JMU Hosts Gardner-Webb Saturday for Hall of Fame Weekend

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Fresh off its season-opening win on the road, James Madison begins its home slate on Saturday, Sept. 7 when it hosts Gardner-Webb out of the Big South-OVC Football Association at Bridgeforth Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. Pregame radio coverage on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network begins at 4 p.m.

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

James Madison (1-0) vs. Gardner-Webb (0-1)
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Kickoff: 6 PM
Harrisonburg, Va. | Bridgeforth Stadium

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

SOLD OUT BRIDGEFORTH FOR INAUGURAL MEETING

Saturday's home opener is sold out, which marks the sixth straight Bridgeforth Stadium sellout dating back to last season.
This will be the first meeting between the teams but also the 22nd matchup for the Dukes against a full-time Big South Conference foe, which they are 17-4 dating back to 1991.

HALL OF FAME WEEKEND, CELEBRATING '04 CHAMPIONS

In addition to JMU's first home game, campus will be celebrating the newest members to the JMU Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night, which includes five student-athletes, one coach and one team.
Former Head Coach Mickey Matthews (1999-2013) will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame along with his 2004 national championship football team.
The 2004 edition of the Dukes won the program's first of two Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) national championships and is still to this day the only team to win three true road games en route to the title.
Matthews is owner to the most coaching victories in JMU football history, going 109-71 in his seasons at the helm. In addition to the 2004 national title, Matthews guided JMU to six playoff appearances and three conference crowns.

DUKES WIN CHESNEY'S DEBUT IN CHARLOTTE

JMU scored 27 unanswered points and posted a second-half shutout to run away with a 30-7 victory at Charlotte in the season opener on Aug. 31.
Alonza Barnett III threw for two touchdowns in his second career start, as he finished 10-of-17 for 219 yards while also rushing for 89 yards on just nine carries.
Cam Ross accrued 94 total yards, making two catches for 53 yards to go with a 41-yard rush. Omarion Dollison also caught a pair of passes for 80 yards, which included a 73-yard touchdown.
George Pettaway and Ayo Adeyi combined for three scores, as Pettaway rushed for 25 and a touchdown and caught a 33-yard touchdown. Adeyi added 41 on the ground as a rushing touchdown.
JMU out-gained Charlotte by a 417-324 margin, which included 198-131 on the ground. After trailing 7-3, JMU's defense forced Charlotte into two interceptions, two 3-and-outs and two turnovers on downs over the host's final seven drives.
JMU won the turnover battle, 3-2, and held a 10-6 lead in tackles for loss.

FIVE STRAIGHT OPENING WINS

Dating back to its inaugural season in 1972, JMU holds a 30-22-1 record in season openers.
With its 30-7 win at Charlotte on Aug. 31, JMU has now won five straight season openers, dating back to 2020.
In the five wins, JMU has won by an average margin of victory of 46.4 to 5.4. Morehead State scored 10 points in 2021, and no other foe has managed more than seven points during the stretch run.
The win in week one was JMU's first road win in a season opener since a 34-14 victory at ECU on Sept. 2, 2017.
JMU is now 5-15-1 in true road season openers.
Against FBS foes in the 2022 and 2024 openers, JMU has given up seven points each to both Middle Tennessee and Charlotte while averaging 37.0 points itself.
The 44-7 win in 2022 over MTSU was JMU's first game as an FBS member and first time hosting an FBS foe.
The last team to beat JMU in an opener was West Virginia, which held off the Dukes 20-13 on Aug. 31, 2019, in Morgantown, W.Va.

21 STRAIGHT IN HOME OPENERS

With last season's 31-3 win over Bucknell in the season opener, JMU improved to 41-11 all-time in home openers.
The Dukes have now won 21 straight home openers at Bridgeforth, dating back to 2003.
During this current stretch, JMU wins its first home game by an average score of 48.9 to 8.6.
Over its past nine home openers, no team has scored more than 10 points against the Dukes.
JMU has produced north of 40 points in 16 of those wins, which includes a home-opening record 80 points in the 2016 opener - also against Morehead State.
The last opposing team to win a JMU home opener was Hampton, 31-28, back on Aug. 31, 2002.

REDEMPTION SEASON FOR ZO

Alonza Barnett III took the field as JMU's starting QB in week one for his second career start.
After a slow start, which he was 1-of-6 with an interception and lost fumble on a sack, Barnett bounced back in a big way to lead JMU to its win against the 49ers.
Over the last two quarters-plus, Barnett was 9-of-12 for 178 yards and two passing touchdowns, including a 73-yard dart to Omarion Dollison to open the second half.
He also wasn't sacked again and accrued 91 rushing yards on his final six carries with a long of 36 after starting with three for -2 yards.
This performance earned him the game ball in the locker room, just a year removed from a tough performance in his first start.

DEFENSE CLAMPS DOWN

After conceding a second quarter touchdown, JMU's defense shut down Charlotte's offense over the final two-plus quarters.
The 49ers gained 324 total yards, but just 146 yards in the second half.
Down 7-3, the Dukes forced two interceptions, two 3-and-outs and two turnovers on downs over the 49ers' final seven drives, allowing for JMU to score 27 unanswered.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Online: ESPN+ (subscription required)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network

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

Broadcast Talent

ESPN+: Curt Dudley (pxp), Brian Barlow (analyst), David Hulvey (Sideline)
Radio: Dave Riggert (pxp), Cole Johnson (analyst)

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