SATURDAY'S SCORES
#17 James Madison 20, @Eastern Kentucky 17
#15 Central Arkansas 34, @#20 Tennessee Tech 14
EASTERN KENTUCKY 20, #17 JAMES MADISON 17
RICHMOND, Ky. - Cameron Starke's 35-yard field goal as time expired gave James Madison a thrilling 20-17 win over the Eastern Kentucky University football team Saturday afternoon in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs at Roy Kidd Stadium.
EKU (7-5) was seeking to become the first current Ohio Valley Conference team to notch a playoff victory since Murray State in 1996.
EKU led JMU (8-4), 17-7, with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter. However, the Dukes scored 13 unanswered points to finish the game. JMU converted a crucial 4th-and-2 at the EKU 43-yard line with less than two minutes to play to set up Starke's game-winning kick.
Junior Matt Denham led EKU with 125 yards on the ground, the eighth-straight game in which he eclipsed the 100-yard mark. His 66-yard scamper that set up EKU's only points of the second half was the longest run of his career and EKU's longest offensive play of the season.
JMU had three players rush for more than 70 yards in the game, and the Dukes outgained the Colonels 393-213 overall on the afternoon. James Madison also had a decisive edge in time of possession in the win - 40:30 to 19:30.
After senior Jeremy Caldwell went down with an injury on the game's opening kick-off, junior Justin Bell spelled him and made the first big play of the day when he busted a 75-yard punt return to position EKU at JMU's 16-yard line with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter. Unfortunately two plays later, junior quarterback T.J. Pryor was picked off in the end zone by Leavander Jackson and JMU took over at its own 20-yard line.
JMU capitalized on that turnover as the Dukes marched 80 yards in 6:55 and scored on a one-yard run up the middle by Jordan Anderson to take a 7-0 advantage just over a minute into the second quarter.
The Colonels responded with a seven-play, 2:41 drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown rumble by senior H.B. Banjoman to tie the score, 7-7, with 7:41 left in the first half. Two key receptions, a 14-yard catch by junior Cameron Bailey and a 23-yard catch by junior Tyrone Goard, set up the touchdown run by Banjoman.
The EKU defense then stepped up with a big fourth down stop, as the Dukes drove deep into EKU territory before junior Robert Knowles sacked JMU quarterback Justin Thorpe on 4th-and-6 to give the Colonels the ball on downs with four minutes on the clock.
The Colonels forced a three-and-out on the Dukes' next possession and used a few short passes to drive to JMU's 30-yard line before sophomore Luke Pray connected on a 48-yard field goal as time expired to send EKU into halftime up 10-7.
JMU chewed up over seven minutes of clock to open the second half, but it was all for naught as Starke's 36-yard field goal attempt went wide right and gave EKU possession at its own 20-yard line. The Colonels took advantage of the missed field goal, as Denham shed tackles on his way to a 66-yard run to the JMU one-yard line. Banjoman then punched it in from one yard out for his second touchdown of the day to make it 17-7 with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter.
The Dukes responded with an 11-play, 5:21 drive to the EKU four-yard line, but the Colonel defense stiffened at the goal line and held JMU to a 21-yard field goal that made it 17-10 with less than a minute to play in the third quarter.
After EKU went 3-and-out on its next possession, JMU converted a 26-yard pass play on 3rd-and-13 to set up a 24-yard touchdown run by Anderson that tied the game, 17-17, with 10:01 remaining in the game.
#15 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 34, #20 TENNESSEE TECH 14
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Central Arkansas used a stingy defensive performance to take a 34-14 victory away from Tucker Stadium in the first round of the FCS Playoffs Saturday, ending what has been a special season for Tennessee Tech.
The Golden Eagles won their first Ohio Valley Conference title since 1975 and made their first-ever appearance in the FCS Playoffs in addition to setting numerous team and individual season and career records.
On Saturday, the Central Arkansas defensive front was too much for Tech. The Bears held TTU's usually balanced offensive attack to just 58 rushing yards, a number that stood at just 10 at halftime. UCA quarterback Nathan Dick also enjoyed a solid day, completing 23 of 29 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns.
Tennessee Tech set new single-season records for both points and first downs on Saturday. The Golden Eagles finished the 2011-12 season with 355 points and 237 first downs.
Golden Eagle quarterback Tre Lamb had a strong afternoon despite the loss, completing 30 of 44 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns. Tim Benford was Tech's leading receiver, catching seven passes for 97 yards.
Both defenses held strong early before Central Arkansas got on the board with a clock-chewing seven-play, 77-yard scoring drive which they capped off with a one-yard Terence Bobo touchdown run. The Bears converted numerous first downs on the drive, which concluded with 2:16 left on the first-quarter clock.
The Bears then took advantage of a muffed kick return by Cody Forbes, recovering the fumble at the TTU 25-yard line and getting a 25-yard field goal from kicker Eddie Camara at the beginning of the second quarter to take a 10-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles were able to answer with a 14-play, 80-yard drive that ended in a diving touchdown catch by Cody Matthews on an 11-yard throw from Tre Lamb, cutting the lead to 10-7 with 8:40 left in the half.
Central Arkansas would put another score on the board before halftime, however, marching 97 yards downfield to score on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Nathan Dick with 1:55 left in the half.
Tennessee Tech got the ball first in the second half but couldn't move the ball, and Central Arkansas extended its advantage with a 35-yard field goal by Camara to make the score 20-7. The Bears held TTU once again and got the ball back, scoring almost immediately on a 42-yard touchdown strike from Dick to Jesse Grandy to take a commanding 27-7 lead.
Tech would score once more in the game, capping a 15-play, 94-yard drive with a six-yard pass from Lamb to Stevens with 13:13 left in the fourth quarter. Central Arkansas put the game out of reach, however with an 87-yard drive of their own that resulted in a 30-yard scoring strike from Dick to a wide-open Thomas Hart.
Dontey Gay was Tech's leading rusher, carrying 10 times for 36 yards. In addition to Benford's 97 receiving yards, the Golden Eagles also got big games from senior tight end Charlie Stevens, who caught five passes for 56 yards, and Zack Ziegler, who hauled in seven passes for 59 yards.
Central Arkansas Jackie Hinton carried 19 times for 87 yards, and Bears' receiver Isaiah Jackson caught three passes for 75 yards in addition to the 94 receiving yards accumulated by Steele.
The game marked the final performance at Tech for the team's seniors Travis Adkins, Dominick Baker, Tim Benford, Nick Campbell, Ben Davis, Dwight Evans, Dontey Gay, Jamere Hogue, Malcolm Jones, Jake McIntosh, Matt Mercy, Alden Olverson, J.R. Richmond, Scott Schweitzer, Charlie Stevens, Ryan St. John, Richmond Tooley, Justin Vann, Corey Watson and Ryan Weeks.