10th-ranked James Madison mauls University of Maine football team
ORONO, Maine, Nov 04, 2012 (Menafn - Bangor Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --James Madison played like a team that is headed for the playoffs on Saturday afternoon.
The 10th-ranked Dukes turned in a smothering defensive effort that limited the University of Maine to 104 yards of total offense while grinding out a 31-7 Colonial Athletic Association football victory at Alfond Stadium.
James Madison (7-2, 5-1 CAA) also received a spark with the return of senior quarterback Justin Thorpe, who rushed for more than 100 yards and also threw a touchdown pass.
Coach Jack Cosgrove's Black Bears slipped to 3-6 overall, 2-4 in league play, after a lackluster performance on Morse Field. UMaine suffered its fourth loss at home in four tries.
Thorpe, who last played against Richmond two weeks ago, came back with a flourish. He carried 16 times for 111 yards, including scoring runs of 9 and 8 yards and completed 9 of 12 passes for 108 yards with a 44-yard TD pass.
Dae'Quan Scott complemented that effort by rushing for 121 yards on 23 carries, with a 27-yard scoring jaunt. James Madison finished with 476 yards of total offense and manufactured an almost 15-minute advantage in time of possession.
Junior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski completed 14 of 25 passes for 85 yards but was intercepted three times. Arthur Williams caught four balls for 41 yards.
The Dukes dominated play in the first half and took a 10-0 lead into the locker room at intermission.
JMU ran 44 offensive plays to only 24 for UMaine with a good run-pass mix. The Dukes converted six of 11 third-down plays while alternating between its two quarterbacks.
Former starter Thorpe came on to rush for 48 yards on 10 carries, including a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He also was 4-for-6 passing, good for 36 yards.
The Dukes broke a scoreless tie with a 17-play, 71-yard drive that consumed six minutes, 16 seconds. They converted three times on third down, but eventually had to settle for Cameron Starke's 30-yard field goal into the wind with 13:10 left in the second quarter.
JMU threatened again on its next possession, but Khari Al-Mateen and Donte Dennis stopped Thorpe on an option run to the right side on fourth-and-inches from the UMaine 2-yard line.
The momentum was short-lived. On the Bears' next play, Wasilewski threw over the middle to Doug Nash, but Jakarie Jackson deflected it and Stephon Robertson made a lunging interception.
The Dukes needed six plays to score, with Thorpe scrambling nine yards for a score that made it 10-0 with 3:46 to play in the half.
The Bears were unable to establish anything on offense. UMaine managed only three first downs, with two coming on its first possession.
Wasilewski completed only six of 11 throws for 17 yards and was intercepted twice.
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