Conference showdown
Dukes battle No. 1 Wildcats for A-10 supremacy
By John Galle, sports editor
Posted on October 12, 2006

The JMU football team (4-1) will once again play the No. 1 team in Division I-AA on the road, only this time it will be against the nation’s top-scoring offense — the University of New Hampshire (5-0).

The Wildcats clinched the top spot in early September, when they beat Division I-A Northwestern, 34-17.

“They’re very deserving of their No.-one ranking,” JMU head coach Mickey Matthews said.

The Dukes are ranked 13th in the Oct. 9 Top 25 poll and haven’t played the Wildcats since 2003. The all-time series with UNH is tied 5-5, with the two teams splitting on the past four meetings.

Junior tailback Eugene Holloman is expected to start, Matthews said, and will be backed up by senior Maurice Fenner and junior Antoinne Bolton. Senior tailback Alvin Banks did not practice Tuesday and is not expected to play against UNH.

Although JMU had some trouble keeping Rhode Island off the scoreboard last Saturday, the Dukes are anxious to take the series lead against the Wildcats this Saturday.

But it won’t be easy.

UNH is the top-scoring offense in Division I-AA, averaging 46.2 points per game. Their tandem of junior quarterback Ricky Santos and senior wide receiver David Ball are two big reasons why.

The Dukes’ defense will have their hands full, or possibly empty, as Santos has yet to throw an interception this season. Santos has hit on over 70 percent of his passes for 1,074 yards and 14 touchdowns. On the ground, he has 225 yards on 47 carries and five scores.

Matthews said a great pass rush will be vital to disrupting the Wildcats’ offense.

“You’ve got to put pressure on their offense,” Matthews said. “Pressure on offense is what causes turnovers. We’re ranked like 112th in the nation in getting turnovers, and we’ve got to improve that statistic.”

The Dukes’ secondary will also face the new Division I-AA touchdown record holder in Ball. He has six touchdowns this season and 51 for his career. Jerry Rice previously held the record of 50 scores while playing at Mississippi Valley State from 1981-’84.  Ball broke the record in last week’s win over 10th-ranked University of Richmond.

“They’re a juggernaut on the offensive side of the ball,” JMU senior safety Tony LeZotte said. “We’re just going to have to come out, try not to give up big plays, and make them earn all their yards.”

Matthews said another key to this matchup will be winning the turnover battle. The Wildcats have a mere two turnovers in their last five games, while forcing 12.

“Last year, in 13 games they [forced] 47 turnovers,” Matthews said. “I’ve never heard of getting that many turnovers. That’s almost one [per] quarter.”

JMU senior quarterback Justin Rascati will face a defense that features cornerback John Clements, who received national honors for his 11 tackles (nine solo) and two interceptions against Richmond last weekend.

“Their [defensive] scheme confuses a lot of people,” Rascati said. “The best thing about their defense is they create turnovers, and when you do that, it creates a lot of opportunities for your offense, which I think is why they score so many points.”

Coming into the midpoint of the season, this game could be the biggest one for Madison all year. Both teams go into Saturday’s contest undefeated in conference play at 2-0.

“We’re two of the premiere teams in the conference in the nation,” Matthews said. “It has all the makings of a great college football game.”

Kickoff is set for 12:05 p.m. in Durham, N.H.

The game will be televised on channel 15 through Adelphia and on channel 63 through NTC.