JMU to Take on Western Kentucky in 2024 Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 18

BOCA RATON, Fla. – James Madison football is going bowling for the second consecutive season, as it will travel to Boca Raton, Fla., to face Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. from FAU Stadium, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

JMU, now in its third season as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision and first as a fully reclassified program, finished the 2024 regular season with an 8-4 overall record. The Dukes were tied for third in the Sun Belt East Division, at 4-4. The season was highlighted by a road victory against ACC foe North Carolina, in which the Dukes scored 70 points to set a Kenan Stadium record while being named National Team of the Week.

The Dukes spent 12 weeks of the regular season receiving votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll while also garnering votes in three of the AP Top 25 polls.

Following the regular season, 13 Dukes were named to the 2024 All-Sun Belt Conference Team, highlighted by offensive linemen Pat McMurtrie and Cole Potts, defensive lineman Eric O'Neill and cornerback Terrence Spence being named First Team selections.

Entering championship week, JMU leads the country in turnover margin (+1.42) while also ranking second in fewest interceptions thrown (4), fourth in passes intercepted (17), fifth in both total takeaways (26) and defensive touchdowns (4), eighth in both sacks per game (3.17) and pass efficiency defense (108.02) and 10th in blocked kicks (3). JMU averages 33.8 points per game and 408.8 yards per game while leading the Sun Belt in both scoring defense, at 20.8 points per game, and total defense, at 322.2 yards per outing.

Western Kentucky, which finished runner-up in Conference USA, enters the matchup with an 8-5 overall record after falling to Jacksonville State in the conference championship game. The Hilltoppers average 25.5 points per game and 378.2 yards per game while conceding 24.5 points and 397.5 yards per contest to their opponents. WKU finished the season 6-2 in Conference USA play, which included a 19-17 win over Jax State in the regular-season finale to reach the title game.

Ticket Information
Information regarding tickets to the Boca Raton Bowl will be available at JMU Athletics' bowl landing page.

History vs. Western Kentucky and Conference USA

This will be the inaugural meeting between the Dukes and Hilltoppers.
It will also be just the second meeting between the Dukes and an active Conference USA team. They hosted Middle Tennessee in their first FBS game, winning 44-7 on Sept. 3, 2022, in Harrisonburg.
The Dukes have previously faced current CUSA squads Liberty (12-6) and Sam Houston (1-1) but while both programs were with JMU at the FCS level. JMU also met MTSU (2-0) as FCS foes in 1994.

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