Dukes drop hammer on Hens
No. 4 JMU clinches Atlantic 10 South, looks to host in playoffs
By John Galle, sports editor
Posted on November 6, 2006

The JMU football team picked up its seventh straight win of the season at Bridgeforth Stadium on Senior Night, as the Dukes lit up the scoreboard 44-24 over the University of Delaware in front of the third-largest crowd in JMU history.

“It felt like Senior Night to me,” JMU senior quarterback Justin Rascati said. “It was really sad going out there with your parents, realizing this could be the last game.

With the win, Madison clinched the Atlantic 10 South title outright and with two games left to play, the Dukes are hoping this won’t be their last game at home this season.

“The fans are just unbelievable here,” Rascati said. “They give us great energy. So, I hope we can get back here [for the playoffs].”

Rascati was 14-of-20 for 211 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 13 times for 79 yards, putting him over 1,000 yards rushing for his career.

The Blue Hens came out of the gate fighting and took the lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Kervin Michaud, capping an eight-play, four-minute opening drive. Michaud was filling in for the injured Omar Cuff, who taxed JMU for a career-high 236 yards rushing and four scores last year.

Delaware’s 7-0 lead was short-lived. Madison responded with four unanswered touchdowns, three of which were plays of more than 50 yards.

Junior tailback Eugene Holloman broke a 50-yard touchdown to tie the game. Then, just before the end of the first quarter, Rascati found senior wide receiver Ardon Bransford on a corner route to take the lead for good.

“At the beginning of the year, we weren’t really clicking,” Bransford said. “It was only a matter of time, we got healthy and started clicking and that’s what’s going on.”

In the second quarter, Holloman one-upped himself and broke an 80-yard run for his second touchdown of the day on the first play of the drive. Holloman finished with 171 yards on 15 carries.

At the half, the Dukes’ defense got a chance to rest, as the Dukes led 20-7.

“At halftime we were only down by 13,” Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco said. “That’s not a deficit we haven’t come back from before.”

Madison didn’t make it any easier.

Again on an opening play of a drive, the Dukes scored as Rascati hooked up with senior wide receiver D.D. Boxley for a 70-yard strike.
Delaware added a 36-yard field goal in the third after enduring an 18-play drive that went just 50 yards.

Senior linebacker Akeem Jordan, who finished with a game-high 14 tackles and two for loss, led JMU’s defense. As a unit, the Dukes allowed 20 yards rushing, forced two fumbles and had four sacks. In comparison, Delaware’s defense allowed a school-record 542 yards of total offense, as JMU racked up 331 yards on the ground and another 211 through the air.

After finding both of his senior wide-outs, Rascati threw his final touchdown pass to junior L.C. Baker at the end of the third.

The Dukes’ offense slowed down in the fourth quarter. After Rabil added a 31-yard field goal, Flacco scored twice. His first came on a 3-yard run and his second on a 5-yard pass play to tight end Ben Patrick. However, sandwiched between the scores, freshman defensive end Arthur Moats scored on a 22-yard fumble return for Madison.

JMU has Villanova and Towson left on the schedule, with the chance to host a playoff game in the balance.

“We want to be the first team to win 10 games in the regular season,” Matthews said. “We want to win the [A-10], so we need to win these next two games.”

Notes: Rascati’s first-quarter touchdown pass to Ardon Bransford gave him 43 for his career at JMU. That passed Mike Cawley (1993-’95) on the all-time list. Rascati finished the day with 45 career touchdowns … Rabil hit his first two extra points to give him 76 consecutive extra points made to break the all-time mark at JMU. Rabil missed his next extra point … Saturday’s attendance was 16,144, the third largest home crowd in JMU history ... Senior running back Maurice Fenner returned from a two-game suspension and saw some playing time for the Dukes ... Arthur Moats’ 22-yard fumble return was the fourth defensive touchdown scored by the Dukes this season.