JMU rallies back from big deficit
James Madison overcame a 20-point deficit and four lost fumbles Saturday to defeat Georgia State 42-40 in Harrisonburg.
Trailing 34-14 at halftime, the Dukes (7-3, 5-2 Sun Belt) scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to go ahead 35-34 against the Panthers (4-7, 3-4).
Percy Agyei-Obese’s two rushing TDs came in between Salem High graduate Kaelon Black’s 15-yard TD reception in the third quarter.
JMU’s Todd Centeio threw for four touchdowns and 274 yards on 21-of-27 accuracy, following his Oyster Bowl MVP performance the previous week at Old Dominion. Agyei-Obese had 89 yards on 20 rushes.
Georgia State’s Darren Grainger ran for two scores and threw for one. After he scampered for a 6-yard touchdown with 2:30 left to cut JMU’s lead to 42-40, the Dukes forced him into an incompletion on the two-point try.
Apprentice 38, Bridgewater 28: The Builders (9-1) completed their best season in modern history by defeating the Eagles (9-2), the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s second-place team, in the Neptune Bowl at Virginia Beach Sportsplex. Freshman Curtis Green ran for 165 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for Apprentice, which outrushed Bridgewater 312 yards to 140 and finished the year on a five-game winning streak.
Quarterback Mason Tatum ran for two scores and 96 yards on 12 carries and completed 16 of 29 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown.
Randolph-Macon 35, SUNY Cortland 28: Drew Campanale threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns in an NCAA Division III playoff first-round game for the Yellow Jackets (11-0). They will face Delaware Valley next Saturday in the second round.
Wingate 32, Virginia Union 7: The Panthers (9-2) ended their year in the Division II playoffs’ first round with a loss before 5,903 at Hovey Field in Richmond. Jordon Thomas and Jaquan Edwards returned interceptions for 35- and 38-yard TDs in the second quarter.
The Citadel 26, VMI 22: Graeson Underwood connected with Christian Hilton on a 51-yard touchdown with 3:37 left in the game to lift The Citadel (4-7, 3-5 Southern) over VMI (1-10, 0-8) in The Military Classic of the South in Lexington.