#25 JMU Heads Down the Road For Clash WIth #14 Richmond, Nov. 15

Saturday, November 8

Stony Brook, N.Y.

1 p.m.

James Madison University

Stony Brook

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#25 JMU Heads Down the Road For Clash WIth #14 Richmond, Nov. 15

11/13/2014 1:29:00 PM | Football

Madison Wraps Up Road Part of Regular Season at Richmond: As part of the 2014 football season presented by CarMax, James Madison will finish its 2014 regular season road schedule at in-state rival Richmond today.

The Coaches: James Madison Head Coach Everett Withers (Appalachian State, '86) is in his first season at JMU with a 7-3 mark and second as a head coach overall with a 14-9 record.
      Richmond Head Coach Danny Rocco (Wake Forest, '84) is in his third season with the Spiders with a 21-12 record and ninth year as a head coach with a 68-32 mark.

History With Richmond: The Dukes and Spiders have had a long history, with UR leading 17-14. JMU has had success in Richmond, winning seven of the 15 meetings, but has not won in two tries at Robins Stadium. Last year, Madison got the 38-31 victory over the Spiders.
vs. Richmond
Richmond leads 17-14
(Home: 7-8, Away: 7-8, Neutral: 0-1)
Date          Location       W/L       Score
10/3/81        Away               L             7-24
11/5/83        Away               L             0-32
9/1/84 Home L              12-43
10/5/85      Neutral             L           15-38
10/10/87     Home             W            41-3
11/12/88     Away              W          25-13
9/16/89       Home             W            31-0
9/22/90        Away              W            29-0
10/26/91     Home             W          47-42
9/12/92        Away               L           40-49
9/11/93       Home              L           13-20
10/29/94     Away              W          29-16
10/28/95     Home              L           33-34
10/19/96     Away              W          31-27
10/25/97     Home              L           21-26
10/3/98        Away               L             7-28
11/13/99     Home             W          31-13
11/11/00     Away               L             2-21
10/13/01     Home              L           17-20
10/19/02     Away               L             0-26
10/11/03     Home             W          34-14
10/23/04     Away              W          26-20
10/29/05     Home              L           15-18
10/28/06     Away              W          27-10
10/27/07     Home              L           16-17
10/11/08     Away              W          38-31
10/10/09     Home              L           17-21
11/6/10        Away            L-ot        10-13
10/1/11       Home             W            31-7
10/20/12     Away               L           29-35
10/12/13     Home             W          38-31
                       Totals                     712-682

It Feels Like the First Time: And it is the first time that JMU has been ranked in the top 25 of either major FCS poll this season, entering at No. 25 in The Sports Network Poll this week. The Dukes are still receiving votes in the FCS Coaches' Poll, moving up six spots in the receiving votes category.

Can It BE Any Tougher?: JMU sports one of the toughest schedules in FCS football, with three opponents currently ranked in the top 25 of at least one poll and one other receiving votes in each. JMU played four consecutive weeks against a team that was either ranked or receiving votes at the time of the game, going 2-2 in that stretch. Now 3-2 versus ranked or receiving votes teams after Nov. 1's win over No. 16 William & Mary, the final contest in that category is the road game at No. 14 Richmond Saturday.

Running More Plays Than Ever: This season, the James Madison offense is running up its number of plays on the field. In the overtime loss to Delaware Sept. 27, the Dukes ran 99 plays, which surpassed the school record for plays in a game of 96 at Richmond, Sept. 22, 1990. At Charlotte Oct. 25, JMU ran 95 plays, just one short of the top mark for a regulation game in school history. It was the third time this year that Madison has run more than 90 plays in a game, as there were also 93 plays run on offense at Villanova.
        For the season, JMU has set a new single-season play record in just 10 games, running 832 plays, breaking the previous mark of 802 set in 1982 and matched in 2002. The team has also set a new single-season offense mark with 4,947 yards,
eclipsing the previous record of 4,552 set in 1991.

Moving the Ball Quickly For Points: The Dukes like to get a rhythm going offensively and, when they do, the drives are quick and to the point. Of the 46 JMU scoring drives in the first nine games, 24 of them have been less than two minutes in length, yet 37 of them have been 50 yards or more. The longest drive in terms of time and plays this season was a 19-play, 75-yard march over 7:29 against Delaware, Sept. 27. Included in the nine beyond three minutes are the three longest drives of the year (one 98 and two drives of 99 yards), with all three ending in touchdowns.

