FOOTBALL DUKES OPEN WITH 14-3 VICTORY OVER BLOOMSBURG

Saturday, September 2

Harrisonburg, Va.

6:00 PM

James Madison University

1-0

Bloomsburg

0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Bloomsburg

James Madison

9/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 2, 2006 - Junior wide receiver L.C. Baker (Richmond, Va./Armstrong) caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Justin Rascati (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz) with 13:20 to play for James Madison's first lead, and the Dukes went on to defeat Bloomsburg 14-3 in non-conference football Saturday night at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.

Bloomsburg kicked a 28-yard field goal on the game's opening series, and the 3-0 lead held until JMU put together the only play from scrimmage of more than 22 yards in the contest to move in front to stay. Rascati hit Baker on the left side, and the 5-foot-7, 155-pounder raced along sideline for the game's first touchdown.

Baker's scoring play came on the first snap after the Dukes had taken possession at their 48 following a Bloomsburg punt from its 22.

JMU scored again during the final minute when senior tailback Maurice Fenner (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) capped a 29-yard, eight-play series with a one-yard touchdown run.

The Dukes had gotten the ball on the game's only turnover, an interception by junior free safety Tony LeZotte (Augusta, Ga./Westside) with 4:21 remaining. Fenner then carried during each of the possession's plays and scored with 0:37 left.

On the series after JMU went up 7-3, Bloomsburg drove to Dukes' 19 in 12 plays before stalling. The Huskies were called for illegal procedure on a third-down-and-one play from the 19, and junior safety Nick Adams (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) and senior defensive tackle Chuck Suppon (Shavertown, Pa./Dallas) had sacks on consecutive plays for JMU to halt the drive.

Bloomsburg, which was 11-1 and reached the Division II playoffs a year ago, drove 67 yards in 13 plays for its early field goal, a 28-yarder by red-shirt freshman Jon Koening (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove).

The Huskies ended the game with a 224-219 advantage over JMU in total offense and had a 17-9 edge in first downs. However, they didn't get as far as the JMU 35-yard line at any other time during the game except during the drive that produced their field goal. Bloomsburg reached the JMU 38 during a 10-play series on its initial second-half possession, but an 11-yard sack by JMU senior defensive end Kevin Winston (Beltsville, Md./High Point) all but ended the threat.

Bloomsburg ran 64 plays to JMU's 44.

JMU hadn't gotten as far as the Bloomsburg 25 on a possession before Baker's score, and the Dukes didn't penetrate that far again until LeZotte's interception set up Fenner's touchdown.