JMU Squares Off with #5 Montana Friday Night in FCS Quarterfinal Battle

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Road to Frisco rolls on this Friday, Dec. 10 when #2 James Madison hosts #5 Montana in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 FCS Playoffs.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 while being streamed on ESPN3. The game can be heard on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m.

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

#2 James Madison (11-1) vs. #5 Montana (10-2)
Friday, December 10, 2021
Harrisonburg, Va. | Bridgeforth Stadium

Game Information
TV: ESPN2
Online: Watch ESPN (cable subscription required)
Radio: WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network
Live Stats
JMU Game Notes

BREAKING DOWN THE DUKES AND GRIZ

Friday marks the third meeting all-time, with each team winning once.
Both of the previous meetings have occurred during the month of December and in the postseason.
JMU won its first national championship on Dec. 17, 2004 with a 31-21 victory against the Griz in Chattanooga.
Montana evened the series with a 35-27 semifinal triumph over the Dukes in Harrisonburg on Dec. 12, 2008.

JMU IN THE POSTSEASON

JMU is amidst its 18th appearance in the FCS Playoffs and for a program-record eighth straight season.
The Dukes are 23-15 all-time in the postseason and have won a pair of national championships (2004, 2016).
JMU is 15-4 in home playoff games while also being 6-9 in true road games and 2-2 in neutral matchups.
The Dukes have won 12 consecutive home playoff games, dating back to the 2016 national-title run.
It's the seventh time the Dukes have been a national seed, which includes being seeded No. 2 or No. 3 over the past three seasons.
The Dukes have won a playoff game in each of the past six seasons and have multiple playoff wins six times.

DUKES AGAINST THE BIG SKY

Friday is JMU's 6th meeting against a Big Sky Conference team, with all but one coming during the postseason.
It's the second Big Sky game this season, as JMU won 37-24 at Weber State on Sept. 18.
JMU is 4-1 against the Sky, going 3-0 against WSU while splitting its past playoff showdowns with Montana.
This is the second quarterfinal matchup for JMU with the league, beating Weber 31-28 in 2017.
The Dukes are 1-1 in semifinals vs. the Big Sky, beating Weber in 2019 and falling to Montana in 2008, and 1-0 in national title games, claiming a win over the Griz in 2004.

JMU DOMINATES ALL PHASES AGAINST SLU

Behind a six-touchdown performance by Cole Johnson and five turnovers forced by the defense, JMU cruised to a 59-20 win against Southeastern Louisiana on Dec 4.
JMU out-gained the nation's top-ranked offense by a 484-439 margin, despite 22 fewer plays.
Johnson was 12-of-22 for 321 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 44 and a score. The five touchdown tosses tied JMU's single-game postseason record.
Antwane Wells Jr. also set a JMU playoff record with three receiving touchdowns, making six catches for 123 yards.
Kris Thornton scored twice, with one touchdown through the air and another on the ground.
Diamonte Tucker Dorsey forced three turnovers, with a strip sack and a pair of interceptions, with the latter being a 43-yard pick-six.
Trailing 10-7, JMU scored 52 of the game's next 55 points to capture its third-largest playoff win.

CIGNETTI ONE WIN SHY OF 100

JMU Head Coach Curt Cignetti is just one win shy of 100 wins for his career.
In his 11th season as a head coach, Cignetti holds a 99-30 record, including a 32-4 mark at JMU.
He previously went 14-9 at Elon and 53-17 at IUP.
At Bridgeforth, he's 21-1 all-time, which includes a 20-1 mark as JMU head coach. He also earned a win in Harrisonburg while at Elon in 2018.
Cignetti has had taken eight of his 11 teams to the postseason, which include a trip to the national title game in 2019.
He's a two-time Eddie Robinson Award finalist and has guided 20 players to All-America status at the FCS level.

RECEIVER DUO ROLLING

Antwane Wells Jr. and Kris Thornton may be the best 1-2 punch in all of FCS football.
The duo have combined for 144 receptions, 2,085 receiving yards and 27 total touchdowns.
Wells Jr. paces the Dukes in each category, with 73 receptions, 1,117 yards and 14 receiving TD.
Thornton has 71 grabs, 968 yards and 12 receiving scores with one rushing touchdown.
Wells Jr. ranks second nationally in receiving touchdowns, 11th in receiving yards per game (93.1) and 16th in catches per outing (6.1).
Thornton is 7th in receiving touchdowns, 22nd in receiving yards per game (80.7) and 19th in catches per contest (5.9).
32 more receiving yards for Thornton would mark the first time in school history two players reached 1,000 yards in a season.
Wells Jr. is also one receiving TD away from the outright JMU single-season record.

TURNOVER MARGIN LEADS COUNTRY

JMU leads the country in turnover margin, at +21.
It paces the FCS in both turnovers forced (29) and fewest turnovers (8).
The Dukes are also #1 nationally in fewest interceptions (3).
The defense ranks third in fumble recoveries (13) and ninth in interceptions (16).
During its current seven game win streak, JMU is +15, forcing 20 turnovers to its opponents.
This comes after a spring season in which the Dukes were just +1 in turnover margin.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPN2
Online: Watch ESPN (cable subscription required)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network

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

Broadcast Talent

Online: Beth Mowins (pxp), Kirk Morrison (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline)
Radio: Dave Riggert (pxp), Clint Estes (analyst)

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