Dukes Face Chants in Primetime Thursday Night at Bridgeforth

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison football returns home on a short week to host Coastal Carolina in its Sun Belt Conference home opener on Thursday, Oct. 10. This week marks JMU's first non-Saturday home game since the 2021 FCS quarterfinals.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN2. Pregame radio coverage on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network begins at 5:30 p.m.

Thursday's game is sponsored by AKLU, and the 2024 JMU football season is presented by CarMax.

Coastal Carolina (4-1, 1-0 SBC) at James Madison (4-1, 0-1 SBC)
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Kickoff: 7:30 PM ET
Harrisonburg, Va. | Bridgeforth Stadium

Game Information
TV: ESPN2
Online: Watch ESPN (cable subscription required)
Radio: WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network
Live Stats
JMU Game Notes

BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES

JMU meets Coastal for the fifth time ever Thursday night, and the Dukes lead the all-time series, 3-1.
JMU is 2-0 in home games while splitting the two road matchups.
JMU has won three straight in the series, including a 56-14 victory in the 2023 regular-season finale back on Nov. 25, 2023, in Conway.
That win secured JMU's second straight first-place finish in the Sun Belt East Division.

THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE VALLEY

JMU has a history of non-Saturday games due in large to its runs through the FCS Playoffs, but this week's matchup with Coastal represents just the fourth regular-season game to be played on a Thursday in the 53-year history of the program.
Last year, JMU won 20-9 at Marshall on Oct. 19, 2023, in its first Sun Belt midweek game.
The Dukes' second Thursday game came back on Sept. 13, 2018, when JMU rolled to a 73-7 win over Robert Morris in a game moved up to Thursday due to the threat of Hurricane Florence.
JMU first played on a Thursday back on Oct. 29, 1981, when hosting Hampton, known as Hampton Institute then.
Adding in Friday games in the FCS postseason (formerly Division I-AA) and the 2001 finale, this Thursday will be the 14th game to be played on a Thursday or Friday since moving to Division I in 1980. The Dukes are 10-3 in those games, which includes a 5-2 mark at Bridgeforth Stadium.

JMU RESULTS OFF FIRST LOSS IN REGULAR SEASON

Coming off its first regular-season setback, JMU has been solid at bouncing back the following week.
Since 2000, JMU is 19-3 in weeks after a regular-season loss, with the lone two defeats coming with the Dukes' starting quarterback being sidelined due to injury in 2015 and 2022.
Of the 19 wins coming off its first loss, JMU has won 13 by double digits, including a 56-14 win at Coastal in the 2023 regular-season finale in Conway.

JMU went unbeaten in the 2017 and 2020 regular seasons with its only losses occurring in the FCS playoffs.

ULM EDGES JMU IN SUN BELT OPENER

JMU had a quick starting, going up 10-0 in the first quarter, but ULM outscored the Dukes 21-9 over the final three stanzas to edge the Dukes 21-19 last Saturday in Monroe, La.
Trailing 21-13 in the fourth, JMU put together a 75-yard drive and found the endzone on a Tyler Purdy one-yard rush with 4:04 to play, but the two-point conversion was no good.
JMU's defense got two stops late but was unable to get in field-goal range, as ULM stopped the Dukes twice on fourth down in the closing moments.
Despite the loss, JMU out-gained the Warhawks 399-257 and held a 2-1 lead in takeaways.

QUICK STARTS

After scoring a total of three points in the opening quarters of games one and two, JMU turned it into high gear after the bye, combining for 57 points between the first quarters of the UNC, Ball State and ULM games.
At UNC on Sept. 21, JMU put up 25 points in the opening stanza, which is the third-most in a first quarter in school history.
It tacked on 22 more in the first 15 against Ball State, which was fifth-best in the 53-year history of the program.
Last week at ULM, JMU scored 10 points in its first two drives to grab a 10-0 lead just over six minutes into the game.

FRIENDLY CONFINES OF BRIDGEFORTH

New subdivision, same result.
Since 2016, JMU has been incredible at home.
Over the past eight-plus seasons, the Dukes have gone 55-4 (.932) at Bridgeforth Stadium.
That includes four unbeaten seasons, going 9-0 in 2017 and 2019, 8-0 in 2016 and 5-0 in 2020.
During the span, JMU has scored 50+ points in 23 games, had 11 over 60 points, four over 70 and two with at least 80.
JMU's first home loss from 2016-21 came on Oct. 6, 2018, when former head coach Curt Cignetti led Elon to a 27-24 win.
The Dukes saw a 19-game home win streak end on Oct. 9, 2021, falling 28-27 to Villanova.
Marshall claimed a 26-12 win on Oct. 22, 2022, JMU's lone home loss in its first FBS season.
After that, JMU won seven in a row by an average score of 39-17 before App State won 26-23 in overtime on Nov. 18, 2023.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPN2
Online: Watch ESPN (cable subscription required)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network

On the radio – WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Online: The Varsity Network

Broadcast Talent

ESPN2: Matt Barrie (pxp), Dan Mullen (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
Radio: Dave Riggert (pxp), Harry O'Kelly (analyst)

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