Posted on November 15, 2007
After dropping two straight to Richmond and Delaware in games 8 and 9, the formula has been simple for JMU football: beat William & Mary and Towson or forget about the playoffs.
The Dukes (7-3 overall, 5-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association) took care of part one of the two-week challenge with a 55-34 dismantling of the Tribe (4-6, 2-5) and will try to finish the deal with another struggling team in the CAA South Division.
Towson (3-7, 1-6) will travel to Harrisonburg Saturday to meet the Dukes on Senior Day, an occasion that only further motivates the must-win for Madison.
“You never know what can happen with the playoffs and stuff; it could happen where this is the last game,” senior safety Tony LeZotte said. “But you know I’m gonna enjoy it and try not to think about it like that. If you think about it like that then more emotions than you want get brought into it, and you don’t focus on the game and play like you should.”
LeZotte became JMU’s all-time leading tackler among defensive backs against Northeastern and now sits on 400. He is one of five starting seniors on defense and will individually be making his 49th consecutive start against the Tigers. On the defensive line, tackle John Baranowsky and end Hassan Abdul-Wahid will also likely play their last games at Bridgeforth Stadium along with linebacker Justin Barnes and safety Nick Adams.
Baranowsky has been the charismatic and vibrant voice of the defense over the last two seasons after transferring to JMU from the University of Connecticut and has already felt the finality of his final collegiate season.
“It actually kind of set in two weeks, I had come out after a regular rep and was sitting off to the side, just watching some of the younger guys in there like Sam [Daniels] and Q [Quintrel Thomas],” Baranowsky said. “I just was kind of staring off into distance like wow I’m gonna miss this a lot.”
Madison won’t be missing its seniors too soon if it can take care of the Tigers decisively. The CAA received four bids to the 16-team playoff field in 2004, the year JMU won its national championship. Madison was a part of a Colonial group of three including Massachusetts and New Hampshire that made the tournament last year.
JMU sits in third place in the South Division and fourth in the conference behind UMass (8-2,6-1), Delaware (8-2, 5-2) and Richmond (8-2, 6-1).
According to Scott Meyer of the CAA, “All four teams remain in contention for the CAA Football automatic bid.” The statement released Monday explains that if a certain number of scenarios and tie-breakers don’t determine the bid; both Richmond and UMass lose and “James Madison wins (regardless of the Delaware outcome) itwill receive the automatic qualifier by virtue of a 6-0 mark against common CAA Football opponents.”
Providing UMass or Richmond wins, the Dukes will need to win and hope the NCAA selection committee shows their schedule favor.
The Dukes’ loss against Bowl Championship Series opponent North Carolina will not count against them, leaving them with only two Football Champion Subdivision (formally Division I-AA) losses. Both Delaware and Richmond are top-10 teams, and the two losses came by a combined total of four points.
JMU coach Mickey Matthews has relied on the running game in recent weeks and seen great production from redshirt freshman Griff Yancey, senior Antoinne Bolton and junior quarterback Rodney Landers.
The combo has been a three-headed monster the past two games, leading the Dukes to 403 rushing yards in the 37-34 loss to Delaware and 371 yards against William & Mary.
Yancey scored five touchdowns in the two games, including three in the first half against the Tribe and rushed for over 100 yards in both games. Bolton has the single-game high of the season for JMU with his 172-yard, two-touchdown effort at Delaware.
Landers set the school quarterback record for single-game rushing yards for the second time this season with his 171 yards against W&M.
Towson ranks ninth in the conference in rush defense, giving Madison more reason to keep the ball on the ground despite the return of top receiver L.C. Baker and tight end Mike Caussin from injury.
“We’re playing our best football of the year right now, the last two weeks,” Matthews said. “We got this turnover thing out of our system, and I think the last two weeks as hard as we’ve played we feel pretty confident.”
Don’t expect offensive coordinator Jeff Durden and the play-callers to neglect the big-play ability of the speedy Baker, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. The 5-foot-8 wide-out has 103 career receptions for 1,391 yards and 13 touchdowns and is currently tied for sixth all-time in JMU receiving touchdowns.
“Just to be back on the field is a pleasure,” Baker said. “I couldn’t wait to practice, I’ve never been so excited to practice. I’d say I’m about 95 [percent] plus, I expect to finish some big plays this week.”
Joining Baker on Senior Day from the offensive side of the ball is tight end Marvin Brown and Bolton.
Kickoff against Towson is set for 1:30 Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium.
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