The James Madison Dukes stunned the nation Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 13 Virginia Tech by a score of 21-16 in front more than 60,000 fans at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.
The crowd was silenced by a stifling JMU defense and turnover-free offense, as the Dukes never trailed by more than 10 and led for almost the entire fourth quarter. It was the team’s first victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in 18 years and its first win against Virginia Tech in seven meetings.
Following the loss on Monday night to No. 3 Boise State, 33-30, Virginia Tech now stands at 0-2, a long way away from the national title hope they held just two weeks ago. The team was ranked as high as No. 6 in the country by preseason polls and was regarded as a favorite in the prominent Atlantic Coast Conference. The Dukes are now 2-0 following their 48-7 beating of Morehead State last Saturday.
It is the first time the Hokies have fallen to 0-2 since 1995.
“This is the biggest win of my professional career,” head coach Mickey Matthews said after the game.
Redshirt senior quarterback Drew Dudzik led the way for the Dukes, completing five of his eight pass attempts for 121 yards and a touchdown. A 77-yard catch by running back Jamal Sullivan started the scoring for JMU after the team went down 10-0 in the first half. The seemingly harmless swing pass turned into a touchdown after Sullivan broke a couple tackles and headed down the left sideline, outrunning the rest of the Virginia Tech defense.
After a Virginia Tech field goal in the final minute of the first half, JMU went into halftime facing a 13-7 deficit. Starting the second half off with another field goal, the Hokies appeared poised to run away with the game.
But then the JMU defense and Dudzik took over. With just over four minutes remaining in the second half, Dudzik finished off a 14 play, 66 yard drive for the Dukes with a seven yard touchdown run, cutting the Hokies’ lead to 16-14.
On the ensuing Virginia Tech possession, quarterback Tyrod Taylor was intercepted by the Dukes’ free safety Jonathan Williams. After the pick, JMU put together another impressive drive, taking just eight plays to go 62 yards down the heart of the Virginia Tech defense. The drive was capped off by another Dudzik run, this time for 12 yards, giving the Dukes a 21-16 lead that they would not relinquish.
“This is the biggest win in school history,” Dudzik said. “And I am so proud to be a part of it.”
The two biggest plays of the game came late in the fourth quarter as the Hokies appeared to be driving down the field for the go-ahead score.
The first play came as Virginia Tech attempted to go for it on a fourth and one inside the Dukes’ 20 yard line. Taylor, who the Dukes struggled to contain all game in short yardage situations, passed up the run and threw a pass to the end zone towards star receiver Jarrett Boykin. JMU cornerback Leavander Jones was the only Duke in sight, jumping in front of Boykin at the last moment to break up the pass and give the Dukes the ball back.
“I was just trying to make a play on the ball, and something great came out of it,” Jones said.
Boykin was held to just one catch for nine yards after catching six for 102 and a touchdown against Boise State.
Following a JMU three-and-out, the Hokies again appeared to be streaking down the field for the win. After Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams escaped JMU linebacker Stephon Robertson in the backfield, he reversed to opposite side of the field, gaining 16 yards to the JMU 21 yard line.
Two plays later, Robertson would have his redemption. After rushing ten more yards to the 11 yard line, Virginia Tech’s other highly touted running back, Darren Evans, was given the ball again. Robertson stuffed him at the line of scrimmage and in doing so knocked the ball out of his grasp. Jones recovered it, giving the Dukes the opportunity to run down the clock.
“Give James Madison a lot of credit,” Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer said after the game. “They came in here and played extremely well. I think right now we need to tackle and block better. That’s what we are going to continue to work and improve on.”
Prior to this game, JMU had been outscored 90-0 in their last two meetings against the Hokies. The Sullivan touchdown was the Dukes’ first score against Virginia Tech since falling to the Hokies 49-20 in 1992. It was Virginia Tech’s first loss to Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) school since 1985 when they lost to Richmond, 24-14.
The Dukes will take the field again in two weeks, hosting the Liberty University at Bridgeforth Stadium Sept. 25. The Hokies will attempt to break their losing streak next Saturday when they host East Carolina University.