JMU POSTS 28-13 FOOTBALL DECISION OVER VILLANOVA

Saturday, November 12

Harrisonburg, Va.

James Madison University

6-4 , 4-3

Villanova

4-6 , 2-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Villanova

James Madison

11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 12, 2005 – Junior quarterback Justin Rascati (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz) hit senior tight end Casime Harris (Wilmington, Del./McKean) with a touchdown pass and junior tailback Maurice Fenner (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) ran for a score immediately after second-quarter Villanova turnovers to spark James Madison to a 28-13 Atlantic 10 Football Conference victory Saturday.

Trailing 10-7, JMU went ahead to stay on Rascati's three-yard scoring toss to Harris with 10:12 left in the second quarter and raised its lead to 21-10 at the 7:13 mark of the period on Fenner's three-yard scoring run.

Harris' touchdown capped a four-play, 23-yard drive following a 25-yard interception return by JMU sophomore linebacker Justin Barnes (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills), and Fenner's score completed a nine-play, 45-yard series that followed JMU senior cornerback Clint Kent's (Macon, Ga./Westside) 14-yard fumble return. Kent's fumble recovery came on Villanova's first play from scrimmage after Harris' score.

Villanova had only the two turnovers but scored again only on a late second-quarter field goal after getting 10 points on its first two possessions.

The victory, JMU's second straight, raised the Dukes' overall record to 6-4 and their Atlantic 10 mark to 4-3. Villanova lost for the second straight week and fell to 4-6 overall and to 2-5 in league play.

JMU got 100-yard ground efforts and rushing touchdowns from both Fenner and junior tailback Alvin Banks (Hampton, Va./Hampton), and Rascati threw for 145 yards and touchdown and ran for a score. Fenner had his second 100-yard game of the season and the eighth of his career, and Banks has his third-straight 100-yard outing and the 10th of his career. Banks raised his career rushing yards total to 2,335 -- fourth in JMU history -- and Fenner improved his career mark to 2,221 -- JMU's No. 8 all-time mark.

Fenner finished with a season-high 127 yards on 16 carries and Banks with 114 yards on 25 attempts. Rascati completed 10 of 13 passes and wasn't intercepted. Seven Dukes caught passes, including junior wide receiver Ardon Bransford (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), who had three receptions for 70 yards.

Villanova drove 72 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown on its first possession to lead 7-0 with 10:44 left in the first quarter, but JMU responded with a seven-play, 72-yard series to tie the game at 7-7 with 7:49 left in the first quarter. Martin Gibson got Villanova's touchdown on a one-yard run, and Banks scored from 12 yards for JMU.

Villanova used 11 plays to drive 62 yards to the JMU 24 on the next series before settling for Joe Marcoux's 41-yard field goal.

JMU fumbled at the Wildcat 25 on the following possession but intercepted Villanova quarterback Frank Jankowski three plays later to set up the touchdown that put the Dukes in front to stay.

Marcoux kicked a 34-yard field goal to get Villanova to within 21-13 with 0:48 left in the first half, but JMU went 76 yards in nine plays for a one-yard Rascati scoring run during the opening series of the final half to lead 28-13.

Villanova had a 31-yard field goal attempt blocked by JMU junior defensive tackle Chuck Suppon (Shavertown, Pa./Dallas) on its initial series of the third quarter, and the Wildcats were stopped on downs at the JMU eight with 6:51 to play and at the Dukes 29 with 0:45 remaining.

JMU lost a fourth-quarter fumble at the Villanova 27.

JMU finished with 436 yards of total offense (291 rushing, 145 passing) and Villanova with 401 yards (38 rushing, 363 passing). Jankowski hit on 30 of 47 passes for 363 yards and J.J. Outlaw had 10 receptions for 94 yards and John Dieser six for 107 yards for the Wildcats.

Sophomore free safety Tony LeZotte (Augusta, Ga./Westside) had 12 tackles and Kent and junior linebacker Akeem Jordan (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) 11 each for JMU.

Allyn Bacchus had 16 stops for Villanova.

JMU hosts Towson and Villanova entertains Delaware next Saturday (Nov. 19) as the teams close their 2005 schedules.