JMU Heads West for Tuesday Tilt at Texas State

Tuesday, October 28

San Marcos, Texas

8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT)

James Madison University

Texas State

10/24/2025 12:28:00 PM | Football

Watch on ESPN2 Listen on JMU Radio Network Game Notes

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison football hits the road for its longest road trip of the 2025 regular season, as it takes on Texas State in San Marcos on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) at UFCU Stadium, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

The game will mark the first Tuesday game in JMU football history and JMU's third midweek conference game since joining the Sun Belt, adding in a Thursday game in each of the past two seasons.

The 2025 JMU football season is presented by CarMax.

James Madison (6-1, 4-0 SBC) at Texas State (3-4, 0-3 Sun Belt)
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Kickoff: 8:00 PM ET
San Marcos, Texas | UFCU Stadium

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

JMU'S MIDWEEK HISTORY

Game eight of the 2025 season presents a unique opportunity for JMU to play in front of a national audience and in one of just two college football games on ESPN's Tuesday slate.
JMU is no stranger to playing on a day other than Saturday due in large to its runs through the FCS Playoffs, but the matchup with Texas State will be JMU's fifth regular-season game to be played during the week.
The Dukes previously played four times on Thursdays, which included a dominant 39-7 win last season over Coastal Carolina on Oct. 10, 2024. JMU's defense all showed out the year prior in 2023, as it beat Marshall on the road, 20-9, on Oct. 19, 2023, for its first Sun Belt midweek triumph.
JMU first played a midweek game on Oct. 29, 1981 when hosting Hampton (then known at Hampton Institute). It later moved up a 2018 non-conference bout with Robert Morris to a Thursday due to the threat of Hurricane Florence, in which it cruised to a 73-7 victory at home.
Adding in its Friday games during the FCS postseason (formerly Division I-AA) and the 2001 season finale, this Tuesday will be the 16th game not played on a weekend since moving to Division I in 1980. The Dukes are 11-4 in those games, which includes a 5-2 mark away from home.

BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES

Tuesday will be just the second meeting ever between JMU and Texas State and the first Sun Belt West Division team that JMU will meet for a second time.
Back in its inaugural SBC campaign, JMU rolled to a 40-13 win over the Bobcats on Oct. 1, 2022. It was JMU's first conference home game as a member of the Sun Belt.
In the win, JMU scored in all three phases, opening up a 19-0 halftime lead and never led by any fewer than that in the second half.
Former Duke Jailin Walker had a pick-six and JMU collected four total turnovers, while Todd Centeio threw for 257 yards and Latrele Palmer ran for 111 yards and a career-best three touchdowns.

DEFENSE DOMINATES SECOND HALF

After conceding 275 yards and 27 points in the first half to Old Dominion, JMU's defense turned on a different gear over the final 30 minutes, allowing just 10 total yards and one first down while collecting three turnovers in JMU's 63-27 win over the Monarchs.
It was JMU's third straight week pitching a shutout in the second half, and the second-half performance kept the 300-yard streak alive, as ODU finished with 285.
The Monarchs scored offensive touchdowns on three of their first four drives, but late in the first half, a three-and-out forced by JMU's defense began a string of eight straight scoreless drives.
Counting the final drive of the first half, JMU's defense gave up just eight total yards while producing five three-and-outs, a four-and-out and two interceptions the rest of the way.

BARNETT WITH A CAREER DAY

Alonza Barnett scored six total touchdowns while accounting for 448 total yards in JMU's win last week against Old Dominion.
He was 17 of 25 for a season-best 295 yards, while rushing for a career-high 153 yards.
His total yards ranked seventh in JMU single-season history, and he became just the fourth player to score four times on the ground.
It was also the second time a JMU QB scored four rushing touchdowns, as he joined Mike Cawley, who did so in 1994.

OFFENSE CLICKING IN ODU WIN

JMU's offense scored 42 unanswered points to bridge the halves en route to its largest win ever against Old Dominion on Oct. 18.
The Dukes gained a season-high 624 yards, which tied a record for most yards ever allowed by ODU.
The 63 points were also JMU's most ever against a Sun Belt opponent.
JMU scored nine touchdowns on its 13 drives, as it accrued more than 300 passing and 300 rushing for the first time ever against an FBS foe.
It threw for 313 yards while rushing for 311 more.
JMU had 27 first downs, fueled by a 12-of-16 clip on third down.
The extended drives also allowed JMU to hold a dominant 41:26 to 18:34 time of possession lead.

TOP 10 RUN OFFENSE & DEFENSE

Following week eight of the college football season, JMU ranks top 10 nationally in both rushing offense and rushing defense.
The Dukes gain an average of 243.7 rushing yards per game, good for eighth in the FBS.
On the flip side, JMU's defense holds opponents to 74.3 rushing yards per outing, which is second best in the country.
JMU is one of just two teams to rank in the top 10 in both categories, as the SEC's Missouri is seventh in both run games.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR JMU?

JMU enters its second open week following the Tuesday bout in San Marcos, Texas, and returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Marshall.
Kickoff time and the ESPN network will be announced the day prior to JMU's game at TXST.
This will be sixth all-time meeting between JMU and Marshall, with the Thundering Herd holding a 4-1 series lead.
Since joining the Sun Belt, neither team has won at home, as MU claimed 2022 and 2024 wins in Harrisonburg and JMU earned its first win against Marshall in Huntington in 2023.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPN2
Online: Watch 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+: Jay Alter (pxp), Rocky Boiman (analyst)
Radio: Dave Riggert (pxp), Que Reid (analyst)