FOOTBALL DUKES WIN SIXTH STRAIGHT AT RHODE ISLAND

Saturday, October 13

Kingston, R.I.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

6-1 , 4-0

Rhode Island

1-5 , 0-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

Rhode Island

10/13/2007 4:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I, Oct. 13, 2007 – Junior quarterback Rodney Landers (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) threw for three touchdowns, and James Madison survived a second-half rally by Rhode Island for a 44-27 Colonial Athletic Association football victory Saturday.

JMU led 23-6, but Rhode Island got a touchdown on faked field goal try on the final play of the first half and pulled to within 30-27 early during the final period before the Dukes secured the victory.

Landers hit redshirt freshman wide receiver Marcus Turner (Berlin, N.J./Eastern) on a 31-yard scoring pass to cap a 61-yard drive on the series after Rhode Island got to within three points, and the Rams got only one first down on their three remaining possessions.

Turner's touchdown gave the Dukes a 37-27 lead with 11:39 left in the game, and redshirt freshman tailback Griff Yancey (Glern Allen, Va./Hermitage) gave JMU its final margin with a one-yard scoring run with 8:36 remaining after Rhode Island failed to get a first down on a faked punt try from its 35-yard line.

The victory was JMU's sixth straight and improved the Dukes' overall record to 6-1 and their CAA mark to 4-0. Rhode Island fell to 1-5 overall and to 0-3 in the CAA.

Landers hit on eight of 12 passes for 168 yards and ran 26 times for 160 yards. In addition to Turner, he connected with sophomore wide receiver Rockeed McCarter (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) on a 56-yard scoring pass on the game's second play and with sophomore tight end Mike Caussin (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) on a nine-yard touchdown pass for a 30-13 JMU lead with 5:46 left in the third quarter.

Landers directed a JMU offense that compiled a season-high 598 total yards (430 rushing, 168 passing). The Dukes allowed Rhode Island 427 yards (256 rushing, 171 passing) and lost three fumbles.

JMU didn't punt during the game, scoring on eight of 12 possessions and having a drive stopped on downs as it attempted to run out the clock at the end of the contest. The first of the Dukes' lost fumbles went into the end zone as Landers approached the goal line on a run from the Rhode Island 14, and the second came at the Rams' two at the end of a 56-yard run.

JMU's field goals were from 50 yards by junior Jason Pritchard (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) and from 25 and 24 yards by junior Dave Stannard (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill).

Rhode Island came back to drive 72 yards in eight plays for a touchdown on the series after Caussin's score and got to within 30-27 with 14:04 to play three plays after JMU lost a fumble at its 22.

However, the Dukes responded with a seven-play march that ended with Turner's touchdown catch and included overcoming a holding penalty that nullified what would have been a 39-yard Landers scoring run.

Yancey finished with 95 rushing yards on 12 carries, and senior tailback Antoinne Bolton (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) ran nine times for 93 yards for the Dukes. Caussin had three catches for 51 yards.
JMU's other touchdown came on a two-yard run by freshman tailback Scott Noble (Baltimore, Md./Franklin) for a 14-6 dukes lead with 10:00 left in the first quarter.

Rhode Island had answered JMU's early Landers-to-McCarter touchdown pass with Jerell Jones' 84-yard scoring run on its first play from scrimmage to get to within 7-6.

Jones ran 11 times for 128 yards and had a 24-yard scoring run in addition to his 84-yarder. The 24-yarder got Rhode Island to within 30-20 with 2:33 left in the third quarter, and the The 84-yard run is the third-longest ever against JMU.

Pritchard's 50-yard field goal, the first of his career, matched the fifth-longest field goal in JMU history and was the Dukes' first 50-yarder since Burke George hit from a 52 yards at Hofstra in 2002. The 50-yarder matched the longest field goal a JMU player has had on a natural playing surface.

The Dukes are idle next Saturday (Oct. 20) and will return to action Oct. 27 against CAA foe Richmond in their annual homecoming contest at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field. The JMU-Richmond game will be begin at noon and will be televised by regional cable affiliate Comcast SportsNet Middle Atlantic.

#