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James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU Awarded 2019 and 2020 ECAC Lambert Cups
6/18/2021 12:00:00 PM | Football
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference announced that James Madison football is the winner of the Lambert Cup for both the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Over the past two seasons, JMU has gone a combined 21-3 under Head Coach Curt Cignetti, reaching the national championship game in 2019 and the FCS semifinals this past spring.
JMU went 14-2 in 2019, winning 14 straight games for the second-longest win streak in school history. The Dukes captured the outright Colonial Athletic Association championship with a perfect 8-0 conference record. They produced a program-record 10 All-Americans, headlined by Consensus All-American and Buck Buchanan Award runner-up Ron'Dell Carter. Other All-Americans in 2019 included Liam Fornadel, John Daka, Ben DiNucci, Dimitri Holloway, Adam Smith, D'Angelo Amos, Percy Agyei-Obese, Mac Patrick and Ethan Ratke.
JMU finished the 2019 season ranking in the top five of 13 statistical categories, which included leading the FCS in total defense (270.2), first-down defense (14.56), completion percentage (.706), blocks (9) and fourth-down conversions (.889). The Dukes also ranked second in third-down conversions (.536), third in scoring defense (15.7), scoring offense (40.0), rushing defense (74.8), third-down defense (.300) and first-down offense (24.81), fourth in pass efficiency (169.44) and fifth in team tackles for loss (8.5).
This past season, JMU finished 7-1 during the spring campaign, which included a 3-0 mark in CAA play to claim a share of the 2020 conference title with Delaware. It was JMU's second straight conference championship and the fifth over the past six seasons. The Dukes reached the national semifinals, which was JMU's sixth time reaching at least the semis and for the fourth time in five years.
Five JMU student-athletes were named All-Americans, spotlighted by Ratke, who earned a spot on every All-America Team. Other All-Americans included Greene, Agyei-Obese, Raymond Gillespie and Kyle Davis. JMU ranked in the top 10 nationally in 10 different statistical categories, including second on fourth-down conversions (.857), third in rushing defense (72.4), fifth in total defense (243.4), sixth in rushing offense (232.6), yards per completion (14.82), time of possession (34:20) and pass efficiency defense (100.74), seventh in pass efficiency offense (156.28), eighth in scoring defense (16.5) and 10th in third-down conversions (.484).
JMU has now won the Lambert Cup six times ever, and it has claimed four of the last five. This also marks the first year the ECAC is taking over the awards after the passing of long-time award custodian Dennis Wilson in 2019.
Over the past two seasons, JMU has gone a combined 21-3 under Head Coach Curt Cignetti, reaching the national championship game in 2019 and the FCS semifinals this past spring.
JMU went 14-2 in 2019, winning 14 straight games for the second-longest win streak in school history. The Dukes captured the outright Colonial Athletic Association championship with a perfect 8-0 conference record. They produced a program-record 10 All-Americans, headlined by Consensus All-American and Buck Buchanan Award runner-up Ron'Dell Carter. Other All-Americans in 2019 included Liam Fornadel, John Daka, Ben DiNucci, Dimitri Holloway, Adam Smith, D'Angelo Amos, Percy Agyei-Obese, Mac Patrick and Ethan Ratke.
JMU finished the 2019 season ranking in the top five of 13 statistical categories, which included leading the FCS in total defense (270.2), first-down defense (14.56), completion percentage (.706), blocks (9) and fourth-down conversions (.889). The Dukes also ranked second in third-down conversions (.536), third in scoring defense (15.7), scoring offense (40.0), rushing defense (74.8), third-down defense (.300) and first-down offense (24.81), fourth in pass efficiency (169.44) and fifth in team tackles for loss (8.5).
This past season, JMU finished 7-1 during the spring campaign, which included a 3-0 mark in CAA play to claim a share of the 2020 conference title with Delaware. It was JMU's second straight conference championship and the fifth over the past six seasons. The Dukes reached the national semifinals, which was JMU's sixth time reaching at least the semis and for the fourth time in five years.
Five JMU student-athletes were named All-Americans, spotlighted by Ratke, who earned a spot on every All-America Team. Other All-Americans included Greene, Agyei-Obese, Raymond Gillespie and Kyle Davis. JMU ranked in the top 10 nationally in 10 different statistical categories, including second on fourth-down conversions (.857), third in rushing defense (72.4), fifth in total defense (243.4), sixth in rushing offense (232.6), yards per completion (14.82), time of possession (34:20) and pass efficiency defense (100.74), seventh in pass efficiency offense (156.28), eighth in scoring defense (16.5) and 10th in third-down conversions (.484).
JMU has now won the Lambert Cup six times ever, and it has claimed four of the last five. This also marks the first year the ECAC is taking over the awards after the passing of long-time award custodian Dennis Wilson in 2019.
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