Top-ranked James Madison defeats No. 11 Richmond 23-6
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HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Ethan Ratke kicked three field goals to set a Colonial Athletic Association record and top-ranked James Madison drubbed eleventh-ranked Richmond 23-6 on Saturday, staking a claim for an at-large playoff berth.
The season-finale win wraps up the CAA South Division championship for the Dukes (5-0. 3-0). Elsewhere, Delaware (5-0, 4-0) defeated Villanova 27-20 to win the CAA North Division, and a committee of CAA athletic directors (minus Delaware's and James Madison's) selected the Blue Hens as the conference's automatic qualifier into the FCS playoffs.
James Madison will await an at-large bid into the 16-team post-season tournament.
Ratke kicked a 27-yard field goal to give James Madison a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, establishing a new CAA career record with 65 field goals, eclipsing Towson's Aidan O'Neill (2016-19). Ratke then kicked two more, pushing the new career mark to 67.
Cole Johnson passed for 235 yards and ran for a 31-yard touchdown on a fourth-down scramble for JMU's final points. Percy Agyei-Obese scored the game-opening touchdown with a 1-yard run and surpassed 2,000 rushing yards for his career, gaining 78 yards on 20 carries.
Richmond (3-1, 3-1) was limited to pair of Jake Larson field goals. Joe Mancuso completed 9 of 24 passes for 125 yards with one interception. Savon Smith was held to 20 yards rushing and one catch for seven yards.
JMU outgained the Spiders 384 total yards to 200.
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