7

Carolina Coast
CCU

4-2, 1-1

39

winner

James Madison
JMU

5-1, 1-1

Carolina Coast
CCU

4-2, 1-1

7

39

James Madison
JMU

5-1, 1-1

winner

Points by quarters

team	1	2	3	4	F
CCU Carolina Coast	7	0	0	0	7
JMU James Madison	7	22	7	3	39

Match Review: Football | Oct 10, 2024 10:57 p.m | Mike Barber

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison’s white-out turned out to be a complete failure.

quarterback Alonza Barnett III threw three touchdowns and the Dukes’ defense took over as the nation’s leader in turnovers, defeating Coastal Carolina 39-7 on Thursday night at Bridgeforth Stadium.

“It’s great when you play on national television and play at the level we played at today,” Linebacker said Jacob Dobbs. “

In front of the ninth-largest crowd in stadium history – 25,622, many dressed in white for the Dukes’ annual “Brighten the Lights of Madison” game – JMU defeated the Chanticleers 421-181 to clinch its first Sun Belt Win of the season.

Run back George Pettaway Rushed for 89 yards on 13 carries and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass while the Dukes racked up 222 yards on the ground.

JMU (5-1 overall, 1-1 SBC) overcame last weekend’s loss at ULM in impressive and dominant fashion, jumping out to a 29-7 halftime lead en route to its fourth straight win over Coastal Carolina.

“Obviously last week was disappointing for all of us,” Barnett said of the previous game. “But just the continued trust we have in each other will take us far.”

In their three FBS meetings with the Chanticleers, the Dukes have now outscored them 142-28. On Thursday, it stifled the conference’s second-best offense and held Coastal Carolina to its lowest points and total yards scored this season.

“Everyone played within the framework of defense and took their only penalty kill,” said Dobbs, who recorded a team-high nine tackles. “And the D-line, I thought, just dominated the game. They ruined the game.”

The offense was creative, unpredictable and – for most of the evening – unstoppable. The defense continued its dynamic play, not only holding the Chanticleers to 3 for 14 on third downs, but also leading the country with 17 turnovers.

This also included defensive tackle Lloyd Summerall III 35-yard pick-6 in the second quarter.

“It’s still surreal for me right now,” Summerall said. “Just seeing the ball in the air and carrying it to the crib. It was a great feeling.”

Five days after struggling offensively on the road at ULM, the Dukes had no trouble moving the ball against the Chanticleers as offensive coordinator Dean KennedyThe varied and deceptive schedule kept Coastal (4-2, 1-1) on its heels throughout the night.

JMU entered the field first and scored with a nifty play in the red zone, sending Pettaway into a huddle formation and then throwing him a bubble screen. Tight end Josh Phifer Opened up space for Pettaway to juke the field and the wide receiver Dylan Williams made the final block at the 2-yard line to put Pettaway in the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 6:51 left in the first quarter.

After Coastal responded with a big play of its own, a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Vasko to Jameson Tucker, JMU picked up even more offensive creativity.

Barnett took a shotgun snap and passed the ball to Pettaway, who shuffled it to the wide receiver Omarion Dollison on a back. Dollison threw it back to Barnett, who shot it outfield Taylor Thompson for 33 yards.

That sparked a 25-yard touchdown grab from Thompson, who made a diving catch on a well-placed ball from Barnett, to give the Dukes – who scored the 2-pointer – a 15-7 lead.

Summerall’s interception return, the first of his career, gave JMU a 22-7 lead and signaled defeat was imminent.

JMU improved to 20-3 after its first loss of the season since 2020 and as a coach Bob Chesney won his 10th^Th a straight game after a loss, a streak that dates back to his years at Holy Cross.

The Dukes’ next game is November 9th at Georgia Southern.