Going Long: It has taken some research to confirm, but this season marks the first time that JMU has had two 99-yard drives in a single season, with one at Lehigh and one at UAlbany. Also, the Lehigh game was the first time that the Dukes have had more than one 90-yard touchdown drive in a single game in school history.

Special Teams Making Big Plays: JMU's special teams have been making plays this year. After no blocked kicks in 2013, this year's team has already gotten to six kicks in the first 10 games. Freshman cornerback Jimmy Moreland blocked a potential game-tying field goal at Lehigh. Redshirt-junior defensive lineman Xavier Gates got his hand on a field goal attempt against Saint Francis and redshirt-junior linebacker Marzae Brooks got a piece of a punt at Villanova. Moreland got his hand on a punt in the win at UAlbany, Oct. 4 and did it again in the win over Towson, Oct. 11, blocking another field goal attempt. Moreland blocked another punt in the win over William & Mary, and most recently, defensive lineman Simeyon Robinson stopped a fake field goal for a 7-yard loss, leading to JMU's game-winning touchdown at Stony Brook.

Closing In On Records: JMU's offense is showing its effectiveness on the field and is closing in on several single-season school records. Below is a chart of the current status, both of teams and individuals, of both broken and approaching school records (all based on regular season totals only).
New Records
Team                                                      Current            Previous Record         Year
Total Yards                                              4,947                          4,552                    1991
Total Plays                                                832                              802                1982, 2002
First Downs                                              249                              237                      1992
Passing Touchdowns                             24                                 23                       2013
Passing First Downs                             121                              118                      1995

Individual                                             Current            Previous Record         Year
Vad Lee
Passing Touchdowns                             24                      22 (Birdsong)            2013
Total Offense                                         3,352                3,304 (Landers)          2008
Jimmy Moreland
Interception TDs                                      2                2 (4x incl. Moreland)

Records In Sight
Team                                                      Current                      Record                   Year
Passing Attempts                                  375                              376                      2013
Passing Completions                          217                              229                      2013
Passing Yards                                         2,663                          2,813                    2013

Individual                                             Current                      Record                   Year
Vad Lee
Passing Attempts                                  368                   376 (Birdsong)           2013
Passing Completions                          214                   227 (Birdsong)           2013
Passing Yardage                                   2,633               2,728 (Birdsong)         2013
Jimmy Moreland
Defensive TDs                                           2                           3 (Twice)          2001, 1995
Sage Harold
Sacks                                                           10.5                     12 (Morant)              1999

Lee Named CAA Offensive Player of the Week For Second Time in Three Weeks: Redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Nov. 10. This marked the second time that Lee has won the weekly award this season and the eighth weekly award for the Dukes in 2014.
        Lee led Madison to a 27-24 victory at Stony Brook, helping the offense to 515 yards of total offense against the No. 1 ranked defense in FCS football that was averaging giving up just 250 yards of total offense a game. He finished the game 20-of-33 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while posting 56 yards on the ground on 16 carries. In his efforts against the Seawolves, Lee set new JMU single-season records for passing touchdowns with 24, surpassing Michael Birdsong's 22 last season, and for total offense with 3,352 yards (former record was Rodney Landers in 2008 with 3,304 yards).

Harold Earns Weekly Honors for Second Time This Year: Senior linebacker/defensive end Sage Harold was named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Nov. 3. This was the second weekly honor this year and in his career for Harold, as he also garnered the award for his play against Saint Francis, and he is sharing the honor with Richmond's Omar Howard. He also was named the ECAC FCS Defensive Player of the Week for his play against William & Mary.
        Harold continued to be a strong player for the Dukes in CAA action, recording nine tackles (including a career-high tying seven solos), 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, tying career highs for both tackles for loss and sacks and setting career highs for both in yardage lost. Harold was huge in limiting the Tribe to just 274 yards of total offense. Harold had two tackles, including a sack, on the Tribe's first drive of the fourth quarter to force a 3-and-out. Then on the final drive, he sacked the W&M quarterback on what ended up as the final play of the win.

