Dukes rout Wildcats 35-7

By Tim Chapman, sports editor
Posted on October 1, 2007

From week two to four it was much of the same for JMU football. Dominating offensive performances led to three consecutive wins by at least 17 points.

Saturday’s Colonial Athletic Association match-up with Villanova was no different. The Dukes (4-1 overall, 2-0 in the CAA) jumped on the Wildcats early and took a 21-0 lead into the half before cruising to a 35-7 win in front of a sold-out Family Weekend crowd of 15,035 at Bridgeforth Stadium.

“We executed the game plan very well,” JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. “I thought that [offensive coordinator] Jeff [Durden] had a very good game plan; throwing those little screens [was] very effective today.”

Durden implemented the screen passes in order to utilize Madison’s speed on the corners and exploit the bunched-in, 3-3-front played by Villanova’s defense. The result: two rushing and two passing touchdowns for junior quarterback Rodney Landers and 507 yards of total offense.

“The line protected well and the receivers did the rest. It was an easy day for me,” Landers said. “That defense [Villanova] is predicated on stopping the run, so we had to find another way to get it done, and today was through the air and out on the perimeter.”

The Virginia Beach native wasted no time getting the ball to the edges, completing all six of his first-possession passes. The first four attempts found senior wide out L.C. Baker on the other end of the pass and the quick receiver turned two of the screens into first downs.

On the thirteenth play of the opening drive Landers found sophomore tight end Mike Caussin wide open in the end zone for the first of his two touchdown receptions on the day.

“Rodney and I were talking about it after each of the touchdowns and we both saw the same thing and were just kind of amazed how there was nobody there,” Caussin said.

The Dukes didn’t strike again until the seven minute and 19 second mark of the second quarter. Junior kicker Dave Stannard missed a 39-yard field goal attempt early in the quarter, but Villanova’s offense was stagnant, punting the ball four times in the half.

The JMU offense pulled away before the break, as its needed only a combined 6:02 on its next two scoring drives. Landers got the Dukes back on the board for the second time when he sold the Wildcat defense on a fake handoff and ran it in untouched for the nine-yard score.

On Villanova’s next possession, sophomore quarterback Antwon Young hit senior Anton Ridley right in the hands, but the 6-foot-4 wide receiver couldn’t corral it and JMU senior safety Nick Adams pulled down his first career interception.

“It was a gift. I actually opened up too deep,” Adams said of his read on the play. “I went to cut [Ridley] and he missed it and it was ‘Happy Birthday Nick,’ right there.”

Madison converted the turnover into seven more points with a seven-play, 43-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown rush from freshman tailback Scott Noble.

In the second half the Wildcats continued to struggle against the no-huddle spread-offense of JMU. Landers efficiently moved the chains with short dump-offs and connected with nine different receivers; completing 25 passes on 32 attempts for a career high 300 yards.

Sophomore receiver Ray Brown had a breakout performance with 74 yards on six receptions. Brown saw more action when Baker left the game with a hamstring injury, while sophomore Rockeed McCarter received limited snaps after dropping his third pass in two weeks.

“Ray’s been making plays for us for a long time in practices so I knew he could make plays. It was just a matter of getting him the ball,” Landers said.

Villanova (3-2, 1-1) scored late in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard run by Young, but JMU tacked on two more touchdowns shortly before that. Landers hit Caussin again in the end zone from 18 yards out and then ran in his second touchdown of the day one possession later.

The Dukes have to wait until next Saturday to take on conference foe Northeastern, although senior defensive tackle John Baranowsky was ready to play again Saturday following the easy win.

“The offense played a great game and I was talking with the other defensive players and we’re ready to play another one, we’re not even tired,” Baranowsky said. “I’ll go out again and say ‘Coach, we’ll have practice at six and get something out of it tonight.’”