Second-Ranked Dukes Welcome Morgan State to Bridgeforth on Saturday

Saturday, September 14

Harrisonburg, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

Morgan State

Second-Ranked Dukes Welcome Morgan State to Bridgeforth on Saturday

9/10/2019 12:45:00 PM | Football

Press Luncheon Game Notes

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Second-ranked James Madison continues their short home stint this Saturday when it faces Morgan State out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field and will be televised on NBC Sports Washington. It will be streamed on FloFootball (subscribe here) and can be heard on the JMU Sprint Broadcast Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 3 p.m. There will be no out-of-market linear coverage through DirecTV and Dish Network for this game.

Saturday's game is sponsored by Pepsi, and the 2019 JMU football season is presented by CarMax.

FAN & PRESS LUNCHEON

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday marks just the second meeting all-time between the two programs, with JMU leading the series 1-0. The Dukes are also 6-2 all-time against MEAC opponents. James Madison won the first meeting back on September 2, 1995 by a 76-7 margin. In that victory, JMU scored a program-record 35 points in the second quarter, a record that stood all alone for 22 years until it scored 35 in the second quarter of the 2017 meeting with Norfolk State. The 76 points were also a program record for single-game points until 2016 and still ranks third all-time.

LAST TIME OUT
James Madison rushed for nearly 300 yards and used a stifling defensive effort to upend Saint Francis 44-7 last Saturday. The Dukes limited SFU to only 69 yards through the first three quarters, scoring the game's first 37 points. JMU forced SFU into 10 consecutive three-and-outs to set the tone. Ben DiNucci led JMU's passing attack with 221 yards and two touchdowns. The signal caller also added 51 yards on the ground.

Solomon Vanhorse rushed for a career- and game-high 86 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half, averaging 8.1 yards on his 14 carries. Jawon Hamilton and Percy Agyei-Obese had 54 and 51 yards, respectively, while Austin Douglas ran for 33 yards and scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 19-yard catch. Vanhorse was named the CAA's Rookie of the Week after his career performance in the first half. Through the air, Brandon Polk had career highs of six catches and 95 receiving yards.

DUKES RETAIN #2 RANKINGS
Following a convincing home-opening win, JMU comfortably held on to its #2 ranking in both the STATS FCS Top-25 and AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll. The Dukes garnered nine first-place votes from the media, trailing just defending champion, North Dakota State, which took home 149 first-place votes. The top five remained the same once again this week, as South Dakota State, Eastern Washington and UC Davis rounded out the top five. Elon entered the rankings this week, as six CAA teams were ranked. Following JMU were #7 Maine, #8 Towson, #18 Delaware, #22 Villanova and #25 Elon. Stony Brook also received votes in the STATS poll.

SCOUTING MORGAN STATE
The Bears come to town with an 0-1 record after falling 46-3 at Bowling Green back on week one. Morgan State was on a bye last week and begins a stretch of 11-straight weeks with a game. Morgan State was limited to just 70 yards in the opener, rushing for only 46 and passing for 24. Lavelton Williams led the team with 41 rushing yards. Defensively, the Bears allowed 620 yards, including 326 rushing and 294 passing.

Ian McBorrough and Rico Kennedy each had 10 tackles, and Maurice Lewis Jr. had an interception. MSU is led by first-year head coach Tyrone Wheatley. He was most recently running backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars for two seasons. He has seven years of collegiate coaching experience, including two as RBs coach at Michigan, while also having NFL stops with the Buffalo Bills. Wheatley was the 17th overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, spending four seasons with the New York Giants and six with the Oakland Raiders. He rushed for 4,962 yards and 40 touchdowns in his 10-year career.

NEW GAMEDAY ENHANCEMENTS – click here for more
New at Bridgeforth Stadium in 2019 is the implementation of a clear-bag policy, walk-through metal detectors and the sale of alcohol at home football games. All fans entering the stadium must use a clear bag must use a clear bag measuring no greater than 12 x 12 x 6 inches. A maximum of 4.5 x 6.5-inch clutch or wallet is allowed. Blankets are allowed to be carried loosely.

Everyone who enters the facility must pass through a metal detector. Most small items will not be required to be removed unless the alarm triggers. Alternative screening is available for those unable to pass through the metal detectors. Alcohol sales will be available in various locations at Bridgeforth. Guest must first visit an ID checkpoint to obtain an arm band and a hand mark to validate age. A maximum of four alcoholic beverage may be purchased up until the end of the third quarter.

JMU ON FLOFOOTBALL THIS WEEK
The Dukes can be seen online through FloFootball and digitally through the FloSports app. Monthly and annual subscriptions are available and fans can subscribe here. Once subscribed, fans can watch all CAA games, as well as all other FloSports content on the portal. Digital options include Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Curt Dudley will be on the call for play-by-play and will be joined by former JMU All-American and eight-year NFL vet Arthur Moats, who will serve in the color commentary role.

JMU SPRINT BROADCAST NETWORK
All 12 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. Online listening options include MadiZONE free audio and the TuneIn app. Dave Thomas is in his fifth season as the play-by-play man for the Dukes and is joined by Clint Estes on color commentary. Allie Barefoot will be down on the sideline to provide additional commentary. The pregame show begins this Saturday at 3 p.m., ahead of the 4 p.m. kickoff.

UP NEXT
The Dukes will hit the road next weekend, heading to Chattanooga, Tennessee to face off against Chattanooga. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. from Finley Stadium.