Blue Hen News

The 53 yards of total offense shatters a single-game record for the Richmond defense. 

Nov. 15, 2008 - http://richmondspiders.cstv.com

RICHMOND - Thanks to a record-breaking day on defense and another impressive ground game from senior TB Josh Vaughan, No. 7 Richmond rolled over Delaware, 31-14, Saturday on Senior Day at UR Stadium. The Blue Hens managed just 53 yards of total offense, which is a single-game record by the Spider defense. 

Vaughan, the reigning CAA Football and National Offensive Player of the Week, posted his fourth-consecutive game of 156+ yards rushing with 156 on a career-best 40 carries. He scored once, snapping his streak of five-consecutive games with at least two rushing TDs. 

The win - Richmond's fourth in a row - improved the Spiders to 8-3 overall, 5-2 in CAA Football and secured the team's second-consecutive season with eight or more wins and the third in the last four years. Delaware (4-7, 2-5), a season removed from playing for the FCS National Championship, has dropped two straight and three of four to Richmond. The seven losses by UD ties a program high. 

The Spiders out-gained the visitors 441-53, but Delaware returned two of Richmond's season-high four turnovers for touchdowns to account for its scoring. The 53 yards of total offense allowed by Richmond shattered the previous record of 81 by William & Mary on Nov. 24, 1955 - a 6-6 tie with the Tribe. The yardage also marks a program-low for Delaware (56 versus Northeastern in 2001). 

Richmond held a 23-3 edge in first downs, a dominating 251-5 advantage in rushing yards, ran 38 more plays and held the ball for 42 of the game's 60 minutes. It marked the fourth-straight game and eighth time this season that the Spiders have allowed less than 100 yards rushing. The three total first downs and one rushing first down allowed each tied Richmond defensive records. 

Sophomore LB Jordan Shoop made a team-high eight tackles, while four different Spiders - including Shoop - each collected sack. In his final regular-season game at UR Stadium, senior DE Sherman Logan had seven stops, a sack and a 2.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt freshman CB Tremayne Graham made three punishing hits to tie a career-high in tackles (three). 

But Delaware held the lead for 21 of the game's first 30 minutes as Tyrone Grant returned an Eric Ward interception 57 yards for a touchdown at the 6:19 mark of the first quarter to open the scoring. 

With the wind gusting hard in his face, Andrew Howard boomed a 43-yard field goal that trimmed Delaware's lead to 7-3 late in the period. 

Richmond seized control after that. 

The Spiders gambled on fourth and one at the UD 27 and Ward hit senior TE Joe Stewart for a 27-yard TD strike that put Richmond in front midway through the second quarter and capped a 12-play, 78-yard drive of nearly seven minutes. 

A Vaughan TD run of 11 yards late in the first half gave the Spiders a 17-7 lead and Ward rushed from one-yard out early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-7. 

The opportunistic Delaware defense kept the Blue Hens within striking distance as Charles Graves scooped up a Vaughan fumble and rumbled 45 yards for a TD just a minute after Ward's touchdown. 

Another Richmond senior, FB John Crone, sealed the deal with his bruising six-yard TD run at the 3:55 mark of the fourth quarter. Ward rushed for 21 yards on the drive and then completed back-to-back passes to Tre Gray and Kevin Grayson of eight and 10 yard to keep the chains moving. 

Ward finished the game 16-of-24 passing for 190 yards and TD, but was picked twice. The junior QB also rushed nine times for 77 yards. Grayson reeled in six passes for 61 yards, while Gray made four catches for 48 yards and Stewart had three for a career-best 54 yards. 

Sophomore LB Patrick Weldon had four tackles and an interception, while Brooks York pounced on loose ball after a Richmond squibbed kickoff caromed off a UD player. 

Richmond returns to action next weekend with a pivotal regular-season finale at long-time rival William & Mary. The Tribe (7-3, 5-2), which had its five-game winning streak snapped today at No. 1 James Madison, has dropped three straight to the Spiders. 

=======================================

Chattanooga: FCS final will move to January

By John Frierson, The Chattanooga Times Free Press
11-14-08

The plan for expansion of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs is
set, NCAA director of football and baseball Damani Leech said Tuesday, and
the 2010 championship game will be played on Jan. 5, 2011, the night before
the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Chattanooga's Finley Stadium has been the title game's home since 1997, and
the game has traditionally been played on the Friday before the third
Saturday in December, such as this year's game on Dec. 19.

