Completed Event: Football versus Weber State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 45, to, 10
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Final
James Madison
45
vs Weber State
10
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
2025 Football Roster
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Sluka, Matthew
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Jersey Number 9
Matthew Sluka
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Position:
- Quarterback
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-2 / 216
- Hometown:
- Locust Valley, N.Y.
- High School:
- Kellenberg Memorial
- Previous:
- UNLV / Holy Cross
Bio
Transferred to JMU with one season of eligibility remaining after spending one year at UNLV (2024) and four at Holy Cross (2020-23)
Career Highs Entering 2025 Season:
Passing Yards – 325 – vs. Harvard (Sept. 30, 2023)
Passing Touchdowns – 4, four times – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023), vs. Colgate (Sept. 23, 2023), vs. Harvard (Sept. 30, 2023), vs. Fordham (Oct. 29, 2022)
Longest Pass – 74 – vs. Harvard (Sept. 30, 2023)
Completions – 23 – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023)
Pass Attempts – 30 – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023)
Completion Percentage – 80%, twice – vs. Yale (Sept. 17, 2022), at Georgetown (Nov. 19, 2022)
Rushing Yards – 330 – vs. Lafayette (Oct. 21, 2023) – NCAA Division I record by a QB
Rushing Touchdowns – 3 – vs. Lafayette (Oct. 21, 2023)
Longest Rush – 76 – at UConn (Sept. 2, 2021)
Rush Attempts – 37 – at Army West Point (Nov. 11, 2023)
Total Offense – 415 – vs. Lafayette (Oct. 21, 2023)
Total Touchdowns – 6 (4 pass, 2 rush) – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023)
2024 at UNLV:
Finished Holy Cross career ranking first in program history in career pass efficiency (147.4), second in rushing yards (3,583) and rushing touchdowns (38) and fifth in both passing yards (5,916) and passing touchdowns (59)
2023 at Holy Cross:
2022 at Holy Cross:
2021 at Holy Cross:
2020 at Holy Cross:
High School and Prep:
Personal:
Career Highs Entering 2025 Season:
Passing Yards – 325 – vs. Harvard (Sept. 30, 2023)
Passing Touchdowns – 4, four times – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023), vs. Colgate (Sept. 23, 2023), vs. Harvard (Sept. 30, 2023), vs. Fordham (Oct. 29, 2022)
Longest Pass – 74 – vs. Harvard (Sept. 30, 2023)
Completions – 23 – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023)
Pass Attempts – 30 – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023)
Completion Percentage – 80%, twice – vs. Yale (Sept. 17, 2022), at Georgetown (Nov. 19, 2022)
Rushing Yards – 330 – vs. Lafayette (Oct. 21, 2023) – NCAA Division I record by a QB
Rushing Touchdowns – 3 – vs. Lafayette (Oct. 21, 2023)
Longest Rush – 76 – at UConn (Sept. 2, 2021)
Rush Attempts – 37 – at Army West Point (Nov. 11, 2023)
Total Offense – 415 – vs. Lafayette (Oct. 21, 2023)
Total Touchdowns – 6 (4 pass, 2 rush) – at Yale (Sept. 16, 2023)
2024 at UNLV:
- Started three games at quarterback, redshirting to retain a year of eligibility
- Completed 21-of-48 pass attempts (44%) for 318 passing yards and six touchdowns with one interception
- Also had 39 carries for 253 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.5 per rush
- Accounted for 571 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns in his three starts
- Threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another score vs. Utah Tech (Sept. 7)
- Also had a pair of passing scores in opener at Houston (Aug. 31)
Finished Holy Cross career ranking first in program history in career pass efficiency (147.4), second in rushing yards (3,583) and rushing touchdowns (38) and fifth in both passing yards (5,916) and passing touchdowns (59)
2023 at Holy Cross:
- Stats Perform Walter Payton Award Finalist, finishing fourth in voting
- FCS Football Central First Team All-American
- Stats Perform Second Team All-American
- Associated Press Third Team All-American
- Phil Steele Third Team All-American
- Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year
- First Team All-Patriot League quarterback
- Recipient of Bulger-Lowe Award
- FedEx Ground FCS National Player of the Week
- Two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18, Oct. 23)
- NEFWA Gold Helmet Award recipient (Oct. 22)
- Played in all 11 games, making nine starts at quarterback
