No. 2 JMU Opens Home Slate Thursday Night Against Robert Morris

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Second-ranked James Madison will host its first home game of the 2018 season on Thursday night against Robert Morris. This date has changed from Saturday due to the threat of Hurricane Florence.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium and will be televised on NBC Sports Washington. It will also be streamed on MadiZONE HD SportsNet and can be heard on the JMU/Sprint Broadcast Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m.

The 2018 JMU football season is presented by CarMax and Thursday's game is sponsored by JMU Duke Club.

FAN & PRESS LUNCHEON

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday marks the first meeting between the Dukes and Colonials. The bout will be the seventh all-time for JMU against teams from the Northeast Conference, as the Dukes are 6-0 against NEC programs.

JMU WIN STORM-SHORTENED MATCHUP AT NSU
Multiple lightning delays and three scoring drives in the first quarter was all the action last week for JMU, as it claimed a 17-0 victory at Norfolk State after the teams agreed to end the game following lengthy delays.

It's the second straight season the Dukes registered a shutout win, as it beat New Hampshire 21-0 on Oct. 28, 2017. It's also the third time in four years JMU held an opponent without a point, as Elon fell 51-0 on its Homecoming on Oct. 17, 2015.

JMU out-gained NSU 118-29 in the lone quarter of play, including 106-24 in the run game. Ben DiNucci had 67 rushing yards and a touchdown, while D'Angelo Amos had a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown. Jimmy Moreland also had an interception to tie the program record fort all-time interceptions.

ACTIVE WIN STREAKS ENTERING WEEK THREE
• 11 straight true road wins against FCS teams
• Six consecutive wins against Virginia teams
• CAA-record 18 straight conference wins (previous record - Richmond 17)
• 17 straight wins at Bridgeforth Stadium

SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS
The Colonials enter with a 1-1 record, opening the season with a 49-28 loss at Dayton before bouncing back with a 22-19 come-from-behind win against Virginia State last Saturday. Against VSU, RMU trailed 19-7 with 9:43 to play before scoring two touchdowns only 78 seconds apart.

RMU averages 25.0 points per game while conceding 34.0 to its opponents. It also averages 241.0 passing yards while allowing 268.0 rushing yards per outing. The Colonials' red-zone defense has stopped opponents on five of 11 trips inside the 20 this season.

Bernard Clark Jr. is in his first season as head coach of the Colonials. He spent the previous five seasons at Albany as defensive coordinator. A former third-round draft pick, Clark played three seasons in the NFL after a standout career with Miami, where he was Orange Bowl MVP. He began his career at JMU, serving as defensive ends coach in 1998 and 1999.

JMU IN HOME OPENERS
The Dukes have seen much success in their home openers, compiling a 35-11 record in the first home games of the year, dating back to 1972. This includes an active 15-game home-opening win streak.

During the home-opening win streak, JMU outscores opponents by an average of 46.8 to 9.7. JMU has put up over 40 points in 11 of those games, including 80 in the 2016 opener vs. Morehead State. JMU has won 25 of its last 26 home openers. The last foe to win in JMU's home opener was Hampton, which took a 31-28 victory back on Aug. 31, 2002.

THE DUKES AGAINST PENNSYLVANIA CREWS
The Dukes have faced eight teams from Pennsylvania since the inaugural 1972 season. In 53 games, JMU has produced a 34-19 record. JMU's most prevalent school from PA is conference foe Villanova, which JMU has faced in 26 of the 53 games. The Dukes has also played Shippensburg 11 times, but not since 1996. Outside of Villanova, the most recent non-conference PA foe was Lehigh in 2015.

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 fourth season as the play-by-play man for the Dukes and is joined by Clint Estes on color commentary. The pregame show begins this week at 6 p.m., ahead of the 7 p.m. kickoff.

UP NEXT
The Dukes will host William & Mary at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field to open Colonial Athletic Association play next Saturday, Sept. 22 at 3:30 p.m.

The game will be televised on NBC Washington Plus and streamed on MadiZONE HD SportsNet.

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