JMU’s Final Run in FCS Playoffs Begins Saturday Against Southeastern Louisiana

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Road to Frisco begins for #2 James Madison on Saturday, Dec. 4 when it hosts #18 Southeastern Louisiana in the second round of the 2021 FCS Playoffs.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium and will be streamed on ESPN+. The game can be heard on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 1 p.m.

JMU's Final Run through the FCS Playoffs is presented by Excel Heating and Cooling.

#2 James Madison (10-1) vs. #18 Southeastern Louisiana (9-3)
Saturday, December 4, 2021
Harrisonburg, Va. | Bridgeforth Stadium

Game Information
Online: ESPN+ ($)
Radio: WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network
Live Stats
JMU Game Notes

JMU IN THE PLAYOFFS

JMU is making its 18th appearance in the FCS Playoffs and for a program-record eighth straight season.
The Dukes are 22-15 all-time in the postseason and have won a pair of national championships (2004, 2016).
JMU is 14-4 in home playoff games while also being 6-9 in true road games and 2-2 in neutral matchups.
The Dukes have won 11 consecutive home playoff games, dating back to the 2016 national-title run.
JMU is a national seed for the seventh time in program history, which includes three straight playoffs and six of the past seven since 2015.
All-time, the Dukes were a No. 1 seed in 2008 and 2017, No. 2 in 2019, No. 3 in 2020 and 2021, No. 4 in 2016 and No. 5 in 2015.
The Dukes have won a playoff game in each of the past five seasons and have multiple playoff wins six times.
They went 4-0 in both national-championship runs, 3-1 in its 2017 and 2019 runner-up finishes and 2-1 in both 2008 and 2020.

COLE JOHNSON VS. COLE KELLEY

It's a battle of two of the top quarterbacks in the Football Championship Subdivision this weekend with JMU's Cole Johnson and SLU's Cole Kelley, both of whom are Walter Payton Award finalists.
Johnson, the CAA Player of the Year, ranks top 10 nationally in five categories. He's third in pass efficiency (170.3), fourth in both completion percentage (68%) and yards per pass attempt (8.63) and sixth in passing touchdowns (32) and point responsibility (20.2).
He's also 15th in total offense (284.2) and 16th in passing yards (267.5).
Kelley, the reigning Payton winner and SLC Player of the Year, leads the country in six areas, including passing yards (393.9), passing touchdowns (42), completion percentage (73.7%), pass efficiency (177.6), point responsibility (29.2) and total offense (433.9).

He's also second in completions (30.83) and yards per pass attempt (9.42) and third in rushing scores (16).

DUKES VERSUS THE SOUTHLAND

Saturday marks the 5h meeting for the Dukes against a member of the Southland Conference.
JMU is 2-2 all-time against the SLC splitting matchups vs. McNeese State and former member Sam Houston.
JMU won at McNeese State in 1996 (24-10) while falling at home the season prior (24-30).
The Dukes rolled to its biggest postseason victory against Sam Houston in the 2016 quarterfinals (65-7) while dropping a heartbreaker on the road in the 2020 semifinals (35-38).

DOUGLAS TWINS COLLIDE

Saturday will also be a first-time meeting for the Douglas twins, as JMU's Austin Douglas and SLU's Justin Douglas face off.
Austin, a running back for the Dukes, has played in eight games, rushing for 133 yards and 6.0 yards per carry.
Justin, a defensive back for the Lions, has 24 tackles with a sack and interception this season.

FINALISTS FOR COLE JOHNSON

Cole Johnson has been named a finalist for both the Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award and the Bill Dudley Award.
The Payton Award honors the nation's top offensive player in the FCS, while the Dudley is given to the top college player in Virginia.
Johnson seeks to become JMU's first winner of the Payton Award and the sixth for the Dudley.
Previous JMU recipients of the Dudley Award include Bryan Schor (2016), Vad Lee (2014, 2015), Stephon Robertson (2013) and Rodney Landers (2008).

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Online: ESPN+ ($)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network

On the radio – WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Online: www.wsvaonline.com

Broadcast Talent

Online: Doug Sherman (pxp), Craig Haubert (analyst)
Radio: Dave Riggert (pxp), Clint Estes (analyst)

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