Leech said the latest expansion proposal was approved earlier this month by
both the FCS committee and the NCAA Sport Management Cabinet, and it will be
presented in its final form to the NCAA Presidents Advisory Group today in
Indianapolis.

"It has been approved at this point, it's set, and what's happening tomorrow
is just the presentation of the updated proposal," Leech said.

Beginning in 2010, the playoffs will expand from 16 to 20 teams and thus
require an extra round of games. They will begin as they do now, a week
after the regular season ends. The semifinals will be played on that third
weekend in December and then the title game will be played between Dec. 29
and the BCS title game, depending on ESPN's schedule, Leech said.

"I think this opens up some pretty interesting possibilities," said Tom
Yeager, commissioner of the Colonial Athletic Association. "At the end of
the day, there's questions about what is good for the regular season and
what can help the championship grow. There could some be some neat tie-ins
(by putting the title games back to back)."

When playoff expansion was discussed last year, two of the other proposals
for how to deal with the extra round of the playoffs were to start the
season a week earlier or eliminate the off week. Neither idea was popular
for a variety of reasons, Leech said, but most of the FCS conferences
approved the date change. The two that didn't were the Southern Conference,
home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the host school for the
title game, and the Big Sky.

"One of the big concerns we had, and I know the Big Sky had similar
concerns, was that we would lose the momentum that we've built over the
years," SoCon commissioner John Iamarino said. "We felt like the path of
least resistance was to eliminate the open week, which would allow us to
keep the championship game where it was."

UTC athletic director Rick Hart is also against the switch.

"I don't personally think this decision is in the best interests of the
game," he said Tuesday. "I think it could significantly impact a lot of the
equity that has built up in the game.

Because of the flexibility with the dates, Hart said, "it's going to be
challenging, year to year, to commit to a game, not only as a host
institution, when you don't know when it's going to occur."

A Finley Stadium-record crowd of 23,010 attended last year's championship
game between Appalachian State and Delaware, and local interest and
attendance has grown dramatically in recent years.

For the Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee, which coordinates
the event, the primary issue with expansion was keeping the game and
game-week activities from taking place right around Christmas, which would
create staffing problems and likely affect ticket sales.

"The thing that we absolutely wanted to avoid (playing around Christmas), we
avoided," Sports Committee president Merrill Eckstein said. "One of the
advantages would be a 'National Championship Week,' if ESPN promoted it that
way. It could end up giving us a heck of a national TV audience and we could
do well at the gate as well.

"The reaction here would be, let's go do it in 2010 and see what happens."

Chattanooga has a contract to host the game this year and in 2009, as well
as an exclusive negotiating window to host the game the next two years.
Eckstein said in the past the committee has always opted for a two-year
contract, but because the move to late December or early January would be
such a dramatic change, he would consider a one-year deal for 2010 to see
how it goes before committing to anything beyond that.

"We love having the game in Chattanooga," Leech said, "and we want the game
to stay in Chattanooga."

Chattanooga: FCS final will move to January
===================================

Delaware Survives Tiger Rally, 31-21 
Courtesy: Towson Tiger website
11/08/2008

NEWARK, Del. – After dominating the first half of its Colonial Athletic Association game against Towson University on Saturday, the University of Delaware may have had thoughts of finishing off a relatively easy one-sided win over the Tigers. But, the Blue Hens were forced to survive a furious second half rally by Towson before escaping with a 31-21 victory before a crowd of 20,720 at Delaware Stadium.

The Blue Hens, who built a 14-0 halftime lead, withstood a rally which saw their lead trimmed to 24-21 with 11:51 remaining in the game. Delaware (4-6, 2-4) clinched the win with a time-consuming 75-yard, 12-play drive that resulted in a 4-yard touchdown run by Junior Jabbie with 5:43 remaining. Jabbie’s second touchdown of the game gave the Blue Hens a 31-21 advantage.

“Big plays continue to hurt us,” lamented Towson Coach Gordy Combs. “Allowing a 98-yard kickoff return while we were trying to come back was huge. We had just scored and we were excited. Then, Butler made a great play and brought it all the way back. Even though we responded with another touchdown drive, it was still a disappointment for our team.”

The Tigers (3-7, 1-5), who were dominated in the first half, were fortunate to be trailing by just 14-0 at intermission. In the first half, the Blue Hens piled up 250 total yards and held Towson to just three first downs and 29 total yards. But, the Blue Hens had squandered several opportunities to increase their first half lead and put the game out of reach.