Replay Experiment in the CAA This Year: The Colonial Athletic Association is conducting experiments with official replay across the league during the 2014 season. The CAA is conducting one replay game per school site this season, with JMU having had its game already in the home contest against Delaware, Sept. 27.

Second Half Adjustments Paying Off in Wins: Madison has made its second-half adjustments pay off in its seven wins this year. JMU has outrushed its opponents by an average of 47 yards in the second half of each of the victories while gaining an average of 7.07 yards per carry as compared to 3.92 for its foes. It has also scored 139 points in the final 30 minutes of the seven victories, as compared to the opponents' 75.

Moreland Named to Jerry Rice Award Watch List: Freshman cornerback Jimmy Moreland has been named to the initial Jerry Rice Award Watch List for the 2014 season, The Sports Network announced Wednesday. The top first-year player in the FCS, whether a true freshman or a redshirt freshman, will win the award named for legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice.
        Moreland has 36 tackles, 25 of them solo, in nine games this season, along with team bests of three interceptions (two of them returned for touchdowns), four blocked kicks and two fumble recoveries. His 36 tackles are ninth on the team and he is tied for the CAA lead with his two fumble recoveries and three interceptions so far. Against Lehigh, Moreland recorded eight solo tackles and blocked the potential game-tying field goal attempt in the final minute to secure JMU's victory over the Mountain Hawks. Against Saint Francis, he had a fumble recovery and an interception return for a 43-yard touchdown to help propel the Dukes to a victory. He had a season-best 10 tackles, including seven solos, and a blocked punt in the last-second victory at UAlbany. Recently, he had three tackles and blocked a punt in the victory over No. 17 William & Mary. He is also the only player in FCS football and one of only three in Division I play to have a pair of interception returns for touchdowns.
        He is the second straight JMU player to be on the watch list, as redshirt-sophomore linebacker Gage Steele was a finalist for the award last season.

The Ground Pounding Gets the Job Done: Madison has been effective in its rushing attack in its seven wins this season. In the first two against Lehigh and Saint Francis, the Dukes amassed more than 300 yards of rushing, making it the first time since the 2008 season that JMU has had back-to-back games with more than 300 rushing yards. At the end of the 2008 regular season and into the first game of the playoffs, the program had four consecutive 300-yard games on the ground, led by a 440-yard, seven-touchdown effort against Towson on Nov. 22, 2008.
        On an individual basis, the Dukes have had five 100-yard rushing games, including a pair in the win over Saint Francis. Against Lehigh, freshman running back John Miller had 106 yards and one score on 16 carries. Versus SFU, redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee had a career-high 174 yards and one score, while redshirt-senior running back Jauan Latney had 106 yards and one touchdown. It was the first time JMU had two 100-yard rushers in a single game since running back Dae'Quan Scott and quarterback Justin Thorpe accomplished the feat at Maine, Nov. 3, 2012.
        The most recent 100-yard game came from Latney, as he had 104 yards on 13 carries in the win at Stony Brook, Nov. 8.

Spreading the Ball Around: With JMU's passing game continuing to develop, the team is showing that it has a variety of weapons and options. Through 10 games, 16 different players have had receptions, with nine of them having eight catches or more. Redshirt-junior tight end Deane Cheatham leads with 42 receptions for 453 yards, while senior wide receivers Daniel Brown leads with 483 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 36 catches.
        At Charlotte, Oct. 25, redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee connected with 12 different receivers, a team season high. Cheatham led the Dukes with eight receptions, while Brown had a team game-high 76 yards and one touchdown in the victory.

A New But Not Inexperienced Signal Caller: For the third time in three years, the Dukes entered the season with a new quarterback leading the charge, but this one has a strong base of experience to count on. Redshirt-junior Vad Lee transferred to JMU in the spring and went through both spring and fall drills to earn the starting job here. For the past two years, he had been the man under center at Georgia Tech.
      In the 2014 season opener at Maryland, Lee was 16-for-37 for 141 yards and two interceptions through the air and rushed eight times for 27 yards. Lee improved against Lehigh, going 20-for-37 for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers in leading the Dukes to the late road victory. Lee accounted for more than 300 yards of total offense in the win over Saint Francis, as the Durham, N.C., native ran for a career-best 174 yards and one touchdown and threw for 147 yards and two scores. His collegiate career-best rushing total was more than 60 yards better than his previous high total. Lee threw for a school-record 406 yards and three touchdowns at Villanova, Sept. 20. Most recently, he posted his third consecutive 300-yard passing game at Stony Brook, Nov. 8, going 20-for-33 for 314 yards and three touchdowns, earning him CAA Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the No. 1 defense in FCS football.
      Lee currently ranks sixth in the CAA in rushing at 71.9 yards per game, first in passing average at 263.3 yards per game and first in total offense at 335.2 yards per game. He is also fourth in FCS football in total offense, sixth in passing touchdowns (21), 11th in passing yards per game and 63rd in rushing yards per game. He also has thrown 10 touchdown passes in the last three games with no interceptions and has 17 TDs to just 1 INT in the last six for the Dukes, five of them victories.