- Completed 122-of-197 pass attempts (62%) for 1,728 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with five interceptions
- Also had 186 carries for 1,247 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, leading all QBs nationally for the second straight season
- Accounted for 2,975 total yards of offense and 29 total touchdowns
- Ranked top 25 in eight statistical categories, including five in the top 10
- Ranked fifth nationally in pass efficiency (162.9), seventh in rushing yards per game (113.4), eighth in yards per completion (14.05), ninth in both yards per rush (6.7) and points responsibility per game (14.05), 11th in yards per pass attempt (8.68), 14th in total offense (270.5) and 20th in passing touchdowns (20)
- Led the Patriot League in pass efficiency, yards per completion and yards per pass attempt while ranking second in rushing yards, points responsibility, yards per rush and total offense; also was third in passing TD and fourth in rushing TD
- Threw for career highs of 325 passing yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 83 yards vs. Harvard (Sept. 30), tallying 408 total yards
- Rushed for an NCAA Division I-record 330 yards with three touchdowns, averaging 11.8 yards per carry, while also passing for 85 yards and a score vs. Lafayette (Oct. 21) to account for a season-best 415 total yards of offense
- Accounted for a career-best six touchdowns and 373 total yards at Yale (Sept. 16), completing 76% of passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 98 yards and two
- Finished with 380 total yards at Bucknell (Oct. 7) after throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 122 more
- Threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns while carrying a career-high 37 times for 171 rushing yards at Army West Point (Nov. 11)
- Finished Holy Cross career by rushing for 161 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 123 more and a score vs. Georgetown (Nov. 18)
- Ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 130 at Boston College (Sept. 9)
- Also threw for 190 yards and pair of touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards in opener vs. Merrimack (Sept. 2)
- Threw for at least 250 yards in three games
- Rushed for over 100 yards in five games and went over 150 three times
- Tallied at least 300 total yards in five games
- Had at least two passing touchdowns in six games
- Rushed for two touchdowns in four games
- Accounted for three or more total touchdowns in five games
- Produced a 40+ yard pass in four games
- Registered a 25+ yard rush in seven games
- Team MVP
- Team captain
2022 at Holy Cross:
- Stats Perform Walter Payton Award Finalist
- First Team All-Patriot League quarterback
- Recipient of New England Football Writers’ Association Agganis/Zimman Award
- All-New England selection
- Stats Perform National Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 12)
- Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 31)
- Two-time NEFWA Gold Helmet Award recipient (Sept. 4, Sept. 11)
- Started all 13 games at quarterback
- Completed 153-of-266 pass attempts (58%) for 2,489 passing yards and 26 touchdowns with four interceptions
- Also had 203 carries for 1,234 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per rush to lead all quarterbacks nationally in rushing
- Accounted for 3,723 total yards of offense and 37 total touchdowns
- Ranked top 35 nationally in nine categories, including top 20 in seven areas
- Second in the FCS in yards per completion (16.27) while also ranking fifth in yards per pass attempt (9.36), seventh in pass efficiency (165.4), ninth in points responsibility (17.1), 11th in both total offense (286.4) and passing touchdowns (26), 20th in yards per rush (6.1), 29th in rushing yards per game (94.9) and 35th in rushing touchdowns (11)
- Ranked top three in PL in every category, including first in yards per completion
- Threw for 291 passing yards and a career-high four touchdowns while rushing for 174 yards and a score, accounting for a career-high 465 total yards vs. Fordham (Oct. 29)
- Completed a career-high 80% of passes, throwing for a season-high 301 yards and three touchdowns while adding 77 rushing at Georgetown (Nov. 19)
- Also completed 80% of throws vs. Yale (Sept. 17), passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns and adding a rushing score
- Threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 63 and a score at Harvard (Oct. 1)
