Dukes Beat William and Mary, Reach Division I-AA Title Game

Friday, December 10

Williamsburg, Va.

James Madison University

12-2 , 7-1

William and Mary

11-3 , 7-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
James Madison	21	0	20	7	48
William & Mary	0	20	6	8	34

Dukes Beat William and Mary, Reach Division I-AA Title Game

12/10/2004 2:59:00 PM | Football

Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (12/10/2004) – JMU scored 27 straight points after William & Mary overcame a 21-0 deficit and went on to win its third straight NCAA road playoff game 48-34.

In the Division I-AA semifinals and playing before a Friday evening ESPN audience, JMU scored 28 points after William & Mary turnovers and dominated play after the Tribe took a brief 26-21 lead on the opening series of the final half.

JMU needed only two plays to regain the lead, scored twice during a two-minute span late during the third quarter, and all but sealed the win with a drive that used 8:36 of playing time to lead 48-26 with 8:01 left.

Maurice Fenner ran 29 yards to the Tribe 34 on JMU's first play after the Dukes fell behind, and D.D. Boxley made a diving end zone catch of a Justin Rascati pass on the next play to give JMU a 27-26 lead with 11 minutes left during the third quarter.

Bruce Johnson recovered a William & Mary fumble four plays later at the Tribe 48, and JMU used 11 plays to drive for a score that raised the lead to 34-26 at the 4:24 mark of the third period. An 11-yard pass on fourth and eight at the William & Mary 35 from Rascati to Nic Tolley was the key play of the march, and Chris Iorio got the score on a four-yard run.

JMU got the ball again when Demetrius Shambley recovered a fumble at the William & Mary 18 on the Tribe's next play, and a 13-yard pass from Rascati to Antoinne Bolton with 2:45 left in the period increased the lead to 41-26.

JMU held William & Mary without a first down on the next series and put together a 15-play, 58-yard touchdown drive to lead 48-26 with 8:01 remaining. Alvin Banks capped the series with a one-yard scoring run.

JMU went 73 yards in six plays for a score on the game's opening series, got a quick score after William & Mary fumbled a punt and scored on a 69-yard Clint Kent interception return to lead 21-0 by the 4:02 mark of the first quarter.

William & Mary, with Lang Campbell completing 17 straight passes during one stretch, scored on four straight series to get to within 21-20 by halftime and went 73 yards in seven plays for a touchdown to start to final half for its only lead.

JMU didn't have a turnover and didn't allow a sack. William & Mary lost four fumbles and threw an interception.

Fenner ran for 117 yards for JMU – 106 during the second half – in his first extended action since October.