Dukes Post 26-20 Football Victory at Richmond

Saturday, October 23

Richmond, Va.

James Madison University

Richmond

10/23/2004 2:40:00 PM | Football

RICHMOND, Va. (10/23/2004) – Justin Rascati threw for a career-high 223 yards and a touchdown, and Maurice Fenner ran for 139 yards and a score for JMU as the Dukes won 26-20 at Richmond.

Rascati hit on 15 of 21 passes and found Ardon Bransford on a 65-yard scoring toss to give JMU a 19-7 third-quarter lead. He also had 26 net rushing yards despite being sacked four times.

Richmond got to within 19-17 with 10:47 left, but Fenner scored on a 46-yard run with 2:20 left to give the Dukes a 26-17 advantage. The Spiders got a 20-yard field goal from Carter Ball to pull to within 26-20 with 37 seconds left, but their on-sides kick went out of bounds.

JMU had 455 yards of total offense to Richmond's 344 yards and overcame 12 penalties for 113 yards.

After Bransford's touchdown, JMU got only one first down on its next two series, and Richmond scored on consecutive possessions before the Dukes put together the crucial drive that culminated in Fenner's score. JMU started at its 25 after a punt and got two first downs before Fenner scored on third and two.

Richmond then moved from its 35 in 14 plays and kicked a field goal after stalling at the JMU three.

JMU got the game's first points on a 32-yard field goal by David Rabil. The Dukes drove 51 yards in six plays with a 35-yard pass from Rascati to D.D. Boxley to the Spider 25 the march's key play. The lead became 9-0 when Raymond Hines scored on an eight-yard run on JMU's next series. The Dukes drove 56 yards in 10 plays, and Hines scored on fourth and two.

Richmond got to within 9-7 on the last play of the half when Arman Shields caught a deflected 41-yard pass from Stacy Tutt in the back of the end zone, capping a nine-play, 80-yard series that used only 1:17 of time.

A 24-yard Rabil field goal on the first series of the final half ran JMU's lead to 12-7. The Dukes held the Spiders without a first down on the next series and increased the lead to 19-7 on Bransford's scoring catch on JMU's second play.

Richmond got to within 19-10 on its next series, moving 68 yards in eight plays with Ball kicking a 24-yard field goal. The Spiders held JMU without a first down on the next series and pulled to within 19-17 on a two-yard Tutt-to-Shields touchdown pass. Richmond drove 53 yards.

Tony LeZotte led JMU's defense with 10 tackles. Frank Cobbs had nine stops, a shared quarterback sack and two pass deflections.

Fenner ran 21 times, and Rascati completed 15 of 21 passes.