James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Saturday, November 19
Harrisonburg, Va.
1:30 p.m.
James Madison University
vs
Elon
#6 Dukes Prep for Regular-Season Finale Versus Elon
11/15/2016 8:00:00 PM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Va. – After clinching the outright Colonial Athletic Association championship last weekend, sixth-ranked James Madison prepares for its regular-season finale against Elon, which takes place on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m. inside Bridgeforth Stadium. It will be Senior Day and Heroes Day, as the Dukes will don all-black uniforms, which includes a new matte black helmet. The game is sponsored by Pepsi and the 2016 season is presented by CarMax.
MIKE HOUSTON FAN AND PRESS LUNCHEON
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday marks the fifth meeting between JMU and Elon in a series dating back to 1998. JMU owns a perfect 4-0 record against Elon, including a 3-0 mark on home soil. The Dukes have outscored the Phoenix 171-60 all-time, which includes a 51-0 win in the previous meeting at Elon on Oct. 17, 2015.
Last season, JMU posted its largest road margin-of-victory in program history in the 51-0 shutout. It was the first shutout since a 56-0 home win over Hofstra in 2008 and the first on the road since a 17-0 win at Villanova back in 2004.
JMU gained more than 600 yards of offense, including 406 on the ground. Cardon Johnson rushed for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns. Khalid Abdullah matched Johnson's two touchdowns while running for 75 yards, and Trai Sharp, making his collegiate debut, had 73 yards and a score.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA
The Phoenix enters Saturday's game with a 2-8 record, including a 1-6 mark in CAA play. Elon most recently fell 44-14 last Saturday to Rhode Island, but had a solid road win at William & Mary earlier in the year. EU averages 12.0 points per game and has failed to score more than 14 since its 27-10 win on Sept. 24 at W&M. It also allows its foes to score 27.5 per outing.
Daniel Thompson has thrown for 1,435 yards and three touchdowns, to go with nine picks. Malcolm Summers and De'Sean McNair have combined to run for 914 yards and four scores. John Silas and Chris Blair lead the defense with 73 and 72 tackles, respectively.
Rich Skrosky is in his third season at the helm and holds a 7-26 record at Elon. He also had an 8-34 career record, having spent one year as head coach at Ramapo in 1992.
TALE OF THE TAPE
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BACK-TO-BACK CAA CHAMPIONS!
JMU captured its fifth Colonial Athletic Association championship with a 20-7 win at then-No. 9 Villanova on Nov. 12. It was JMU's first time winning the conference in back-to-back seasons and just the second outright title, with the previous coming in 2008.
The Dukes smothered Villanova's offense, limiting the Wildcats to 239 yards while intercepting four passes, forcing three turnover-on-downs and blocking a field goal. VU finished 0-for-3 in the red zone.
Leading 13-7 with under four minutes to play, Martez Stone intercepted a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage to set up Khalid Abdullah's game-clinching score with 2:36 to go. Another pick by Taylor Reynolds two plays later sealed the win. Abdullah rushed for 101 and two touchdowns, as he became the fourth player in school history to run for more than 3,000 yards. He also extended his school rushing-touchdown record to 35 scores.
Cornell Urquhart, the CAA Defensive Player of the Week, finished with five tackles, a blocked field goal and tipped a Villanova pass which resulted in Stone's late-game interception.
HOUSTON A FINALIST FOR NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Houston was named a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented to the national coach of the year in the FCS. It is Houston's second straight year on the list, as he was recognized while leading The Citadel last season.
Houston led JMU to an outright CAA championship this year for only the second time in program history. It was JMU's fifth-ever CAA title and sixth total in the 45-year history of the program. The Dukes have had their coach win the award on two occasions, both by Mickey Matthews (1999, 2008).
URQUHART EARNS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JMU's best defensive effort all year, coupled with a pair of pivotal plays, earned Cornell Urquhart CAA Defensive Player of the Week.
Urquhart made five tackles, but more importantly, blocked a short field goal in the third to keep the game tied at 7-7 and tipped a Zach Bednarczyk pass late in the fourth, in which Martez Stone intercepted. JMU's defense had four interceptions, forced three turnover-on-downs (two inside the 25) and blocked the field goal. The Dukes kept 'Nova scoreless in the red zone, as it was 0-for-3.
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NCAA GRANTS RAVEN A FIFTH YEAR
Mike Houston announced Raven Greene has been granted a medical waiver for a fifth season of eligibility for the 2017 season.
His sophomore season was cut short in 2014 after suffering a season-ending injury at Albany, just four games in. In his return last year, he was a Second Team All-CAA safety, registering 88 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, including his first career pick-six at William & Mary.
This season, he ranks second in the CAA in interceptions (5) and passes defended (11), while tallying 45 tackles with a fumble recovery.
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ABDULLAH RUNS OVER 3,000
Khalid Abdullah's 30-yard run in the fourth quarter at Villanova put him in elite company in JMU football's 45-year history. He became the fourth JMU player to reach 3,000 career rushing yards, as he now stands at 3,044 rushing yards.