On the Tigers’ second possession of the third quarter, senior quarterback Sean Schaefer gave his team an emotional lift when he fired an 84-yard touchdown pass to 6-8 senior Tommy Breaux. The 84-yard TD play matched the fourth-longest pass play in school history. It was also the second time in his career that Schaefer had thrown an 84-yard TD pass. In 2005, he completed an 84-yard TD play to Marcus Lee in a win over Villanova.

Schaefer, who was held to 56 passing yards in the first half, lofted a perfect pass down the Towson sideline to Breaux, who caught the ball at the 40-yard line and ran away from the Blue Hens and into the end zone. It was Breaux’s third TD reception in the last four games.

“Tommy is a freakish athlete,” praised Schaefer. “He is 6-8, has great hands and he runs like a horse. Tommy’s been playing very well the last few weeks. He understands football better and he has become much more passionate about the game. He used to be very quiet – but now he is excited on the field.”

After the 84-yard TD pass cut their lead to 14-6, the Blue Hens blocked Mark Bencivengo’s conversion kick, holding the score at 14-6.

Moments later, junior Jerry Butler sprinted 98 yards with the ensuing kickoff for his second kickoff return for a TD this season. The conversion kick by junior Jon Striefsky gave Delaware a 21-6 lead with 11:06 remaining in the third quarter.

The Tigers responded with another efficient scoring drive. With Schaefer completing six-of-six passes for 73 yards, the Tigers marched 73 yards in six plays for another TD. A 15-yard touchdown pass from Schaefer to junior Casey Cegles with 8:24 left in the third quarter cut the Tigers’ deficit to 21-13 after Bencivengo’s conversion kick.

On their next possession, the Blue Hens drove to the Tigers’ 16-yard line where the Tiger defense held, forcing Delaware to settle for another field goal attempt by Striefsky. When he connected on the 28-yard field goal, the Blue Hens owned a 24-13 advantage with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter.

After Schaefer was sacked and fumbled at the Delaware 45-yard line, defensive tackle Brandon Gilbeaux recovered and returned the ball to the Towson 27-yard line.

But, the Tiger defense came up with a big play when junior linebacker Alex Butt intercepted a pass at the Towson 18-yard line to get the ball back for the offense.

Once again, Schaefer directed an impressive drive. After a 13-yard scramble to the Delaware 24-yard line, Schaefer fired his third touchdown pass of the game when he threw a 24-yard scoring strike to junior David Newsom, finishing off an 82-yard, 11-play drive. The touchdown pass cut the Tigers’ deficit to 24-19 with 11:51 left in the game.

When Schaefer completed a pass to sophomore Hakeem Moore for the two-point conversion, the Tigers’ deficit was only 24-21 with plenty of time remaining in the game.

Needing a time-consuming drive to re-acquire the momentum, the Blue Hens responded. On their first offensive play, Jabbie ran for 14 yards to the Delaware 39-yard line. A 23-yard pass from freshman quarterback Lou Ritacco to Martwain Johnston moved the ball into Towson territory at the 38-yard line. Facing fourth down-and-one at the Towson 29-yard, Jabbie kept the drive going with a six-yard run for the first down. Jabbie also ran for a first down when the Blue Hens faced a third-and-one at the 14-yard line. With 5:43 left in the game, Jabbie scored on a four-yard TD run to give Delaware a 31-21 lead. 

On the time-consuming drive, Jabbie ran for 34 yards on six carries.

“We came in here knowing that Delaware was very effective running the ball,” added Combs. “They probably threw the ball better than we thought they would. On that last drive, it was frustrating for us because we were confident we could score again if we could get a stop.”

With the Tigers trailing by 31-21, the Blue Hen defense responded and forced a punt with 4:08 remaining. Led by Jabbie, the Blue Hens ran out the clock. In the final four minutes, Jabbie rushed for 43 more yards on five carries.

Jabbie ran for 141 yards on 22 carries to lead the Blue Hens’ ground game. As a team, Delaware ran for 210 yards on 46 carries.

Delaware came into the game with a very unsettled quarterback situation but it was obvious that Coach K.C. Keeler made the right choice. Making the first start of his career, Ritacco moved the Blue Hens’ offense impressively on the opening drive of the game.

After a 48-yard pass play from Ritacco to Aaron Love, the Blue Hens were deep in Towson territory. However, the Tiger defense stopped the Blue Hens at the 20-yard line as linebacker Paul Stefanik and safety Jeff Snow broke up passes on back-to-back plays. Then, the Tigers got a break when Striefsky, an All-American kicker, missed a 37-yard field goal, keeping the game scoreless.

