2/26/2023 0 Comments James madison football![]() ![]() Just a handful of years after Madison College became a coed institution, President Ronald Carrier had an idea. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: JMU moved up a level, then played App State. I’d put that up there against some of these historical games to remember: 1. In short: App State marks the beginning of JMU’s journey as an increasingly powerful team, amidst an increasingly powerful conference. (As much as the ESPN staff continues to declare its undying love for Harrisonburg, it’s also hard to imagine the show hitting two Sun Belt games in the same year.) Marshall/JMU gets very interesting as a College GameDay location … though Penn State and Oklahoma State might still have inside positioning, thanks to their P5 status. The Dukes can’t win the Sun Belt this year because of transition eligibility rules, but the “What if JMU was Eligible?” conversations will start in earnest. If the game does end in an outright win for JMU, it could serve as an inflection point for its immediate future in FBS football. Win or lose, the period that this game marks is one of real national relevance. The case for this weekend’s game is simple: JMU has finally arrived on the scene of big-time FBS football. I’m focused on games that loom large when considering both the historical arc of JMU football and the wider history of college football. What are the other biggest games in JMU Football history? And if you are familiar with how I often think about JMU Sports, then you probably know that this game got me thinking… Opinions may vary here, but I’m of the opinion that this weekend’s renewed grudge match in Boone is one of the biggest, most memorable games in JMU history. JMU fans are accustomed to coasting through a CAA slate that generally offered all the resistance of a wet paper bag Marshall, App State, Georgia Southern & Co. With FBS conference play on the horizon, the truly difficult tests now begin. JMU has, in the words of head coach Curt Cignetti, “passed its first test” – that test being the Week 1 blowout win against Middle Tennessee back on Sept. The college football odds market pegs App State as a -7 favorite. The Dukes (2-0) are one of two remaining Sun Belt teams who are undefeated. Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at and follow on Twitter Support local journalism by subscribing to Madison fans have had two weeks to emotionally prepare for this weekend’s huge Sun Belt opener at Appalachian State. ![]() "We just couldn’t play well enough to finish the win." "This game here we found ourselves in a good football game for three quarters," Rocco said. Delaware had 84 first-half yards to JMU’s 110. JMU, which ran 30 of its first 33 offensive plays in Delaware territory, then got another Ratke field goal from 47 yards with 4:08 to go in the first half after the Blue Hens had to punt from their end zone for the second time. ![]() Gwynn, the Salesianum graduate, lofted a 26-yard TD pass to Collins, the Mount Pleasant alum, sprinting down the right sideline and into the end zone for the touchdown with 11:03 left in the second quarter. Delaware then put together a 10-play, 76-yard touchdown drive, keyed by two pass-interference penalties while the Dukes tried to cover Thyrick Pitts, plus Gwynn’s 7-yard third-down throw to Gene Coleman II and Gwynn’s fourth-down 1-yard keeper. ![]()
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