Game Box Score (pdf)
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Wofford College was defeated 38-35 by James Madison on Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium-Zane Showker Field in the opening round of the NCAA Playoffs. Dane Romero had four touchdowns, but it was not enough to stop the Dukes.
The Terriers are 9-3 on the season and James Madison is 11-1 overall. Wofford was led by Mike Rucker with 107 yards and a touchdown, Dane Romero with 87 yards and four touchdowns, and Ben Widmyer with 98 rushing yards. James Madison was led by quarterback Rodney Landers with 166 yards and a touchdown plus three passing touchdowns, while Eugene Holloman had 116 yards and a touchdown.
“First and foremost we faced a good football team in JMU,” said head coach Mike Ayers. “We knew going in that they had an array of weapons. The difference-maker in the game was the quarterback. That guy can do a lot of things and if we had been able to stop him one more time we might have had a shot. That being said, I thought our football team could come up here and be competitive. I felt we could come up here and have our opportunity and we did.
“I am proud of our kids and I am proud of the way the coaches prepared them. When you look at that game, one play here, one play there - coat of paint difference between the two teams. Last year they shipped us out to Montana and we won that one, this year they gave us the number one team and we were right there, but we did not get the job done. I am proud of the seniors and I thought they did an outstanding job as far as their leadership and the way that they conducted themselves. I am proud of our team.”
The Dukes had the ball first to open the game, but the Terrier defense forced a three-and-out. After the punt, Wofford was able to put together a nine-play, 78-yard drive capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Dane Romero. The Terriers had a 7-0 lead at the 9:23 mark in the first quarter.
James Madison responded with a 34-yard touchdown run by Eugene Holloman just seven plays later for a 7-7 score at 6:25. Wofford was forced three-and-out on their next possession. With the ball back, the Dukes scored on a 15-yard reception by Rockeed McCarter from Rodney Landers for a 14-7 lead with just 23 seconds left in the first half.
With the ball back, Wofford picked up a fourth-and-three by Mike Rucker then were able to march down the field and Dane Romero scored on an eleven yard touchdown run. The score was tied at 14-14 at 10:48 in the second quarter. James Madison returned the kickoff into Wofford territory and needed only six plays to score on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Rodney Landers to Bosco Williams at 8:01 in the second for a 21-14 lead.
Wofford got the ball back in great field possession after penalty and a 29-yard kickoff return by Mike Rucker, however were forced three-and-out. James Madison got the ball back on the eight-yard line and put together a 13-play drive that used 6:04. The scoring play was a fake ball spike by Rodney Landers, who found Rockeed McCarter just inside the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the half.
The Terriers opened the second half with a 75-yard scoring drive. Along the way Mike Rucker completed a 36-yard half-back pass to Andy Strickland before Dane Romero took a direct snap in from four-yards out for the touchdowns. At 11:32 in the third quarter, the score was 28-21 James Madison.
The Dukes were driving when Tommy Irvin intercepted a pass from Rodney Landers at the two-yard line and returned it to the 27-yard line. The Terriers used the ground game to go 73-yard in 16 plays as Dane Romero scored his fourth touchdown of the day on a one-yard run. The score was tied at 28-28 at 1:11 in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, James Madison ended a 55-yard drive with a 24-yard field goal by Dave Stannard to take a 31-28 lead at 11:59. The Terriers got the ball back and picked up two first downs before hitting fourth-and-six. Dane Romero appeared to have gained the first down, however the spot of the ball was inches short. The Dukes got the ball back on downs and put together an impressive drive that was capped by a six-yard touchdown run by Rodney Landers with 3:21 left in the game for a 38-28 lead.
Wofford was not done, getting the ball back with a 34-yard kickoff return by Mike Rucker with 3:21 left in the game. On fourth-and-one from the four, Dane Romero picked up the first and goal. After a sack of Ben Widmyer, Mike Rucker scored on a twelve-yard run to make it a 38-35 game with 1:02 left in the game. The Terriers tried an onside kick, but it was recovered by the Dukes and they ran out the clock for the win.
Wofford had 431 yards of total offense, while James Madison had 469 total yards. James Madison had the time of possession at 32:01 to 27:59. The Terriers were 6-of-12 on third down and 3-of-4 on fourth down. The Dukes were an impressive 10-of-14 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down.
James Madison will host Villanova, who was a 55-28 winner over Colgate, next Saturday.
Wofford vs. James Madison
Post-Game Notes
The game was just the fourth ever for the Terriers against a team ranked first in the nation. Wofford is 1-3 in those games.
The Terriers did not advance out of the opening round of the playoffs for the first time in three NCAA FCS appearances. Wofford is now 3-3 all-time in the playoffs.
Dane Romero scored his 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd touchdowns of the season. The 23 rushing touchdowns in a season are the second-most in school history. Also on the opening drive, Romero reached the 1,000 yard mark on the season. He ended the season with 1,078 total yards. Romero has scored three or more touchdowns in a game five times this season.
Michael Rucker had 107 yards with one touchdown. It was his third 100-yard game of the season.
James Madison had two 100-yard rushers – Rodney Landers and Eugene Holloman. It was the first time since 1995 against Liberty that an opponent had two 100-yard rushers against Wofford.
The game marked the final game for 20 Wofford seniors. They have an overall record of 31-16 in the last four seasons.
Attendance was 12,826 at Bridgeforth Stadium-Zane Showker Field.