On their second possession, the Tigers drove to the Delaware 36-yard line. However, the drive stalled when Schaefer was sacked by free safety Chris Graves. With junior Bill Shears in the game to punt, the Blue Hens received a huge break when the center snap went over his head and Shears had to fall on the ball at the Towson 30-yard line.

Delaware took advantage of the excellent field position and took a 7-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter. A 12-yard touchdown run by Jabbie snapped the scoreless tie.

Midway through the second quarter, it appeared that the Blue Hens had extended their lead to 14-0 when Ritacco threw a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Robbie Agnone. However, Agnone was penalized 15 yards for offensive pass interference and the TD was nullified. Two plays later, Striefsky missed a 35-yard field goal and the Blue Hens came away with no points.

After the Blue Hen defense forced another three-and-out, the offense put together another impressive drive in the final minutes of the first half. Led by Ritacco, the Blue Hens marched 68 yards in 11 plays and took a 14-0 lead when Ritacco threw a 15-yard TD pass to Love with 36 seconds left in the half. It was the first touchdown pass of his career.

“We had a very hard time moving the ball in the first half,” admitted Coach Combs. “But we knew if we could give Sean more time to throw in the second half, we could move the ball and score some points. In the second half, we executed much better.

“But, we need to play well for four quarters if we want to win.”

Despite being sacked six times, Schaefer completed 22 of 33 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns. It marked the tenth time in his career that he threw three TD passes in a game. His fourth quarter touchdown pass to Newsome was the 70th TD pass of his career.

After being held to 56 passing yards in the first half, he completed 15 of 23 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.

With his 297 passing yards, Schaefer became the 11th player in NCAA FCS history with 11,000 career passing yards. Schaefer has now thrown for 11,003 yards in his college career.

Senior Marcus Lee, the second-leading receiver in school history, led the Tigers with six receptions for 56 yards. Lee extended his pass catching streak to 43 games in a row. With 211 career catches, he is only eight catches shy of the school record for receptions in a career (219), a mark held by Jamal White, ’02.

Breaux caught five passes for 126 yards and one touchdown while Moore caught four passes for 25 yards.

Mack led the Tiger defense with 11 tackles, including two tackles for lost yardage. Freshman safety Danny Collins added a career high 10 tackles while senior linebacker Jordan Manning made eight stops.

The Tigers will try and get back on the winning track next week when they travel to Villanova University to face the Wildcats, the sixth-ranked team in NCAA FCS.

=====================================
Tigers Travel To Delaware To Face Blue Hens On Saturday 
Courtesy: Towson University Sports
11/07/2008

TOWSON, Md. - Hoping to bounce back from two consecutive losses to
nationally-ranked Colonial Athletic Association opponents, Towson University
travels to Delaware Stadium to face the University of Delaware on Saturday,
November 8 at 12:00 noon.

Now 3-6 on the season and 1-4 in the CAA, the Tigers will be facing a
Delaware team that is also struggling. The Blue Hens, who were NCAA FCS
national runners-up last season, are also 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the CAA.
After a 41-7 loss to number one-ranked James Madison on Saturday, the Blue
Hens have lost four of their last five games.

"Delaware is a much better team than their record would suggest," says
Towson Coach Gordy Combs. "They were such a good team last year and they
lost so many key players to graduation. We do know that their defense is
very tough and they are going to be quite a challenge for us this week.

"The Delaware game is always very special for us," adds Combs. "Delaware has
a program we've always admired and we have tried to emulate. We're looking
forward to Saturday's game."

Towson and Delaware will be meeting for the tenth time on Saturday. The Blue
Hens, who beat Towson by 27-7 last season, own a 5-4 series lead. The
schools played for the first time in 1982 when Towson was one of the top
NCAA Division II teams in the nation. The teams played three times from 1982
to 1984 and Delaware won two of those games. The Tigers and the Blue Hens
have met four times as conference opponents. Each team has won two of those
conference matchups.

The Tigers are coming off a disappointing 34-14 loss to 16th-ranked William
& Mary on Saturday. The Tigers played their best first half of the season
against the Tribe and owned a 14-7 lead at halftime. In the first half, the
Tigers rolled up 231 yards of total offense as senior quarterback Sean
Schaefer (Northern H.S./Dunkirk, Md.) completed 15 of 21 passes for 165
yards and two touchdowns.

However, the Tribe came out in the second half and dominated play. The Tribe
defense held Towson to seven total yards on 20 offensive plays after
halftime while forcing three turnovers. William & Mary outscored the Tigers
by 27-0 in the second half.