Abdullah finished the game with 101 yards and two touchdowns. It was his seventh 100-yard game of the year and his sixth game with eighth game producing at least two total touchdowns. He has some space between him and third-place Dae'Quan Scott (2009-13), who ran for 3,332 yards with the Dukes.
CAA STANDINGS
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TWEET OF THE WEEK
PROMOTIONS – Click here for a complete list of 2016 promotions.
Heroes Day - JMU thanks all those who are local heroes. All military, police, fire, and EMS personnel can purchase tickets at a discounted rate. For more information, please contact the Athletics Ticket Office at (540) 568-3853.
Senior Player Recognitions - JMU Football will honor the senior class with a pregame recognition.
Dukes Rewards Bonus Game - JMU students who attend the game and check-in on their Dukes Rewards app will earn bonus points! Dukes Rewards is a FREE program for students to earn prizes for attending JMU Athletics events. Sign up today!
Puppy Pound Free Tickets Game #2 - All Puppy Pound members will have the opportunity to claim two (2) FREE tickets to the game - one for the member and one for a parent or guardian. Members will receive an email with information on how to claim their tickets in November. Not a Puppy Pound member? Join Now.
TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are still available at JMUSports.com or by calling 540-568-3853.
MADIZONE HD SPORTSNET
For those out of market, catch every home football game live on MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association. MadiZONE is powered through Stretch Internet and is free of charge. Curt Dudley serves as the play-by-play man for all home JMU video broadcasts and will be joined by color commentator Adam Coolbaugh. All MadiZONE broadcasts are produced by Telemedia Productions.
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. For select road games, Estes will join Thomas and Dudley for sideline duties.
LOOKING AHEAD
JMU's postseason future will be determined on Sunday, Nov. 20 for the FCS Selection Show, which airs live on ESPNU at 11 a.m. The only certainty of JMU's future is that it will be in the playoffs, having wrapped up the automatic qualifier by virtue of winning the outright CAA championship at Villanova. The Dukes are seeking a national seed and first-round bye for the second straight year. The first round of the playoffs is Nov. 26 and the top eight seeds will host second-round games on Dec. 3.
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MIKE HOUSTON FAN AND PRESS LUNCHEON
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday marks the fifth meeting between JMU and Elon in a series dating back to 1998. JMU owns a perfect 4-0 record against Elon, including a 3-0 mark on home soil. The Dukes have outscored the Phoenix 171-60 all-time, which includes a 51-0 win in the previous meeting at Elon on Oct. 17, 2015.
Last season, JMU posted its largest road margin-of-victory in program history in the 51-0 shutout. It was the first shutout since a 56-0 home win over Hofstra in 2008 and the first on the road since a 17-0 win at Villanova back in 2004.
JMU gained more than 600 yards of offense, including 406 on the ground. Cardon Johnson rushed for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns. Khalid Abdullah matched Johnson's two touchdowns while running for 75 yards, and Trai Sharp, making his collegiate debut, had 73 yards and a score.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA
The Phoenix enters Saturday's game with a 2-8 record, including a 1-6 mark in CAA play. Elon most recently fell 44-14 last Saturday to Rhode Island, but had a solid road win at William & Mary earlier in the year. EU averages 12.0 points per game and has failed to score more than 14 since its 27-10 win on Sept. 24 at W&M. It also allows its foes to score 27.5 per outing.
Daniel Thompson has thrown for 1,435 yards and three touchdowns, to go with nine picks. Malcolm Summers and De'Sean McNair have combined to run for 914 yards and four scores. John Silas and Chris Blair lead the defense with 73 and 72 tackles, respectively.
Rich Skrosky is in his third season at the helm and holds a 7-26 record at Elon. He also had an 8-34 career record, having spent one year as head coach at Ramapo in 1992.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| James Madison | Elon | |
| 46.2 | Scoring Offense | 12.0 |
| 24.4 | Scoring Defense | 27.5 |
| +21.8 | Scoring Margin | -15.5 |
| 213.7 | Passing Yards | 156.9 |
| 290.6 | Rushing Yards | 114.2 |
| 504.3 | Total Offense | 271.1 |
| 55% (72/132) | 3rd Down Offense | 29% (41/142) |
| 36% (47/129) | 3rd Down Defense | 43% (61/142) |
| 69% (9/13) | 4th Down Offense | 38% (6/16) |
| 47% (8/17) | 4th Down Defense | 53% (9/17) |
| 86% (54/63) | Red Zone Scoring | 79% (15/19) |
| 15/17/6 | Sacks/Interceptions/ Fumble Recoveries | 14/11/3 |
BACK-TO-BACK CAA CHAMPIONS!
JMU captured its fifth Colonial Athletic Association championship with a 20-7 win at then-No. 9 Villanova on Nov. 12. It was JMU's first time winning the conference in back-to-back seasons and just the second outright title, with the previous coming in 2008.
The Dukes smothered Villanova's offense, limiting the Wildcats to 239 yards while intercepting four passes, forcing three turnover-on-downs and blocking a field goal. VU finished 0-for-3 in the red zone.
