Upcoming Event: Football versus Liberty on September 5, 2026 at Noon
FB
Noon
James Madison
vs Liberty
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Dukes Hold No. 2 Ranking in Both Major National Polls
9/3/2018 2:30:00 PM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison enters the second week of the regular season with a No. 2 ranking in both the STATS FCS Top 25 and the AFCA FCS Coaches' Top 25.
Additionally, the Dukes (0-1) garnered one first-place vote in the STATS media poll.
JMU is coming off a 24-13 season-opening loss at ACC foe NC State in Raleigh, N.C. JMU led 7-0 and was within four points late before the Wolfpack scored a touchdown with 65 seconds to play to secure the win.
Redshirt junior Ben DiNucci completed 85 percent of his passes in his JMU debut, going 23-of-27 for 197 yards and a touchdown. He also led the team in rushing, with 14 carries for 79 yards (5.6 per carry). Redshirt junior Riley Stapleton caught a career-high nine passes for 88 yards and a score.
Defensively, JMU limited NCSU to only 83 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per rush. Redshirt junior Ron'Dell Carter had 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack and redshirt junior Dimitri Holloway made nine stops (1.5 for loss) with a forced fumble in his first game played in a year.
North Dakota State maintained its No. 1 ranking, holding 151 first-place votes by the media and all 26 from the coaches. Following second-ranked JMU in both polls are No. 3 South Dakota State and No. 4 Sam Houston State, while North Carolina A&T is fifth by the media and Eastern Washington rounded out the coaches' top five.
The CAA once again boasted six teams in the top 25 this week. Behind the Dukes are Villanova (12/11), Elon (15/15), New Hampshire (20/22), Maine (22/25) and Stony Brook (24/23).
JMU stays out on the road this week, traveling east to take on Norfolk State (1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 8. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at William "Dick" Price Stadium. The 2018 season is presented by CarMax.
Additionally, the Dukes (0-1) garnered one first-place vote in the STATS media poll.
JMU is coming off a 24-13 season-opening loss at ACC foe NC State in Raleigh, N.C. JMU led 7-0 and was within four points late before the Wolfpack scored a touchdown with 65 seconds to play to secure the win.
Redshirt junior Ben DiNucci completed 85 percent of his passes in his JMU debut, going 23-of-27 for 197 yards and a touchdown. He also led the team in rushing, with 14 carries for 79 yards (5.6 per carry). Redshirt junior Riley Stapleton caught a career-high nine passes for 88 yards and a score.
Defensively, JMU limited NCSU to only 83 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per rush. Redshirt junior Ron'Dell Carter had 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack and redshirt junior Dimitri Holloway made nine stops (1.5 for loss) with a forced fumble in his first game played in a year.
North Dakota State maintained its No. 1 ranking, holding 151 first-place votes by the media and all 26 from the coaches. Following second-ranked JMU in both polls are No. 3 South Dakota State and No. 4 Sam Houston State, while North Carolina A&T is fifth by the media and Eastern Washington rounded out the coaches' top five.
The CAA once again boasted six teams in the top 25 this week. Behind the Dukes are Villanova (12/11), Elon (15/15), New Hampshire (20/22), Maine (22/25) and Stony Brook (24/23).
JMU stays out on the road this week, traveling east to take on Norfolk State (1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 8. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at William "Dick" Price Stadium. The 2018 season is presented by CarMax.
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballSaturday, April 25
Thursday, April 23
Thursday, April 23
Tuesday, April 21
