Dukes Start Fast, Fend Off Jaguars for 31-23 Win on Family Weekend

Saturday, September 30

Harrisonburg, Va.

Noon

James Madison University

South Alabama

Dukes Start Fast, Fend Off Jaguars for 31-23 Win on Family Weekend

9/30/2023 6:04:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison used a deep aerial attack and a defensive score to defeat South Alabama, 31-23, in Sun Belt Conference football action on Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium.

The Dukes moved to 5-0 on the year and 2-0 in Sun Belt play, while the Jaguars fell to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in league action.

It was the third-largest crowd in Bridgeforth Stadium history, with 26,064 in attendance for the Family Weekend matchup.

JMU produced three touchdown passes of at least 44 yards and also returned an interception for a touchdown, helping build a 31-10 lead in the fourth. The Jaguars answered with consecutive touchdown drives to trim the lead to eight, but on the final drive and at midfield, JMU's defense pulled through with three massive plays.

After a first down moved the visitors to the 50, an Aiden Fisher tackle for loss, Jalen Green sack and interception by Francis Meehan to seal the victory, as JMU has now begun both seasons in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a 5-0 record.

Tight end Zach Horton had a career day, reeling in three catches for 116 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His touchdowns of 44 yards and 66 yards were the two longest receptions of his career. Elijah Sarratt also had a season-best outing, making five grabs for 92 yards and a score through the air.

Jordan McCloud finished the game 12-of-22 for 241 passing yards and three touchdowns with an interception. He also led the rushing attack with 61 yards, accounting for 302 yards of total offense. Kaelon Black had a strong second half, matching McCloud with 61 on the ground.

JMU outgained South Alabama 377-326, which included a 136 to 27 margin in the run game. The defense was led by linebackers Trent Hendrick and Fisher, who each had career highs of 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Fisher also added career bests of 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two breakups.

Green was a force in the backfield while also finding the endzone for the first time in his career. He recorded career highs of 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks and took a tipped pass back for a 24-yard pick-six in the second quarter. Mikail Kamara also contributed 1.5 sacks.

For South Alabama, Carter Bradley threw 50 times, completing 28 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns with a pair of interceptions. He was also sacked five times, resulting in 31 yards lost. First Team All-Sun Belt running back La'Damian Webb was held to just 36 rushing yards and a score, averaging only three yards a carry. Caullin Lacy had six catches for 132 yads in the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED

On JMU's first offensive drive, McCloud connected over the top to Sarratt, who scored from 48 yards out, a career-long for the transfer receiver.
After another stop, JMU needed just one play, as Horton took a pass from McCloud in the flats and stayed inbounds, getting a downfield block for a 44-yard touchdown to give JMU a 14-0 lead with 8:04 left in the first.
After a Camden Wise field goal made it 17-0, South Alabama got on the board with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Bradley to Jamaal Pritchett to make it 17-7 with 5:37 to go in the half. It was Pritchett's first career touchdown.
The Dukes answered back, this time on defense, as a Kamara tipped pass fell in the hands of Green, who returned it 24 yards for a pick-six. JMU took a 24-7 lead into the break.
Both defenses held strong, as South Alabama managed the only points of the third on a Diego Guajardo 40-yard field goal to trim JMU's lead to 24-10 entering the fourth.
After an interception, South Alabama was driving in JMU territory and multiple breakups, including a fourth-down stop by Fisher gave possession back to the Dukes with 12:21 to play.
Horton made the largest play of his career early in the fourth, taking a McCloud pass down the sideline, skipping past a defender for a 66-yard touchdown, making it 31-10 Dukes with 11:32 to go.
The Jaguars drove the length of the field and got a three-yard touchdown by Bradley to Lincoln Sefcik to make it 31-16 with 8:19 to play.
An 89-yard drive was capped off by a Webb one-yard rushing score, bringing South Alabama to within 31-23 with 3:56 on the clock.
On USA's final drive, JMU's defense clamped down with three big plays, capped off by Meehan's third career interception.

GAME NOTES

Horton became the first JMU tight end to record 100 receiving yards in a game since Deane Cheatham had 118 back on Sept. 12, 2015, versus Lehigh.
JMU recorded 10 tackles for loss and five sacks, marking the fourth straight week with 10+ TFLs and third consecutive game with five sacks.
JMU made 11 pass breakups in the win, its third straight week in double digits.
The pick-six by Green was JMU's first defensive touchdown since Jailin Walker's 29-yarder at Old Dominion on Nov. 12, 2022.
Both teams struggled on third down, as USA was 5-of-18 and JMU was 2-of-14.
Through five games, JMU defense has allowed just 193 rushing yards on 143 carries. That's just 1.35 yards per carry for the opposition.
Wise's 31-yard field goals was his seventh of the season, as he's 7-of-7 on field goal tries in 2023.
JMU had a 31:14 to 28:46 time of possession advantage.
JMU's average starting field position was its own 33, as opposed to USA starting at its own 25.
JMU's run defense held South Alabama to -2 rushing yards on 12 carries in the first half.

UP NEXT
JMU is on a bye next weekend and returns to action on Saturday Oct. 14 when it hosts Georgia Southern at Bridgeforth Stadium. Kickoff time and network designation are both TBA and will be announced this coming Monday by ESPN.