First-Quarter Surge Not Enough For Dukes In 56-28 Loss At UNC

Saturday, September 17

Chapel Hill, N.C.

3:30 p.m.

James Madison University

2-1

North Carolina

2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

North Carolina

First-Quarter Surge Not Enough For Dukes In 56-28 Loss At UNC

9/17/2016 7:15:00 PM | Football

Box Score @JMUFootball Box Score Box Score Highlights Press Conference Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – James Madison football's offense got out to a fast start, scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions, but was unable to stay with North Carolina, falling 56-28 in the non-conference finale on Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium.

The loss, the first of the season for the 11th-ranked Dukes, dropped them to 2-1 this season, while the Tar Heels improved to 2-1. UNC also moved to 3-0 all-time in the series.

Senior running back Khalid Abdullah rushed for a game-high 116 yards and two touchdowns, as he moved into a tie for ninth on JMU's all-time rushing touchdown list (23). He led all players with 154 all-purpose yards, adding a pair of receptions for 38 yards. Junior quarterback Bryan Schor finished 14-for-22 for 218 yards and a touchdown, both in the air and on the ground.

Redshirt junior running back Cardon Johnson tallied 140 all-purpose yards, with 72 rushing and a 68 on a single touchdown reception. Senior Domo Taylor led the receiving corps with a career-high six receptions for 66 yards. The Dukes gained 495 yards of total offense, rushing for 209 yards and passing for 286 more.

The first quarter was nothing short of offensive fireworks as JMU reeled off 222 yards of total offense to take a 21-14 lead. Abdullah scored both of his touchdowns and ran for 62 yards in the opening 15 to pace the offense. The Dukes moved the ball 82 yards on nine plays during the initial possession, with Abdullah's first score giving JMU the early 7-0 lead. After UNC answered back with a touchdown, JMU recaptured the lead at 14-7 when Abdullah punched his second in from a yard out to cap off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with 3:44 to go in the quarter.

UNC answered again, but only three plays later, Schor found a wide-open Johnson in the flats for a 68-yard touchdown. It was a career-long pass and catch for both Schor and Johnson. UNC produced back-to-back touchdowns to take its first lead at 28-21 and later grabbed a 35-21 advantage at halftime. JMU scored on its first drive of the second half, a Schor three-yard touchdown run, to trim the deficit to 42-28, but it would be the closest JMU would get as Carolina added two more scores in the home-opening win for the Heels.

Mitch Trubisky passed for a career-high 432 yards and three touchdowns while Elijah Hood rushed for 106 yards and two scores. T.J. Logan also had three runs for touchdowns, while Ryan Switzer made five catches for 101 yards and a score.

QUOTING COACH HOUSTON - COMPLETE PRESS CONFERENCE
"I'm very disappointed in the loss, and some of the mistakes that we made that were self-inflicted. North Carolina is a fantastically talented team. Coach Fedora has done a great job since he got here, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. The one thing I said we needed to do today was to make them earn what they got. We made some mistakes early that gave them easy scores that they didn't have to work very much [for]. That was our fault, but I'm proud of the way our kids fought and competed, and I am proud to be their head coach."

PLAY OF THE GAME

Running back Cardon Johnson catches a 68-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Bryan Schor to put the Dukes up 21-14 late in the first quarter.

KHALID RUNS WILD
For the second consecutive game and for the sixth time in his career, Khalid Abdullah surpassed the century mark, rushing for 116 yards on 18 carries, averaging 6.4 yards per touch. He also scored two rushing scores against the Tar Heels, moving him into a tie for ninth place on JMU's all-time rushing touchdowns list, with 23, tying Ron Stith (1973-76).

A LOOK AT LEADING DEFENDERS
Brandon Hereford led the defense with 11 total tackles, including a career-high 10 solo tackles at UNC. Making his first start in the secondary since 2014, Jimmy Moreland garnered seven tackles (six solo). Charles Tutt forced the lone turnover in Saturday's action, forcing and recovering an UNC fumble late in the fourth quarter to give the Dukes a +1 turnover margin.

UP, UP AND AWAY
Gunnar Kane continued to impress on special teams, as he averaged 45.0 per punt over his four boots on Saturday. Kane pinned UNC inside its own 20 yard line on three of his four punts. His long of 57 yards was just shy of his season-high 59 yarder, set last weekend against Central Connecticut State.

PHOTO OF THE GAME - view full photo gallery
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Jonathan Kloosterman celebrates with Bryan Schor after the QB's three-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter.

UP NEXT
JMU remains on the road for the second straight week when it flies north to face Maine in Orono on Saturday, Sept. 24 in the Dukes' Colonial Athletic Association opener. Kickoff is set for noon and will be televised on the American Sports Network.