DUKES DROP FOOTBALL OPENER 37-14 AT NORTH CAROLINA

Saturday, September 1

Chapel Hill, N.C.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

0-1

North Carolina

1-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

North Carolina

9/2/2007 4:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Sept. 1, 2007 – Redshirt freshman quarterback T.J. Yates gave North Carolina an early advantage with two touchdown passes during the first seven minutes, and the host Tar Heels went on to beat James Madison 37-14 in the football season-opener for both teams Saturday.

Yates threw a 65-yard scoring pass on the game's third play and a 28-yarder on North Carolina's third possession as the Tar Heels took a 14-0 lead by the 8:52 mark of the initial quarter. North Carolina went on to lead 21-0 by the end of the first period and 30-7 by halftime.

Yates hit on 13 of 18 passes overall for 218 yards and three touchdowns and directed an offense that compiled 253 yards by halftime.

In addition to its long early touchdown play, North Carolina also had scores set up by a partially blocked punt, a punt that went only 18 yards, a long interception return of a tipped pass and a blocked punt that was covered at the one-yard line.

The Tar Heels finished with 327 yards (100 rushing, 227 passing ) to JMU's 250 yards (150 rushing, 100 passing) and with 14 first downs to JMU's 15. JMU had seven first downs to North Carolina's four during the final half.

Yates hit junior wide receiver Brooks Foster on a 65-yard touchdown pass on a third-down-and-two play on North Carolina's first series and junior wide receiver Brandon Tate on a 28-yard scoring toss with 8:52 left in the opening quarter on the second play after the Tar Heels partially blocked a JMU punt.

North Carolina used the 18-yard JMU punt to set up its third score – redshirt freshman tailback Anthony Elzy's two-yard run at the end of a 40-yard possession – and Deunta Williams' 43-yard interception return to the JMU 12 to set up senior placekicker Connor Barth's 27-yard field goal for a 24-0 edge with 13:18 left in the opening half.

JMU came back after the field goal to put together a 73-yard, 10-play touchdown drive for its first score. Junior quarterback Rodney Landers (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) capped the series with a four-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver L.C. Baker (Richmond, Va./Armstrong) after opening the possession with two completions for 20 yards and running three times during the series for 24 yards.

North Carolina increased its margin to 30-7 with 20 seconds left in the half when Yates and Foster connected on an eight-yard touchdown pass to complete a 64-yard, seven-play possession. A 46-yard Yates-to-Tate completion to the JMU 23 with 52 seconds on the clock was the series' key play.

The Tar Heels' only score of the final half came on a one-yard Elzy run with 7:14 left in the third quarter on the first play after JMU junior Jason Pritchard (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) had a punt blocked.

JMU's final score came on an eight-yard Landers run with 41 seconds left in the game, capping a 79-yard, 11-play possession. Landers hit on four passes for 36 yards during the drive.

Senior tailback Eugene Holloman (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) ran 23 times for 82 yards and Landers 14 times for 71 yards for the Dukes. Landers hit on 14 of 22 passes with Baker and sophomore wide receiver Rockeed McCarter (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) each having four catches.

Senior free safety Tony LeZotte (Augusta, Ga./Westside) led JMU's defense with 11 tackles. Junior cornerback Darrieus Ramsey (Yorktown, Va./Grafton) had an interception and junior linebacker D.J. Brandon (Raleigh, N.C./Enloe) a fumble recovery for the Dukes.

JMU is back in action next Saturday (Sept. 8) against Colonial Athletic Association foe New Hampshire for its home opener at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field. The game, which will be New Hampshire's season-opener, will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised by regional cable affiliate CN8.

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