Bowl Victors! Dominant 2nd Half Lifts JMU to First Bowl Win

Wednesday, December 18

Boca Raton, Fla.

5:30 p.m.

James Madison University

9-4 , 4-4

Western Kentucky

8-6 , 6-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Western Ky.

James Madison

Bowl Victors! Dominant 2nd Half Lifts JMU to First Bowl Win

12/18/2024 8:56:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Mike Barber

By Mike Barber
JMUSports.com Correspondent

BOCA RATON, Fla. – A pair of quarterbacks who hadn't led a scoring drive this season led James Madison to its first-ever bowl victory.

Freshman JC Evans (Miami, Fla./Miami Central) ran for a touchdown and threw for a second and redshirt junior Billy Atkins threw a game-winning scoring strike in the fourth quarter, as JMU beat Western Kentucky, 27-17 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Wednesday night in South Florida.

At some point that light shines on you, Dukes coach Bob Chesney said. When it does, it's either going to reveal you for all the work you've done or it's going to expose you for the work you didn't do. To be the backup and the backup to the backup, they battled, they stayed the course and they never, ever gave up.

20 years and a day after JMU won its first FCS national championship, the Dukes celebrated their first bowl title, a win secured using the formula that made them successful all season long.
JMU ran the football, played stifling defense and capitalized on a pair of turnovers.

In front of an impressive and energetic crowd of purple-clad fans, the Dukes piled up 212 rushing yards, racked up three sacks and 11 tackles for losses and recovered three fumbles, bringing their season total to 12.

Defensive Khairi Manns' strip sack and fumble recovery with 3:02 left helped JMU (9-4) improve to 3-2 in one score games and 3-3 when trailing at the half.

With starting QB Alonza Barnett III (Whitsett, N.C./Grimsley) sidelined with an injury, Atkins made his first start since 2022. He went 16 for 23 for 181 yards and connected with tight end Taylor Thompson for a 21-yard touchdown with 9:20 left.

Evans, in his most substantial action of the season, ran for a 5-yard touchdown, JMU's first score of the game, and later, his first career pass went for a 1-yard touchdown. He rushed for 64 yards and a score.

I didn't know how much I'd play tonight, but i knew I'd make the most of it, Evans, a Miami native, said. I just have so much trust in these guys around me and i know these guys trust me.

George Pettaway ran for 100 yards on 14 carries, his second 100-yard game this season.

Wednesday night's contest was a clash of colors – JMU wore purple pants and jerseys with white helmets, while WKU went all red – and of styles.

The Dukes came out running the ball on 22 of its first 34 snaps, while the Hilltoppers and star quarterback Caden Veltkamp, put it in the air. He threw on nine of the team's first 14 snaps.
After a three-and-out on its opening possession, JMU's offense got a spark from Evans.

Alternating almost snap by snap with Atkins at the onset, Evans broke a 27-yard run, gained 43 yards on four carries and capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, giving the Dukes their first-ever lead in a bowl game.

The Hilltoppers (8-6) responded with a pair of touchdown passes from Veltkamp. The Conference USA Player of the Year, who placed his name in the NCAA transfer portal before the bowl, threw a 17-yard scoring strike to Moussa Barry and an 11-yarder to Dalvin Smith.

Outside of its second drive, the Dukes' offense sputtered, missing opportunities for big plays and points and getting shut out for the rest of the first half.

In the second quarter, kicker Noe Ruelas missed a 47-yard field goal try wide right and had a 56-yard try on the half's final snap blocked by WKU.

The Hilltoppers led 14-7 at the half and got the ball to start the third quarter with a chance to fully seize control of the contest.

But the Dukes' defense forced a three-and-out and the offense came up with a 71-yard drive for the game-tying score. Evans, with his first career touchdown already secured, notched his first scoring pass, throwing a 1-yard touchdown to tight end Kyi Wright, tying the game 14-14 with 8:09 left in the third quarter.

JMU went up 17-14 on a 28-yard field goal by Ruelas with 2:25 left in the third. WKU tied it again, 17-17, on a 31-yard field goal 47 seconds into the final frame.

That set up the dramatic finish, with Atkins delivering a back-shoulder throw into the end zone that Thompson elevated and caught working against a pair of WKU defenders.

I saw that matchup one-on-one, I threw it up, trusted Taylor and he came down with it, Atkins said. Big time play.

The catch, followed by the defense finishing things off, gave first-year coach Bob Chesney a remarkable achievement to cap a season that began with a total rebuild of the JMU roster and ended with the Dukes winning nine or more games for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons.

Just a great moment in the history of our program, Chesney said. To be the first ever to do anything for the first time is a big deal.

Bowl Awards

Offensive Player of the Game – JC Evans
Defensive Player of the Game – DJ Barksdale
Special Teams Player of the Game – Ryan Hanson

Game Notes

JMU outgained WKU 203-136 in the second half, with 65 Hilltopper yards coming on one pass in the third quarter and 33 on the final desperation drive.
JMU led in rushing yards 212-16, including 102 to -2 in the second half.
The rushing yardage disparity led to a 13-minute advantage in time of possession (36:32-23:28).
In total, JMU outgained Western 394-318 and averaged 4.6 yards per rush, compared to 0.8 for WKU.
JMU was among the national leaders in turnover margin all season and finished +3 in the bowl win, leading to six points on a pair of field goals.
In its 20th all-time postseason appearance, JMU improved to 25-17 in postseason games.
JMU won nine or more games for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons. The lone exceptions were the eight-game 2021 spring season and the 8-3 season in 2022 in which the program only scheduled 11 games and was not postseason eligible due to reclassification.
With his two second-half field goals, Noe Ruelas made 16 field goals in 2024 and is up to 31 in his career.
Pettaway turned in his eighth game this season with at least 75 rushing yards and topped 100 for the second time in his career.
Dollison caught six passes, tying his career high, finishing with a team-high 82 yards.
Thompson's fourth-quarter touchdown was his sixth scoring catch of the season.
The Sun Belt Conference improved to 2-0 in Bowl Season as JMU followed South Alabama's 30-23 win over Western Michigan on Dec. 14 in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl.