#21 JMU Returns Home for Sold-Out Matchup with UConn Saturday
11/7/2023 3:30:00 PM | Football
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HARRISONBURG, Va. – #21 ranked James Madison returns home to Harrisonburg to face off against UConn in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday, Nov. 11.
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Kickoff from Bridgeforth Stadium is set for 2 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+. Pregame radio coverage on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network begins at noon.
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Saturday's game is sponsored by Sentara, and the 2023 football season is presented by Carmax.
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James Madison (9-0, 6-0 SBC) vs. UConn (1-8)
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Kickoff: 2 PM ET
Harrisonburg, Va. | Bridgeforth Stadium
This will be the sixth meeting all-time between the teams, with JMU leading 4-1.
It's also the first matchup between JMU and UConn in 24 years, last playing each other on Oct. 23, 1999.
JMU is 3-0 in the series at home and has won four in a row after UConn won the inaugural meeting in 1993.
All games in the series were played while both teams were members of the Yankee Conference and Atlantic 10 Conference.
LUCKY SEVEN
Entering week 11 of the college football season, only seven undefeated teams remain, and JMU is one of them.
All teams hold identical 9-0 records this season, and the lone two teams from a non-power conference to remain unbeaten both hail from the Commonwealth of Virginia - JMU and Liberty.
The Big Ten Conference still has a pair of undefeated teams in Michigan and Ohio State.
Other 9-0 squads include Florida State, Washington and defending national champion Georgia.
Six of seven teams are at home this week and three teams face top-20 foes.
JMU, Florida State, Georgia Liberty, Ohio State and Washington host games, and Michigan heads to #11 Penn State. Georgia also hosts College GameDay and #10 Ole Miss, and Washington battles #18 Utah.
 DUKES RISING
Another win in the books meant JMU continued its rise in both the AP Top 25 and the US LBM Coaches Poll, as it moved up to #21 in both polls this week.
It's the highest ranking for the Dukes in program history, and they are the second-highest ranked Group of Five team in America, trailing only #20 Tulane.
This is the third straight week JMU has been ranked in both polls and the fourth week all-time in the AP Top 25.
 BIRTHDAY BOY McCLOUD GOES OFF IN ATLANTA
Jordan McCloud had quite the 24th birthday Saturday, leading JMU to a 42-14 win at Georgia State.
He produced 411 total yards of offense and six total touchdowns, matching his career high in both categories.
His yards total was sixth-highest in JMU single-game history, and his six scores tied for the program record.
McCloud completed 77.8% of his passes, throwing for 307 yards with four touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 104 yards and two scores.
His performance earned him Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time.
He was also recognized on the Davey O'Brien Awards' Great 8 List and tabbed a Manning Award Star of the Week. It's the second time this season he's received those national accolades.
 MAKE IT 12 IN A ROW
JMU's 42-14 win at Georgia State on Nov. 4 extended JMU's active win streak to 12 straight games dating back to last season.
The Dukes hold the fourth-longest active win streak in the FBS and now the longest in Group of Five after Air Force fell to Army last week.
Defending national champ Georgia leads the country with 26 straight wins dating back to the 2021 season.
Washington has won 16 straight, while Florida State owns 15 wins in a row.
Behind JMU and rounding out the top five are Liberty, Michigan and Ohio State, which each fell in bowl games last December.
GREEN TO MISS REST OF SEASON
The NCAA's sack and tackles for loss leader Jalen Green will miss the remainder of the 2023 season after suffering a knee injury in the fourth quarter of last Saturday's game at Georgia State.
Green had already set the Sun Belt Conference record with 15.5 sacks this season, which is just one shy of the program record.
He also tallied an FBS-leading 21.0 tackles for loss to lead the JMU defense.
Green was named to the Bednarik Award Watch List and earned midseason All-America first-team honors from both The Athletic and College Football Network.
 McCLOUD MOVES INTO JMU TOP-10s
Following his performance at Georgia State, Jordan McCloud moved into JMU single-season top-10 lists in two areas.
With 22 passing touchdowns this season, McCloud ranks tied for seventh with Michael Birdsong (2013).
He also rose to ninth in single-season passing yards, with 2,343.
He is 117 away from eighth place and just over 350 shy of seventh.
 BROADCAST INFORMATION
Online:Â ESPN+ (subscription required)
Listen:Â Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network