Schaefer, who entered the game as the CAA leader in total yardage (273.8 per
game) and passing yardage (270.2 per game), was held to 186 passing yards
and 169 total yards by the William & Mary defense. He was sacked three times
in the loss.

Schaefer, who has now passed for 10,706 yards in his career, is currently
ranked 14th on the NCAA FCS career passing yardage list. He needs 294 yards
to become the 11th quarterback in NCAA FCS history to pass for more than
11,000 career yards. 

For the season, Schaefer has completed 219 of 331 passes for 2,348 yards. He
has thrown 16 touchdown passes and has been intercepted 13 times. In three
career games against Delaware, Schaefer has completed 58 of 90 passes for
845 yards with only two interceptions and seven touchdowns. Two years ago,
Schaefer led the Tigers to a win at Delaware by completing 27 of 37 passes
for 435 yards and five TD's.

Schaefer has done a great job distributing passes to all of his receivers.
In fact, four different Tigers have caught more than 30 passes this year.

Sophomore Steve Holmes (Old Mill H.S./Severn, Md.) and senior Marcus Lee
(St. John's College H.S./Silver Spring, Md.) are tied for the team lead with
38 catches. Holmes has 38 receptions for 418 yards and one touchdown while
Lee has 38 catches for 295 yards and four TD's. Junior David Newsom
(Elizabeth H.S./Elizabeth, N.J.) is third on the team with 37 catches for
445 yards and one TD.

With four catches against William & Mary, Lee extended his pass-catching
streak to 42 games in a row. He is the second-leading receiver in school
history with 205 receptions for 2,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. With three
games remaining in his career, Lee needs 15 more receptions to become
Towson's all-time pass receiving leader. Former All-American Jamal White,
'02 currently holds the record with 219 receptions for 3,156 yards.

Sophomore wide receiver Hakeem Moore (Courtland H.S./Fredericksburg, Va.)
has emerged as a receiving threat in the last few weeks. He is fourth on the
team with 31 catches for 350 yards and one TD.

Senior linebacker Jordan Manning (St. Joseph H.S./Mays Landing, N.J.)
continues to lead the Tiger defense. He matched his season high with 11
tackles in the Tigers' loss to William & Mary. With 77 tackles in nine
games, Manning is fifth in the CAA in tackles.

Manning, who recorded the 300th tackle of his career in the loss to William
& Mary, now has 310 tackles in his college career. He ranks fourth on
Towson's all-time list of tackle leaders, trailing Jeff Boller, '83 (382),
Mike Arbutina, '95 (361) and former teammate Brian Bradford '08 (328).
Bradford was a consensus first team All-American selection last season.

Despite missing three games with a knee injury, senior safety Drew Mack
(Buena Regional H.S./Landisville, N.J.) is also having a tremendous season.
He is tied for second on the team with 52 tackles and he is also tied for
the team lead with eight pass break-ups. A pre-season All-CAA selection,
Mack intercepted his first pass of the season against William & Mary on
Saturday. He now has six interceptions in his career.

Turnovers continue to be a problem for the Tigers, who are last in the CAA
in turnover ratio. Towson has a minus-12 turnover ratio on the season. The
Tigers have turned the ball over 20 times and forced only eight turnovers.
Even more damaging has been the result of those turnovers. Opponents have
scored 107 points off the Tigers' 20 turnovers while Towson has managed 14
points off its eight takeaways.

TIGER TALES: Junior tailback Matt Castor (Linganore H.S./Mt. Airy, Md.) had
his touchdown-scoring streak snapped in the game against William & Mary ...
Castor had scored at least one TD in the four previous games before being
shut out by the Tribe ... Castor is the seventh-leading rusher in the CAA,
averaging 73.3 yards per game ... He has run for 513 yards on 134 carries
with a team high five touchdowns.

After their game at Delaware on Saturday, the Tigers close out the season
with a pair of very difficult assignments ... On November 15, Towson visits
sixth-ranked Villanova ... On November 22, the Tigers close out the season
against number one-ranked James Madison.

=======================================

Chiefs notes: Team signs running back CUFF to practice squad 

Kansas City Star 7 November 2008

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards reiterated Wednesday that running back Larry Johnson would return to the lineup after he returns next week from a four-week absence, including a one-game NFL suspension he’s serving this week.

In the meantime, the team signed rookie running back Omar Cuff of the University of Delaware to its practice squad. He signed with Tennessee as an undrafted free agent, but the Titans released him after training camp. He spent week one on Cleveland’s practice squad.

Edwards said when Johnson returns, he’ll be reintroduced slowly to football and the expectations the Chiefs have for Johnson’s role in the final seven weeks.

