JMU NOTES: Landers on crutches, but will play Friday

Landers on crutches, but will play Friday

James Madison coach Mickey Matthews got a scare on Sunday when he looked up and saw quarterback Rodney Landers limping into the team meeting.

"There's nothing like getting ready to watch the tape on Sunday night and Rodney walks into the room on crutches," Matthews said yesterday. "I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, you know what I mean?'

"He thought he took a helmet on his ankle during the game [vs. Villanova] and it was just precautionary. He's not going to practice [yesterday]. He said he's going to be fine, but we may not let him practice [today] either to get the thing well."

Landers said it was nothing serious and the Colonial Athletic Association's offensive player of the year should be back to normal when the top-seeded Dukes (12-1) entertain No. 4 seed Montana (13-1) Friday in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals at 8 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium.

"I'm good," said Landers, who is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award that honors the best player in FCS. "You know how it is after a ballgame when you wake up the next morning and things are a little stiff. I just came in and got a little treatment. . . . Our training staff does a great job of keeping us healthy throughout the year and it was just a precautionary thing. I'll be 100 percent and ready to go this weekend."

The winner of Friday's game advances to the FCS title game on Dec. 19 in Chattanooga, Tenn., where it will face the winner of the other semifinal between the University of Richmond (11-3) and third-seeded Northern Iowa (12-2).

Local broadcast led to lack of sellout

For the second straight home playoff game, JMU failed to sell out Bridgeforth Stadium. Most of the students were gone for the Thanksgiving break for the first one on Nov. 29 vs. Wofford when 12,826 were on hand, but the 15,500-seat venue had about 2,000 empty seats for Saturday's game with Villanova.

"I think we were going to sell out until they announced the game was going to be broadcast locally," Matthews said. "But it was still a great crowd. I thought it was one of the loudest crowds we've ever had.

"It's just difficult this time of year, too, when you're playing in the evening or at night and the temperature is in the 20s. It's difficult for everybody to come out to the ballgame under those circumstances."

Oddsmaker, Villanova coach favor Dukes

The Dukes are a touchdown favorite -- by one oddsmaker -- to beat Montana, the same team JMU defeated 31-21 for the national championship in 2004. Count Villanova coach Andy Talley among those who believes JMU will prevail.

"I think it's a slam dunk for them here," Talley said. "They'll beat Montana. We would have beat Montana. JMU is an outstanding team. Richmond is an outstanding team.

"We're an outstanding team. The league is so strong. I'd be willing to take all our guys [vs. Montana]."

The Grizzlies' only loss this season was to Big Sky Conference foe Weber State, and Montana won the rematch 24-13 in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

--John Packett