Moreland Turning The Ball to the Dukes' Favor: Freshman cornerback Jimmy Moreland has made getting the ball for JMU almost an "every-game" occasion so far this season. Moreland has created at least one turnover for JMU in eight of the 10 games, starting with an interception at Maryland, the blocked game-tying field goal attempt at Lehigh, an interception returned for a touchdown and a fumble recovery against Saint Francis and a fumble recovery at Villanova. In the win at UAlbany, he got his hand on a punt, and also blocked a field goal and had an interception return for a touchdown in the victory over Towson. Most recently, he had a blocked punt in the home win over No. 17 William & Mary.

Harold Making His Presence Felt... On Quarterbacks Mostly: Redshirt-senior defensive end/linebacker Sage Harold has been seen all over the field for JMU's defense this fall, but especially by opposing quarterbacks. He currently ranks third in the CAA and 10th in FCS football at 1.05 sacks per game, while also being third in the league and eighth nationally at 0.40 forced fumbles per contest. He has 61 total tackles (tied for first among CAA defensive linemen), which ranks third at JMU, including 18.5 tackles for loss (second in the CAA), 10.5 sacks for 63 yards, seven quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles (tied for second in CAA) and one fumble recovery. He had a career-high 10 tackles against Saint Francis and in the win at UAlbany Oct. 4, Harold recorded seven tackles (five of them solo) with 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. Against No. 17 William & Mary, Harold had nine tackles, including 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, earning him CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Last week at Stony Brook, he tied his career high with 10 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks, including a shared sack on the final SBU offensive play that resulted in a game-clinching fumble recovery.

Last Meeting - JMU Earns Home Victory Over Richmond: No. 19 James Madison dominated the third quarter with a scoring advantage of 21-3 en route to a 38-31 victory over rival Richmond in a 2013 Colonial Athletic Association game at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.
        Redshirt junior Dejor Simmons opened the second half by returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, the first kick return by JMU since Scotty McGee in 2008. On the Dukes' next possession, sophomore quarterback Michael Birdsong found freshman receiver Brandon Ravenel deep downfield on a 71-yard pass before redshirt senior Quintin Hunter capped the drive with a 9-yard rush for a touchdown to set the stage for the victory.
        JMU struggled to get off the field on defense, allowing Richmond to convert 10 of 20 third downs from an average distance of over 8 yards away. That helped the Spiders possess the ball for 34:18 minutes while Strauss completed 41 of 64 attempts for 423 yards, setting both Richmond and stadium records for attempts and completions in a game. Birdsong on the other hand completed 16 of his 23 attempts for 262 yards. Both quarterbacks threw two touchdowns and an interception.
        Junior safety Dean Marlowe registered a career-high 12 tackles to pace the JMU defense while adding two breakups. Redshirt-freshman cornerback Kwe'shon Williams added nine tackles, three breakups and an interception return of 35 yards.(Complete recap on page 24.)