“He’s been out a month. It’s time for him to come back,” Edwards said. “We’ll see where that’s at.”

=====================================

Dukes Romp Delaware, 41-7 
2008-11-08 

By Mike Barber - Daily News - Harrisonburg, VA

HARRISONBURG - For three weeks, James Madison's defense has heard about how poorly it tackled in harrowing wins over Richmond and Villanova. The defense, it was being said by coaches, fans and media, might keep the Dukes from making a deep run in the playoffs.

Saturday, JMU's defenders emphatically refuted those allegations, smothering Delaware in a 41-7 win at sold out Bridgeforth Stadium on Saturday, the Dukes' homecoming.

"I had a chip on my shoulder, definitely," junior defensive end Arthur Moats said. "We wanted to go out there show everybody we can tackle. Everybody's talking about we can't tackle, we're missing tackles. This and that."

Not Saturday.

The top-ranked Dukes (8-1 overall, 6-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association) allowed just 169 yards of total offense, forced three turnovers and did not allow a point (Delaware's lone score came on a kick return) as they won for a school Division I record eighth straight time.

Moats forced a big first quarter fumble that set up Madison's first score.

JMU's full arsenal was on display Saturday. The defense was back to the form it showed before senior linebacker D.J. Brandon was injured in the win over Richmond. Junior Scotty McGee returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown, his third punt return for a score this season. And Landers was at his punishing, brutal best.

Landers carried the ball 23 times for 185 yards and two touchdowns, including a 35-yarder with 3:07 left in the third quarter that sealed the win for Madison. It was the second highest rushing total ever allowed to a quarterback by Delaware (3-6, 1-4).

"They didn't really do anything unexpected," Delaware junior defensive end Matt Marcorelle said. "They ran exactly what we knew they were going to run. He's just a great athlete. He as able to break tackles and make plays. It's as simple as that."

Landers's big day moved him to second on the school's career rushing list at 2,822 yards.

"It was a one-man show offensively," Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said. "He's special. He's just a special, special player."

Behind Landers, the Dukes held the ball for 38:58, piled up 385 yards of total offense and consistently mounted long scoring drives, allowing JMU's defense to rest and strategize as Delaware's unit was being punished up and down the field.

"Even the touchdown we had was on a kickoff return, so guess who's back on the field?" Keeler said. "Your defense. I give those guys such credit because they have not complained a lick. They're in a bad situation with an offense that's just really struggling. We know how good this defense is. ...We have some issues. We have offensive issues. I wouldn't say they played better or worse. We're just not very good on the offensive side of the ball."

Both teams squandered early scoring chances. Delaware fumbled on a potential fourth-down conversion deep in JMU territory when tight end Rob Agnone, playing quarterback because of a rash of injuries at the position, bobbled the snap.

Then, Madison's Dave Stannard clanked a 29-yard field goal off the left upright.

But much maligned over the past three weeks, it was JMU's defense that set up the Dukes' first score. Moats came unblocked on the left side and delivered a crushing chest-to-chest hit on Agnone, forcing a fumble. The ball came sputtering out and was scooped by Hassan Abdul-Wahid and returned to the 9-yard line.

Three plays later, tailback Jamal Sullivan plunged into the end zone from 1 yard out to put the Dukes' up 7-0.

In the second quarter, JMU converted a big third-down-and-12 when Landers tucked the ball on what had been a called pass and scrambled for 19 yards, picking his way through the Delaware defense and getting the Dukes down to the 27-yard line.

About three minutes later, Landers scored on a 1-yard run, capping a massive 16-play, 73-yard drive that put JMU up 14-0, which was the score at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Dukes put the game away. First, tailback Eugene Holloman scored on 4-yard sprint around the right side that put JMU up 20-0 with 8:23 left in the third quarter. (Stannard's extra point hit the right upright this time, his first miss of a point after this season after 39 straight makes.)

Then Landers broke off his 35-yarder that gave the Dukes a 27-0 lead with 3:07 to go in the third.

McGee followed with his 64-yard punt return, on which he took the ball to the right, broke through a pack streaking to the left and then outraced the defense for the score, giving Madison a 34-0 advantage with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.

Delaware answered with a 94-yard kickoff return by junior Jerry Butler, the Hens' first kick return for a score this season. That made it 34-7 with 36 seconds to go in the third.

JMU capped the scoring when backup quarterback Drew Dudzik found tight end Charlie Newman, a former Turner Ashby High School star, for a 5-yard score with 10:02 left in the game.

