#7 Dukes Use Fourth-Quarter Dramatics to Top Tribe, 31-24

Saturday, October 8

Harrisonburg, Va.

3:30 p.m.

James Madison University

5-1 , 3-0

William & Mary

2-4 , 0-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

William & Mary

James Madison

#7 Dukes Use Fourth-Quarter Dramatics to Top Tribe, 31-24

10/8/2016 7:06:00 PM | Football

Box Score @JMUFootball Box Score Highlights Press Conference Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Redshirt senior cornerback Taylor Reynolds intercepted William & Mary quarterback Steve Cluley in the end zone with 1:22 to play to preserve James Madison's lead, as the seventh-ranked Dukes topped the Tribe 31-24, in front of 20,354 fans on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.

James Madison improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Colonial Athletic Association play, while the Tribe fell to 2-4 and 0-3.

Clinging to a 24-17 lead, Cluley had led W&M 75 yards down to the JMU 16, but a pass intended DeVonte Dedmon in the corner of the end zone was picked off by Reynolds, giving JMU the ball back with 82 seconds left. On third and short, senior running back Khalid Abdullah capped off his career day with a 74-yard touchdown run to double the lead and clinch the game. W&M quickly answered with three seconds left but an unsuccessful onside kick secured JMU's win.

Abdullah entered the day as the nation's leading rusher and led the attack with his fifth straight 100-yard game, going for a career-high 194 yards and three scores on 25 carries (7.8 ypc). Redshirt junior running back Cardon Johnson neared the century mark with 90 yards on 17 carries, including a touchdown of his own. Junior quarterback Bryan Schor went over 200 yards of offense, going 15-for-24 for 182 yards and rushing for 43 yards.

JMU out-gained W&M 511-362, including a 329-205 advantage in the run game. The Dukes were 11-for-17 on third down, as compared to the Tribe's 5-for-12. They won the turnover battle, scoring 14 points off two takeaways, while the Tribe tallied three off of JMU's lone giveaway. The JMU defense held a 3-0 lead in team sacks.

Defensively, senior safety Raven Greene led the team with 11 tackles, while redshirt senior linebacker Gage Steele added 10 total tackles with seven solo stops. Reynolds finished with six stops, including a tackle-for-loss at the one-yard line, and had two pass breakups to go with his interception.

Kendell Anderson led W&M with 149 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Cluley was 14-for-20 for 157 yards and a touchdown and ran for 52 more and a score.

QUOTING COACH HOUSTON - CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMPLETE PRESS CONFERENCE
"I'm really proud of these kids and the way they came out and played. We felt like we would get William & Mary's best shot with their backs against the wall a little bit in league play. I went back and told the kids that all-time, today was the 39th meeting, and the total score differential in the series was a one-point lead for JMU. That shows what kind of rivalry this game is and how every year you got to throw out the records and get ready to play because it's going to be a nail bitter, and it was."

PLAY OF THE GAME

Taylor Reynolds records his first interception of the season with a lead-saving pick in the end zone with 1:22 remaining.

STAYING ATOP THE CAA
With the win, JMU remained atop the CAA standings with a pair of Wildcats, as it is one of three squads at 3-0 in league. Villanova and New Hampshire both notched conference wins this week to remain unbeaten. JMU still has to play both Wildcat programs, as it travels to UNH next week, Oct. 15, and heads to Villanova on Nov. 12. Stony Brook is also 2-0 in the CAA after holding off Towson on Saturday night. The Dukes and Seawolves do not play this season.

ABDULLAH KEEPS RISING
Another career outing for Khalid Abdullah led to his continued surge up the rushing charts in the 45-year history of JMU football. After going for a career-best 194 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. He now ranks tied for third in rushing touchdowns (30), tied for fourth in total touchdowns (32), sixth in rushing yards (2,666) and rushing attempts (478) and eighth in scoring (192).

TWEET OF THE GAME

HIGHLIGHTS | You can't stop Khalid! #GoDukes https://t.co/JokcHZ36p0
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) October 8, 2016

PHOTO OF THE GAME - CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE GALLERY

Khalid Abdullah, Brandon Ravenel and John Miller celebrate Abdullah's third rushing score of the game.

LENGTHY SCORING DRIVE PIVOTAL IN SECOND HALF
After recovering a W&M fumble deep in its own territory, JMU churned out a clutch 19-yard drive spanning 8:08. It was the longest drive of the year by nearly three minutes (13 plays, 5:22 at UNC) and it resulted in a Cardon Johnson two-yard touchdown to make it a 24-10 game with 10:55 to play. It was JMU's longest drive since a 19-play, 55-yard drive that spanned 10:06 at North Carolina on Sept. 3, 2011.

KEY DEFENSIVE STOPS
Four plays really highlighted JMU's defensive efforts in the seven-point win against William & Mary. In the first and with W&M on the one yard-line, Taylor Reynolds came off the edge and dropped Kendell Anderson for a four-yard loss, and allowing just a field goal to make it a 3-3 game. With 1:22 remaining in the contest, Reynolds picked off Steve Cluley's pass to give JMU possession. On the opening possession of the second half, Curtis Oliver sacked Cluley for a 17-yard loss and JMU got the ball back in W&M territory, setting up the go-ahead touchdown. On the next Tribe drive, Cluley put the ball on the ground in the red zone, and Darrious Carter made his first career fumble recovery at the JMU 12.

GUNNAR WITH A CAREER BOOT
Gunnar Kane averaged 50.0 yards per punt in his two kicks Saturday, and his second boot was a career long. Punting from his own 25, Kane's punt soared 66 yards and back to the W&M 9. It bested his previous career long of 64 yards set back on Nov. 29, 2014, against Liberty in the FCS Playoffs. The 66-yard punt was also tied for the seventh-longest punt in JMU history.

UP NEXT
JMU hits the road next week to face New Hampshire on Saturday, Oct. 15. Kickoff is set for noon in a matchup of 3-0 teams in the CAA, and the game will be televised on the American Sports Network.