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James Madison defeats UD football team 20-13 10:46 a.m., Nov. 8, 2004--The University of Delaware football team is now battling for its playoff life after a 20-13 Atlantic 10 Football Conference loss to James Madison University on Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg, Va. With the loss, the Fightin’ Blue Hens fell to 6-3 overall entering the final two games of the regular season at the University of Richmond on Saturday, Nov. 13, and at home against Villanova University on Saturday, Nov. 20. UD was able to move the ball but had difficulty getting it into the end zone. In the end, the game turned on a special teams play, with James Madison’s Cortez Thompson returning a punt 87 yards for the winning touchdown with 3:04 left to play. The Hens piled up 466 total yards and held a 15-minute advantage in time of possession, but James Madison took advantage of three interceptions and piled up 299 yards in returns. UD had a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession, as the Hens drove 70 yards on 11 plays to the James Madison three-yard line in the final minute. However, James Madison held on as UD quarterback Sonny Riccio threw three straight incomplete passes. “This was a great ball game but you just can't turn the ball over like we did and commit so many special teams mistakes,” UD Head Coach K.C. Keeler said. "You have to get seven points when you get inside the red zone. It's a game of execution and we just didn't get it done today. I was pleased that we ran the ball so well against a good football team, but the bottom line is you have to get the ball into the end zone. "We feel that we are a good enough team to get into the playoffs," Keeler said. "We just need to get there. I think if we play like we know we can the next two weeks, we'll find a way in." Riccio threw for 292 yards, completing 27 of 48 passes. Wide receiver David Boler had 10 receptions for 114 yards. The loss negated a stellar performance by freshman halfback Omar Cuff, who carried the ball 34 times for 162 yards. That broke the freshman record for yards in a game set by Daryl Brown, who ran for 151 yards against the University of Maine in 1991. To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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