JMU Duke Dog
October 3rd, 2005, 05:04 PM
http://www.jmusports.com/Team/Stories/2_3360.asp?TeamID=2&NewsID=3360
HARRISONBURG, Oct. 3, 2005 – The James Madison University football team plays its Family Weekend game Saturday (Oct. 8) by hosting the University of Maine for the first time in three seasons. The Dukes and visiting Blacks Bears have played the last two seasons in Orono, Maine, with each team posting one series win during the last two years.
Both teams enter the game after impressive efforts a week ago. JMU opened its Atlantic 10 season with a 42-10 victory at Hofstra while Maine defeated non-league foe Albany 31-7 in a game play in Portland, Maine. JMU will take a 3-1 record into the game, and Maine is 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Atlantic 10. The Bears lost 26-21 Sept. 17 at home to Richmond in their conference opener.
Maine also this season has played Division I-A Nebraska, losing 25-7 in a very competitive road game, and non-Division I-AA member William Penn (28-0 victory).
The Series
JMU holds a 6-4 lead in the series overall and a 3-1 advantage in games in Harrisonburg. Last season the Dukes won 24-20 in Orono, Maine, snapping the Black Bears’ three-game series winning streak and giving JMU its first victory there since 1997.
The teams first played in 1995 with the Dukes winning 21-17 at Maine, and JMU won the first four series games before Maine in 1999 handed the Atlantic 10 co-champion Dukes their only league loss (26-20) during a Division I-AA playoff season. That game started a three-game home series winning streak for the Bears and a period during which they won four of five series games overall.
Maine won the last series meeting in Harrisonburg, 17-6 in 2002.
Three of JMU’s series wins have come in dramatic fashion. In 1995 the Dukes won 21-17 at Maine on Mike Cawley’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Macey Brooks with 0:37 to play. JMU won 24-22 at Maine in 1997 on Greg Maddox’s 59-yard scoring pass to Lindsay Fleshman with 1:34 remaining, and the Dukes won 24-20 last season on Justin Rascati’s 23-yard scoring toss to D.D. Boxley with 0:48 left.
Last Season
JMU scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns after falling behind 20-10 and won on Boxley’s 23-yard scoring catch from Rascati with 0:48 to play.
JMU’s game-winning, four-play drive covered 55 yards and took only 24 seconds following a 35-yard punt return by L.C. Baker. The game-winning catch was his career-high 11th reception of the game for Boxley, who finished with a career-high 108 receiving yards.
JMU looked to have missed on its final scoring chance when the Dukes turned the ball over on downs at the Maine 45 with 2:21 left. However, the Bears advanced only to the 50 in three plays before punting to Baker.
JMU had pulled to within 20-17 with 14:54 left when Rascati scored on a seven-yard scramble four plays after Akeem Jordan’s 44-yard interception return to the Maine 19.
JMU took a 10-6 halftime lead only to see Maine put together consecutive scoring drives during the third quarter. The Bears held JMU without a first down on the first second-half series and went 54 yards for a touchdown during their initial series of the final half. They drove 68 yards in five plays to score on their second possession.
JMU went in front 10-6 with 1:36 left in the half when Rascati hit Chris Iorio with a five-yard touchdown pass to complete a 76-yard, 11-play drive. The Dukes had gotten possession on an interception by Tony LeZotte two plays after losing a fumble in Maine territory.
LeZotte was named the Atlantic 10’s co-rookie of the week after taking part in nine tackles.
HARRISONBURG, Oct. 3, 2005 – The James Madison University football team plays its Family Weekend game Saturday (Oct. 8) by hosting the University of Maine for the first time in three seasons. The Dukes and visiting Blacks Bears have played the last two seasons in Orono, Maine, with each team posting one series win during the last two years.
Both teams enter the game after impressive efforts a week ago. JMU opened its Atlantic 10 season with a 42-10 victory at Hofstra while Maine defeated non-league foe Albany 31-7 in a game play in Portland, Maine. JMU will take a 3-1 record into the game, and Maine is 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Atlantic 10. The Bears lost 26-21 Sept. 17 at home to Richmond in their conference opener.
Maine also this season has played Division I-A Nebraska, losing 25-7 in a very competitive road game, and non-Division I-AA member William Penn (28-0 victory).
The Series
JMU holds a 6-4 lead in the series overall and a 3-1 advantage in games in Harrisonburg. Last season the Dukes won 24-20 in Orono, Maine, snapping the Black Bears’ three-game series winning streak and giving JMU its first victory there since 1997.
The teams first played in 1995 with the Dukes winning 21-17 at Maine, and JMU won the first four series games before Maine in 1999 handed the Atlantic 10 co-champion Dukes their only league loss (26-20) during a Division I-AA playoff season. That game started a three-game home series winning streak for the Bears and a period during which they won four of five series games overall.
Maine won the last series meeting in Harrisonburg, 17-6 in 2002.
Three of JMU’s series wins have come in dramatic fashion. In 1995 the Dukes won 21-17 at Maine on Mike Cawley’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Macey Brooks with 0:37 to play. JMU won 24-22 at Maine in 1997 on Greg Maddox’s 59-yard scoring pass to Lindsay Fleshman with 1:34 remaining, and the Dukes won 24-20 last season on Justin Rascati’s 23-yard scoring toss to D.D. Boxley with 0:48 left.
Last Season
JMU scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns after falling behind 20-10 and won on Boxley’s 23-yard scoring catch from Rascati with 0:48 to play.
JMU’s game-winning, four-play drive covered 55 yards and took only 24 seconds following a 35-yard punt return by L.C. Baker. The game-winning catch was his career-high 11th reception of the game for Boxley, who finished with a career-high 108 receiving yards.
JMU looked to have missed on its final scoring chance when the Dukes turned the ball over on downs at the Maine 45 with 2:21 left. However, the Bears advanced only to the 50 in three plays before punting to Baker.
JMU had pulled to within 20-17 with 14:54 left when Rascati scored on a seven-yard scramble four plays after Akeem Jordan’s 44-yard interception return to the Maine 19.
JMU took a 10-6 halftime lead only to see Maine put together consecutive scoring drives during the third quarter. The Bears held JMU without a first down on the first second-half series and went 54 yards for a touchdown during their initial series of the final half. They drove 68 yards in five plays to score on their second possession.
JMU went in front 10-6 with 1:36 left in the half when Rascati hit Chris Iorio with a five-yard touchdown pass to complete a 76-yard, 11-play drive. The Dukes had gotten possession on an interception by Tony LeZotte two plays after losing a fumble in Maine territory.
LeZotte was named the Atlantic 10’s co-rookie of the week after taking part in nine tackles.