JMU FALLS 31-7 TO DEVILS IN FOOTBALL OPENER

Saturday, August 30

Durham, N.C.

7 p.m.

James Madison University

0-1

Duke

1-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

Duke

8/30/2008 4:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C., Aug. 30, 2008 – Duke scored a trio of touchdowns during a 6:09 period midway through the game and beat James Madison 31-7 in the season-opening football game for both teams at the Blue Devils' Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday.

Duke put together a 67-yard touchdown drive to lead 14-7 five seconds before halftime and took control with two quick third-quarter touchdowns following JMU turnovers.

JMU junior cornerback Scotty McGee (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) ran the second-half kickoff back 60 yards to the Duke 34, but the Devils' Jabari Marshall returned a second-down interception 67 yards to the JMU 22. Duke scored six plays later to lead 21-7 and got the ball back on a fumble recovery on JMU's next offensive play and six plays later upped the lead to 28-7 with 8:56 left in the third period.

Duke added a field goal on its next offensive series to complete the scoring in a game that was delayed at its beginning for nearly 90 minutes because of an electrical storm.

The Devils got their go-ahead touchdown late during the opening half on a seven-yard Thaddeus Lewis-to-Eron Riley pass on a third-down-and-one play. The scoring toss capped a 14-play series during which Duke converted on a fourth-and-one situation from the JMU 21.

Marshall's interception return set up a one-yard Clifford Harris scoring run at 11:53 of the third period, and Lewis and Riley connected on a 20-yard scoring strike for Duke's 28-7 lead after JMU's fumble at its 34.

Duke moved from JMU's 46 to the eight after a short JMU punt for its 27-yard field goal at 3:03 of the third quarter.

Duke finished with 364 total yards (218 rushing, 146 passing) to JMU's 239 yards (188 rushing, 51 passing) and converted on nine of 18 third-down attempts. JMU failed to convert on any of its eight third-down situations. In addition to the two turnovers that set up Duke touchdowns, JMU also lost a fumble after reaching the Devils' nine early during the fourth quarter.

JMU got its points on a 47-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Rodney Landers (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood) with 4:31 left in the first quarter. The scoring run capped a five-play, 79-yard series and pulled JMU into a 7-7 tie.

Duke had taken a 7-0 lead at the 7:06 mark of the opening quarter when Harris capped an 11-play, 66-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown carry.

Lewis completed 17 of 28 passes for 141 yards and two scores, ahd Harris ran 17 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns for Duke. Riley caught seven passes for 67 yards and two scores.

Landers was JMU's top rusher with 96 yards on 16 carries, and senior tailback Eugene Holloman (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) ran 13 times for 55 yards. Landers completed four of nine passes for 51 yards.

McGee finished with 157 yards on five kickoff returns, matching the No. 5 game kickoff return yardage mark in team history.

Senior free safety Marcus Haywood (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton) had 12 tackles and senior linebacker D.J. Brandon (Raleigh, N.C./Enloe) 10 for JMU.

JMU returns to action next Saturday (Sept. 6) for its home opener against North Carolina Central at 6 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.

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