Dukes Win 31-17 at Towson, Tie for Football Title

Saturday, November 20

Towson, Md.

James Madison University

9-2 , 7-1

Towson

3-8 , 0-8

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

Towson

11/20/2004 2:52:00 PM | Football

Box Score

TOWSON, Md. (11/20/2004) – JMU scored two touchdowns during the game's first five minutes and went on to defeat Towson 31-17 in its final regular-season contest.

The Dukes got their first touchdown following a 74-yard return of the opening kickoff and scored minutes later after a Towson turnover on its first offensive play.

The win raised JMU's overall record to 9-2 and its Atlantic 10 mark to 7-1 and allowed the Dukes to tie William & Mary and Delaware for the league championship. JMU also tied its record for regular-season victories, and the Dukes received an invitation to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs the following day.

Ardon Bransford returned the opening kickoff to the Towson 14-yard line, and the Dukes scored four plays later on Chris Iorio's two-yard run.

Clint Kent intercepted a pass on Towson's first offensive play, and JMU drove 63 yards in seven plays to raise the lead to 14-0 with 10:24 left during the opening quarter. Justin Rascati hit Iorio with a seven-yard scoring pass after starting the drive with a 21-yard completion to Alvin Banks and hitting Nic Tolley with a 12-yard pass to the Towson nine.

Towson got as close as 14-10 during the second quarter and 24-17 early during the third period, but Raymond Hines' eight-yard touchdown run with 12:07 left in the game gave JMU its final margin. Hines also scored on a seven-yard run during the third quarter, and he finished with 142 rushing yards on 32 carries. The 100-yard effort was his fourth of the season.

David Rabil kicked a 29-yard field goal, capping a 10-play, 55-yard drive, to raise JMU's lead to 17-10 with 0:34 left in the first half.

JMU's Akeem Jordan had a 13-yard fumble return to the Towson 22 on the Tigers' first play of the second half, and Hines' initial touchdown gave JMU a 24-10 edge with 13:36 left during the third quarter.

Towson pulled to within 24-17 at the quarter's 12:11 mark when Andrew Goldbeck hit Andrae Brown with a 37-yard scoring pass to cap a four-play, 59-yard series. Goldbeck hit on 24 of 35 passes overall for 325 yards.