Wet and wild, but still a win
JMU tops URI despite running half as many plays at Bridgeforth Saturday
By Brian Hansen, sports editor
Posted on October 9, 2006

For a majority of the game, the JMU football team looked more like the team that struggled against Bloomsburg University and Appalachian State than the team that won its last two games by a combined score of 97-21.

“I thought we were fortunate to win,” JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. “I’m just glad we won.”

It has been said that good teams find a way to win, but Madison took an unorthodox approach to beating Rhode Island 35-23.
“What a crazy game,” Matthews said during the post-game press conference.

JMU used scoring drives of three, four, four and two plays, while failing to find much rhythm offensively.

“We got the win and that’s all that matters,” Dukes senior quarterback Justin Rascati said. “Sometimes it’s ugly, but we found ways to win.”

After jumping out 10-0 with a 5-yard touchdown run by quarterback Derek Cassidy and a 47-yard Colin Gallagher field goal, the Rams gave up a big kick return to senior wide receiver Ardon Bransford that gave Madison the ball on the URI 36-yard line. Three plays later, senior running back Alvin Banks took the ball into the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown run.

“We started off a little sluggish,” Bransford said. “We needed a spark and [the kick return] was it.”

Bransford had two catches for 45 yards and one touchdown. The touchdown came with just six seconds left before halftime after the Dukes took the ball 64 yards in just four plays. On the scoring play, Rascati threw the ball up to Bransford despite a defender being right on his back, but the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder came down with the ball in traffic.

“I just went up and got it,” Bransford said. “[Rascati] trusts me to go up and get it. That’s the kind of relationship we have.”  

URI controlled the ball for over 37 minutes and ran 86 plays compared to JMU’s 47, but the Rams were unable to put the Dukes away when they needed to.

The Rams led 23-21 in the fourth quarter after stopping Madison twice on short yardage plays. Despite getting the ball back, URI was unable to do anything with the ball and forced to punt and hope their defense could make another stop.

They couldn’t.

Two plays later, junior running back Eugene Holloman took the ball 64 yards to the end zone to put the Dukes up for good.

“The offensive line was telling me ‘you can get outside,’” Holloman said. “I took it outside and it was clear.”

It was Holloman’s second touchdown run of the season. Both of his scoring runs have been over 60 yards. He finished Saturday with 20 carries for 142 yards and one touchdown.

“He’s just a really good player,” Matthews said. “He has great vision and he’s going to get nothing but better.”

On the other side of the ball, it was a tale of two defenses for JMU. Up front, Madison had eight sacks, including two by junior defensive tackle John Baranowsky. The Dukes also forced the Rams into two turnovers. In the second quarter, Madison got an interception from senior linebacker Akeem Jordan that set up a 26-yard touchdown pass from Rascati to senior wide receiver D.D. Boxley. The touchdown was Boxley’s first since the 2004 semifinal playoff game against William & Mary.

“I can’t explain the feeling,” Boxley said. “I was just so excited to get back in the end zone.”

The Dukes also recovered a fourth-quarter fumble by Cassidy that senior defensive end Kevin Winston took 28 yards for the game-sealing touchdown.

However, the Dukes secondary played their worst game of the season. They gave up 172 passing yards to the run-dominate URI team and dropped several sure interceptions.

“I thought our secondary played their worst game in eight years here,” Matthews said. “We did nothing right in the defensive backfield today.”

JMU also suffered several key injuries in the game. Banks, senior linebacker Isaiah Dottin-Carter and sophomore wide receiver Patrick Ward all left the game with ankle injuries. Their status for next week’s game is unknown.

The Dukes will want to be at full strength as they take on the nation’s No. 1 team in New Hampshire next Saturday.

“I’ve had this game mapped out all season,” Rascati said.