Leading 13-7 with under four minutes to play, Martez Stone intercepted a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage to set up Khalid Abdullah's game-clinching score with 2:36 to go. Another pick by Taylor Reynolds two plays later sealed the win. Abdullah rushed for 101 and two touchdowns, as he became the fourth player in school history to run for more than 3,000 yards. He also extended his school rushing-touchdown record to 35 scores.
Cornell Urquhart, the CAA Defensive Player of the Week, finished with five tackles, a blocked field goal and tipped a Villanova pass which resulted in Stone's late-game interception.
HOUSTON A FINALIST FOR NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Houston was named a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented to the national coach of the year in the FCS. It is Houston's second straight year on the list, as he was recognized while leading The Citadel last season.
Houston led JMU to an outright CAA championship this year for only the second time in program history. It was JMU's fifth-ever CAA title and sixth total in the 45-year history of the program. The Dukes have had their coach win the award on two occasions, both by Mickey Matthews (1999, 2008).
URQUHART EARNS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JMU's best defensive effort all year, coupled with a pair of pivotal plays, earned Cornell Urquhart CAA Defensive Player of the Week.
Urquhart made five tackles, but more importantly, blocked a short field goal in the third to keep the game tied at 7-7 and tipped a Zach Bednarczyk pass late in the fourth, in which Martez Stone intercepted. JMU's defense had four interceptions, forced three turnover-on-downs (two inside the 25) and blocked the field goal. The Dukes kept 'Nova scoreless in the red zone, as it was 0-for-3.
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NCAA GRANTS RAVEN A FIFTH YEAR
Mike Houston announced Raven Greene has been granted a medical waiver for a fifth season of eligibility for the 2017 season.
His sophomore season was cut short in 2014 after suffering a season-ending injury at Albany, just four games in. In his return last year, he was a Second Team All-CAA safety, registering 88 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, including his first career pick-six at William & Mary.
This season, he ranks second in the CAA in interceptions (5) and passes defended (11), while tallying 45 tackles with a fumble recovery.
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ABDULLAH RUNS OVER 3,000
Khalid Abdullah's 30-yard run in the fourth quarter at Villanova put him in elite company in JMU football's 45-year history. He became the fourth JMU player to reach 3,000 career rushing yards, as he now stands at 3,044 rushing yards.
Abdullah finished the game with 101 yards and two touchdowns. It was his seventh 100-yard game of the year and his sixth game with eighth game producing at least two total touchdowns. He has some space between him and third-place Dae'Quan Scott (2009-13), who ran for 3,332 yards with the Dukes.
CAA STANDINGS
| School | CAA | Overall |
| #6 James Madison    | 7-0 | 9-1 |
| #7 Richmond | 5-2 | 8-2 |
| #13 Villanova | 5-2 | 7-3 |
| Maine | 5-2 | 6-4 |
| New Hampshire | 5-2 | 6-4 |
| Stony Brook            | 4-3 | 5-5 |
| Albany | 3-4 | 6-4 |
| Delaware | 2-5 | 4-6 |
| William & Mary      | 2-5 | 4-6 |
| Towson | 2-5 | 3-7 |
| Elon | 1-6 | 2-8 |
| Rhode Island | 1-6 | 2-8 |
TWEET OF THE WEEK
#CAAChamps #NewBreed pic.twitter.com/jmuRQ3Tewk
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) November 12, 2016
PROMOTIONS – Click here for a complete list of 2016 promotions.
Heroes Day - JMU thanks all those who are local heroes. All military, police, fire, and EMS personnel can purchase tickets at a discounted rate. For more information, please contact the Athletics Ticket Office at (540) 568-3853.
Senior Player Recognitions - JMU Football will honor the senior class with a pregame recognition.
Dukes Rewards Bonus Game - JMU students who attend the game and check-in on their Dukes Rewards app will earn bonus points! Dukes Rewards is a FREE program for students to earn prizes for attending JMU Athletics events. Sign up today!
Puppy Pound Free Tickets Game #2 - All Puppy Pound members will have the opportunity to claim two (2) FREE tickets to the game - one for the member and one for a parent or guardian. Members will receive an email with information on how to claim their tickets in November. Not a Puppy Pound member? Join Now.
TICKET INFORMATION
Single-game tickets are still available at JMUSports.com or by calling 540-568-3853.
MADIZONE HD SPORTSNET
For those out of market, catch every home football game live on MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association. MadiZONE is powered through Stretch Internet and is free of charge. Curt Dudley serves as the play-by-play man for all home JMU video broadcasts and will be joined by color commentator Adam Coolbaugh. All MadiZONE broadcasts are produced by Telemedia Productions.
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. For select road games, Estes will join Thomas and Dudley for sideline duties.
LOOKING AHEAD
JMU's postseason future will be determined on Sunday, Nov. 20 for the FCS Selection Show, which airs live on ESPNU at 11 a.m. The only certainty of JMU's future is that it will be in the playoffs, having wrapped up the automatic qualifier by virtue of winning the outright CAA championship at Villanova. The Dukes are seeking a national seed and first-round bye for the second straight year. The first round of the playoffs is Nov. 26 and the top eight seeds will host second-round games on Dec. 3.
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