True to my school
I have several family ties to James Madison University. So if the Hokies are off one nice fall Saturday, as they were today, it’s not unknown for me to dig out a purple hat and go cheer on the Dukes, whether at Bridgeforth or even the occasional in-state road trip.
Well, today JMU hit the road as the #1 team in Division I-AA1 visiting #5 Richmond. In possibly the greatest college football ending I’ve ever seen, JMU scored 15 points in the final minute to win 38-31, finishing it off with a Scotty McGee punt return for a TD with one second left.
Minutes earlier, at 31-23 down, the Dukes had rallied for their first touchdown of the second half at 0:59, then converted the 2 to tie the game. JMU’s defense, which had been confused much of the afternoon, held solid for two downs, then waved for their crowd (at least half of UR Stadium) to make noise on a potentially decisive third down.
Out came my keys, of course.
After the noise forced UR into a false start — their first offensive penalty of the game, leading to a stop and the punt that would win the game — the JMU alumnus beside me motioned to my hand and said, “You must be a Hokie.”
Whether cheering for VT, JMU or anyone else, you got that right.
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Division I Football Championship Subdivision my rear end. ↩