Last Time Out - Dukes Get Big Road Win at Stony Brook: James Madison scored the final 17 points of the game and shut out host Stony Brook in the second half for a 27-24 victory at LaValle Stadium, Nov. 8, picking up its fifth straight win.
        JMU's defense was a difference maker in the second half, keeping the home team off the scoreboard and giving the offense the opportunity to get the Dukes the victory. After creating just one punting situation in the first half, Madison forced four Stony Brook punts in the second half and stopped a fake field goal attempt. The final Stony Brook opportunity late in the game was ended with less than a minute to play as redshirt-senior linemen Sage Harold and Brandon Lee sacked SBU quarterback Connor Bednarski and forced a fumble that redshirt-junior defensive tackle Alex Mosley recovered to seal the victory.
        The Dukes amassed 513 yards of total offense, 165 more than any other Seawolves' opponent this year, as the hosts boasted the No. 1 defense in FCS entering the game in both yards given up while yielding a mere 12.9 points per game, which ranked third nationally.
        Redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns on 20-for-33 passing, his third straight 300-yard passing game and seventh time this season he has surpassed the 200-yard mark in a game. He also set a JMU single-season passing touchdown record with 24, surpassing Michael Birdsong's record of 22 set last season.
        Redshirt-senior running back Jauan Latney had 13 carries for 104 yards, his second career 100-yard rushing game. Brown finished with five catches for 35 yards and one touchdown while Ravenel led the Dukes with 83 yards and one score on two receptions. Redshirt-freshman linebacker Kyre Hawkins led the Dukes with 13 tackles, while Harold tied a career-high 10 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and 1 pass breakup. (Complete recap on page 25.)

The Sack Attack: After going the first two games without a sack, the JMU defense stepped up its pressure on opposing quarterbacks. So far, Madison has 29 sacks on the year, with 15 different players having at least 0.5 sack. Of the 29, 25 of them have occurred in the last six games (avg. of 4.13 sacks per game), including five straight wins. Redshirt-senior Sage Harold leads the category with 10.5 sacks on the season, including a career-high 3.0 in the win over No. 17 William & Mary, Nov. 1.

Marlowe Preseason Honors: Senior safety Dean Marlowe is one of the top returning players for the Dukes, having earned Second Team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) honors last season as a safety and third team honors as a punt returner. Selected as an All-CAA safety in each of his first three years, Marlowe recorded 77 total tackles, including 37 solo stops, one interception and eight passes defended last season. He ranked 12th among league defensive backs with 6.4 tackles per game, including a career-high 13 against Stony Brook, and was named to The Sports Network Preseason All-America Third Team earlier this summer.
        In 2012, Marlowe earned First Team All-CAA honors as the only sophomore on the CAA defensive first team and was selected as First Team All-State by both the Roanoke Times and Virginia Sports Information Directors Association. As a sophomore, Marlowe recorded 82 tackles on the year including 44 solos, 5.0 for loss, seven passes defended, a team-high tying three interceptions, one forced fumble and one safety.
        This year, Marlowe currently has a team-high 75 tackles (49 solo) on the season with four pass breakups and 4.0 tackles for loss.

Stability On the Offensive Line: A significant part of JMU's offensive success is due to the offensive line blending and improving from week to week. Through 10 games, the Dukes have had the same five starters on the offensive line, which is key since one is new to JMU since the summer (Nick Appel) and two did not go through spring practice due to injuries (Matt Williams and Mitchell Kirsch).

Withers Takes the Reins: Head Coach Everett Withers has taken over the leadership of the JMU football program for the 2014 season. Withers is just the sixth head coach in the program's 42-year history.
JMU Coaching History

Challace McMillin (1972-84)
Joe Purzycki (1985-90)
Rip Scherer (1991-94)
Alex Wood (1995-98)
Mickey Matthews (1999-2013)
Everett Withers (2014)

Newcomers Making an Impact: Looking at the two-deep for James Madison in the 2014 season, there are a lot of new faces for the Dukes and first-year Head Coach Everett Withers.             Through seven games, four new FBS transfers and a combined total of 22 redshirt freshmen and freshmen have seen action for the Dukes as compared to 16 freshmen playing in all of the 2013 season.
FBS Transfers to JMU on Two-Deep (including former school and year)
Offense:       2     Vad Lee - Georgia Tech (2014)
                        6     Sean Tapley - North Carolina (2014)
                        13 Ishmael Hyman - Kansas (2014)
                        30 Alden Hill - Tennessee (2014)
                        61 A.J. Bolden - Toledo (2014)
                        69 Nick Appel - North Carolina (2014)
                        77 Austin Lane - Syracuse (2011)
Defense:      1     Titus Till - Maryland (2012)
                        21 Jeremiah Wilson - Maryland (2012)
                        95 Xavier Gates - Kansas State (2014)

