Maine Squeezed

JMU sinks Maine in second-straight conference win

by John Galle, senior writer

The last time the Dukes played the University of Maine they allowed 252 rushing yards but still managed to win in a fourth-quarter comeback. This time, they held the Black Bears to just 61 rushing yards and rolled to a 38-2 victory.

On the Dukes’ opening possession, junior running back Maurice Fenner scored on a 1-yard carry. After the defense forced a three-and-out, sophomore wide receiver L.C. Baker ran back a punt 57 yards for a touchdown ­— his second of the season with freshman backup quarterback Rodney Landers throwing the final block that sprung Baker.

“Our biggest domination today was in the kicking game,” JMU coach Mickey Matthews said. “I was surprised how well we handled Maine.”

According to Maine coach Jack Cosgrove, their game plan was to find success with the running game, which was the very thing JMU focused on stopping.

“We certainly felt that if we could execute to perfection and make big plays that we’d have a shot at this one,” Cosgrove said.

For the Dukes, their biggest plays were on defense. JMU managed to stop Maine in the red zone on fourth down — twice. 

The Black Bears’ first fourth-down attempt came with four and a half minutes left in the first half, down 21-0 on the JMU 12-yard line. They needed two yards to convert, but running back Montell Owens was dropped for a loss.

Maine was given a second chance when it recovered a fumble after blindsiding JMU junior quarterback Justin Rascati. With the ball back in the red zone, Maine got down to the 1-yard line.

Madison’s goal line package featured senior offensive guard Matt Magerko and junior offensive tackle Corey Davis.  The big, 300-pound offensive linemen were effective in stuffing the middle of the line of scrimmage on the defensive series.

After being stopped on first down, Owens dove up over his linemen, only to meet junior linebacker Akeem Jordan and sophomore linebacker Justin Barnes in mid-flight to deny him the touchdown. After a timeout, they tried to run it outside. Once again, Barnes got there in time to turn Owens sideways inside the 1-yard line. Maine went with a fade on fourth down that went incomplete. 

The Dukes were confident during their goal line stand, having practiced for that situation and have been working really hard on their red zone defense during their week of preparation, Mathews said.

“The biggest improvement is the play of our linebackers,” Mathews said. “[They were] very aggressive [and] very physical.”

Barnes said, “I don’t think I’ve seen a defense that emotional yet this year. Momentum was totally on our side after [the goal line stand].”

JMU scored on an efficient nine-play drive to start the second half when Rascati threw a seven-yard strike to senior tight end Sean Connaghan. Rascati finished with 163 yards on 13 of 15 passes for two touchdowns.  His other touchdown throw came in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard play-action pass to senior tight end Casime Harris.

JMU’s running game controlled the tempo of the game, despite being without injured senior running back Raymond Hines. Junior running back Alvin Banks and Fenner both rushed for over 80 yards and a touchdown, combining for 169 yards on the ground. 

The Dukes will try to take their winning momentum on a two-game road trip when they face the University of Massachusetts and Delaware University. The kickoffs are scheduled for 12 p.m. The Dukes will be back at Bridgeforth Stadium for their Homecoming matchup against the University of Richmond on Oct. 29.

Maine   0  0  0  2 — 2

JMU    14 7 10 7 — 38

Passing: Maine — Ron Whitcomb 18-28-0 0168; JMU — Justin Rascati 13-15-0 2 163.

Rushing: Maine — Montell Owens 20-42, Jerron Pearson 6-13, Ron Whitcomb 9-9, Chris Legree 1-6, Wellington Talk 2-2, Arel Gordon 1-(-11); JMU — Maurice Fenner 15-88, Alvin Banks 11-81, Marvin Brown 3-10, Rodney Landers 1-0, Justin Rascati 5-(-21).

Receiving: Maine — Arel Gordon 8-77, Kevin McMahan 5-47, Montell Owens 3-10, Ryna Waller 2-34; JMU — Casime Harris 3-27, Chris Hawkins 2-45, Ardon Bransford 2-25, Sean Connaghan 2-23, L.C. Baker 1-28, Tahir Hinds 1-13, Marvin Brown 1-2, Rodney Landers 1-0.

Records: Maine (3-2, 0-2), JMU (4-1, 2-0).