JMU, Abdullah share the wealth together

FRISCO, Texas (STATS) - James Madison running back Khalid Abdullah was named the most outstanding player of Saturday's 28-14 win over Youngstown State in the NCAA Division I FCS Championship Game.

But at the postgame news conference, he pushed his shiny new trophy several seats over to quarterback Bryan Schor, saying he would have voted for his teammate.

The trophy that meant the most to Abdullah, and probably Schor and anybody else on the Dukes, was the one that will soon be prominently displayed in a trophy case back in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Dukes are national champs for the second time in program history, joining their 2004 team.

"At the end of the day, it's definitely just about the team," Abdullah said. "Outside of individual records and stats, it's more about getting that big trophy at the end of the day."

Abdullah carried the ball 26 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns, ending the game with school records of 1,809 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the season.

Schor, the CAA Football offensive player of the year, passed for two first-quarter touchdowns to stake James Madison (14-1) to a 14-0 lead. He passed on praise to his offensive linemen after the game.

Coach Mike Houston praised his upperclassmen - like Abdullah and Schor - for leading the team to a new level in his first season, while linebacker Gage Steele and the defensive players praised each other.

Yup, in the end, it was all about James Madison's team.