==========================================
Keeler sees similarities between JMU and 2003 Hens
The Dukes have won three games in the last minute
by Marty Valania
October 29, 2008 - Newark Post

K.C. Keeler looks at this week's opponent James Madison and sees something
familiar.

The Dukes are 7-1 on the season (5-0 CAA) and are ranked No. 1 in the
country. They are coming off back-to-back weeks of thrilling victories over
nationally ranked Richmond and Villanova. Both games were decided by JMU
scores in the final 30 seconds of the game.

Delaware comes in with a 3-5 record (1-3 CAA).

"James Madison reminds me of us in 2003," Keeler said, comparing the Dukes
to his national championship team. "We could've lost to Villanova, we
trailed Maine by 21 points and came back to win in overtime, we won in
triple overtime against UMass and we had to knock a ball down on the last
play of the game to beat Navy.

"James Madison is similar in that they've pulled out great wins against
great teams in Appalacian State, Richmond and Villanova. They could be 4-4 -
instead they're 7-1 and ranked No. 1 in the country."

Delaware will find out just how good the Dukes are Saturday when they visit
Harrisonburg for a 3:30 p.m. start. The game will be televised locally on
CN8.

The successive last minute victories over nationally ranked conference
rivals could mean the Dukes are ready for a letdown against a sub .500 Blue
Hen team - but don't count on it.

"It's a huge thing for us to win the conference and get seeded for the
playoffs," said James Madison coach Mickey Matthews. We're in the worst spot
geographically in the conference. We're so far west that we're not near the
Patriot League teams or the MEAC teams. We have to go on the road and play
seeded teams like last year with Appalachian and few years ago with
Youngstown State. We're closer to those teams and if we're not seeded that's
who we have to go play in the playoffs. They were two of the toughest locker
rooms I've ever had to face after a game.

"James Madison has never won 10 games so that's something we want to do as
well. But it's important to win as many games as we can and win the
conference and hope we get seeded in the playoffs. There are a lot of
scenarios that it would be advantageous to us to win out. That's what we're
trying to do."

For Delaware, it's another chance to play against a playoff caliber team -
something they won't be doing after the regular season is over given their
record.

How do players and coaching staff deal with such a lousy record after being
used to so much success?

"This is not a season, it's a program," Keeler said. "That's what I tell the
team all the time. We have two fifth-year seniors in Aaron Love and Rob
Agnone that stepped up last week and put in a ton of extra work to help us
get through our quarterback situation.

"We have to continue to go about things the right away so our younger kids
can see how it's done the right way."

Despite the team's record and troubles this year, the defense has actually
been a highlight and Keeler hopes that continues against James Madison.

"I hope our great defense mans up and gets a turnover and keeps it close,"
Keeler said. "What we don't want to happen is to get blown out on special
teams since we've had so many guys hurt, we're missing good players on our
special teams."

Bad special teams would be a bad matchup against the Dukes as they possess
one of the most dangerous return men in the country in Scotty McGee.

Dukes destined?

James Madison beat Villanova last week by scoring on a 35-yard touchdown
pass on the last play of the game. It was the third game this season they've
won in the waning seconds.

Coach Matthews, however, isn't a big believer in destiny.

"I don't believe in destiny, I believe in making plays," Matthews said.
"Villanova had the ball with three minutes to go and we made the plays to
stop them. They outplayed us for most of the game but we outplayed them at
the end."

Delaware leads series

Delaware leads the series with James Madison 11-6 but the teams have split
eight games in Harrisonburg and the Dukes have won the last two there.
======================================
HOFSTRA FALLS TO DELAWARE
10-25-08 - Hofstra Athletics Website http://www.hofstra.edu/Athletics/Football/

Hempstead, NY- Junior Jabbie rushed for a game-high 155 yards and a touchdown, leading Delaware to a 17-0 CAA victory over the Hofstra Pride at rainy and windswept James M. Shuart Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Hofstra tailback Everette Benjamin led the Pride, running for 71 yards on 13 carries while freshman quarterback Steve Probst made his first start for the Pride, completing 11 of 28 passes for 71 yards in 20 mph winds. The Pride, who were without offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude due to a family emergency, posted their second-lowest offensive total of the year with 179 yards, just nine yards more than in the season opener at Connecticut. Hofstra dropped its third straight conference game, falling to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in the CAA.

Delaware utilized a unique quarterback tandem to improve to record its first conference win this season. Tight end Robbie Agone and wide receiver Aaron Love split the passing duties, combining for 8-of-11 passing and 77 yards as the Blue Hens improved to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the CAA. Delaware tallied 257 yards on offense in the contest.