Redshirt Freshmen (10)
No.     Player                                           Yr.        Pos.    Ht.   Wt.
   12     Blaine Stewart                         R-Fr.        WR     6-1   205
   13     Ishmael Hyman                       R-Fr.        WR     6-0   185
   29     Kyre Hawkins                           R-Fr.         LB      6-0   220
   44     Jordan Brown                           R-Fr.          S        6-2   190
   61     A.J. Bolden                                 R-Fr.        OL      6-3   305
   65     Evans Osuji                                R-Fr.        DL      6-3   270
   70     Aaron Stinnie                           R-Fr.        DL      6-3 273
   74     Simeyon Robinson                R-Fr.        DL      6-1 275
   84     Brandon Brown                        R-Fr.         TE       6-3   260
   93     Andrew Ankrah                       R-Fr.         LB      6-4   234

True Freshmen (12)
No.     Player                                           Yr.        Pos.    Ht.   Wt.
   17     Bryan Schor                                 Fr.          QB      6-2   213
   17    Jimmy Moreland                      Fr.          CB     5-10 175
   20     Taylor Woods                              Fr.           TB      5-9   190
   28     John Miller                                  Fr.           TB     5-10 180
   34     Justin Bethea                              Fr.          CB     5-10 165
   35     Marcell Johnson                        Fr.            S        6-2   193
   41     Aaron Peak                                  Fr.          CB      5-9   198
   46     David Ezeagwu                          Fr.           LB      6-3   225
   67     Tay Crutchfield                          Fr.          DL      6-0   245
   91     Jonathan Kloosterman           Fr.           TE       6-3   241
   94     Cornell Urquhart                       Fr.          DL      6-4   255
   96     Ryan Etheridge                          Fr.           LB      6-2   231

Oh Captains, My Captains: This season, JMU has elected three permanent captains in senior linebacker/defensive end Sage Harold, senior safety Dean Marlowe and redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee. The fourth captain for each game will be determined before the contest.

Lee Setting Records Through the Air: Redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee had a record-setting passing day at Villanova, Sept. 20. In the game against the No. 8 Wildcats, Lee set a school single-game record with 406 passing yards, surpassing the previous mark of 388 set by Greg Maddox against Hofstra on Sept. 12, 1998. Redshirt-junior tight end Deane Cheatham was one of the key recipients, as Cheatham had his first career 100-yard receiving game with six catches for 109 yards and one touchdown.

Getting it Going Against Towson: JMU's win against the 2013 national runner-up Towson Tigers on Oct. 11 had some large numbers for the home squad. The 62 points represented the fourth-best scoring total in the program's Division I history and the highest scoring output since 65 against Delaware State in 2005. It was also Madison's most points ever in a conference game.
        In addition to the overall scoring marks, the game represented the most points scored by JMU in the series against Towson, topping the 58-point scoring effort by the Dukes on Nov. 22, 2008 when top-ranked Madison took down the Tigers in the regular-season finale before going into the playoffs as the top seed.

Lee Earned National, League Defensive Award: Senior defensive lineman Brandon Lee was named The Sports Network National Defensive Player of the Week, the publication announced Oct. 20. Lee was earlier named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week and College Sports Madness National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
        In the Dukes' 62-7 win over Towson, Lee made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball, recording five total tackles, with 3.0 tackles for 19 yards of loss, including 2.0 sacks for 16 yards, and three forced fumbles resulting in two JMU turnovers. The second forced fumble directly resulted in points, as it was caught in the air by linebacker Rhakeem Stallings and returned 27 yards for a touchdown to put JMU up 20-0. Lee was a leader on the defense that limited Towson's Darius Victor, the second-leading rusher in the CAA, to just 37 yards on 12 carries, and the Tigers' offense to just 234 yards of total offense, while forcing four turnovers.

