#1 Dukes Open Home Slate Saturday Against ETSU

Saturday, September 9

Harrisonburg, Va.

6 p.m.

James Madison University

ETSU

Tickets

9/5/2017 3:20:00 PM | Football

@JMUFootball JMU Game Notes

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Top-ranked James Madison gets set to open the home schedule when it hosts ETSU on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. inside Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field, and the game will be televised on Comcast SportsNet Plus. It can also be seen live on MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association, and heard on the JMU/Sprint Broadcast Network. Radio pregame coverage begins at 5 p.m.

The 2017 JMU football season is presented by CarMax and Saturday's game is sponsored by University Outpost.

FAN & PRESS LUNCHEON

SERIES HISTORY
This is the 10th meeting all-time between the teams, with JMU leading 6-3. ETSU just brought back football three years ago, so this marks the first meeting since Sept. 13, 1997, when JMU beat ETSU 32-27.

JMU IN HOME OPENERS
The Dukes open the 2017 home slate Saturday, and have seen much success in the home opener. JMU is 34-11 in home openers, dating back to 1972, which includes an active 14-game home-opening win streak. During the home-opening win streak, JMU outscores opponents by an average of 46.4 to 9.7.

JMU has put up over 40 points in 10 of those games, including 80 in the 2016 opener vs. Morehead State. The last foe to win in JMU's home opener was Hampton, which took a 31-28 victory back on Aug. 31, 2002. JMU has won 24 of its last 25 home openers.

DUKES THRASH FBS ECU TO OPEN 2017
Cardon Johnson rushed for a career-high 265 yards and two touchdowns, and JMU beat ECU 34-14 in the season opener on Sept. 2. Johnson's rushing total was the second most in JMU single-game history, falling just 11 yards shy of Vad Lee's 2015 record (276 at SMU). It was JMU's sixth-ever win against a FBS opponent, as the Dukes improved to 2-0 against the American Athletic Conference, joining the 48-45 win over SMU two seasons ago.

JMU out-gained ECU 614-362, which included a dominant rushing performance (410-70). Kyre Hawkins led the defensive attack with 13 tackles, while Jimmy Moreland had a career-high 11. JMU produced three interceptions, two of which came by Rashad Robinson.

CARDON, KYRE EARN CAA AWARDS
Following the FBS win at ECU, both Cardon Johnson and Kyre Hawkins were honored by the CAA. Johnson was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week, while Hawkins was tabbed CAA Defensive Player of the Week.

Johnson rushed for 265 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries (15.6 avg), which included scoring runs of 85 and 80 yards. His output was 100 yards better than his previous career high, set back in 2015. Hawkins led the defense with 13 tackles, which was the second-most tackles of his career. He also recorded a tackle-for-loss, as the Dukes built a lead as big as 27 points in the fourth quarter. It was the first CAA weekly honor for both players.

SCOUTING ETSU
The Buccaneers come to town sporting a 1-0 record after claiming a 31-10 win against Division II Limestone last weekend. ETSU out-gained Limestone 379-222, which included holding the visitors to just 29 passing yards on 7-of-20 attempts. Austin Herink passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns, and Jajuan Stinson rushed for 88 and a score.

Last season, in just the program's second year back as a team, it went 5-6, which included a 15-14 upset win over Samford. Carl Torbush is in his third season at the helm, holding an 8-15 record. He is also 28-41 in his six-year head coaching career.

TALE OF THE TAPE

JMU		ETSU
34.0	Scoring Offense	31.0
14.0	Scoring Defense	10.0
+20.0	Scoring Margin	+21.0
204.0	Passing Yards	239.0
410.0	Rushing Yards	140.0
614.0	Total Offense	379.0
46% (5/11)	3^rd Down Offense	44% (4/9)
38% (6/16)	3^rd Down Defense	13% (2/15)
0% (0/1)	4^th Down Offense	0% (0/1)
40% (2/5)	4^th Down Defense	60% (3/5)
67% (2/3)	Red Zone Scoring	100% (1/1)
1/3/1	Sacks/INT/Fumb. Rec.	1/1/0

DUKES TAKE ANOTHER FBS WIN
For the second time in three years, JMU defeated a FBS team, improving to 2-0 against the American Athletic Conference in the process.