Agone, who finished with 39 passing yards, also added a 1-yard quarterback keeper for Delaware's final touchdown with 8:01 left. Jabbie rushed 31 times, including a first-quarter touchdown run that proved to be the game-winning score.

Freshman Chris Edmond made a big special teams play for the Pride after recovering a fumble earlier in the game. The local product, who also recorded a sack, pressured a Delaware punt, leading to a turnover at the Blue Hens 10-yard line with 44 seconds left. Hofstra could not take advantage, going four-and-out. Delaware surged to a 10-0 halftime lead, working almost exclusively from the shotgun on offense. Jabbie capitalized on a slew of draw plays, rushing for 96 yards on 17 carries in the first half.

The Blue Hens took advantage of great field position after the wind held up a Hofstra punt late in the first quarter, giving Delaware possession at the Hofstra 12-yard line. Two plays later, Jabbie plowed through the line for a 4-yard touchdown run, putting the visitors up 7-0 with 6:19 remaining in the quarter.

Hofstra's defense clamped down on another promising Delaware drive late in the second quarter, setting up a fourth-and-one at the Pride 12-yard line. The Blue Hens kept the offense on the field before a false start penalty forced Delaware to settle for three points. Jon Striefsky's 27-yard field goal extended the lead to 10-0 with 5:12 left in the half, capping a 12-play drive.

Probst attempted to ignite a second half-comeback, leading the Pride downfield midway through the third quarter before Delaware forced a fourth-and-three at the 15-yard line. Hofstra elected to go for it, but Brandon Gilbeaux stopped Probst on a quarterback keeper just short of the first-down marker with 6:26 left in the period. Hofstra held the ball for 13:43 in the third quarter but couldn't put any points on the board.

Delaware rounded out the scoring early in the fourth after a high snap on a Hofstra punt attempt gave the Blue Hens possession just inches from the Pride goal line. Two plays later, Agnone bullied his way into the end zone for a three-score lead with 8:01 remaining.

The Pride's defense did its best to minimize the damage in the soggy conditions, forcing five punts while also generating a first-half turnover. Down just 7-0 with 12 minutes left in the second quarter, defensive back Ray McDonough's big hit on Phillip Thaxton forced a fumble. Edmond recovered at the Hofstra 26, ending a Blue Hens drive.

Luke Bonus registered a game-high 14 tackles and fellow linebacker Said Gaida contributed 11 tackles. Edmond and Kevin Smith also were credited with sacks.

The Pride, who were making their first home appearance since September 20, return to the road next Saturday, November 1 when they travel to Durham, New Hampshire to face the 10th-ranked Wildcats of New Hampshire at noon.

================================
Delaware cannot hold Back William & Mary

10-18-08
Associated Press

NEWARK, Del. -- Jake Phillips threw one touchdown and ran for another score to help William & Mary beat Delaware 27-3 on Saturday.

Phillips completed 26 of 38 passes for 338 yards as the Tribe (4-2, 2-1 Colonial Athletic Association) snap a three-game losing streak against the Blue Hens (2-5, 0-3).

With the Tribe holding a 13-0 lead, Phillips put the game out of reach when he connected with Chase Hill for a 44-yard scoring pass with 8:59 left in the game. William & Mary then followed with a nine-play, 93-yard scoring drive as Jonathan Grimes' two-yard touchdown run with 2:33 left finished the scoring.

Grimes finished with 92 yards on 25 carries for the Tribe. Elliott Mack caught eight passes for 119 yards, while Hill added seven catches for 105 yards.

William & Mary took a 13-0 into halftime when Brian Pate kicked a 32-yard field goal on the final play on the second quarter. The field goal, Pate's second 32-yarder of the half, finished off an 11-play, 71-yard drive.

Earlier in the second quarter, Phillips' one-yard touchdown run capped off a 12-play, 93-yard scoring drive. The Tribe faced only one third down on the march.

The only points in the first quarter came when Pate kicked a 32-yard field goal with 7:13 left in the period. Delaware had a chance to tie the game on the ensuing possession but John Striefsky's 35-yard kick went wide right.

William & Mary gained 456 yards while limiting the Hens to only 145 yards in the contest. Delaware has scored a total of just 20 points in its last three games.

The Hens' only points came on Striefsky's 32-yard field goal with 10:50 left in the contest. The field goal was set up by a muffed punt on the Pride's 18.

Robby Schoenhoft completed 10-of-23 passes for 45 yards.