FOOTBALL DUKES DROP 34-28 DECISION AT DELAWARE

Saturday, October 22

Newark, Del.

James Madison University

4-3 , 2-2

Delaware

4-3 , 1-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

Delaware

10/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

NEWARK, Del., Oct. 22, 2005 – Omar Cuff ran 39 times for 236 yards and four touchdowns to lead Delaware to a 34-28 Atlantic 10 Football Conference victory over JMU Saturday.

Cuff scored twice on runs of one yards during the first half and on a one-yard carry during the third period before sprinting for a 60-yard score to give the host Blue Hens a 34-21 lead with 2:45 to play.

JMU had pulled to within 28-21 on a 13-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Justin Rascati (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz) to sophomore wide receiver L.C. Baker (Richmond, Va./Armstrong) with 6:15 to play and had forced Delaware into a third-down-and four situation from its 40 when Cuff broke loose on his 60-yard scoring burst.

JMU had allowed only one run of as long as 20 yards previously in 2005, but Cuff had runs of 48 and 39 yards in addition to his 60-yarder. His 236 overall yards are the second-most an opponent has compiled in a game against JMU, trailing only a 264-yard effort by Towson's Tony Vinson in his team's 28-21 win over the Dukes in 1992. An opponent last had ran for more than 200 yards against JMU when Villanova's Brian Westbrook carried for 228 yards and five scores in a 45-44 double-overtime win over the Dukes in 2001.

JMU came back after Cuff's fourth score to move 68 yards in eight plays and get to within 34-28 on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Rascati to senior tight end Casime Harris (Wilmington, Del./Thomas McKean) with 1:29 left, but Delaware recovered the ensuing on-sides kick and ran out the clock.

Delaware broke a three-games losing streak and improved to 4-3 overall and to 1-3 in the Atlantic 10. JMU fell to 4-3 overall and to 2-2 in league play.

Delaware ran for 334 yards and had 414 yards of total offense, and the Blue Hens were penalized only four times for 19 yards and played the game without turning the ball over.

JMU ran for 125 yards and threw for 213. Rascati had all of the Dukes' passing yardage, and seven JMU players caught passes. Junior tailback Alvin Banks (Hampton, Va./Hampton) led JMU in both rushing (62 yards) and receiving (career-high six catches for 53 yards).

Banks moved his career rushing yards total to 1,967, and junior tailback Maurice Fenner (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) upped his career rushing yards mark to 1,984.

Cuff's first touchdown capped a five-play, 68-yard yard drive and gave Delaware a 6-0 lead with 6:03 left in the first quarter. His second gave the Hens a 14-7 lead with 2:32 left in the half and capped a nine-play, 96-yard drive.

JMU went up 7-6 on Fenner's four-yard touchdown run at the 13:45 mark of the second quarter, capping a nine-play, 51-yard drive, and the Dukes pulled into a 14-14 halftime tie on Rascati's 12-yard scoring run with 0:37 left in the first half. The Dukes drove 72 yards in five plays for the tying score.

Delaware went up 22-14 by driving 75 yards in 10 plays for Cuff's third touchdown with 4:37 left in the third quarter. The Hens raised the lead to 28-14 on a two-yard pass from Sonny Riccio to Justin LaForgia with 8:10 left in the game, a capping a 29-yard drive that was set up by a 34-yard punt return and a personal foul penalty against JMU.

Defensive leaders for JMU included junior linebacker Akeem Jordan (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) with a career-high 14 stops and senior cornerback Clint Kent (Macon, Ga./Westside) with a career-high-tying 12.

JMU returns to action next Saturday (Oct. 29) in its 3 p.m. Homecoming game against Richmond. Richmond beat Hofstra 43-37 in double overtime at home Saturday and is 4-3 overall and 4-1 in the Atlantic 10.