The Dukes improved to 6-20 all-time in these games and have now won three of their past seven outings against the subdivision. Prior to Saturday's 34-14 win at ECU, JMU downed SMU 48-45 back on Sept. 26, 2015.

The Dukes also have a pair of wins against the Atlantic Coast Conference, taking a 21-17 win at Virginia in 1982 and claiming a historic 21-16 triumph at Virginia Tech in 2010. JMU also produced back-to-back wins at Navy with a 24-20 win in 1989 and a 16-7 win in 1990.

STRENGTHENING NO. 1 SPOT IN FCS
Following its 20-point win in Greenville, JMU is nearly the consensus No. 1 team in the land, according to the media and coaches.

The Dukes received 152 of 163 first-place votes (93%) in the STATS FCS Top 25 and 25 of 26 first-place votes (96%) in the FCS Coaches Poll. JMU is one of four CAA schools to be ranked heading into week two: Villanova (#6/8), Richmond (#9) and New Hampshire (#12).

ROBINSON PICKS OFF TWO AT ECU
JMU forced four turnovers in the season opener, including three interceptions. Rashad Robinson led the Dukes with a career-best two interceptions. The first came in the end zone and the latter late in the fourth quarter. Robinson now had five career picks.

LONG RUSHES POWER JMU AT ECU
The Dukes established the run early, allowing them to never trail in the 34-14 win at ECU. The Dukes racked up 410 yards on 42 carries, averaging 9.8 yards per rush.

Cardon Johnson reeled off a career-best 265 yards, which included touchdown runs of 85 and 80 yards. Late in the fourth, Marcus Marshall, who ran for 88 yards on 10 touches, capped his day with a 70-yard touchdown scamper. Bryan Schor also had 48 yards and a score.

EXTENDING D1-LEADING WIN STREAK
JMU kept its NCAA Division I win streak intact in the season-opening 34-14 win at ECU. The Dukes have now won a program-record 13 straight games dating back to Sept. 24, 2016. The streak leads both the FBS and FCS levels.

JMU's last loss came back on Sept. 17, 2016 - a 56-28 setback at ACC-foe North Carolina. Winning on the road always presents a challenge, however, the Dukes have won six straight road games.

JMU was one of just two FCS teams to go unbeaten against the FCS last season, as Grambling State's lone defeat also came at the hands of a FBS opponent in Arizona in 2016.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Statement Made. #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/I5dTTNbP2p
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) September 3, 2017

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the home opener, as well as the entire season are available at JMUTickets.com. For JMU's six home games, season, mini-plan and single-game packages are available.

MADIZONE HD SPORTSNET
MadiZONE HD SportsNet, presented by the JMU Alumni Association is a free video production, provided online through Stretch Internet. Five of JMU's six home games will be streamed to MadiZONE, with the Oct. 14 Villanova game being streamed through CBS Sports Digital. Curt Dudley will provide play-by-play for all the home action, and he's joined in the booth by JMU senior and color commentator Bennett Conlin. Sideline coverage will also be provided by JMU sophomore Logan Campbell.

JMU SPRINT BROADCAST NETWORK
All 11 regular-season games, as well as any postseason matchups can be heard online on the JMU/Sprint Broadcast Network or on airwaves at WSVA 550AM and 92.1 FM. Dave Thomas is in his third season as the play-by-play man for the Dukes and is joined by Clint Estes on color commentary.

UP NEXT
JMU continues its three-game homestand on Saturday, Sept. 16 when it hosts Norfolk State at Bridgeforth Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on MASN2. It will be the first-ever meeting between JMU and NSU.