#7 Dukes Travel To New Hampshire For Battle Between 3-0 CAA Squads

HARRISONBURG, Va. – After overcoming the weather and fourth-quarter dramatics to down William & Mary, No. 7 James Madison travels north to face New Hampshire on Saturday, Oct. 15 at noon inside Wildcat Stadium in a battle between two 3-0 Colonial Athletic Association squads. The 2016 season is presented by CarMax.

Saturday's contest will be televised on the American Sports Network.

MIKE HOUSTON FAN AND PRESS LUNCHEON

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday marks the 16th meeting all-time between JMU and New Hampshire, but the first since 2013. The Wildcats lead the Dukes 8-7 in the series and have won three straight. This will be the third straight game JMU has played UNH on the road. UNH holds a 5-3 record versus JMU in games played in Durham. The Dukes' last road win at UNH came back on Oct. 14, 2006 - a 42-23 victory.

Last time they met, the Wildcats won 33-17 in Durham on Nov. 9, 2013. New Hampshire built a 14-0 halftime lead, but JMU trimmed its deficit to 20-17 in the fourth before the 'Cats scored back-to-back touchdowns to put the game away.

Quintin Hunter made seven receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns, which included a 69-yard touchdown pass from Dae'Quan Scott after he took a lateral from Michael Birdsong. Birdsong was 24-for-43 for 214 yards and a score. Then freshman Taylor Reynolds had a season-high 10 tackles (8 solo).

KHALID CLOSING IN ON CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECORD
Khalid Abdullah has quickly surged as one of the most effective backs in JMU history, ranking in the top eight in five separate offensive categories. Through 39 career games, Abdullah ranks tied for fourth with 30 rushing touchdowns, needing just two to tie for the record and three to own it outright. He is also tied for fourth in total touchdowns (32) and sixth in both rushing yards (2,666) and rush attempts (478).

SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Wildcats enters Saturday's game with a 4-2 record, including a 3-0 mark in CAA play. They defeated W&M at home two weeks ago, 21-12, followed by a 13-10 road win at Elon.

UNH averages 22.0 points per game while conceding 20.0 to its foes. Through six games, the Wildcats have averaged 366 yards of offense, being outgained by just over 10 yards. The 'Cats account for just over 200 rushing yards per game, with 164 coming through the air.

Dalton Crossan leads the Wildcats' run game with 619 yards and three touchdowns this year. Trevor Knight has thrown for 908 yards and eight touchdowns on 55 percent passing, but has struggled with eight interceptions. Of his targets, Neil O'Connor leads the way with 25 catches for 276 yards and three scores while Malik Love has totaled 260 yards on the season

Sean McDonnell is the long-time head coach for the Wildcats, holding a 137-80 overall record, now in his 18th season. He has led the Wildcats to 12 straight NCAA playoff appearances, including the semifinals in 2013 and 2014.

THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS
One constant JMU has utilized for a 5-1 start is not just running the football, but converting on both sides of the ball on third down. The Dukes rank second nationally in third-down offense, converting a CAA-best 55 percent of the time. Defensively, the Dukes are 26th in FCS, as opposing offenses produce first downs on just 33 percent of its third-down attempts.

Over the last two weeks, JMU has gone 16-for-26 on third down, while Delaware and William & Mary were a combined 9-for-24.

TOUGH TASK IN DURHAM
This weekend's opponent in New Hampshire has consistently proven to be solid on its home field over the last 10 seasons. UNH has won 17 consecutive regular-season home games and is 49-6 in Durham since the start of the 2007 season. JMU has played at New Hampshire twice during that time, falling in 2011 and 2013.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Abdullah @NCAA_FCS ranks:

2nd - rush yds (797)
2nd - rush TD (11)
4th - scoring (12.0)
5th - rush yds/gm (132.8)
6th - yds per carry (7.74) pic.twitter.com/vnBMmCmnTV
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) October 9, 2016

TALE OF THE TAPE

James Madison		New Hampshire
44.8	Scoring Offense	22.2
24.7	Scoring Defense	20.0
+20.1	Scoring Margin	+2.2
188.0	Passing Yards	164.3
339.8	Rushing Yards	202.2
527.8	Total Offense	366.5
55% (44/80)	3^rd Down Offense	39% (37/96)
33% (23/69)	3^rd Down Defense	34% (32/96)
88% (7/8)	4^th Down Offense	57% (8/14)
57% (4/7)	4^th Down Defense	42% (5/12)
84% (32/38)	Red Zone Scoring	68% (13/19)
8/8/4	Sacks/Interceptions/Fumble Recoveries	11/7/6

CAA STANDINGS

School	CAA	Overall
#7 James Madison	3-0	5-1
#13 Villanova	3-0	5-1
New Hampshire	3-0	4-2
Stony Brook	2-0	3-2
#6 Richmond	2-1	4-1
#17 Albany	1-1	4-1
Maine	1-1	2-3
Elon	1-2	2-4
Delaware	0-2	2-3
William & Mary	0-3	2-4
Towson	0-3	1-5
Rhode Island	0-3	1-5

DUKES ON THE BROADCAST
JMU will be regionally televised for the second consecutive week as the Dukes' contest against New Hampshire will be broadcasted on the American Sports Network.

JMU SPRINT BROADCAST NETWORK
All 11 regular-season games, as well as any potential postseason matchups can be heard online on the JMU Sprint Broadcast Network or on airwaves at WSVA 550AM and 92.1 FM. Dave Thomas is entering his second season as the play-by-play man for the Dukes and is joined alongside color commentator Clint Estes at home, while Curt Dudley provided analysis on the road.

LOOKING AHEAD
JMU is off next week with a bye and returns to action for a Homecoming matchup on Oct. 29 against Rhode Island. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm and will be available through MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association.

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