Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • C1

Soorts SUNDAY October 11, 2009 TlmesDtepatcFLCom Richmond Times-Dispatch Sports Editor: Steve Trosky (804)649-6456 stroskytimesdispatch.com Richmond 21, James Madison 17 Stainless steal. Last-minute larceny preserves Richmond's road victory AGO football Hokies run wild in win Tech's explosive offense puts Boston College behind 34-0 at half 7T 7 BY DARRYL SLATER Times-Dispatch Staff Writer BLACKSBURG By haMtime yesterday, Virginia Tech had held Boston College to 3 yards on 21 plays an average of 5 inches per play. By midway through the third quarter, the Hokies trotted out their backup quarterback. And by the Eagles' final drive, Tech was playing six defenders who aren't even on the two-deep. In a 48-14 win at Lane Stadium, the Hokies performed like the na N0.5VA.

TECH 48. BOSTON COLLEGE 14 Nwtgi Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech tion's fifth-ranked team something they didn't do in last week's 34-26 victory at Duke. They entered the regular season's midpoint with a 5-1 record (2-0 ACQ by essentially ending the game in the first hall after which they led 34-0. Their defense made the Eagles' true freshman quarterback, Dave Shinskie, look Eke a man who, before this season, hadn't played football since 2003. Which is exactly what he is.

Their offense again converted enough long plays eight of 20 yards or longer to look like a more complete and competent group than the one that floundered for the past three seasons. Which is exactly what they are. Shinskie, a 25-year-old former JOE MAHONEYTHES-DBPATCH Spiders linebacker Eric McBrlde (31) had the situation well In hand after recovering a JMU fumble Inside the 10-yard line with less than a minute remaining. See HOKIES, Page C6 U.Va. running back Mlkell Simpson scored four touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury.

NEXT GAMES Btafemrt at Maine, Saturday, noon, CSN JMU: home vs. Villanova, Saturday, 3:30 Inside, Page C8 Martin Parker becomes the latest to lend a helping hand to the Spiders this year. Go Inside the game At TimesDispatch.com, see photo highlights from this game. Kaynri: slideshow Richmond (3-0, 5-0), the top-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision, went up 21-17 with a 10-play, 76-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Madison (0-2, 2-3), which was ranked 13th, got the ball on its 37.

Following 10 running plays and an 18-yard completion, the Dukes were set up atUR's6. "They got us on our heels, driving us back a little bit," said McBride, who had 11 tackles. "But a great team never quits. A great team always flies around and hustles. When you hustle, good things happen." Thorpe, a redshirt freshman from Varina High, took the snap on first and goal from See SPIDERS, Page C8 BY JOHN O'CONNOR Times-Dispatch Staff Writer HARRISONBURG "Stealing" a victory? The University of Richmond "swiped" one yesterday.

Spiders defensive tackle Martin Parker swiped at the football held with one hand by James Madison quarterback Justin Thorpe as he was running in traffic at Richmond's 6. Fumble. UR linebacker Eric McBride recovered with 58 seconds left. The Spiders' 21-17 Colonial Athletic Association decision before an overflow crowd of 16,098 at Bridgeforth Stadium extended their school-record winning streak to 14, and flipped the last-minute result from the meeting 12 months ago at UR Stadium. In that one, JMU's Scotty McGee returned a punt 69 yards for a TD at :01, lifting the Dukes 38-31.

The past six times these programs have met, the visitor has prevailed. Virginia smashes Indiana Sewell, Simpson spur Cavs' attack; Dowling spearheads defense BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS Times-Dispatch Staff Writer Parker knocked the ball from Thorpe's hand. Richmond linebacker Eric McBride recovered the fumble, and the fme was saved, 21-17, for the Spiders. "He's a child," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said of former Varina High School standout Thorpe. Matthews wasn't making a derogatory comment.

He simply was assessing the situation. This is Thorpe's Experience vs. youth: Often, it's a mismatch HARRISONBURG Youth will be served, but more often than not, experience carries the day. With 1:07 left in the game and victory just six yards away for the James Madison Dukes, redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Thorpe took the snap, stepped back, then darted up the middle. He was almost around Richmond nose tackle Martin Parker and things were looking good for the Dukes, except for one thing.

championship, as the Spiders are, do not give up just because the quarterback has a step on them. On the opposite end of the spectrum yesterday was Eric Ward, redshirt senior quarterback for the Spiders. Ward led Richmond on what became the game-winning drive, a 10-play, 76-yard effort that began with 13:06 left in the fourth quarter and ended at 7:20. The final play was a 6-yard touchdown pass to fullback Ben Keating. The call was perfect The pass was perfect.

Ward, the experienced college quarterback, took care of business. There are reasons the Spiders are the de-See WOODY, Page C8 PAUL first year on the field in college football. Seasoning often is required before excellence is achieved. Thorpe has to protect the ball, even when he thinks he's gotten past a tackier. Players who are determined to defend their national Hagan produces 309.49 mph run CHARLOTTESVILLE A season that started in neutral has been sent into overdrive.

On display at Scott Stadium yesterday was Jameel Sewell making split-second decisions on throws, Mikell Simpson kicking into another gear while finding big holes, and the defense blitzing the quarterback, bringing him down seem- V1B8MIA 47, ingiy as soon as he INDIANA 7 caught the snap. NtxtgMM: The result was a U.Va. at 47-7 blowout against Maryland Indiana the Cava- today 4 Hers' first home vie- p.m., ESPNU tory of the season. Virginia's defense pitched a shutout until the game's final minutes, harassing Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell and forcing the Hoosiers to run the football, one of the team's weaknesses. On offense, it appears the pieces of the puzzle are finally in place, with SeweU throwing for 308 yards, Simpson rushing for 83 yards and four touchdowns before leaving with an injury, and Vic Hall leading the receiving corps.

By the time the Wahoos had put up their 30th point going into half-time, it became clear that the Indi- See CAVALIERS, Page C7 1 YIBONIA NATIONALS Virginia Motorsports Park Shelor.com Motor Mile Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing. "My wife says, 'Can you pick anything more dangerous between farming and drag Hagan said. "There are so many people who get hurt on the farm. And drag racing's not exactly what you'd call safe. They're making it safer every day.

But anything that runs over 300 mph, you're asking for stuff to He's 3rd seed in today's Virginia Nationals; then it's back to the farm BY TIM PEARRELL Times-Dispatch Staff Writer DINWIDDIE After checking on the cows, Matt Hagan sometimes putters around his 500-acre farm in Christiansburg on a 130-horsepower tractor. Top speed through the rolling bilk 6 to 10 mph. On the weekend, the 26-year-old Hagan does the extreme opposite. He pilots the DON L0NGT1MES-DBPATCH Matt Hagan had a career run yesterday behind the wheel of the Shelor.com Motor Mile Funny Car See NHRA, Page C10 at Virginia Motorsports Park..