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James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Dukes Give It All In Final Game
1/6/2018 4:54:00 PM | Football
Although they fell in the title game, the 2017 James Madison football seniors go out as the most winning class in program history.
They are the only class to make four consecutive playoff appearances. They hold the program's longest win streak at 26 games, a streak that spanned almost two full seasons and included a national championship.
The only two losses in the Mike Houston era at JMU were to ACC foe North Carolina, who featured current Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, and to North Dakota State in the 2018 FCS Championship game.
That game was the epic match-up that FCS fans wanted all season, the dynasty of the Bison re-matched with the team that ended their run, and it lived up to the hype. It was a hard-fought contest that featured great defensive play, and came down to the very end.
The things that made the Dukes such a great team all year were on display in the national championship.
The defense, who entered the game leading the country by holding opponents to 10.7 points per game, held NDSU, who led the country in scoring margin, to just 17 points. The Bison didn't score at all in the second half.
"We stuck together. We stuck to our guns and kept pushing because we're a family and that's what we do. We kept giving it our all, we gave it our all to the last second," redshirt senior linebacker Kyre Hawkins, who had a game-high 10 tackles, said.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Simeyon Robinson caused havoc up front, totaling four solo tackles and a pair of sacks. He also flipped the field twice for the Dukes, forcing a fumble after a crushing hit on NDSU quarterback Easton Stick and blocking a Bison field goal.
Redshirt junior cornerback Jimmy Moreland, one of three JMU defensive backs in the top five in the country in interceptions, flew around the field for seven tackles and a pass breakup.
Always a dynamic special teams unit, redshirt freshman D'Angelo Amos dodged tacklers and sped for 87 yards on four punt returns.
On a team burdened with heavy turnovers and injuries on offense, the rise of redshirt sophomore wide receiver Riley Stapleton continued. After hauling in the game-tying touchdown in the quarterfinal win over Weber State, he recorded seven catches for 107 yards in the national championship, including an acrobatic grab off a defender's helmet along the sideline. Without making a catch in his career before this season, he ended the 2017 playoffs with 23 receptions, 428 yards and three touchdowns.
Finally, the leadership of senior quarterback Bryan Schor was evident. With 31 seconds left in the first half, he completed three consecutive passes to set up a field goal that cut the lead to 17-6. On the first offensive possession of the second half, Schor hit Terrence Alls for a first down, then ran 11 yards with a spin move down to the 5 yard-line to set up Marcus Marshall's touchdown to further cut the lead to 17-13.
"Being on campus and being around the students is special. But inside that locker room, we have something that nobody else has in the country. It's the comradery, the brotherhood, the family we have in there," Schor said about what he loves about JMU. "This is a bond that goes a lot further than a football field, I know I have these guys for the rest of my life. I've cherished these last four years."
Even though the ultimately fell short of their goal, the Dukes laid out everything they had this season. And for that, they will live on in JMU football history.
"This group has went out and played their hearts out every single weekend and represented James Madison in a first-class manner on and off the field," Houston said. "This group of seniors will not be forgotten. They're just a special, special group of young men and I'm fortunate to be their coach."
They are the only class to make four consecutive playoff appearances. They hold the program's longest win streak at 26 games, a streak that spanned almost two full seasons and included a national championship.
The only two losses in the Mike Houston era at JMU were to ACC foe North Carolina, who featured current Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, and to North Dakota State in the 2018 FCS Championship game.
That game was the epic match-up that FCS fans wanted all season, the dynasty of the Bison re-matched with the team that ended their run, and it lived up to the hype. It was a hard-fought contest that featured great defensive play, and came down to the very end.
The things that made the Dukes such a great team all year were on display in the national championship.
The defense, who entered the game leading the country by holding opponents to 10.7 points per game, held NDSU, who led the country in scoring margin, to just 17 points. The Bison didn't score at all in the second half.
"We stuck together. We stuck to our guns and kept pushing because we're a family and that's what we do. We kept giving it our all, we gave it our all to the last second," redshirt senior linebacker Kyre Hawkins, who had a game-high 10 tackles, said.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Simeyon Robinson caused havoc up front, totaling four solo tackles and a pair of sacks. He also flipped the field twice for the Dukes, forcing a fumble after a crushing hit on NDSU quarterback Easton Stick and blocking a Bison field goal.
Redshirt junior cornerback Jimmy Moreland, one of three JMU defensive backs in the top five in the country in interceptions, flew around the field for seven tackles and a pass breakup.
Always a dynamic special teams unit, redshirt freshman D'Angelo Amos dodged tacklers and sped for 87 yards on four punt returns.
On a team burdened with heavy turnovers and injuries on offense, the rise of redshirt sophomore wide receiver Riley Stapleton continued. After hauling in the game-tying touchdown in the quarterfinal win over Weber State, he recorded seven catches for 107 yards in the national championship, including an acrobatic grab off a defender's helmet along the sideline. Without making a catch in his career before this season, he ended the 2017 playoffs with 23 receptions, 428 yards and three touchdowns.
Finally, the leadership of senior quarterback Bryan Schor was evident. With 31 seconds left in the first half, he completed three consecutive passes to set up a field goal that cut the lead to 17-6. On the first offensive possession of the second half, Schor hit Terrence Alls for a first down, then ran 11 yards with a spin move down to the 5 yard-line to set up Marcus Marshall's touchdown to further cut the lead to 17-13.
"Being on campus and being around the students is special. But inside that locker room, we have something that nobody else has in the country. It's the comradery, the brotherhood, the family we have in there," Schor said about what he loves about JMU. "This is a bond that goes a lot further than a football field, I know I have these guys for the rest of my life. I've cherished these last four years."
Even though the ultimately fell short of their goal, the Dukes laid out everything they had this season. And for that, they will live on in JMU football history.
"This group has went out and played their hearts out every single weekend and represented James Madison in a first-class manner on and off the field," Houston said. "This group of seniors will not be forgotten. They're just a special, special group of young men and I'm fortunate to be their coach."
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