James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Thursday, October 29
Harrisonburg, Va.
7:30 p.m.
James Madison University
vs
Troy
10/27/2026 11:01:00 AM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison is back at home for a 2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship Game rematch against Troy on Thursday, Oct. 29. Kickoff at Bridgeforth Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be aired live on ESPN2.
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JMU enters the Thursday night affair at 7-1 overall, including 4-1 in Sun Belt play. The Dukes are coming off a 34-31, overtime loss at App State last Thursday night in Boone, North Carolina.
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JMU scored a touchdown on its opening offensive possession for the sixth time in eight games, quarterback JC Evans hit wide receiver Braeden Wisloski for a 70-yard touchdown in the second quarter and quarterback Camden Coleman's 6-yard touchdown run with three seconds to play in regulation sent the game into overtime, where the host Mountaineers ultimately prevailed. Despite the loss, the Dukes outgained App State, 423-366, and allowed just 81 rushing yards on 31 attempts.
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Coleman finished 22-of-39 for 232 yards and a touchdown to go along with his rushing score, while Evans went 5-for-7 for a career-high 99 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, tight end Cole Keller caught his team-leading fifth touchdown last week.
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Defensively, a trio of Dukes – linebackers Nakian Jackson and JT Hooten and safety Seth Gathers – each finished with nine tackles. Edge Turner Schmidt added two sacks.
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JMU is one of seven FBS programs with seven wins in 2026, including one of two Group of Six programs (UTSA). What's more, the Dukes enter the week as one of five one-loss G6 squads.
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Troy arrives in Harrisonburg with a 3-4 overall record this fall, including 1-2 in league action. The Trojans fell to ULM at home last week, 21-14.
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Head coach Gerad Parker is in his third season at the helm at Troy.
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Pregame radio coverage of Thursday's game begins at 5:30 p.m., on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network.
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A limited amount of tickets remain for the game and are available at jmutickets.com.
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The game is sponsored by United Bank and the 2026 JMU football season is presented by CarMax.
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BROADCAST INFO
Watch: ESPN2 (Jay Alter – PXP, Tom Luginbill – Analyst, Lauren Sisler – Sideline)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network (Dave Riggert – PXP, Isai Bradshaw, Cole Potts – Analysts)
Radio: WSVA 550 AM | 92.1 FM | SiriusXM Channel 262
Online: The Varsity Network
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THE MATCHUP
Thursday marks the fifth meeting between the Dukes and Trojans. JMU holds a 3-1 advantage in the series, including winning last season's Sun Belt Championship Game against Troy. The Dukes used a pair of late touchdowns to pull away for a 31-14 win on Dec. 5, 2025, marking their first FBS conference title.
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JMU allowed just 177 yards of total offense in last year's meeting and produced 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Running back Wayne Knight earned game MVP honors after rushing for 212 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
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The Dukes are 2-0 against Troy in the Sun Belt era. Prior to that, the two schools met twice in FCS/I-AA Playoff action in 1994 and 1999.
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ELEVEN STRAIGHT AT BRIDGEFORTH
JMU returns to Harrisonburg to defend an 11-game home win streak at Bridgeforth Stadium. That's tied for the sixth-longest home win streak in the FBS.
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The Dukes are a perfect 4-0 at home this season after tallying a 7-0 home slate in 2025. In all, the squad is 26-3 at home since joining the FBS ranks, good for a .897-winning percentage, ranking No. 9 nationally.
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In the last two seasons, JMU has averaged 43.7 points per game at home and owns a margin of victory of 29.2 in those contests.
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SUN BELT SUCCESS
James Madison's success in Sun Belt play has continued this fall. The squad is 29-8 in league games since 2022, including 15-3 at home.
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Winners of 12 of their last 13 regular-season Sun Belt matchups, as well as the 2025 SBC Championship Game, the Dukes are 7-1 against West Division foes since entering the league. Since 2022, JMU has the most wins of any Sun Belt team, with 47. Troy is second with 38 victories in that time.
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This season, the Dukes are the only Sun Belt program to garner votes in either the AP or US LBM Coaches poll.
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LEADING THE WAY
The Dukes continue to boast a top-25 scoring offense and defense. JMU has scored 41.4 points per game, good for No. 5 nationally, while allowing 18.3 per game (No. 25).
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JMU also appears in the nation's top 10 in other offensive categories: No. 1 in fourth-down conversions (84.6%) and No. 10 in red-zone scoring (.951). JMU's plus-6 turnover margin sits No. 19 nationally.
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The Dukes' return game remains another bright spot, as the squad ranks No. 4 nationally on kick returns (35.43) and No. 11 on punt returns (18.07).
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Individually, Coleman ranks No. 24 in the country and No. 2 in the Sun Belt in touchdown passes, with 14. On the other side of the ball, cornerback DJ Kelly has four interceptions, which is tied for No. 3 nationally and tops in the league.
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Wide receiver Michael Scott, a Jet Award Midseason Watch List selection and Midseason All-American by various outlets, continues to lead the nation in combined return yardage (709). He's one of five players in the nation to record two punt return touchdowns this season, and he ranks No. 17 in the country in all-purpose yardage (129.63).
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Additionally, kicker Morgan Suarez is No. 14 nationally in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game. That ranks No. 1 in the Sun Belt.
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UP NEXT
JMU caps a stretch of three straight Thursday night games on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Southern Miss. Kickoff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is slated for 8 p.m., on ESPN2.
