Ratke Kicks JMU Past Weber State, 31-28
JMU's Riley Stapleton caught 8 passes for 189 yards and a TD vs. Weber State.

Ratke Kicks JMU Past Weber State, 31-28

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Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Redshirt senior kicker Ethan Ratke kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired to send top-seeded James Madison to the national semifinals with a thrilling 31-28 triumph against 11th-ranked Weber State in the NCAA FCS quarterfinals on Friday night at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field.
 
The Dukes (13-0) will await the winner of No. 5 seeded South Dakota State and 21st-ranked New Hampshire in next weekend's semifinals. That game will either be played on Friday Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 or Saturday, Dec. 16 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The Wildcats ended their program-best season with an 11-3 overall record.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trailing 28-20 with 3:14 to play, JMU needed only four plays to go 52 when senior quarterback Bryan Schor connected with redshirt sophomore receiver Riley Stapleton on a 40-yard touchdown with 2:08 remaining. Junior running back Trai Sharp tied it up with a successful 2-point conversion rush.
 
JMU forced Weber into a three-and-out, giving the Dukes the ball back with 1:06 left. Schor found Stapleton on a 17-yard pass, setting them up at the WSU 39. Three plays later, Head Coach Mike Houston called timeout with one second left, setting up Ratke's game-winner, which was not just his career long but also the longest field goal in JMU postseason history.
 
QUICK HITS
  •        JMU scored 11 unanswered points in the final 2:08, sending the Dukes to the national semifinals for the fourth time in program history.
  •        Ethan Ratke tied a program record with a career-best three field goals, including his 46-yard boot as time expired to win the game.
  •        Junior running back Marcus Marshall eclipsed the century mark, rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 9.1 yards per rush on 14 carries. It was his second 100-yard game at JMU and the sixth of his collegiate career.
  •        Bryan Schor was 21-of-45 for 359 yards and a touchdown, as he became JMU’s all-time leader in career passing yards (6,727) and total offense (7,859).
  •        His top-two receiving targets both went over 100 yards on the night, as redshirt sophomore Riley Stapleton had a career-high 189 yards and a score on eight catches, and redshirt senior Terrence Alls added 117 yards on six grabs. Stapleton tied his career high in receptions and his receiving yards total was the second-most in school history.
  •        Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Kyre Hawkins tallied a game-high 13 tackles and a tackle-for-loss, and senior linebacker Brandon Hereford finished with 11 stops.
  •        Redshirt junior corner Jimmy Moreland also had eight tackles and two pass breakups, with his second breakup forcing the punt which set up JMU’s game-winning drive. Junior corner Rashad Robinson intercepted his seventh pass of the season while also breaking up a pair of passes. He is now tied for the FCS lead in interceptions with Jordan Brown.
  •        WSU quarterback Stefan Cantwell tallied three total touchdowns, passing for 238 yards and two score while leading the team with 47 rushing yards and a touchdown. Two receivers had over 80 yards, led by Kevin Smith’s 85. That included his 81-yard touchdown in the second half.
  •        JMU out-gained Weber State 549-329, including 359-238 through the air.