Dukes Improve to 7-1 with Victory over Virginia Military

Saturday, October 30

Harrisonburg, Va.

James Madison University

7-1

VMI

0-9

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

VMI

James Madison

Dukes Improve to 7-1 with Victory over Virginia Military

10/30/2004 2:42:00 PM | Football

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. (10/30/2004) – Five JMU players scored touchdowns, and the Dukes compiled 547 yards of total offense in winning their homecoming game, 41-10 over non-conference opponent Virginia Military Institute. JMU took a 21-0 lead by the 6:16 mark of the second quarter and posted its fifth straight victory.

Quarterbacks Matt LeZotte and Justin Rascati both were responsible for two touchdowns, and the Dukes got 100-yard rushing efforts from two reserve tailbacks.

LeZotte came off the bench to complete six of eight passes for 119 yards and a touchdown and to run for a score. Rascati, the starter, hit on seven of 14 passes for 98 yards and had two rushing touchdowns. Raymond Hines ran 20 times for 111 yards and Antoinne Bolton 11 times for 103 yards and a touchdown in his first extended college playing time.

JMU also got 62 rushing yards and a touchdown from Maurice Fenner, the tailback starter, but he left the game with a shoulder problem. Tailback Alvin Banks did not play for the fourth straight game.

While the JMU offense compiled 330 rushing yards and 217 yards through the air, the Dukes' defense limited VMI to 267 total yards, including only 33 on the ground. JMU was credited with 10 quarterback sacks for a total of 63 yards.

The 10 sacks set a JMU game record at the Division I-AA level (beginning in 1980), and the Dukes were led by Kwynn Walton, who had a team Division I-AA-game-record 4.5 sacks. Seven Dukes overall were involved in sacks. Walton was involved in a team-leading 10 tackles overall, including three for losses other than the sacks.

JMU scored touchdowns on three of its first four series. The Dukes drove 71 yards in 12 plays on their first possession with Fenner scoring from four yards with 5:18 left in the first quarter. LeZotte capped a nine-play, 75-yard march with a one-yard run at the 10:39 mark of the second period on JMU's third series, and Rascati scored from five yards with 6:16 left in the half, capping a 62-yard drive, for a 21-0 Dukes' lead.

JMU drove 71 yards in nine plays on its initial series of the second half with Rascati scoring from eight yards for a 27-3 lead, and the Dukes added second-half scores on a 45-yard pass from LeZotte to Ardon Bransford and a three-yard run by Bolton.