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Dukes Happy, Yet DisappointedBy BOB MORGAN Newi-Record Sport* WriterJames Madison University’s final season as a Division III football school ended somewhat abruptly last Sunday in the hands of the NCAA playoff selection committee.The nationally-ranked Dukes, 8-2-0 on the year, were passed over for a berth in the NCAA Division III national playoffs.It was the Dukes’ final chance at a berth — next year they will move to a scholarship program at either the Division II or I level.Despite the disappointment of spending today at home instead of on the field in the first round of playoffs, Madison coach Challace McMiilin calls the season a success.“We had three goals set at the beginning of the season and we realized all but one —a national championship. I really don’t think we were given a complete chance to try for that,” he said.“We deserved at least a bid, he added. “It was a disappointment, a major disappointment not to be playing, because we can’t show people just how good we are.A 42-12 final game win over Emory Henry was expected to be enough to boost the Dukes into the playoffs. Obviously, it'wasn’t.We can’t, however, dwell on the fact that we didn’t receive the invitation to play in the playoffs,” McMiilin noted. We had a lot of great things happen this season, and those are the things we have to remember.”The Dukes did have an outstanding season.The 8-2 record was the best record of anycollegiate team in Virginia at any level and was the second best in the school’s history. Only the 9-0-1 record of 1975 was better.The team was ranked nationally three weeks of the season, going as high as fifth. They finished as the No. 9 team in the nation among Division III schools. The top eight received bids to the playoffs.The Dukes defeated two Division II opponents, Mars Hill (24-14) and Shippensburg (14-0), and were undefeated at home (5-0). They began and finished the season with four-game winning streaks.Unluckily, it was a two-game skid at midseison that ended the season.The Dukes lost to unheralded Salisbury State in the. fifth game, blowing a 94) lead in the fourth quarter for a 13-9 loss. “It was just the result of a lot of things, McMiilinsaid of the loss. “We had gotten up three games in a row and there was a letdown,” McMiilin admitted.The second loss came against Division I William Mary. The Dukes played well, but were physically outclassed. Still, they weren’t embarrassed.The last four games of the season saw the Dukes rolling.The Dukes, like a good wine or cheese, got better with age. “We improved steadily through the season,” McMiilin said. “Every phase of the game showed it. In fact, we were peaking at the end of the season, just the right time.”This was exhibited in the final game at Emory Henry.Quarterback John Bowers — McMiilin said after nearly every game that Bowers was “still improving” — looked as if he could get no better. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns.He rushed for another touchdown and picked up 32 yards on the ground. His 19 completions, 270 yards passing and 302 yards in total offense were all single-game records at JMU.Bowers finished his career with 15 JMU game, season and career records.Bowers was named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) weekly honor roll three times during the season.Still, it wasn’t all Bowers in the game. The team rolled up 515 yards in total offense against Emory it Henry; five runners gained 30 yards or more in the game.For the season, the Dukes had seven runners who contributed at least 100 yards — four of Atm topped 200 yards. Butch' Robinson led with 550 yards (5.0 per carry) and George Harris added another 425. Robinson and Harris alternated at Continued on Page II, Col. 1 t
Newspaper Details
Daily News-Record
Harrisonburg, Virginia, US
Sat, Nov 18, 1978
Page 8
Full Page
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MD, USA 17 Jul 2024
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