Defense to face ‘High’-powered Spiders

JMU will have to contain Richmond’s Tim Hightower and the CAA’s top rushing offense

By Tim Chapman, sports editor
Posted on October 25, 2007

On most fall Saturdays JMU football coach Mickey Matthews is pacing the sidelines with his game-time scowl, barking out instructions to his team.

But this past weekend the No. 6-ranked Dukes had a bye and Matthews spent the day watching televised college football, working in his yard and playing with his grandson Jackson.

By Sunday afternoon the team and the ninth-year coach were back to work preparing for Saturday’s Homecoming matchup against conference and in-state rival, No. 14 Richmond.

“I never really got away from it,” Matthews said of the off-week transition. “When we started [Sunday] at 1 o’clock we immediately went back to game-week mode.”

Madison started practice Monday, its usual day off, to focus the Spiders, (5-2 overall, 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association) a team that boasts the top rushing offense in the CAA. Senior tailback Tim Hightower has rushed for 1,099 yards to lead the conference in that category, while scoring 14 touchdowns.

“I think we’re gonna have to tackle well, tackle better and get [Hightower] down on the first try,” junior defensive tackle Sam Daniels said. “He might make one defender miss and run over a defender cause he’s a pretty good back.”

Despite being on a six-game win streak and rising to the top of the CAA South standings, Madison (6-1, 4-0) has struggled against the run in its last two conference wins over Northeastern and Rhode Island.

Both the Huskies and Rams amassed over 200 yards on the ground as NU’s Maurice Murray ran for 182 yards on 32 carries and URI’s Jerel Jones picked up 117 yards on just eight carries.

“Number one: if we tackle as poorly as we did against Maurice Murray, Hightower will have 300 yards against us,” Matthews said. “The second thing: if we allow an [84-yard] touchdown run like we did against Rhode Island, Hightower will have 400 yards against us. If we do not tackle him [and] play our best defensive game of the year, we’ll get beat.”

JMU senior defensive end Hassan Abdul-Wahid’s appearance is doubtful on Saturday with a knee injury, and senior safety Tony LeZotte will be playing with a cast on his wrist after receiving scaphoid bone surgery last week.

The Dukes have adapted well to injuries this year with continued strong play from veteran leaders like LeZotte and fellow senior safety Nick Adams. The Dukes have relied on three year All-Conference and All-American LeZotte and his leadership for four years, but Adams recent play has provided a needed spark on the defense.

Adams leads the defensive secondary with 50 tackles and has tallied 23 tackles and two interceptions in the last three contests.

“I just look at it like each week, we just need to go out there and play as a team and that’s what we’ve been doing,” Adams said.

Adams and the defense can take comfort in the fact that the offense will be able to counter Hightower and the Spiders with the second overall rushing offense in the CAA.

Despite losing starting tailback Eugene Holloman for the season following knee surgery in week five, junior quarterback Rodney Landers, senior tailback Antoinne Bolton and a slew of young backs have averaged 245 rushing yards per game.

Landers has carried most of the load, rushing for 712 yards and 7 touchdowns — the most of any CAA quarterback in both categories — and has thrown for ten touchdowns and 1,226 yards.

The Virginia Beach native will need to keep Richmond guessing on the pass or run like he has done to opponents all season, but he may be without top receiver L.C. Baker who’s playing time is questionable with a lingering hamstring injury.

Matthews described the Spiders defense as more aggressive than the squad the Dukes faced last year in a 27-10 victory in the Virginia capital.

“I think Richmond will try to do what they need to do to win,” Landers said. “I anticipate them having a game plan for us so we just need to be focused and bring our ‘A’ game.”

Kickoff is set for noon Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium and student tickets are being sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.