#9 JMU TACKLES VMI 45-17

Saturday, September 15

Harrisonburg, Va.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

VMI

9/16/2007 1:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 15, 2007 – Senior wide receiver L.C. Baker (Richmond, Va./Armstrong) scored two touchdowns during a 29-second period of playing time midway through the game to spark James Madison to a 45-17 non-conference football victory over Virginia Military Institute at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field Saturday.

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Baker caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Rodney Landers (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) to give the Dukes a 21-0 lead with nine seconds left in the first half and ran 42 yards for a score on the first play from scrimmage of the final half for a 28-0 JMU advantage.

The victory raised JMU to 2-1 for the season and was the Dukes' second straight win. They won for the fourth straight time in the series with VMI, which lost for the second consecutive week and fell to 1-2 for the year.

VMI held the ball for 22:19 of the first half's 30 minutes, but JMU used its quick-play ability to offset the Keydets' possession edge. The Dukes got a 44-yard scoring run from redshirt freshman Jamal Sullivan (Ruther Glen, Va./Caroline) on the game's second play, and Baker's scoring catch at the end of the opening half completed a seven-play, 80-yard series that consumed only 1:46 of playing time.

Between Sullivan's touchdown and Baker's first score, JMU put together a 10-play, 81-yard march that senior tailback Antoinne Bolton (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) capped with a three-yard run.

Bolton also scored in the third quarter on a two-yard run for 35-3 JMU lead with 5:31 left in the period.

VMI ran 42 first-half plays to JMU's 23, but the Keydets had drives stopped after reaching the JMU 26, the JMU 17 and the JMU three. They missed on a 20-yard field goal try with 1:55 left in the half after reaching the three, setting up the 80-yard march that gave JMU its 21-0 halftime margin.

JMU also got a seven-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Dudzik (Clifton, Va./Centreville) to sophomore tailback Reggie Hicks (Kittrell, N.C./Southern Vance) with 14:15 left in the game and 24-yard field goal from junior Dave Stannard (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill) with 6:25 to play.

JMU finished with 482 yards of total offense (298 rushing, 184 passing) to VMI's 254 (152 rushing, 102 passing).

Sullivan ran seven times for 83 yards, Baker twice for 60 yards and Bolton eight times for 48 yards for the Dukes. JMU senior tailback Eugene Holloman (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside), a 1,000-yard rusher a year ago, did not play.

Landers hit on eight of 10 passes for 123 yards and Dudzik on five of six for 61 yards for JMU.

Baker led the Dukes' receivers with four catches for 79 yards, and senior linebacker Justin Barnes (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) had his second straight standout effort for the JMU defense with 17 tackles. Junior linebacker D.J. Brandon (Raleigh, N.C./Enloe) added 12 stops for the Dukes. Barnes had 19 tackles a week ago against New Hampshire.

VMI got 71 rushing yards, including a 27-yard carry for a touchdown, from sophomore running back Howard Abegesah, and an 86-yard kickoff return for a score from sophomore slotback Tim Maypray.

JMU plays its third straight home game next Saturday in a 6 p.m. non-conference contest with Coastal Carolina.

VMI plays next week at Lehigh.

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