DUKES BEAT WILDCATS ON FINAL-PLAY TD

Saturday, October 25

Villanova, Pa.

3:30 p.m.

James Madison University

7-1 , 5-0

Villanova

5-2 , 3-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

Villanova

10/25/2008 11:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa., Oct. 25, 2008 – Junior wide receiver Bosco Williams (Clifton Forge, Va./Alleghany) caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Rodney Landers (Virginia Beach,Va./Tallwood) on the game's final play to give James Madison a 23-19 Colonial Athletic Association football victory at Villanova Saturday.

The Dukes drove 66 yards in nine plays during the final 1:01 for the decisive score after getting a 25-yard field goal from senior Dave Stannard (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill) to pull to within 19-17 with 4:08 remaining.

JMU then limited Villanova to a single first down following the ensuing kickoff and regained possession after a 14-yard Wildcat punt to JMU 34.

JMU gained seven yards and then lost seven on two plays after getting possession for the final time. The Dukes then downed the ball on third down to stop the clock with 38.5 seconds left before Landers hit senior tailback Eugene Holloman (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) on a 15-yard pass for a first down at the JMU 49.

Another downed ball stopped the clock, and Landers ran 13 yards to the Villanova 38 before again downing the ball with 19.3 seconds left. An eight-yard completion from Landers to junior wide receiver Rockeed McCarter (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) got the ball to the 30 and another downed ball left the Dukes with 4.3 seconds. An illegal procedure penalty cost JMU five yards, but Landers then found Williams in the right side of the end zone for the decisive points.

Williams was among three receivers lined up on the right side, and Landers' pass was tipped by a defender before Williams grabbed the ball for his only reception of the game.

The victory left No. 1 ranked JMU as the only unbeaten team in CAA play and raised the Dukes' conference record to 5-0 and their overall mark to 7-1. They have won seven straight games.

Seventh-ranked Villanova lost for the first time in CAA play and fell to 5-2 overall and to 3-1 in the conference.

Villanova scored first, getting a 42-yard field goal from Joe Marcoux with 10:13 left in the opening period. The Wildcats stopped JMU on a fourth-down-and-one play from the JMU 29 on the game's initial series and kicked the field goal without moving for a first down.

After not getting a first down on its opening possession, JMU put together long scoring drives on each of its next two series with Landers throwing touchdown passes on both. The Dukes took 7-3 with 0:57 left in the first quarter on a 23-yard Landers pass to sophomore tailback Griff Yancey (Glen Allen, Va./Hermitage) and went up 14-3 with 11:51 left in the second period on a 55-yard Landers pass to McCarter.

JMU's first scoring drive covered 78 yards in 16 plays and used 9:10 of playing time. The Dukes, with Landers carrying eight times for 34 yards and hitting on a 24-yard pass to McCarter, moved for a first down at the Villanova 10. They lost 14 yards on a botched center snap before Landers and Yancey connected on a fourth-and-goal play from the 23-yard line.

Landers' scoring pass to McCarter capped a five-play, 73-yard drive after JMU redshirt freshman safety Pat Williams (Virginia Beach, Va./first Colonial) recovered a Villanova fumble after the Wildcats had advanced as far as the JMU 19-yard line. Landers ran twice for 14 yards before finding McCarter alone along the left sideline for the scoring pass.

Villanova answered JMU's second touchdown drive with an 18-play, 97-yard scoring series. The Wildcats fumbled the kickoff and were penalized back to their three for holding on the play before putting together their possession that used 8:21 of time. Quarterback Chris Whitney ran for 15 yards for a first down on a fourth-and-three play from the JMU 30, and Matt Szczur scored from the 15 two plays later.

Villanova got to within 14-13 on a 37-yard Marcoux field goal on the opening series of the second half. The Wildcats drove 60 yards in 15 plays with Whitney scrambling 17 yards for a first down on a third-down-and-11 play and hitting on a seven-yard pass for a first down on another third-down chance.

Villanova went in front 19-14 on the second play of the final period when Whitney hit Phil Atkinson on a six-yard touchdown pass at the end of a 16-play, 72-yard drive. The Wildcats converted on five third-down plays during the march, including taking advantage of a pass interference call on JMU to get a first down at the Dukes' five. Villanova failed on a two-point conversion try when Whitney was tackled while looking to pass.

JMU pulled to within 19-17 on Stannard's 25-yard field on only their third possession of the final half. The Dukes moved from their 40 to a first down at the Villanova five but lost seven yards on two plays after gaining four yards on first down.

JMU finished with353 yards (169 rushing, 184 passing) to Villanova's 277 yards (229 rushing, 48 passing) during the rainy, windy afternoon.

Landers completed eight of 12 passes for 184 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns and ran 25 times for 133 yards.

JMU is at home next Saturday (Nov. 1) to meet Delaware for JMU's annual homecoming game. The contest will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised by regional cable affiliate CN8.

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