#3 Dukes Dominate Black Bears, 55-7, in CAA Opener

Saturday, September 11

Harrisonburg, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

2-0 , 1-0

Maine

0-2 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Maine

James Madison

9/11/2021 9:55:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – #3 James Madison produced scoring production in all three phases and out-gained Maine by over 300 yards en route to a dominant 55-7 victory in its Colonial Athletic Association Football opener on Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium.

The Dukes improved to 2-0 (1-0 CAA), while the Black Bears fell to 0-2 (0-2 CAA).

JMU was prolific in the pass game, as quarterback Cole Johnson was 25-of-30 for 379 yards and four touchdowns, which included 305 in the opening half alone.

Wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. turned in one of the program's top receiving performances, reeling in eight receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were career highs.
His 179 yards was the ninth-highest receiving total in JMU history, as both of his touchdowns came on plays exceeding 50 yards.

In addition to Wells, Kris Thornton and Scott Bracey both had 71 receiving yards, with Bracey finding the end zone for the first time this season. Tight end Noah Turner also caught his first career touchdown on a 27-yard grab to open the scoring.

JMU racked up 133 rushing yards against the solid defensive front of Maine, led by Kaelon Black's 55 yards on nine carries. Latrele Palmer rushed for 41 yards, while Lorenzo Bryant Jr. scored his first JMU touchdown in the second half.

The Dukes also got plenty of production from the defense and special teams, scoring touchdowns in both areas. Francis Meehan intercepted his first career pass on a 31-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter, while Mateo Jackson and Desmond Green blocked a third-quarter punt, with Green scooping and scoring on a 6-yard punt return for a score.

Ethan Ratke also broke the FCS all-time scoring record by a kicker while tying the FCS record for most career field goals. He tied Dan Carpenter's scoring field goals record with his 413th point and 75th career field goal with 10:59 remaining in the third. Minutes later, he broke the scoring record on a PAT following Green's blocked punt for a touchdown.

Defensively, Greg Ross and Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey each tallied seven tackles, which was a career high for Ross and season best for Tucker-Dorsey. Tucker-Dorsey also added his first career full sack and a pass breakup. Isaac Ukwu was a force up front, collecting his first two career sacks with a breakup, while Bryce Carter tacked on 1.5 TFLs.

Leading 10-0 after the first, the Johnson-to-Wells connection put together back-to-back long touchdowns, as Johnson and Wells each had a career-long, 73-yard touchdown with 9:34 remaining in the half, followed by a 51-yarder to make it 24-0 at the break.

Following Ratke's scoring-record PAT that made it 34-0, Maine got on the board on a Derek Robertson 22-yard touchdown pass to Andre Miller. JMU responded with three more touchdown drives, as Bracey and Bryant Jr. found the end zone for the first time, while Meehan capped off the game with his pick-six.

GAME FACTS

It was JMU's largest margin of victory in the 19-game series with Maine, as it improved to 14-5 against the Black Bears.
JMU out-gained Maine 512-194 in total offense, which included a wide margin in the pass game, at 379-119.
The Dukes had the lone takeaway of the day on Meehan's pick-six, upping its season turnover margin to +5.
JMU was 4-of-10 on third down, while holding the Black Bears to a 4-of-16 clip. It was JMU's 10^th straight game holding a foe to under 50% on third down.
JMU produced 11 tackles for loss and four sacks, as opposed to Maine's one sack.
The Dukes have won 14 straight games against CAA opponents and improved to 21-8 all-time in league openers.
It was also JMU's 12th straight home regular season win by at least 14 points.
Ratke has now converted at least one field goal in 23 straight games, and the Dukes have a rushing touchdown now in 10 consecutive outings.
Dating back to last season, Johnson has thrown 12 touchdowns with just one interception in his last three starts.

UP NEXT
JMU hits the road next week, traveling to #10 Weber State on Saturday, Sept. 18. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT) at Stewart Stadium and will be streamed on ESPN+. It will be the furthest JMU has ever traveled for a game in its 50-season history.