Last 10 Years Versus the CAA: For the last 10-plus seasons (starting in 2004), James Madison has been among the top CAA teams. During that time span, the Dukes have put together a 57-28 conference mark and trail only New Hampshire. Overall, JMU is 89-42 in that span, surpassed only by New Hampshire's 99-37 mark. Additionally, Madison is the only school in this group to have at least a .500 overall record in each of the past 12 seasons back through the 2003 campaign.
CAA Records 2004-Pres.      Conf.          Overall
New Hampshire                         63-23            99-37
James Madison                         57-28            89-42
Villanova                                        51-35            79-52
Richmond                                      50-36            81-49
Maine                                              46-41            64-59
Delaware                                       45-41            76-53
William & Mary                            42-45            66-58
Towson                                           33-54            58-65
Rhode Island                                 17-69            30-88
NOTE: During this time period until the 2010 season, CAA teams each season played five other teams in their division and three of the six teams in the other division for an eight-game league slate. With the dropping of football by two CAA schools prior to 2010, the league eliminated the divisions and used one set of standings. After the 2011 season, Massachusetts moved up to the FBS level.
All-Time JMU vs. CAA Teams
(* Former league teams; includes when not CAA members)
                                                         JMU            Last
Opponent                              Overall         Met
Albany                                           2-0            2014
Boston University*                 5-1-0          1997
Connecticut*                            4-1-0          1999
Delaware                                  8-14-0         2014
Georgia State*                         1-0-0          2012
Hofstra*                                       6-3-0          2009
Maine                                         11-5-0         2012
Massachusetts*                       7-8-1          2011
New Hampshire                      7-8-0          2013
Northeastern*                         12-8-0         2007
Old Dominion*                        0-2-0          2012
Rhode Island                             8-3-0          2012
Richmond                                14-17-0        2013
Stony Brook                               1-1-0          2014
Towson                                      19-6-1         2014
Villanova                                  12-11-0        2014
William & Mary                     21-17-0        2014
Totals                                    138 -101-2   (.575)

Overtime Wasn't the Right Time: Madison went to overtime for just the 13th time in school history against Delaware, Sept. 27, and came out on the losing end of the 30-23 decision. Below are all the overtime games in JMU history.
JMU's Overtime Games (6-7)
Date                    Result
11/30/91          JMU 42, Delaware 35 (2 ot) (A) (NCAA)
11/19/94          Northeastern 9, JMU 6 (H)
12/3/94             Marshall 28, JMU 21 (A) (NCAA)
9/23/95             JMU 28, Villanova 27 (A)
11/15/97          JMU 39, URI 37 (3 ot) (H)
10/6/01             Villanova 45, JMU 44 (2 ot), (A)
9/21/02             JMU 24, Hofstra 21 (2 ot) (A)
11/16/02          JMU 34, William & Mary 31 (H)
9/12/09             Maryland 38, JMU 35 (A)
11/6/10             Richmond, 13, JMU 10 (A)
10/8/11             Maine 25, JMU 24 (H)
10/13/12          JMU 27, William & Mary 26 (2 ot) (H)
9/27/14             Delaware 30, JMU 23 (H)

Road Challenges: JMU will find the challenges on the road, playing seven of its 12 regular season contests away from home. The Dukes opened the season with back-to-back road contests at Maryland and the second week's game at Lehigh, which was receiving votes in both major Football Championship Subdivision polls. CAA road opponents Villanova (#5/6) , UAlbany (then #23) and Richmond (#13) continue to make the road challenging throughout the season. Of the seven opponents this year, six of them won at least five games last year and had a combined 22-18 mark at their home fields in 2013. Currently, the Dukes are 4-2 on the road in 2014, with the most recent a win at Stony Brook.

JMU Football History: The 2014 season is JMU's 43rd season of football, its 41st varsity football season, its 36th season with football scholarship players and its 35th season competing at what is now the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, formerly Division I-AA.
        JMU began football in 1972, moved to a recognized varsity schedule in 1974, first awarded scholarships for the 1979 season and moved to Division I-AA in 1980. JMU moved from Division III to Division II in 1979 and to then-Division I-AA for the 1980 season.
        JMU's top seasons in addition to winning the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA championship (13-2) have been in 2008 when the Dukes reached the FCS semifinals as the playoffs' top-seeded team and compiled a 12-2 record, 2007 (8-4, NCAA playoffs), 2006 (9-3, NCAA playoffs), 1999 (8-4, NCAA playoffs), 1995 (8-4, NCAA playoffs), 1994 (10-3, NCAA playoffs, second round), 1991 (9-4, NCAA playoffs, second round), 1987 (9-3, NCAA playoffs), 1982 (8-3), 1978 (8-2, No. 9, Division III), and 1975 (9-0-1, College Division).

