The 2023 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University as a member of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Curt Cignetti, the Dukes played home games at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the East division of the Sun Belt Conference.
2023 James Madison Dukes football | |
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Sun Belt East Division champion[a] | |
Armed Forces Bowl, L 21–31 vs. Air Force | |
Conference | Sun Belt Conference |
East Division | |
Record | 11–2 (7–1 Sun Belt) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Mike Shanahan (3rd season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread |
Defensive coordinator | Bryant Haines (2nd season) |
Base defense | 4–2–5 |
Home stadium | Bridgeforth Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Madison* x | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appalachian State y | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coastal Carolina | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Old Dominion | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia State | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marshall | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia Southern | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Troy xy$ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas State | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Alabama | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southern Miss | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana–Monroe | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Troy 49, Appalachian State 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The season was the final year of a two-year transition from the Football Championship Subdivision. The team was not originally eligible for a bowl game;[1] a request for a waiver was denied by the NCAA in August,[2] and a waiver for relief was also denied in November.[3] However, as there were not enough bowl eligible teams, they were given a berth. JMU was selected to play in the Armed Forces Bowl.[4]
Preseason
editMedia poll
editIn the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Dukes were picked to finish in first place in the East division.[5]
Media poll (East division) | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | James Madison | 78 (4) |
2 | Appalachian State | 75 (4) |
3 | Coastal Carolina | 71 (1) |
4 | Marshall | 68 (1) |
5 | Georgia Southern | 52 (1) |
6 | Georgia State | 31 |
7 | Old Dominion | 17 |
Offensive lineman Nick Kidwell, defensive lineman James Carpenter, and punter Ryan Hanson were named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team. Linebacker Taurus Jones was named to the second team.[5]
Schedule
editThe football schedule was announced February 24, 2023.[6]
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Bucknell* | ESPN+ | W 38–3 | 23,756 | ||
September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | at Virginia* | ESPNU | W 36–35 | 56,508 | ||
September 16 | 7:00 p.m. | at Troy | NFLN | W 16–14 | 26,634 | ||
September 23 | 8:00 p.m. | at Utah State* | MW Network | W 45–38 | 19,994 | ||
September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | South Alabama |
| ESPNU | W 31–23 | 26,064 | |
October 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Georgia Southern |
| ESPN2 | W 41–13 | 25,097 | |
October 19 | 7:00 p.m. | at Marshall | ESPN | W 20–9 | 22,109 | ||
October 28 | 8:00 p.m. | Old Dominion | No. 25 |
| ESPNU | W 30–27 | 26,239 |
November 4 | 3:30 p.m. | at Georgia State | ESPN2 | W 42–14 | 15,320 | ||
November 11 | 2:00 p.m. | UConn* |
| ESPN+ | W 44–6 | 25,240 | |
November 18 | 2:00 p.m. | Appalachian State |
| ESPN+ | L 23–26 OT | 25,838 | |
November 25 | 3:30 p.m. | at Coastal Carolina | ESPN2 | W 56–14 | 16,196 | ||
December 23 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. Air Force* | ABC | L 21–31 | 30,828 | ||
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Roster
edit2023 James Madison Dukes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Roster |
Game summaries
editvs Bucknell
editat Virginia
editat Troy
editat Utah State
editvs South Alabama
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 23 |
Dukes | 14 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, VA
- Date: September 30, 2023
- Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny
- Game attendance: 26,064
- Referee: Trennis Livingston
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)
Game information | ||
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|
Statistics | USA | JMU |
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First downs | 20 | 15 |
Total yards | 326 | 377 |
Rushing yards | 3 | 7 |
Passing yards | 12 | 6 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 28–50–2 | 12–22–1 |
Time of possession | 28:46 | 31:14 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
South Alabama | Passing | Carter Bradley | 28/50, 299 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
Rushing | La'Damian Webb | 12 carries, 36 yards, TD | |
Receiving | Caullin Lacy | 6 receptions, 132 yards | |
James Madison | Passing | Jordan McCloud | 12/22, 241 yards, 3 TD, INT |
Rushing | Jordan McCloud | 10 carries, 61 yards | |
Receiving | Zach Horton | 3 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD |
vs Georgia Southern
editat Marshall
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dukes | 0 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 20 |
Thundering Herd | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia
- Date: Thursday, October 19, 2023
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny
- Game attendance: 22,109
- Referee: Wayne Winkler
- TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
- Pregame line: James Madison –3.5
Game information |
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|
Statistics | JMU | MRSH |
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First downs | 19 | 10 |
Plays–yards | 69–405 | 62–169 |
Rushes–yards | 36–131 | 32–-4 |
Passing yards | 274 | 173 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 22–33–1 | 17–30–1 |
Time of possession | 33:49 | 26:11 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
James Madison | Passing | Jordan McCloud | 21/31, 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Jordan McCloud | 6 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Reggie Brown | 6 receptions, 126 yards, 1 TD | |
Marshall | Passing | Cam Fancher | 17/30, 173 yards, 1 INT |
Rushing | Ethan Payne | 20 carries, 62 yards | |
Receiving | Jayden Harrison | 4 receptions, 40 yards |
vs Old Dominion
editat Georgia State
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dukes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 4, 2023
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 15,320
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Kirk Morrison (analyst)
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Statistics | JMU | GSU |
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First downs | ||
Total yards | ||
Rushing yards | ||
Passing yards | ||
Turnovers | ||
Time of possession |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
James Madison | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving | |||
Georgia State | Passing | ||
Rushing | |||
Receiving |
vs UConn
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Huskies | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
Dukes | 3 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 44 |
Game information |
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First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
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Statistics
Statistics | CONN | JMU |
---|---|---|
First downs | 15 | 23 |
Total yards | 319 | 503 |
Rushing yards | 79 | 46 |
Passing yards | 240 | 457 |
Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
Time of possession | 29:08 | 30:52 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
UConn | Passing | Ta'Quan Roberson | 20/36, 207 yds |
Rushing | Cam Edwards | 12 att, 43 yds | |
Receiving | Cameron Ross | 4 rec, 91 yds | |
James Madison | Passing | Jordan McCloud | 33/37, 457 yds, 4 TDs |
Rushing | Kaelon Black | 4 att, 38 yds | |
Receiving | Reggie Brown | 9 rec, 202 yds, 2 TDs |
vs Appalachian State
editat Coastal Carolina
editRankings
editWeek | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
AP | RV | RV | RV | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 24 | RV |
Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | 21 | 21 | RV | 25 | 25 | RV |
CFP | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
Notes
edit- ^ James Madison was ineligible to participate in the SBC championship game due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules.[7]
References
edit- ^ News-Record, NOAH FLEISCHMAN Daily (May 2, 2023). "How Likely Is a Bowl Game For JMU In 2023?". Daily News-Record. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "NCAA denies James Madison's bid for waiver to gain bowl eligibility". The Virginian-Pilot. April 27, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ Salerno, Cameron (November 16, 2023). "NCAA denies postseason eligibility waiver for James Madison, Dukes must hope for dearth of bowl-eligible teams". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ Murray, Jack (November 25, 2023). "James Madison Guaranteed CFB Bowl Berth Due to Lack of 6-Win Teams". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ^ a b "Sun Belt Announces Football Preseason Awards & Poll". sunbeltsports.org. July 24, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "2023 James Madison Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ Frankenberry, Jami (October 19, 2023). "Unbeaten JMU leads Sun Belt, but despite pleas NCAA rules keep Dukes from a bowl, conference title game". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved November 27, 2023.