#24 JMU Reigns Supreme in East Again, Downs Coastal 56-14

Saturday, November 25

Conway, S.C.

3:30 p.m.

James Madison University

11-1 , 7-1

Coastal Carolina

7-5 , 5-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

Coastal Carolina

#24 JMU Reigns Supreme in East Again, Downs Coastal 56-14

11/25/2023 7:41:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

CONWAY, S.C. – Jordan McCloud accounted for six touchdowns with three score connections to Elijah Sarratt, who added a rushing touchdown, as No. 24 James Madison dominated Coastal Carolina 56-14 on Saturday afternoon at Brooks Stadium to finish alone atop the Sun Belt Conference East Division.

The Dukes concluded the 2023 regular season with an 11-1 overall record and a 7-1 mark in Sun Belt play to be in sole possession of first place. It was JMU's second straight first-place finish in two as a league member. The Chanticleers fell to 7-5 on the year and 5-3 in Sun Belt action.

Sarratt continued his offensive dominance, scoring a career-best four total touchdowns. He caught six passes for 107 receiving yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for another score on an end-around. His performance was also the fifth 100-yard game of his 2023 season.

McCloud finished the game with six total touchdowns, tying his career high and the JMU program record. He was 26-of-35 for 324 passing yards and five touchdowns with an interception. He also rushed for another score to aid JMU's offensive onslaught.

McCloud's roommate, Phoenix Sproles, had a career night, hauling in 11 receptions for 99 yards. Reggie Brown also contributed three catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. Ty Son Lawton was a force in the ground game, rushing for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Both Sarratt and Brown surpassed the 1,000-yard mark, becoming the second JMU duo to go over the milestone in the same season, the first in Sun Belt history. Sarratt has 1,076 receiving yards, while Brown has 1,010 yards.

The defense was paced by Jacob Thomas and Aiden Fisher, as Thomas recorded seven total tackles to go along with three solo stops. Fisher registered five tackles.

JMU won the turnover battle, 3-1, with three fumble recoveries and out-gained the Chanticleers 481-328 in total yards. The 56 points were also the most points JMU has ever scored against an FBS opponent.

For Coastal, Ethan Vasco threw for 254 yards and a touchdown, and Sam Pinkney set the Sun Belt career receiving record after recording four catches for 63 yards.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Field position favored JMU early, and the Dukes grabbed a 7-0 lead with 5:41 left in the first on a McCloud one-yard touchdown run.
On the first play of the second quarter, McCloud found Brown down the far sideline for his eighth receiving score of the year on a 29-yard strike, giving JMU a 14-0 lead.
Late in the half, JMU drove back into the redzone and a motioning Sarratt took the end-around into the endzone for his first career rushing score and a 21-0 lead.
After setting the Sun Belt single-season team sacks record (45), JMU took a 28-0 lead at halftime on a one-yard Lawton rushing touchdown.
The Dukes came up with a big defensive stop early in the third, and McCloud connected with Sarratt on a four-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 35-0 less than five minutes into the second half.
CCU got on the board midway through the third on a Vasco 42-yard touchdown pass to Max Balthazar, making it 35-7.
JMU answered quickly, as Sarratt found the endzone for a third time on a 32-yard touchdown pass from McCloud to claim a 42-7 lead.
JMU opened the fourth with another touchdown drive, as McCloud found an open Zach Horton in the flats for a 10-yard score, moving the advantage to 49-7.
The Dukes closed out its scoring with Saratt's fourth touchdown reception of the game, this time a 24-yarder, which made the score 56-7.
Coastal added a 16-yard rush from Vasko with three minutes left, bringing the score to 56-14.

GAME NOTES

The Dukes captured their third win in a row against the Chanticleers and their first in Conway.
This was the largest margin of victory for the Dukes against CCU and also their largest versus an FBS program.
JMU was 6-of-11 on third down, while Coastal was 5-of-11. JMU was also 2-of-2 on fourth down, and CCU was 0-of-2.
Coastal Carolina was held scoreless in the first half for the first time this season.
JMU had scored 79 straight points between the 2022 and 2023 meetings until CCU's third-quarter touchdown.

UP NEXT
JMU must now wait to see if it will gain a possible postseason opportunity in a bowl game. If there are not enough teams to fill the available slots in bowl games, JMU can be selected as a second-year reclassifying institution.