JMU Back On the Road To Play Stony Brook Nov. 8

11/6/2014 11:51:00 AM | Football

Madison Starts Two-Game Road Swing By Traveling to New York: As part of the 2014 football season presented by CarMax, James Madison will take to the road for its next two Colonial Athletic Association contests, starting with Stony Brook, Nov. 8. The Dukes will then wrap up their regular-season road slate at No. 8 Richmond, Nov. 15.

The Coaches: James Madison Head Coach Everett Withers (Appalachian State, '86) is in his first season at JMU with a 6-3 mark and second as a head coach overall with a 13-9 record.
      Stony Brook Head Coach Chuck Priore (Albany, '82) is in his ninth season with the Seawolves with a 56-45 record and 14th year as a head coach with a 95-54 mark.

History With Stony Brook: The Dukes and Seawolves met for the first time in school history last year, with visiting Stony Brook pulling out a 41-38 win at Bridgeforth Stadium. This will be JMU's first visit to LaValle Stadium and the second this season to the state of New York, having won at UAlbany earlier this season.

vs. Stony Brook
Stony Brook leads 1-0 (Home 0-1)
Date          Location       W/L       Score
11/16/13     Home              L           38-41

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 two others 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 teams after last week's win versus No. 16 William & Mary, the final contest in that category is the road game at No. 8 Richmond next 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.

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 nine 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. Most recently, Moreland blocked another punt in the win over William & Mary.

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 approaching school records (all based on regular season totals only).
Team                                                      Current                      Record                   Year
Total Yards                                              4,434                          4,552                    1991
Total Plays                                                758                              802                1982, 2002
First Downs                                              228                              237                      1992
Passing Yards                                         2,349                          2,813                    2013
Passing Completions                          197                              229                      2013
Passing Attempts                                  342                              385                      2013
Passing Touchdowns                             21                                 23                       2013
Passing First Downs                             109                              118                      1995

Individual                                             Current                      Record                   Year
Vad Lee
Passing Yardage                                   2,319               2,728 (Birdsong)         2013
Passing Touchdowns                             21                      22 (Birdsong)            2013
Passing Completions                          194                   227 (Birdsong)           2013
Passing Attempts                                  335                   376 (Birdsong)           2013
Total Offense                                         2,982                3,304 (Landers)          2008
Jimmy Moreland
Defensive TDs                                           2                           3 (Twice)          2001, 1995
Interception TDs                                      2                2 (4x incl. Moreland)
Sage Harold
Sacks                                                            9.5                       12 (Morant)              1999

Harold Earns Weekly Honors for Second Time This Year: Senior linebacker/defensive end Sage Harold has been named the Colonial Athletic Association Co-Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced today. This is 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 five 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 7.21 yards per carry as compared to 4.18 for its foes. It has also scored 125 points in the final 30 minutes of the six 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 34 tackles, 24 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 34 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. Most 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 four 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 four 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 Lee, as he had 111 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries against UAlbany.

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 nine games, 16 different players have had receptions, with 10 of them having eight catches or more. Redshirt-junior tight end Deane Cheatham leads with 34 receptions for 373 yards, while senior wide receivers Daniel Brown and DeAndre' Smith have a team-high four touchdown catches each.
        At Charlotte, Oct. 25, 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. Recently, Lee threw for a school-record 406 yards and three touchdowns at Villanova, Sept. 20.
      Lee currently ranks fifth in the CAA in rushing at 73.7 yards per game, first in passing average at 257.7 yards per game and first in total offense at 331.3 yards per game. He is also fifth in FCS football in total offense, eighth in passing touchdowns (21), 10th in passing yards per game and 62nd in rushing yards per game.

Moreland Turning The Ball to the Dukes' Favor: Freshman defensive back 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 nine 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 second in the CAA and ninth in FCS football at 1.06 sacks per game, while also being third in the league and fifth nationally at 0.44 forced fumbles per contest. He has 51 total tackles (tied for fourth among CAA defensive linemen), which ranks third at JMU, including 16.5 tackles for loss (second in the CAA), 9.5 sacks for 55 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. Last week 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 Meeting - JMU Fall Short Against Stony Brook: No. 25 James Madison football's comeback attempt fell short in the final home game of the season as the Dukes dropped a 41-38 loss to Stony Brook, Nov. 16, 2013.
        Redshirt senior Dae'Quan Scott eclipsed the 1,000-yard single-season rushing mark during the game. Sophomore Michael Birdsong set a JMU single-season passing record at 2,558 yards, surpassing Mike Cawley's record of 2,459 yards from 1995. He also tied the school record with 21 touchdowns in a season, also held by Cawley.
        Stony Brook took control of the game in the first half, putting up a season-high 31 points to take a 31-17 halftime lead. The scoring was sparked by the second play of the Seawolves' opening drive as quarterback Lyle Negron threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Coxson to quickly go up 7-0 less than two minutes into the game.
        Negron finished at 23-for-32 for a career-high 395 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Coxson with nine completions for 183 yards and a score. Negron also had two rushing touchdowns, while Christian Ricard recorded a game-high 17 tackles.
        Junior safety Dean Marlowe led JMU with 13 tackles, while redshirt senior linebacker Stephon Robertson had 11 in the contest. (Complete recap on page 24.)

