RICHMOND -- Storybook seasons typically have intriguing chapters along the way.

But the path James Madison took to beat Richmond 38-31 on Saturday was so wild, a book editor probably would have rejected it and sent it back for a re-write.

In a series of quick-hitting, fact-beats-fiction moments:

n Eugene Holloman, JMU's shifty tailback, scored on an 8-yard run with 59 seconds remaining to pull the Dukes within 31-29 and cap a 63-yard scoring drive;

n Quarterback Rodney Landers hit Griff Yancey on a two-point conversion pass with Yancey diving to make the catch and barely getting a knee inbounds;

n After JMU's defense held Richmond and forced a punt, Scotty McGee returned it 69 yards with one second remaining for the victory in front of a crowd of 16,151 at University of Richmond Stadium.

McGee's return was so improbable that Landers said he "was on the headset talking with the coaches about what we'd do in overtime when the guys upstairs started hollering into my headset."

"I turned around and there goes Scotty up the sideline," Landers said.

It was the fifth time in his college career that McGee has returned a kick for a touchdown. None was bigger, though, for the kid from Virginia Beach's Ocean Lakes High who closed his eyes for a second and remembered the first time he ever did it.

"I was playing Pop Warner for the Woodstock Mustangs and I was 10 years old," he said. "I was all of 72 pounds playing in a 120-pound division."

The heroics salvaged JMU's No. 1 ranking in the Football Championship Subdivision, better known as Division I-AA. And it kept the Dukes atop the Colonial Athletic Association standings at 6-1 overall, 3-0 in the league.

Richmond (4-3, 2-2) came in ranked No. 5 and looked as if it would pull the upset when Josh Vaughan barreled in from the 3 with 3:21 remaining as the Spiders took a 31-23 lead.

Vaughan's scoring run had been set up by a 28-yard pass from Eric Ward to Tre Gray, who beat McGee on a slant pattern on fourth-and-5 with 3:49 remaining and the Spiders already leading 24-23.

McGee had been burned twice during the afternoon, also giving up a big play on a stop-and-go by Jordan Mitchell for a 41-yard gain which set up Richmond's second TD.

The Dukes, who overcame a 21-0 deficit to three-time defending national champion Appalachian State three weeks ago to win 35-32, were pressed to perform throughout by a Spiders team that two weeks prior had blown their own No. 1 ranking with a 26-20 loss at Villanova.

James Madison 3 10 7 18 -- 38

Richmond 7 7 3 14 -- 31

First Quarter

Rich--Vaughan 1 run (Howard kick), 10:52.

JMU--FG Pritchard 51, 7:20.

Second Quarter

JMU--Caussin 8 pass from Landers (Stannard kick), 13:37.

Rich--Crone 1 run (Howard kick), 10:22.

JMU--FG Stannard 23, 1:57.

Third Quarter

Rich--FG Howard 32, 5:57.

JMU--McCarter 5 pass from Landers (Stannard kick), :42.

Fourth Quarter

Rich--Ward 3 run (Howard kick), 10:49.

JMU--FG Stannard 40, 6:41.

Rich--Vaughan 3 run (Howard kick), 3:21.

JMU--Holloman 8 run (Yancey pass from Landers), :59.

JMU--McGee 69 punt return (Stannard kick), :01.

A--16,151.

JMU Rich

First downs 19 19

Rushes-yards 46-226 34-124

Passing 96 224

Comp-Att-Int 10-12-0 17-25-0

Return Yards 69 17

Punts-Avg. 1-34.0 3-36.3

Fumbles-Lost 2-0 1-1

Penalties-Yards 3-30 3-18

Time of Possession 31:01 28:59

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--James Madison, Landers 16-62, Holloman 12-58,

Sullivan 8-51, Yancey 7-46, Apted 0-6, Long 1-4, Ward 1-0,

Team 1-(minus 1). Richmond, Vaughan 23-94, Ward 7-22, Wilkins 2-5,

Crone 2-3.

PASSING--James Madison, Landers 10-12-0-96. Richmond,

Ward 17-25-0-224.

RECEIVING--James Madison, McCarter 3-42, Caussin 2-21, Long 2-20,

Turner 1-7, Ward 1-3, Yancey 1-3. Richmond, Gray 5-97, Grayson 4-62, Mitchell 3-41, Vaughan 2-5, Crone 1-10, Monteverde 1-5, Stewart 1-4.