Dudzik no dud in semifinal loss

Fans of the James Madison University football team received something they neither wanted nor expected: a long, and by night's end encouraging, glimpse into the future.

Late in the second period of last night's FCS playoff semifinal game, shorn of Dudley Award-winning quarterback Rodney Landers, the Dukes had no alternative but to turn to redshirt sophomore Drew Dudzik.

Dudzik, a 6-1 195-pounder from Centreville High School in Clifton, could be the Dukes' quarterback of tomorrow. He performed well -- at times brilliantly. He rushed 12 times for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns and completed 6 of 13 passes for 70 yards.

Dudzik entered the game when Landers suffered an ankle injury. He drove the Dukes to the Montana 28-yard-line with just under a minute remaining in the first half.

A field goal seemed likely and a touchdown possible until Dudzik tossed a pass into coverage near the goal line. The ball was tipped by receiver Patrick Ward and intercepted by Grizzlies cornerback Andrew Swink. JMU trailed 14-10 at the time.

"Drew is going to be a good quarterback," said Dukes coach Mickey Matthews. "We know that. We've got a lot of confidence in him."

Matthews said Dudzik, predictably, "was a little shaky when he first got out there."

Dudzik seemed considerably more comfortable in the second half. While Landers watched from the sideline, Dudzik tried diligently to help the Dukes overcome a tattered effort that included four turnovers, two of which were fumbled kickoffs.

Dudzik's touchdown runs -- a nifty nine-yard scamper with 5:02 remaining in the third period and an 18-yarder with 6:10 remaining in the game -- were plays that would have challenged even Landers.

That JMU's final drive did not succeed was not Dudzik's fault. Well, not entirely.

He drove his club from the JMU 7 to the Montana 49 before penalties on consecutive snaps derailed the possession.

His final pass of the night might have been his best. Facing fourth-and-20 from the JMU 41, Dudzik fired a hard, tight spiral to Rockeed McCarter, who had curled around a defender two yards beyond the first-down stick. McCarter, falling as the ball arrived, didn't make the catch.

The comeback was done and Montana had prevailed, 35-27.

Said Matthews: "We've got so much confidence in Drew, that when he was in there [in the second half], we still thought we were going to win the game."