Dukes Hold Off VMI, 31-24, Advance to FCS Quarterfinals

Saturday, April 24

Harrisonburg, Va.

2 p.m.

James Madison University

6-0

VMI

6-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

VMI

James Madison

4/24/2021 7:45:00 PM | Football

Box Score Press Conference

HARRISONBURG, Va. – No. 3 seed James Madison rushed for over 300 yards, building a three-score lead, before holding off a feisty VMI squad, 31-24, in the opening round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium.

The Dukes improved to 6-0 on the year and advance to next weekend's FCS quarterfinals to face North Dakota on Sunday, May 2 at 6 p.m. The Keydets' season ended with a 6-2 overall mark.

Jawon Hamilton rushed for a career-high 171 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a JMU and FCS-record 99-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. His 171 rushing yards was the fifth-most by a JMU player in the postseason. Percy Agyei-Obese joined him over the century mark, tallying 110 yards and a score.

It was the first time this season JMU produced a pair of 100-yard rushers and the first time since the 2019 regular-season finale when the same pair achieved the feat at Rhode Island.

Cole Johnson threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns with a pair of interceptions and also tallied 28 yards on the ground. Rookie Antwane Wells Jr. turned in the best game of his young career, making four catches for 132 yards with a career-long, 62-yard touchdown catch. His 132 yards was the fourth most by a Duke in an FCS playoff game. Former Keydet Kris Thornton also had four receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown.

The defense forced VMI into three turnovers, all interceptions, with each coming at key times. Wesley McCormick picked off Seth Morgan in the end zone on VMI's initial offensive drive. Taurus Carroll registered his second interception in as many weeks on an underthrown ball in the second, setting up the Dukes' touchdown drive to end the half.

Arguably the biggest play by the JMU defense came with 9:03 to play when James Carpenter batted a pass up in the air at the line of scrimmage and intercepted Morgan for his first career takeaway.

MJ Hampton had a career-high eight tackles with a tackle for loss, while Que Reid made seven stops. Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey turned in six tackles with a half sack and pass breakup, and McCormick added five tackles with a pair of passes defended (PBU and INT).

JMU's offense was sparked by a prolific run game, as Hamilton's record run set the tone early. The Dukes tallied 209 of its 305 rushing yards in the first half alone to give JMU a 21-3 halftime lead.

Leading 7-3 after one, JMU put together a pair of long touchdown drives in the second, as Agyei-Obese punched it in from two yards out and Thornton later caught a 10-yard touchdown in the final two minutes of the half.

After a VMI touchdown cut it to 21-10 in the third, Johnson found a wide-open Wells Jr. down the sideline for a 62-yard score to bring the lead back to 18, at 28-10. The Keydets opened the fourth with a solid touchdown drive, as Jakob Herres caught an 11-yard pass to bring VMI to within 28-17 with 13:43 to play.

The teams traded interceptions in the fourth, and after an Ethan Ratke field goal pushed the lead up to 31-17, VMI scored a late touchdown with nine seconds to go for the final margin. The game was sealed when Solomon Vanhorse recovered an onside kick in the closing seconds.

VMI was paced by Morgan, who passed for 286 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 23 yards and a score. Herres made 13 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown, and the defense was led by Stone Snyder's 12 tackles.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

JMU and VMI combined for 912 total yards, with the Dukes out-gaining the Keydets, 509-403. That included a 305-117 advantage on the ground.
The Dukes won an FCS playoff game for the fifth straight season and have now won 10 consecutive postseason games at Bridgeforth Stadium.
Jawon Hamilton set the JMU and FCS playoffs record for longest play, with a 99-yard run with 6:13 left in the first quarter. That broke JMU's 30-year record of 95 yards, set previously by Joe Sparksman back on Nov. 10, 1990.
JMU averaged 6.8 per play, as opposed to VMI's 5.5 per snap.
The Dukes were 9 of 17 on third down, while VMI was limited to 5 of 16. However, VMI converted all four fourth-down attempts.
JMU won the turnover battle, 3-2, with all turnovers coming through the air.
The Dukes controlled time of possession by a 35:50 to 24:10 margin.

UP NEXT
JMU will host North Dakota in front of a national audience in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 2 on ESPN2. It will mark the first meeting between the Dukes and Fighting Hawks.