<p>HARRISONBURG, Va. — Jawon Hamilton rushed for a career-high 171 yards and scored an FCS playoff-record 99-yard touchdown as top-ranked James Madison defeated post-season newcomer VMI 31-24 in the first round on Saturday.</p>
<p>Cole Johnson passed for 204 yards and two touchdowns, James Madison added 305 yards and two more touchdowns rushing to compile 509 yards of total offense.</p>
<p>James Madison (6-0), making a school-record seventh straight appearance in the playoffs, will face the winner of the Missouri State-North Dakota game in the quarterfinals.</p>
<p>Hamilton and Percy Agyei-Obese each topped 100 yards rushing as the punishing JMU ground game controlled the ball for nearly 36 minutes.</p>
<p>Hamilton gained his 171 yards on 19 carries and opened the scoring with the record 99-yard run. Agyei-Obese gained 110 yards on 25 carries and had a touchdown from the 2-yard line. Hamilton’s 99-yarder was also a James Madison program record for both longest run and longest play.</p>
<p>The eleventh-ranked Keydets (6-2), making their first appearance in the FCS playoffs, scored with nine seconds left to pull within seven points, but JMU recovered the onside kick to seal the win.</p>
<p>The Keydets Seth Morgan was 30-of-50 passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted three times. Morgan threw touchdown passes to Jakob Herres and Max Brimigion and also ran for a score.</p>
<p>Morgan, a redshirt freshman, replaced Reece Udinski after he suffered a season-ending knee injury midseason.</p>
<p>VMI rolled up 403 yards of offense against the top defense in the FCS.</p>
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