When it mattered most, Dukes couldn’t get a grip

HARRISONBURG -- "Stealing" a victory? The University of Richmond "swiped" one yesterday.

Spiders defensive tackle Martin Parker swiped at the football held with one hand by James Madison quarterback Justin Thorpe as he was running in traffic at Richmond's 6. Fumble. UR linebacker Eric McBride recovered with 58 seconds left.

The Spiders' 21-17 Colonial Athletic Association decision before an overflow crowd of 16,098 at Bridgeforth Stadium extended their school-record winning streak to 14, and flipped the last-minute result from the meeting 12 months ago at UR Stadium.

In that one, JMU's Scotty McGee returned a punt 69 yards for a TD at :01, lifting the Dukes 38-31. The past six times these programs have met, the visitor has prevailed.

Richmond (3-0, 5-0), the top-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision, went up 21-17 with a 10-play, 76-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Madison (0-2, 2-3), which was ranked 13th, got the ball on its 37. Following 10 running plays and an 18-yard completion, the Dukes were set up at UR's 6.

"They got us on our heels, driving us back a little bit," said McBride, who had 11 tackles.

"But a great team never quits. A great team always flies around and hustles. When you hustle, good things happen."

Thorpe, a redshirt freshman from Varina High, took the snap on first and goal from the six, and started left. Parker said he saw Thorpe holding the ball one-handed. Parker reached for it and knocked it loose.

"They went on a nice, long drive in the fourth quarter. We had a nice, long drive in the fourth quarter," said JMU coach Mickey Matthews. "We fumbled on the [six]-yard line and that's the difference in the game."

Thorpe started, but JMU fell behind 14-3. Thorpe was replaced by junior Drew Dudzik midway through the second quarter. Dudzik's passing helped the Dukes make it 14-10.

Two serious injuries changed the game. UR punter Brian Radford broke an ankle in the first quarter as the Dukes tipped one of his kicks and hit him in the process. In the second quarter, JMU blocked the punt of Richmond's back-up, Brett Weigand, for a TD. Corwin Acker returned the block 15 yards as JMU took a 17-14 halftime lead.

Dudzik left in the third quarter with a broken foot. Defenses ruled until the fourth quarter. Richmond took over at its 24 with 13:06 left.

"It was do or die, now or never," said UR left tackle Jared Decker. Spiders' quarterback Eric Ward called it "gut-check time."

Richmond hammered out first downs on the ground with tailback Justin Forte (94 rushing yards), and scored on a six-yard pass from Ward to fullback Ben Keating, who was responsible for the Spiders' first two touchdowns on one-yard runs.

With Richmond ahead 21-17 and seven minutes left, the Dukes pushed UR back with running from tailback Griff Yancey (74 rushing yards) and Thorpe.

"Their backs had great vision," said UR linebacker Tyler Sullivan. "If there was a small crease, they got through it."

Madison seemed ready to make it two straight last-minute wins over Richmond when Parker stripped Thorpe.

"All we did the last three quarters was try to overcome the first quarter," Matthews said.

Ward hit Kevin Grayson for a 43-yard completion on the game's opening snap to get Richmond in position for its first score. Two Ward completions of 10 or more yards and a JMU roughing-the-passer penalty led to UR's second TD in the first quarter.

NEXT: Richmond plays at Maine Saturday in a noon game that will be televised by Comcast SportsNet. James Madison entertains Villanova at 3:30 on The Comcast Network.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .