DUKES FALL 31-27 AT COASTAL CAROLINA IN FOOTBALL

Saturday, September 10

Conway, S.C.

James Madison University

1-1

Coastal Carolina

2-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

Coastal Carolina

9/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

CONWAY, S.C, Sept. 10, 2005 – Quarterback Tyler Thigpen hit wide receiver Perry Parks with an eight-yard scoring pass with 30 seconds to play to cap a 14-point fourth-quarter Coastal Carolina rally and lift the host Chanticleers to a 31-27 non-conference football victory over James Madison Saturday night.

JMU rallied from deficits of 7-0, 14-7, and 17-14 to lead 27-17 before Coastal Carolina put together two long touchdown drives during the final 10 minutes. The Chanticleers drove 78 yards in nine plays for a score on the series after JMU went ahead 27-17 and marched 93 yards in 11 plays for the decisive touchdown.

The win was Coastal Carolina's second straight of the season while JMU fell to 1-1. The Dukes' loss ended a six-game winning streak for the 2004 Division I-AA national champions.

Coastal Carolina got to within 27-24 when Thigpen and wide receiver Jerome Simpson connected on their second scoring pass of the game, a 23-yarder with 5:54 left.

JMU moved as far as the Chanticleer 41 on the ensuing series and left Coastal Carolina at its seven with 2:14 remaining after a punt. Thigpen accounted for all of the hosts' final series yardage, hitting on six of 10 passes for 88 yards and running once for five yards on the play before hitting Parks for the go-ahead points.

Coastal Carolina had run only seven second-half plays before putting together its final two drives.

JMU had gone in front with two second-half drives of 43yards , scoring at the 3:03 mark of the third quarter for a 20-17 margin and at the 9:52 mark of the final period for its 27-17 advantage.

Coastal Carolina finished with 415 total yards (128 rushing, 287 passing) and JMU with 361 (190 rushing, 171 passing).

Thigpen hit on 24 of 36 passes for 287 yards and three scores.

JMU's Justin Rascati (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz) completed 16 of 21 passes for 171 yards and ran for a score. Junior tailback Alvin Banks (Hampton, Va./Hampton) ran for 88 yards and two scores on 24 carries, and junior tailback Maurice Fenner (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) ran 12 times for 74 yards and a score.

Coastal Carolina took a 7-0 lead on its second series, driving 77 yards in nine plays with Thigpen hitting Simpson on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 5:53 left in the opening quarter.

JMU pulled into a 7-7 tie three series later when Banks scored from the one to cap a 14-play, 73-yard drive. They got their initial first down on a 16-yard pass from Rascati to senior tight end Casime Harris ((Wilmington, Del./Thomas McKeon) with 2:58 left in the opening period, and Rascati's nine-yard pass to sophomore fullback Marvin Brown (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) at the Coastal Carolina one set up the touchdown.

Coastal Carolina came right back to go up 14-7 on the following series. The Chanticleers drove 56 yards in 11 plays with Mike Tolbert scoring on a one-yard run after the Chanticleers converted on a fourth-down-and-one from the JMU 33.

JMU took advantage of a Coastal Carolina turnover to pull into a 14-14 tie three series later. Senior cornerback Clint Kent (Macon, Ga./Westside) returned an interception 12 yards to the Chanticleer 26 on a third-and-four play from the Coastal Carolina 16, and Banks scored from the six three plays later.

Coastal Carolina went in front 17-14 with nine seconds left in the first half on Josh Hoke's 32-yard field goal. The Chanticleers drove 58 yards in 12 plays.

JMU took its first lead, 20-17, with 3:03 left in the third period on a 10-yard Rascati scramble on third and five. The Dukes drove 43 yards in seven plays after a Coastal Carolina punt but failed on the conversion attempt.

The scoring drive came after JMU twice penetrated the Chanticleer 30 earlier in the third period without scoring. The Dukes got to the Coastal Carolina 19 on their opening possession of the final half but didn't convert on fourth down following a loss and a penalty.

A fumble recovery by sophomore free safety Tony LeZotte (Augusta, Ga./Westside) on Coastal Carolina's first play of the half gave the ball back to the Dukes at the Chanticleer 32, but they couldn't convert on a 37-yard field goal try after getting one first down.

JMU raised its lead to 27-17 with 9:52 to play when Fenner scored on a one-yard run to cap a 10-play, 43-yard drive. A 14-yard Rascati-to-Banks completion to the Coastal Carolina 34 on a third-and-15 play and a 17-yard Rascati scramble to the Chanticleer 22 after an illegal procedure penalty were the keys plays during the series.

JMU hosts 2-0 Delaware State in a 6 p.m. game next Saturday (Sept. 17).