JMU's Defense Dominates In 17-0 Victory Over Northern Iowa

12/13/2019 11:06:09 PM

Rob Washburn

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. (December 13, 2019) - James Madison rode a dominant performance from its defense to defeat Northern Iowa, 17-0, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS playoffs on a cold, damp night at Bridgeforth Stadium.

It was the 13^th consecutive victory for the Dukes (13-1), who advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs for the third time in the past four years. They will host Weber State next Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. in a game televised on ESPNU.

A week after its offense set program playoff records for points and yards in a quarterfinal win over Monmouth, JMU’s defense took center stage against the Panthers, posting a shutout in a playoff game for the first time in school history.

The Dukes held UNI (10-5) to just 114 total yards, including 0 yards rushing, and didn’t allow the Panthers to cross midfield until the final drive of the game. Linebacker Dimitri Holloway recorded a team-high eight tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, while defensive end John Daka tallied two of the team’s five sacks.

JMU jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a 15-yard TD pass from Ben DiNucci to Brandon Polk with 4:10 left in the first quarter. It was Polk’s 11^th receiving TD in the past 12 games.

The Dukes extended their advantage to 10-0 on a 42-yard field goal by Ethan Ratke with 6:39 remaining in the second quarter.

Both defenses controlled the second half. JMU sealed the victory when defensive tackle Mike Greene sacked UNI quarterback Will McElvain on the 1-yard line on a 4^th-down play with 2:23 remaining. JMU’s Percy Agyei-Obese scored his team-leading 19^th rushing touchdown of the season on the next play.

Agyei-Obese ran for a team-high 124 yards on a career-high 33 carries and went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. DiNucci finished 19-of-28 passing for 157 yards, with Polk making seven receptions for 59 yards.

With JMU’s victory, CAA Football has now had at least one team reach the semifinals of the FCS playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.