. He’s a little high. He needs to calm down a little bit,'” Chesney said over the headset.
Chesney didn’t realize Barnett was also wearing a headset.
“It’s okay,” Barnett interjected. “Calm down, it’s okay.”
With his coach’s backing, Burnett started to improve, starting the game 1-6 but finishing with a 9-12 record and looking like an all-Sun Belt caliber team.
The reputation Bob Chesney had when he came to JMU was that the players adored him, and he began to prove that reputation true on Saturday, and JMU’s starting quarterback appreciated it.
“This coaching staff is incredible,” Burnett said. “They have a lot of faith and confidence in us.”
Photo courtesy of JMU Athletic Communications