Defense, Special Teams Boost Dukes to Bowl Eligibility in 32-15 Win

Saturday, October 26

Harrisonburg, Va.

3:30 p.m.

James Madison University

6-2 , 2-2

Southern Miss

1-7 , 0-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Southern Miss.

James Madison

Defense, Special Teams Boost Dukes to Bowl Eligibility in 32-15 Win

10/26/2024 7:06:00 PM | Football

Box Score Game Stats Photo Gallery

By: Mike Barber

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A trick play got James Madison going in the second quarter Saturday against Southern Mississippi. And once the Dukes got going, they just kept on going.

George Pettaway and Wayne Knight combined to rush for 180 yards, JMU's defense racked up a season-high nine sacks and Cam Ross ran the opening kickoff in the second half back 94 yards for a score as the Dukes rolled past the Golden Eagles, 32-15.

"Those sparks are what you need at moments," JMU coach Bob Chesney said. "We just have to continue to do that, move that ball down the field, take some chances, take some risks, put some exciting plays together."

The win made JMU bowl eligible in its first official year reclassified as an FBS program. The Dukes (6-2 overall, 2-2 Sun Belt) had been transitioning from the FCS since 2022.

Pettaway ran for a career-high 119 yards and a score on 16 carries, for his first career 100-yard effort. Knight contributed 61 rushing yards and another 41 on receptions.

Ross, opened the fourth quarter with a 7-yard touchdown reception to go with his explosive special teams play.

The Dukes, coming off last weekend's loss at Georgia Southern again showed the ability to bounce right back. In front of a homecoming crowd of 25,399, JMU's defense led the way, hitting season highs in sacks and tackles for losses and adding two more turnovers to their nation-leading total.

"From the beginning of the game, the coaches just told us, 'We have to win upfront. We have to win the battle on the line of scrimmage,'' said defensive lineman Darold DeNgohe, one of eight Dukes involved in a sack on the day. "We were just trying to dominate, get some penetration."

JMU got itself, and its capacity homecoming crowd, going late in the second quarter. A trick play that saw Barnett sling the ball out to Taji Hudson, who threw downfield to Wayne Knight, kicked the Dukes into another gear.

The play was one the team practiced all week, but it didn't unfold exactly as the Dukes planned. Southern Miss actually bumped Knight off his route and Hudson had to throw a different pass than the one he had prepared for.

Hudson's background as a high school quarterback in Georgia certainly helped in that moment.

Two plays later, Pettaway scored JMU's first touchdown of the game, a 4-yard carry that put JMU ahead 10-3 with 5:45 left in the half.

From there, the Dukes took over. Terrence Spence's fifth interception of the season set up Alonza Barnett's 10-yard scoring strike to tight end Taylor Thompson less than a minute later, positioning JMU to keep Southern Miss (1-7, 0-4) at arm's length for the rest of the game.

"I thought our guys did enough to win this game," Chesney said. "They've got to do a whole lot more and we're going to have to do a whole lot more as we move forward to win a whole bunch more."

Leading 17-9 at the break, JMU got another big play to open the second half.

Ross took the kickoff back 94 yards for the touchdown and a 23-9 advantage. As Ross zipped up the Southern Miss sideline, he had one defender to beat. A pair of teammates, Gabriel Hollingsworth and Khairi Manns, made sure that happened, delivering a sandwich block that got Ross to the end zone with the team's first kickoff return score since 2021 against Towson.

Even when the Golden Eagles scored in the second half, JMU turned it into points for itself. After a Southern Miss touchdown in the third quarter, Dukes defensive tackle Darold DeNgohe blocked the extra point kick. Chris Shearin scooped it up and returned it 92 yards for two points for the home team.

The Golden Eagles, playing their first game under interim coach Reed Stringer, committed eight penalties for 93 yards.

The Dukes now have their second open date, then host Georgia State on Nov. 9. The kickoff time for that game will be announced Monday.

The victory kept JMU – which played in a game back of first place in the Sun Belt East. And, a year after playing in the Armed Forces Bowl when not enough FBS teams earned eligibility – the Dukes now are bowl worthy without any asterisk.

"I'm happy that we got the bowl game. It was a great time last year," said senior offensive lineman Cole Potts. "But we've got higher expectations than that and higher goals."

GAME NOTES

JMU out-gained Southern Miss by a 357-319 margin, including 199-141 in the run game.
Cole Potts made his 51st career start Saturday, setting the JMU program record for starts. He surpassed Tony LeZotte, who started in 50 games for the Dukes.
Terrence Spence's second-quarter interception was his fifth of the season in just his eighth game with the program. He now has nine for his career, as he produced four in 35 career games at Holy Cross (2020-23).
JMU finished the game with season bests of 11 tackles for loss and nine sacks, resulting in a loss of 40 yards for the Golden Eagles.
Eight different Dukes recorded at least a half sack, led by Jacob Dobbs, who had a season-high two. Eric O'Neill and Mychal McMullin each had 1.5 sacks, with it being a career high for McMullin.
JMU broke up six passes, which marked the third time in four home games JMU has had at least six PBU.
Cam Ross's 94-yard kickoff return was a career-long return for Ross and JMU's first kickoff for a touchdown since Nov. 20, 2021.
JMU blocked an extra point for the first time since Oct. 9, 2021, and subsequently Chris Shearin returned it 93 yards for a defensive PAT, marking the first such play since Vidal Nelson on Nov. 29, 2009.
The win secures JMU playing in its second bowl game in 2024 and its first as a fully reclassified program.