Oct. 14, 2006

From New Hampshire Athletics

DURHAM, N.H.(www.unhwildcats.com)-- Eugene Holloman ran for 117 yards and scored three touchdowns to propel the 13th-ranked James Madison University football team to Saturday' afternoon's 42-23 Atlantic 10 victory against top-ranked University of New Hampshire at Cowell Stadium.

UNH, which had won 11 consecutive regular-season games, fell to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Atlantic 10. JMU is now 5-1, 3-0.

After falling behind 10-7 on the opening play of the second quarter, the Dukes marched 70 yards on nine plays and took the lead for good, 14-10, at 10:10 when quarterback Justin Rascati (9-for-19; 97 yards; one TD; 12 carries, 90 yards) scored on a 40-yard run around the left end on a 4th-and-4 play.

UNH responded with a long drive that ended at the JMU 17 when the Dukes' Isaiah Dottin-Carter forced Sean Lynch (Salem, N.H.) to fumble and teammate Akeem Jordan (18 tackles) fell on the loose ball.

JMU extended the lead to 21-10 at 1:18 of the second quarter when Holloman scored his first TD of the game on a 27-yard screen pass from Rascati. Holloman scored on a 28-yard run up the middle to give the Dukes a 28-10 lead at 4:44 of the third quarter. The JMU defense then forced UNH to a three-and-out series, which ended with a fumbled snap to give the visitors possession on the Wildcats' 17. Two plays later, Holloman scored on a 10-yard run to make the score 35-10 at 2:49.

JMU took that 35-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Facing that 25-point deficit, the Wildcats failed to convert a 4th-and-3 play on their own 20. Four plays later, Antoinne Bolton (six carries, 23 yards) scored on a six-yard run to give the visitors a 42-10 lead with 10:59 to play.

UNH's Ricky Santos (Bellingham, Mass.) was 34 of 46 for 352 yards and one touchdown, an 18-yard completion to Keith LeVan (Waltham, Mass.) with 1:33 left in the game. Santos also scored on a two-yard run at 9:12 of the fourth. Matt O'Brien (Cambridge, Mass.) was the Wildcats' leading rusher with nine yards on one carry - JMU's defense held the `Cats to nine yards on 32 carries.
David Ball (Orange, Vt.) had nine receptions for 111 yards and Aaron Brown (Central Square, N.Y.) caught seven passes for 84 yards.

New Hampshire opened the game with a nine-play, 40-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a one-yard run by Chad Kackert (Simi Valley, Calif.) at 12:38. UNH's defense forced the Dukes to punt on their first two possessions, but JMU's defense tied the score, 7-7, when Marcus Haywood intercepted Santos' pass at the UNH 44 and ran down the left sideline untouched into the end zone.

UNH regained the lead, 10-7, on a 28-yard field goal by Tom Bishop (Newfield, N.Y.) at 14:58 of the second quarter.

New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 21 at Northeastern University. The next Wildcat home game is Oct. 28 vs. Hofstra University. Game time at Cowell Stadium is 12 p.m.