FIELD NOTES: Dukes' Run Game Flexes In Fourth

“Definitely we were trying to run the clock out,” Dukes running back Percy Agyei-Obese said after his team’s 27-10 win over Towson on Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium. “Our offensive line, they were winning in the trenches, so I’ve got to give credit to them and we were just trying to power it through.”

In some weeks this season, Latrele Palmer played the role of closing running back. But to seal the victory against the Tigers, it was the pair of Agyei-Obese and Jawon Hamilton.

The two combined for 50 rushing yards to polish off the final 6:30 of the contest. Agyei-Obese had demoralizing runs of 12 yards and 11 yards on back-to-back carries to pick up consecutive first downs that killed the hopes of the Tigers ever getting the ball again.

Agyei-Obese finished as the game’s leading rusher with 111 yards and a score. He had a long run of 37 yards in the opening quarter to setup his eight-yard touchdown run for the first points of the contest.

“It really started me up,” Agyei-Obese said. “And then after, it was go time.”

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- The win for JMU was its fourth consecutive win over Towson in the series. The Dukes hold a 22-6-1 mark for the all-time series.

- Dukes running back Solomon Vanhorse, safety MJ Hampton and cornerback Taurus Carroll did not play Saturday against the Tigers. JMU coach Curt Cignetti said: “I would suspect that if we were to play next week, a couple of those guys would be back. Those are not going to be long-term injuries and hopefully, they’ll all be available for New Hampshire.”

- JMU has its bye week next Saturday and Cignetti said playing nine straight weeks was difficult, but credited his players for pushing through it.

- Dukes wide receiver Brandon Polk’s career-best 121 receiving yards marked the second time this season he’s caught for more than 100 yards. He had 105 yards earlier this month in the Dukes’ win at Stony Brook.

- Agyei-Obese’s 111 rushing yards was the second 100-yard rushing performance for him this season. His touchdown against the Tigers was his ninth this season, which leads the team.

- Defensive John Daka tallied 2.5 sacks marking the fifth straight game he’s had at least one sack. Daka has nine sacks for the year and all of them have come in the last five weeks.

- About JMU’s defense, Towson coach Rob Ambrose said: “Having the opportunity to coach in this league and around the country for a little bit, this is not one of the better defenses in the league and in the country. This right now is one of the better defenses that has [ever] played in this league and in this country.”

- Now at 4-4 for the year, Ambrose said he’s going to tell his team, “that you’ve got to win out or you’re not going to the playoffs.”