JMU Moves to 4-0 with 45-38 Victory at Utah State

Saturday, September 23

Logan, Utah

8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT)

James Madison University

Utah State

9/23/2023 11:59:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

LOGAN, Utah – James Madison built a 24-point lead and held off a furious comeback attempt, fending off Utah State for a 45-38 win in non-conference football action Saturday night at Maverik Stadium.

The Dukes remained unbeaten at 4-0 on the year, while the Aggies fell to 1-3.

JMU opened the game with 24 unanswered points and led 31-7 in the second quarter, but Utah State went on a 31-7 spurt of its own to tie the game at 38-38 with 11:01 to play in the game.

The Dukes pulled ahead 45-38 with 5:52 to play, as Jordan McCloud connected with a darting Reggie Brown at midfield, taking it the house for a 74-yard score. The Aggies had another opportunity to respond on the ensuing possession, however Aiden Fisher made a great read to pick off McCae Hillstead at the goal line.

Utah State stood tough and took over at the Duke's 45-yard line after forcing a JMU punt. On the very next play, Fisher made a jarring hit on Colby Bowman, allowing D'Angelo Ponds to come up with his first career interception to seal the deal with 34 ticks to play.

McCloud finished 23-of-34 for 364 passing yards and a season-high four touchdowns with two interceptions. He also ran for 26 yards and a pair of scores to pace the offense to give him six total touchdowns on the night, a career high for the redshirt senior.

Brown caught five passes for a career-best 160 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Phoenix Sproles and Omarion Dollison each caught touchdown tosses. On the ground, Kaelon Black rushed for 76 yards, averaging 4.5 per carry, while Ty Son Lawton added 35 yards with 5.8 yards per rush.

Defensively, JMU was led by Fisher who tied his career high with nine tackles, while Jarius Reimonenq, Jalen Green and James Carpenter each made seven stops in the win. Green made a career-high three tackles for loss and a sack and a half, while Carpenter, Tyrique Tucker and Reimonenq each added a sack of their own. Reimonenq broke up three passes and came up with an interception as well.

For Utah State, McCae Hillstead was 25-of-47 for 399 passing yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions. Terrell Vaughn had 10 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while Jalen Royals contributed with seven grabs for 57 yards. Micah Davis also had 82 receiving yards and a score, while Bowman had 78 yards and a touchdown.

HOW IT HAPPENED

JMU struck just 57 seconds in, as McCloud found Dollison over the middle for a 54-yard touchdown, putting JMU up 7-0. The Dukes extended the lead to 10-0 with 8:06 left in the first on a 20-yard field goal by Wise.
JMU's defense forced USU into another three-and-out, the Dukes needed to go just 36 yards and McCloud's keeper made it a 17-0 lead with 4:44 to go in the opening stanza.
JMU cashed in on another touchdown drive, as it opened the second quarter with a three-yard pass from McCloud to Sproles, his second receiving score of the year.
Utah State had a short field after an interception and got on the board with an 18-yard touchdown run by kicker Elliot Nimrod on a fake field goal to make it 24-7 with 10:29 to go in the second.
JMU answered, as a fourth-down penalty extended the drive, and McCloud found a wide open Brown, who went 57 yards for a touchdown and a 31-7 lead with 7:37 left in the half.
Four plays later, USU scored on a 63-yard touchdown pass from Hillstead to Bowman, cutting JMU's lead to 31-14.
McCloud orchestrated a 10-play, 75-yard drive late in the half, accounting for 55 total yards. He fooled the defense again on his career-high second rushing score from a yard out to make it 38-14.
USU drove to end the half, but JMU held the hosts to a field goal, making it 38-17 at the break.
The Aggies drove the length of the field to open the second half, as Hillstead found Vaughn on a 20-yard strike. That drew USU within 38-24. USU made it a one-score game going to the fourth, as Hillstead connected on a six-yard pass to Vaughn to cut the JMU lead to 38-31 after three.
Early in the fourth after a big stop, JMU snuffed out a fake punt by Utah State, with Reimonenq and Chauncey Logan making the stop and keeping the lead intact.
Utah State tied the game with 11:01 to play on a 76-yard bomb from Hillstead to Davis down the right sideline to make it 38-38.
JMU was driving but miscommunication on a play in USU territory resulted in a fumble and recovery by the Aggies with 8:48 to play.
The Dukes' defense held strong, forcing a USU punt. Despite starting at its own 15, JMU found the endzone, as McCloud found Brown in stride for a 74-yard strike with 5:52 to go.
On USU's final three drives, it forced a turnover on downs, Fisher made his first career interception near the goal line, and Ponds picked up the final pass with 34 seconds to play to seal the victory.

GAME NOTES

Despite a lopsided first half in JMU's favor, it narrowly out-gained Utah State 512-500.
JMU had a 366-151 lead in total yards at the half, but USU gained 349 yards in the second half, as opposed to JMU's 146.
The Aggies held a 402-364 lead in the air, but the Dukes had a 148-98 advantage on the ground.
JMU was 3-of-12 (.250) on third down, while USU finished 7-of-18 (.388).
Dollison's 54-yard touchdown catch was a career long.
McCloud's fourth touchdown pass that went 74 yards to the house for Brown tied both of their respective career highs for a long pass and long catch. McCloud now has four touchdown tosses over 50 yards.
JMU out-gained Utah State 187 to -22 in the first quarter, forcing USU into three three-and-outs and six tackles for loss. It took the Aggies into the first minute of the second to record a first down.
The second quarter produced 38 points between the teams, with JMU scoring 21 and USU adding 17.
The Dukes finished the day with 23 first downs to Utah State's 21. James Madison held a commanding 19-6 lead in the category in the first half before the Aggies stormed back to match JMU's 19 when they tied it in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT
JMU returns home for the first time since the opener, as it hosts Sun Belt foe South Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is set for noon at Bridgeforth Stadium, and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.