Salem High alum sparks unbeaten JMU’s rout
Black scores three TDs as Dukes gain revenge vs,. Georgia Southern
Jordan McCloud threw three touchdown passes, Salem High graduate Kaelon Black scored three times and unbeaten James Madison avenged a tough loss from last season with a 41-13 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday in Harrisonburg.
The Dukes (6-0, 3-0 Sun Belt) were unbeaten and ranked No. 25 by the Associated Press last year before they lost to the Eagles 45-38 on a late touchdown. JMU’s four wins against fellow FBS teams this season —Virginia, Troy, Utah State and South Alabama — had required a late stop by the defense, but the Dukes played their most complete game of the year to avoid similar drama.
McCloud threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt and a 10-yarder to Black in the first quarter, and Camden Wise added a pair of field goals for a 20-6 halftime lead. In a 21-point third quarter, McCloud threw a second TD pass to Black, who added a 20-yard rushing score.
GSU’s Davis Brin, the quarterback who led Tulsa over Old Dominion in the 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl, was 31-of-52 passing for 271 yards but threw two of the Dukes’ three interceptions.
Christopher Newport 21, Rowan 18:
Trey Hayes returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, sending CNU (4-2, 2-0 New Jersey Athletic Conference) on its way past the Profs (2-4, 1-1) in Glassboro, New Jersey.
Gunner White, a sophomore from Tallwood High, raced 49 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the first quarter to put CNU ahead 14-3.
Captains linebacker Andrew Worsham wrested the ball from Rowan quarterback Nate Maiers and returned it 36 yards to the Profs’ 9. CNU QB Matt Dzierski, playing close to a full game for the first time since an early-season injury, took advantage with a 1-yard sneak on fourth-and-goal for a 21-3 edge with 9:53 to go in the second quarter.
As the rain got heavier, the Captains played more conservatively on offense. With about four minutes to go in the game, down 21-10, Rowan took three timeouts after CNU running plays. After a CNU punt, the Profs’ Kevin Degnan took a short Maiers pass and broke loose for a 95-yard touchdown, and Rowan made a two-point conversion to pull to 21-18 with 2:07 to go.
But without timeouts, Rowan needed to try an onside kick. CNU recovered it and kneeled out the clock. White had 95 yards on 23 rushes.
Thaddeus Stevens 24, Apprentice 21:
Five turnovers, including four fumbles, proved costly to the Builders (2-4) as they lost to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (3-2) despite two Mason Tatum rushing touchdowns in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Bulldogs, who avenged last year’s loss to Apprentice, had no giveaways.
Touchdown runs of 7 yards by Kamron Jackson and 6 yards by Tatum put Apprentice ahead 14-6. Jackson had 114 yards on 20 rushes.
Alexander Zavala kicked four field goals for the Bulldogs, who went ahead to stay with 6:04 left in the third quarter, 15-14, on Rhyel Miles-Eubanks’ 3-yard run.
Nick DeGennaro had a career-high 132 yards and two TDs on six catches for UR (4-3, 3-1 CAA) against the host Rams (4-3, 1-2).
Richmond 24, Rhode Island 17:
Hunter Rice ran for 118 yards and scored two touchdowns, and his 19-yarder with 4:42 left was the eventual winning score for the Keydets (3-3, 2-1 Southern Conference) in the annual “Military Classic of the South” against the Bulldogs (0-7, 0-4) in Charleston, South Carolina,
VMI 17, The Citadel 13:
Navy 14, Charlotte 0: Eli Heidenreich and Alex Tecza scored from 69 and 62 yards, respectively, in the second half as the visiting Midshipmen (3-3) beat Charlotte (1-5), extending the 49ers’ losing streak to five.
Taylor Renfroe kicked four field goals and Kimani Vidal ran for 116 yards on 23 carries as the Sun Belt’s Trojans (5-2) beat the Black Knights (2-4) in West Point, New York. Army’s Kanye Udoh had 124 yards on 18 rushes, but the hosts fumbled five times, losing three.