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JMU enters the Thursday night affair at 7-1 overall, including 4-1 in Sun Belt play. The Dukes are coming off a 34-31, overtime loss at App State last Thursday night in Boone, North Carolina.
Â
JMU scored a touchdown on its opening offensive possession for the sixth time in eight games, quarterback JC Evans hit wide receiver Braeden Wisloski for a 70-yard touchdown in the second quarter and quarterback Camden Coleman's 6-yard touchdown run with three seconds to play in regulation sent the game into overtime, where the host Mountaineers ultimately prevailed. Despite the loss, the Dukes outgained App State, 423-366, and allowed just 81 rushing yards on 31 attempts.
Â
Coleman finished 22-of-39 for 232 yards and a touchdown to go along with his rushing score, while Evans went 5-for-7 for a career-high 99 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, tight end Cole Keller caught his team-leading fifth touchdown last week.
Â
Defensively, a trio of Dukes – linebackers Nakian Jackson and JT Hooten and safety Seth Gathers – each finished with nine tackles. Edge Turner Schmidt added two sacks.
Â
JMU is one of seven FBS programs with seven wins in 2026, including one of two Group of Six programs (UTSA). What's more, the Dukes enter the week as one of five one-loss G6 squads.
Â
Troy arrives in Harrisonburg with a 3-4 overall record this fall, including 1-2 in league action. The Trojans fell to ULM at home last week, 21-14.
Â
Head coach Gerad Parker is in his third season at the helm at Troy.
Â
Pregame radio coverage of Thursday's game begins at 5:30 p.m., on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network.
Â
A limited amount of tickets remain for the game and are available at jmutickets.com.
Â
The game is sponsored by United Bank and the 2026 JMU football season is presented by CarMax.
Â
BROADCAST INFO
Watch: ESPN2 (Jay Alter – PXP, Tom Luginbill – Analyst, Lauren Sisler – Sideline)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network (Dave Riggert – PXP, Isai Bradshaw, Cole Potts – Analysts)
Radio: WSVA 550 AM | 92.1 FM | SiriusXM Channel 262
Online: The Varsity Network
Â
THE MATCHUP
Thursday marks the fifth meeting between the Dukes and Trojans. JMU holds a 3-1 advantage in the series, including winning last season's Sun Belt Championship Game against Troy. The Dukes used a pair of late touchdowns to pull away for a 31-14 win on Dec. 5, 2025, marking their first FBS conference title.
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JMU allowed just 177 yards of total offense in last year's meeting and produced 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Running back Wayne Knight earned game MVP honors after rushing for 212 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
Â
The Dukes are 2-0 against Troy in the Sun Belt era. Prior to that, the two schools met twice in FCS/I-AA Playoff action in 1994 and 1999.
Â
ELEVEN STRAIGHT AT BRIDGEFORTH
JMU returns to Harrisonburg to defend an 11-game home win streak at Bridgeforth Stadium. That's tied for the sixth-longest home win streak in the FBS.
Â
The Dukes are a perfect 4-0 at home this season after tallying a 7-0 home slate in 2025. In all, the squad is 26-3 at home since joining the FBS ranks, good for a .897-winning percentage, ranking No. 9 nationally.
Â
In the last two seasons, JMU has averaged 43.7 points per game at home and owns a margin of victory of 29.2 in those contests.
Â
SUN BELT SUCCESS
James Madison's success in Sun Belt play has continued this fall. The squad is 29-8 in league games since 2022, including 15-3 at home.
Â
Winners of 12 of their last 13 regular-season Sun Belt matchups, as well as the 2025 SBC Championship Game, the Dukes are 7-1 against West Division foes since entering the league. Since 2022, JMU has the most wins of any Sun Belt team, with 47. Troy is second with 38 victories in that time.
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This season, the Dukes are the only Sun Belt program to garner votes in either the AP or US LBM Coaches poll.
Â
LEADING THE WAY
The Dukes continue to boast a top-25 scoring offense and defense. JMU has scored 41.4 points per game, good for No. 5 nationally, while allowing 18.3 per game (No. 25).
Â
JMU also appears in the nation's top 10 in other offensive categories: No. 1 in fourth-down conversions (84.6%) and No. 10 in red-zone scoring (.951). JMU's plus-6 turnover margin sits No. 19 nationally.
Â
The Dukes' return game remains another bright spot, as the squad ranks No. 4 nationally on kick returns (35.43) and No. 11 on punt returns (18.07).
Â
Individually, Coleman ranks No. 24 in the country and No. 2 in the Sun Belt in touchdown passes, with 14. On the other side of the ball, cornerback DJ Kelly has four interceptions, which is tied for No. 3 nationally and tops in the league.
Â
Wide receiver Michael Scott, a Jet Award Midseason Watch List selection and Midseason All-American by various outlets, continues to lead the nation in combined return yardage (709). He's one of five players in the nation to record two punt return touchdowns this season, and he ranks No. 17 in the country in all-purpose yardage (129.63).
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Additionally, kicker Morgan Suarez is No. 14 nationally in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game. That ranks No. 1 in the Sun Belt.
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UP NEXT
JMU caps a stretch of three straight Thursday night games on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Southern Miss. Kickoff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is slated for 8 p.m., on ESPN2.
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Players Mentioned
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CB
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EDGE
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WR
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