No. 12 Dukes Face Off Against Villanova on Senior Day

Saturday, November 21

Harrisonburg, Va.

Noon

James Madison University

Villanova

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11/17/2015 3:15:00 PM | Football

HARRISONBURG, Va. - James Madison closes the regular season on Saturday at noon when it hosts Villanova for Senior Day. The game will be streamed live on MadiZONE HD SportsNet and can be heard on the JMU/nTelos Wireless Sports Network. The game is sponsored by Virginia Lottery and the 2015 season is presented by CarMax.

JMU and Villanova have met 23 times dating back to 1993 when both teams became league foes in the Yankee Conference. The Dukes hold a slim 12-11 advantage, including a 7-4 lead in games played at Bridgeforth Stadium. The teams have split the last four seasons, with the home team winning all four games.

Last time they met, Villanova outscored JMU 21-7 over the final quarter to defeat JMU 49-31 in the 2014 conference opener for both squads on Sept. 20, 2014. Vad Lee led the Dukes' offense with the program's first-ever 400-yard passing day as he threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another. John Robertson passed for 337 yards and four touchdowns while Kevin Monangai had 129 rushing yards and a pair of scores to lead the Wildcats. Leading by just four (28-24), Villanova scored twice in 64 seconds to open up a three-score lead and never allowed JMU closer than 11 in the fourth.

LAST-MINUTE HEROICS LIFT DUKES PAST DELAWARE
James Madison used a huge defensive stop and quick scoring drive in the final minute to end its two-game losing streak and down Delaware 24-21 Saturday in Newark, Del.

With two minutes to play, JMU was out of timeouts and Delaware needed just four yards for a first down and the win. The Dukes stopped the Hens a yard short and after a 5-yard punt, JMU had 65 seconds to work with from its own 49. Bryan Schor completed 3-of-5 passes, including the game-winning throw from 12 yards out to Brandon Ravenel with 17 seconds remaining.

Schor threw for 193 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 65 and a score. Cardon Johnson gained 98 yards on the ground with a TD and Brandon Ravenel and Rashard Davis both caught five balls for a combined 117 yards. Delaware was limited to just 22 yards passing but had 295 rushing, led by Thomas Jefferson's 120 and Kareem Williams' 113.

EVERETT WITHERS FAN AND PRESS LUNCHEON

LEADING THE NATION IN A PLETHORA OF CATEGORIES
JMU leads FCS nationally in four categories this week: scoring offense (45.5), total offense (572.4), first downs (296) and third-down conversions (56.2%) while ranking third in rushing offense (297.6), fifth in red-zone scoring (90%) and sixth in completion percentage (67%).

Cardon Johnson is eighth best in FCS with 6.9 yards per carry while also ranking in the top 25 in yards per game (96.7) and touchdowns (10). Khalid Abdullah ranks 11th nationally with 12 rushing scores. Defensively, Andrew Ankrah is sixth in forced fumbles (0.4) and seventh in sacks (0.95) while Taylor Reynolds is eighth in passes defended (1.6).

RAVENEL A TOP-10 RECEIVER ALL-TIME AT JMU
Brandon Ravenel made five catches for 44 yards in the win at Delaware and he moved into elite company in the process. Ravenel moved into ninth place all-time with 1,442 career receiving yards and 10th place with 105 career catches. He is also eighth in single-season history with 47 receptions.

STAYING DISCIPLINED
The Dukes committed a season-low two penalties for just 10 yards on Nov. 14 at Delaware. The previous low was seven for 67 yards against Towson on Oct. 10. This was also the first time in 2015 that JMU did not allow a first down off a penalty.

TOP GUNNAR
Field position was crucial in JMU's win at Delaware and special teams played a large role in that factor. Gunnar Kane pinned the Blue Hens inside their own 20 on all five of his punts, averaging 42.6 per boot. More importantly, Kane, who's five I20's were a career high, pushed UD back inside their own five yard line on three occasions.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA
The Wildcats enter this weekend with a 6-4 record and 5-2 mark in the CAA following a 21-20 comeback win over Richmond. The 'Cats have won three straight games, outscoring their foes 58-26 in the wins.

In last Saturday's win, Villanova scored with 41 seconds left to complete the rally against the Spiders. Tied at 14-14, UR scored with 5:06 to go but its extra point was blocked. On the ensuing possession, Zach Bednarczyk drove the Wildcats 78 yards on an 11-play drive spanning 4:19, capped off by his 12-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Gulyas.

Villanova averages 20.2 points per game while allowing foes to score 16.4 per outing, which ranks 10th nationally and leads the CAA. The Wildcats third best in FCS in red-zone defense, allowing teams to score 55.2% of the time. They also rank 17th nationally in total defense, conceding just 307.7 yards per game. VU throws for 182.2 yards per game while rushing for 172.3 per outing.

'Nova is led by Bednarczyk, who stepped in for injured quarterback John Robertson. He has thrown for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns. The rushing attack is as balanced as it comes as four runners have gained at least 285 yards, paced by Javon White's 395 rushing yards. Five runners have at least two rushing scores this year. Kevin Gulyas is one of the league's premier receivers, bringing in 38 catches for 595 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensively, Austin Calitro and Don Cherry have tallied 83 and 81 tackles, respectively. Cameron McCurry, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Week, has three interceptions in 2015.

Andy Talley is in his 31st season as head coach at Villanova, where he has compiled a 221-132-1 record (136-90 CAA). He is a win shy of 250 career wins as his head coaching tenure spans 36 years. The winningest coach in Villanova history has led the Wildcats to 11 postseason appearances, including a victory in the 2009 FCS National Championship game. He was named AFCA National Coach of the Year after the 'Cats went 14-1, which was capped by their thrilling 23-21 win over Montana in the championship.

TALE OF THE TAPE

James Madison		Villanova
45.5	Scoring Offense	20.2
27.1	Scoring Defense	16.4
+18.4	Scoring Margin	+3.8
274.8	Passing Yards	182.2
297.6	Rushing Yards	172.3
572.4	Total Offense	354.5
56% (82/146)	3rd Down Offense	44% (59/133)
44% (69/158)	3rd Down Defense	44% (64/144)
60% (6/10)	4th Down Offense	52% (13/25)
47% (9/19)	4th Down Defense	47% (7/15)
90% (54/60)	Red Zone Scoring	71% (27/38)
24/8/10	Sacks/INTs/Fumble Recoveries	20/13/5

CAA STANDINGS

School	CAA	Overall
#7 William & Mary	6-1	8-2
#12 James Madison	5-2	8-2
#14 Richmond	5-2	7-3
Villanova	5-2	6-4
New Hampshire	4-3	6-4
Towson	4-3	6-4
Elon	3-4	4-6
Maine	3-4	3-7
Albany	2-5	3-7
Delaware	2-5	3-7
Stony Brook	2-5	4-5
Rhode Island	1-6	1-9

TUNE IN TO MADIZONE HD SPORTSNET
JMU's television coverage is done for the regular season but the game can still be seen online at MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association, and at CAA.TV. Curt Dudley and Joe Kuykendall will provide play-by-play and color commentary of Saturday's contest.

JMU NTELOS WIRELESS SPORTS NETWORK
All 11 regular-season games, as well as any potential postseason matchups, can be heard online on the JMU nTelos Wireless Sports Network or on local airwaves at WSVA 550AM and 92.1 FM.

Dave Thomas is in his first season as the play-by-play man for the Dukes and calls alongside color commentator Clint Estes at home while Curt Dudley provides analysis on the road.