Dukes in the Show: JMU is well represented in the NFL on the 2014 rosters entering the season. The Dukes had four former players on the opening day 53-man rosters for their respective teams. Linebacker Akeem Jordan spent his first six years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, spent last year with the Kansas City Chiefs and is now a backup at middle linebacker with the Washington Redskins. Starting his fifth season in the NFL is former defensive end turned linebacker Arthur Moats (Pittsburgh Steelers), who is listed as the backup at both outside linebacker slots. Additionally, second-year offensive lineman Earl Watford is backup at right guard with the Arizona Cardinals. From last year's squad, offensive tackle Josh Wells made the 53-man roster with the Jacksonville Jaguars while defensive lineman Jordan Stanton is on the practice squad with the New York Giants.

Former Duke Haley Enshrined in College Football Hall of Fame: Former James Madison football All-American Charles Haley was enshrined in the College Football Hall Of Fame, July 15-16, 2011, in South Bend, Ind. He was the first ever player from a CAA school and sixth person overall (five previous were coaches) to be elected to the Hall.
        Haley was a four year starter at JMU from 1982-85. He was a two-time All-American and a three-time Defensive MVP at Madison. As a senior at JMU, Haley was voted a 1985 Associated Press First-Team I-AA All-American and both the Richmond Touchdown Club and Roanoke Times & World News' State Defensive Player of the Year. He leads JMU's all-time tackles list with 506, including three seasons of more than 100 tackles, and his 22 tackles at Shippensburg during the 1983 season still ranks as the eighth-highest single-game total in JMU history. He also added three interceptions and 17 quarterback sacks to his total.
        In 1986, after his senior season Haley was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, as he was the No. 96 pick overall, the highest ever in school history. The first ever JMU player to be drafted into the NFL, Haley went on to become the only player in the league's history to win five Super Bowls, two with the 49ers and three with the Dallas Cowboys. He was also selected to five Pro Bowls during his career, as well as being a two-time First-Team All-Pro and 1990 NFC Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his professional career with 100.5 sacks, including a career-high 16 in 1990. He had eight fumble recoveries and scored one touchdown in the NFL. He retired in 1999 before becoming an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions.

Dukes Historically in the NFL: In addition to the former Dukes currently active with professional football organizations, JMU's leading all-time performers include several other players who have enjoyed success in the NFL - placekicker Scott Norwood (1978-81), wide receiver Gary Clark (1980-83), defensive end Charles Haley (1982-85), linebacker Dion Foxx (1990-93), wide receiver Macey Brooks (1993-96), running back Curtis Keaton (1998-99), tight end Ed Perry (1993-96) and return specialist Delvin Joyce (1997-2000).
   Norwood received All-Pro honors as a placekicker with the Buffalo Bills. Clark was All-Pro with the Washington Redskins and a member of two Super Bowl title teams and later played with the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. He was selected in the first round of the first United States Football League draft in 1984.
        Haley was the first player to be a member of five Super Bowl title teams while playing with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first Duke to be a first-team Division I-AA All-America and the first Duke chosen in the NFL draft (San Francisco, 1986, fourth round). He is JMU's career tackles leader.
        Foxx played with the Miami Dolphins. Brooks was with the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears.
        Keaton was with the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints after being the 1999 Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year when he ran for 1,719 yards and 20 touchdowns.
        Perry was a tight end and long snapper with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs after being Miami's sixth-round 1997 draft pick and first-team All-Yankee Football Conference during each of his final three collegiate seasons.
        Joyce was a return specialist for the New York Giants and New York Jets. He ended his career at JMU as the only player in Division I-AA history with 1,000 yards in each of the career statistical categories of rushing, receiving, punt returns and kickoff returns and as the all-time Division I-AA leader in punt return yards and combined kick return yards. He holds many of JMU's career kick return marks and is the program's all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 5,659.
                Two other former Dukes saw extensive time during the 2007 preseason with NFL teams, including tailback Alvin Banks (2003-06) with the New York Jets and offensive lineman Corey Davis (2003-06) with the Buffalo Bills. Justin Rascati, JMU's starting quarterback from 2004-06, briefly was with the Chicago Bears. Former tight end Mike Caussin spent time with Buffalo Bills (active) and Jacksonville Jaguars (practice squad) last season.