Last Time Out - Dukes Get Key Homecoming Victory Over Tribe: James Madison used a nine-yard passing touchdown from redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee to senior wide receiver DeAndre' Smith to complete a 31-24 comeback football win over No. 17 William & Mary on Homecoming.
        The win was JMU's fourth in a row and clinched the program's 12th straight year with a .500 record or better. The Dukes also won for the ninth time in the last 11 meetings in the series.
        JMU's game-winning scoring drive lasted 12 plays for 78 yards with two key catches from redshirt-senior wide receiver Daniel Brown to convert on third downs, two of Madison's six conversions on the day The drive started when William & Mary kicker Nicholas Dorka, Jr. missed a 38-yard field goal wide left, giving JMU the ball on its own 22-yard line with 4:39 left in the game. The drive of 3:52 was JMU's longest of the day by over a minute.
        With 47 seconds on the clock, W&M was able to drive to the 22-yard line. However, a sack from senior defensive lineman Sage Harold ended the Tribe's comeback attempt as time expired.
        Lee paced the Dukes offensively, completing 26 of his 40 throws for 324 yards and three touchdowns. It was the third 300-yard passing game for Lee this season and third straight game with at least three passing touchdowns. The 26 completions were his second-best total of the season. Brown recorded his first career 100-yard game, catching eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
        JMU had 445 yards of total offense with 301 in the second half and 27 total first downs, averaging 5.7 yards per play. The defense, led by redshirt-sophomore linebacker Rhakeem Stallings' 10 tackles, held William & Mary to 274 total yards. Harold added nine tackles with three sacks. (Complete recap on page 25.)

The Sack Attack: After going the first two games without a sack, the JMU defense has stepped up its pressure on opposing quarterbacks. So far, Madison has 25 sacks on the year, with 14 different players having at least 0.5 sack. Of the 25, 21 of them have occurred in the last five games, including four straight wins. Redshirt-senior Sage Harold leads the category with 9.5 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 66 tackles (45 solo) on the season with three 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 seven 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.

Vad Lee Named CAA Offensive Player of the Week: Redshirt-junior quarterback Vad Lee has been named the Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Week, the league for his play at Charlotte. This is his first CAA weekly recognition this year and the sixth by a JMU player this season.
      Lee recorded more than 400 yards of total offense and produced six touchdowns to lead JMU to a 48-40 victory over host Charlotte on Saturday afternoon at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Lee threw for a game-high 333 yards on 32-of-47 passing and ran the ball for 71 yards on 12 carries for 408 total yards. He tossed four touchdowns and rushed for two more, both career highs. It was the second time this season Lee threw for more than 300 yards and the fifth time he rushed 70 yards or more in a game.

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.

Moreland Garners CAA Rookie of the Week Honors: Freshman cornerback Jimmy Moreland was named CAA Rookie of the Week for his play against Towson. This is his second league honor of the season as he was named CAA Special Teams Player of the Week after the Lehigh victory.
        Moreland again made his presence felt in the resounding win over visiting Towson. Moreland blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt with JMU leading 6-0, his third blocked kick of the year. The block then led to Madison scoring its second touchdown of the game to go up 13-0. Later in first half, Moreland recorded his team-high third interception and returned it 26 yards for his second touchdown of the game. He also recorded four tackles as part of a defense that limited Towson to just 67 yards rushing (1.6 ypr) and 234 total yards for the game (3.2 per play).

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 56-28 conference mark and trail only New Hampshire. Overall, JMU is 88-42 in that span, surpassed only by New Hampshire's 98-37 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                         62-23            98-37
James Madison                         56-28            88-42
Richmond                                      50-35            81-48
Villanova                                        50-35            78-52
Maine                                              45-41            63-59
Delaware                                       44-41            75-53
William & Mary                            41-45            65-58
Towson                                           33-53            58-64
Rhode Island                                 17-68            30-87
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                               0-1-0          2013
Towson                                      19-6-1         2014
Villanova                                  12-11-0        2014
William & Mary                     21-17-0        2014
Totals                                    137 -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 3-2 on the road in 2014, with the most recent a win at Charlotte.

Harold Earns First CAA Weekly Award: James Madison defensive end/linebacker Sage Harold was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Sept. 15. It was the first weekly award of Harold's career and the third earned by a JMU player this season.
        Harold was a standout in the home win over Saint Francis, recording a career-high 10 tackles, including seven solos, and tying for JMU team-high honors in the contest. He also added one sack, one tackle-for-loss, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in the 38-22 victory.

Pair Earn CAA Weekly Honors For Lehigh Win: JMU picked up its first two weekly honors from the CAA following the Lehigh victory, as freshman defensive back Jimmy Moreland was named Special Teams Player of the Week and freshman running back John Miller earned Rookie of the Week, Sept. 8.
        In his second collegiate game, Moreland came around the right side of the Lehigh defense and blocked a game-tying 27-yard field goal attempt to preserve JMU's 31-28 victory at Lehigh. It was the first blocked kick for the Dukes since the 2012 season. In addition, Moreland recorded eight tackles on the day, with all eight of them solos.
        Miller came off the bench and gave JMU a spark in its battle at Lehigh. The freshman had 16 carries for a game-high 106 yards and one score, part of a 322-yard rushing effort for the Dukes in the come-from-behind win. Miller's 9-yard touchdown run came less than three minutes into the second half, sparking Madison to 21 points in the final two quarters for the win. He only had one carry for a 1-yard loss, while Miller's season-best 36-yard scamper put the Dukes at the Lehigh 28, setting up their final and eventual game-winning score.

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.