Richmond Rivalry
Dukes hope to spoil Spiders’ Homecoming
By Brian Hansen, sports editor
Posted on October 26, 2006

There is no love lost between JMU and the University of Richmond.

This Saturday, the in-state rivals face off for the 24th time in their histories.

“We don’t like each other,” JMU senior quarterback Justin Rascati said. “We’re rivals and I don’t know of a lot of rivals that like each other.”

The Spiders lead the all-time series 13-10 including last year’s 18-15 win in Bridgeforth Stadium. The loss was JMU’s fourth of the season and was the final dagger in the Dukes’ playoff hopes.

It was a favor JMU hopes to return this season.

“We’re ready to go up there and get a rematch,” Rascati said. “There’s a lot on the line and we have a lot of seniors playing their last time against Richmond and we want to go out with a bang.”

The No. 13 Spiders sit at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic 10. A third loss would put them on the bubble for the Division I-AA playoffs. They are coming off a 28-24 loss to the University of Delaware and have lost two of their last three games.

Conversely for the fifth-ranked Dukes, a win over UR would all but lock up the A-10 South, giving them a two-game lead with three to play. However, JMU coach Mickey Matthews won’t let his team look beyond UR and toward the playoffs.

“There’s too much football left,” Matthews said about his team’s playoff prospects. “Let’s play four more games and then we’ll worry about where we stand.”

UR is led by its A-10 top-ranked defense, which this season is giving up 13.7 points per game, 243.6 yards per game and just 97.4 rushing yards per game.

“They have a suffocating defense,” Matthews said. “They are one of the few teams that can play defense by rushing their front four and dropping seven into coverage.”

Linebacker Adam Goloboski leads the team and is second in the conference in tackles with 67, which puts him 19 behind A-10 leader, JMU’s Akeem Jordan. Goloboski also has 9.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He had 17 tackles in UR’s loss to Delaware last Saturday.

Defensive end Sherman Logan leads the Spiders’ defense with three sacks this season.

“They’re real good, especially on defense,” Rascati said. “We need to execute and not make any mistakes in order to win.”

On offense, the Spiders are lead by running back Tim Hightower, who has rushed for 710 yards and four touchdowns on 130 carries this season. Josh Vaughn has also run for 432 yards and four touchdowns on just 65 carries.

“They are a team that likes to run the ball and play defense,” Matthews said. “We didn’t tackle them very well last season, and we’ll need to be better at that this season.”

Freshman cornerback Scotty McGee said, “The corners are going to need to come up and make tackles. We need to play assignment football.”

Another thing the Dukes need to improve on this time around is securing the football. In last season’s loss, the Dukes turned the ball over three times, once on an interception by Rascati and twice on fumbles, one each by Rascati and junior wide receiver L.C. Baker.

“We killed ourselves last year turning the ball over three times,” Rascati said.

JMU did receive some good news with senior running back Alvin Banks practicing at full speed Tuesday. He is expected to play Saturday.

Other injury concerns for the Dukes include freshman defensive end Trae Kenney, who is out for the game.

Freshman left guard Vernon Eason is questionable with an ankle injury and junior running back Eugene Holloman is expected to play. However, Holloman sat out of Tuesday’s practice with an ankle injury.

The kickoff for the game in Richmond is slated for 3 p.m. Saturday.