#13 Dukes Roll to 55-17 Win Over Lehigh

Saturday, September 12

Harrisonburg, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

2-0

Lehigh

1-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Lehigh

James Madison

9/12/2015 7:52:00 PM | Football

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. - The 13th-ranked James Madison football team scored on seven of its first nine drives on Saturday evening as the Dukes rolled to a 55-17 victory over Lehigh at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.

The Dukes tallied 618 yards of total offense on the evening, their second consecutive game with more than 600 yards, as they improved to 2-0 this season. The Mountain Hawks, falling for the third straight time to JMU in the series, dropped to 1-1 on the year.

Redshirt senior quarterback Vad Lee posted his first 300-yard passing game of the season to lead the JMU offense, going 24-for-31 for 334 yards and a touchdown through the air and adding 50 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Redshirt senior tight end Deane Cheatham was also stellar in his second game back from injury, catching eight passes for 118 yards, both career highs.

The JMU rush defense turned in its second consecutive standout performance, holding the Lehigh offense to just 70 yards on 40 carries, an average of 1.8 yards per carry. The Dukes held Morehead State to just 52 rushing yards last week, marking the first time since Nov. 9-16, 2013 (New Hampshire, 86 yards/Stony Brook, 90 yards), that JMU has held an opponent under 100 yards for two straight games.

Redshirt junior linebacker Gage Steele paced the defense, racking up 13 total tackles, including five solo stops and a sack. The Dukes' running backs also had their second productive week in a row, as both junior Khalid Abdullah and redshirt sophomore Cardon Johnson found the end zone twice. Abdullah tallied 95 yards on just 14 carries, while Johnson ran for 74 yards on 12 carries.

JMU scored its first touchdown just 2:34 into the game, when Johnson took a 13-yard swing pass into the end zone to cap an 8-play drive. After Lehigh immediately responded with a 72-yard touchdown pass to running back Dom Bragalone that tied the game at 7-7, the Dukes scored on five straight possessions to take a 38-7 lead before halftime and put the game out of reach.

Quoting Coach Withers:
"We have a saying in our locker room: the best part about being 2-0 is you have the chance to be 3-0. We'll continue to grow and get better as a team, toughness-wise, but we're heading in the right direction."

Breakthrough Performance:
Sophomore linebacker Brandon Hereford recorded nine tackles, including five solo stops and a sack, in his first career start for the Dukes. Entering Saturday's contest, Hereford had only tallied six tackles in his career.

Tweet of the Game:

Go Dukes! #JMU @JMUFootball pic.twitter.com/831rvnjeZL
— Arthur Moats (@dabody52) September 12, 2015

Interception Number One for Two Dukes:
Two Dukes recorded their first career interceptions in the second quarter of Saturday's win as freshman cornerback Curtis Oliver tipped a pass and eventually intercepted the ball while sophomore safety Marcell Johnson won a battle in the end zone late in the first half for his first pick.

Senior Spotlight:
Senior tight end Deane Cheatham turned in his second consecutive standout performance, pulling in eight catches for 118 yards, both career highs, as the Dukes racked up 349 total passing yards against the Mountain Hawks.

Play of the Game:

Freshman cornerback Rashad Robinson scored his first career touchdown early in the second quarter when Lehigh had a failed rugby-style punt attempt as junior wide receiver Brandon Ravenel forced a fumble. Robinson picked up the loose ball and ran 34 yards for the score to put the Dukes up 24-7.

Climbing the Record Board:
Senior quarterback Vad Lee continued his march up the JMU record books. After Saturday's performance, he ranks in the top seven in five career categories at JMU:
Passing Yards: 6th, 4,093 (5th: Matt LeZotte, 4,504)
Passing Attempts: 7th, 521 (6th: Tom Bowles, 584)
Passing Completions: 6th, 324 (5th: Eriq Williams, 326)
Passing Touchdowns: t-5th, 34 (5th: Greg Maddox, 34; 4th: Rodney Landers, 35)
Total Offense: 6th, 5,074 (5th: Justin Thorpe, 5,412)

Photo of the Game:

Redshirt senior quarterback Vad Lee dives into the end zone to cap off a 17-yard touchdown scamper that put the Dukes up, 38-7, with 3:24 to play in the first half.

CLICK HERE for the full in-game photo gallery.
CLICK HERE for a pregame photo gallery.

Conference Status:
With the win, the Dukes are the only team in the Colonial Athletic Association with two victories in the first two weeks of play. Neither William & Mary nor Stony Brook have lost this year, but both teams have had a bye week.

Next Up:
The Dukes return to Bridgeforth Stadium for the third consecutive week on Sept. 19, when they open their Colonial Athletic Association schedule with a 3 p.m. contest against Albany. The Great Danes are 1-1 after downing Rhode Island at home, 35-7, on Saturday afternoon.