Hines' touchdown in OT lifts Dukes

TRAVIS CLINGENPEEL / senior photographer Red-shirt sophomore tailback Rondell Bradley rushes during Saturday's 34-31 overtime win over the College of William & Mary.

In the wake of what looked to be another disastrous ending to a football season, coach Mickey Matthews was finally given something to smile about.

The Dukes pulled a stunning 34-31 overtime upset of the College of William & Mary Saturday, that not only brought JMU within one win of .500 for the season, but also virtually knocked the Tribe out of postseason contention.

In overtime, after freshman linebacker Isai Bradshaw sacked W&M quarterback Dave Corely for a loss of seven yards, the Tribe's Greg Kuehn kicked a 42-yard field goal to give the W&M a 31-28 lead. The Dukes had one final chance to score, and on second-and-nine from the 24-yard line, freshman quarterback Jayson Cooke, who replaced sophomore quarterback Matt LeZotte midway through the second quarter, was able to scramble 23 yards, down to the one-yard line. Two plays later, red-shirt freshman tailback Raymond Hines was able to run untouched into the end zone, giving the Dukes the 34-31 win.

"I think we probably made some plays today we hadn't been making," Matthews said referring to both Cooke's play and the defensive stop by Bradshaw in overtime. "I thought the way we played in overtime really was encouraging for our future. I was concerned at the end of regulation, but we really played well on both sides of the ball."

Bradshaw, who was subsequently named Atlantic 10 defensive player of the week, said, "On the sack, I knew I was coming free. The back came towards me, and then I avoided him, and then I was right there, right in his face."

Cooke said that improved concentration and more productive practices were the key to his playing well against the Tribe, while motivation to win came from the seniors.

"When we came out it was 'let's do it for the seniors,'" Cooke said. "It was their last home game, they've been with us for leadership through the whole season, so I think it was like 'let's get this one for them.'"

JMU was able to hold the lead for most of the game, but early in the fourth W&M quarterback Dave Corely capped an eight play, 81-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ian Kemp, tying the score at 21-21. Corely finished the game 20-of-31 passing for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Matthews said despite playing good overall defense, his team should have done a better job containing the Tribe's quarterback.

"We didn't get much pressure on Corely," Matthews said. "I was really disappointed with how much pressure we got on him. I thought their offensive line handled us pretty well. We had to blitz to get any kind of pressure on him, and when we just rushed four, we didn't get there."

After each team went four-and-out, the Dukes got the ball back with 10:45 left to play. A 21-yard run on third-and-four by Hines, followed by an 11-yard run by Mallory set up first-and-ten from the Tribe's 48.

Two plays later, on third-and-six, Cooke handed the ball off to Connelly, who then proceeded to throw the ball down field to wide open red-shirt freshman tight end Casime Harris, who ran 44 yards for a touchdown, putting JMU up 28-21 with 7:18 left.

Corely then proceeded to lead W&M on a 13 play, 80-yard drive that lasted six minutes and 28 seconds. With just under one minute to play, Corely threw a one-yard touchdown pass to fullback Nick Rogers that tied the score at 28-28, and eventually sent the game into overtime.

Matthews commented on his team's big play making abilities in contrast to W&M's ability to control the clock.

"I thought it was an evenly played game," Matthews said. "If you notice the usual William & Mary and JMU games, usually we're the ones controlling the ball and going on long drives and their the ones big playing everyone. This was different because we were big playing them to death and they were controlling the ball on us, which was kind of a different twist on it."

The Dukes jumped out to an early 6-0 lead on a four-yard touchdown run in the first quarter by red-shirt senior Brannon Goins, capping a nine-play, 58-yard drive that used up just over four minutes.
JMU extended its lead on the following drive, this time going 68 yards in 14 plays. A four-yard touchdown pass from LeZotte to red-shirt sophomore tailback Rondell Bradley put the Dukes up 12-0, with LeZotte hooking up with red-shirt freshman wide receiver Nic Tolley for a two-point conversion to make the lead 14-0.

"When Matt threw that touchdown to Rondell, it was a very athletic play by Matt and a great catch by Rondell," Matthews said. "I think Nic Tolley's also really playing well. He's one of those guys that got an opportunity, and its hard to get him out of the lineup now."

On the ensuing kickoff, the Tribe's Stephen Cason returned the ball 57 yards to the JMU 40, setting up a seven-play drive that ended with Corely tossing a four-yard touchdown pass to fullback Corey Paxton, cutting the Dukes' lead to 14-7.

"The kickoff return when it was 14-0, that really was a huge momentum change," Matthews said. "I thought that really gave their sideline a big lift.

W&M was able to tie the game briefly in the third quarter on a 38-yard touchdown run by junior fullback Nick Rogers at 13:13, but JMU regained the lead 21-14, after a fumble recovery by Bradshaw at the Dukes' 49 lead to a 51-yard touchdown pass from Cooke to Mallory.

"Jason (Mallory) might get mad, but all I kept thinking was 'don't get brought down,'" Cooke said. "He didn't and he made a great play."

Matthews said he felt Cooke really grew up through his triumphs in this game, as well as through his tribulations in the Dukes' Oct. 19 game at the University of Richmond.

"I thought this about Jayson, and he would agree with this, I thought he learned a good lesson at Richmond," Matthews said. "He didn't play very well that night, and since then he has practiced very well and he has been to play, and I think our kids were had every confidence in the world that we could win that game with Jayson."