- Rushed for a then-QB rushing yards record with 213 yards and a score and throwing for 126 in FCS Quarterfinals at South Dakota State (Dec. 10)
- Had 238 passing yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 146 yards at Buffalo (Sept. 10), which included a game-winning Hail Mary touchdown on the final play
- Passed for 183 yards and three touchdowns while running for 72 and a score vs. Bucknell (Oct. 8)
- Had four total touchdowns at Colgate (Sept. 24) passing for two and throwing for two more while also catching a 21-yard pass
- Scored three total touchdowns in FCS Second Round vs. New Hampshire (Dec. 3), which included him rushing for 103 yards and two scores
- Threw for at least 250 yards in three games
- Rushed for over 100 yards in six games and went over 150 twice
- Tallied at least 300 total yards in six games
- Had at least two passing touchdowns in nine games and had three or more in four outings
- Had a rushing touchdown in nine games
- Accounted for three or more touchdowns in nine games and had four or more three times
- Produced a 40+ yard pass in nine games, including at least one in the first eight games
- Registered a 25+ yard rush in 10 games and had a 40+ yard rush in five outings
- Team MVP
2021 at Holy Cross:
- Second Team All-Patriot League quarterback
- New England Football Writers’ Association Gold Helmet Award
- Three-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 6, Sept. 20, Nov. 15)
- Started all 13 games at quarterback
- Completed 117-of-208 passes (56%) for 1,512 passing yards and 11 touchdowns
- Also had 166 carries for 868 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 5.2 per rush
- Accounted for 2,380 total yards of offense and 25 total touchdowns
- Ranked 10th nationally and led the Patriot League in rushing touchdowns (10)
- Led the PL in rushing yards per game (66.8) while ranking second in passing touchdowns (11), pass efficiency (130.0), yards per rush (5.2), total offense (183.1), scoring (6.5) and yards per pass attempt (7.3)
- Season-high 272 passing yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 104 yards and two scores at Fordham (Nov. 13)
- Threw for 140 yards and two touchdowns while running for 112 yards and a touchdown in opener at UConn (Sept. 2)
- Passed for 136 yards and pair of touchdowns and ran for 92 and two scores vs. Georgetown (Oct. 16)
- Rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns vs. Colgate (Oct. 23)
- Also scored two rushing touchdowns at Lehigh (Oct. 30)
- Threw for 171 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 90 in FCS First Round win vs. Sacred Heart (Nov. 27)
- Had 169 passing yards and rushed for 106 and a touchdown in FCS Second Round at Villanova (Dec. 3)
- Rushed for over 100 yards in four games and had 75+ in seven outings
- Had at least three total touchdowns in three games
- Had a rushing touchdown in nine games
- Had a 40+ yard pass in two games, including a season-long 54 yarder at Fordham
- Registered a 25+ yard rush in four games, including career-long 76 yarder at UConn
2020 at Holy Cross:
- Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award finalist
- Patriot League Rookie of the Year
- Patriot League Rookie of the Week (Mar. 29)
- Played in all four games, making two starts at quarterback
- Completed 20-of-35 pass attempts (57%) for 187 passing yards and two touchdowns
- Also had 44 carries for 234 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.3 per rush
- Ranked 28th nationally and led the Patriot League in yards per rush (5.3)
- Also led the conference in rushing touchdowns (4) and rushing yards per game (58.8) while ranking second in point responsibility (9.0)
- Had a six-yard rush in collegiate debut at Lehigh (Mar. 13)
- Rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for 33 yards and a score vs. Fordham (Mar. 27)
- Threw for 78 yards and a score and ran for 61 and a pair of touchdowns in Patriot League Championship Game at Bucknell (Apr. 17)
- Had 76 passing yard and 22 rushing in FCS First Round at South Dakota State (Apr. 24)
High School and Prep:
- Spent one postgraduate season at the Peddie School in New Jersey
- Led Peddie to 8-0 record in 2019, winning the Mid-Atlantic Prep League title
- Starred at Kellenberg High School in New York where he led the team to pair of undefeated seasons and pair of Catholic High School Football League AA titles
- Earned All-New York State, All-Long Island and All-Metro honors
- CHSFL Championship Game MVP in 2017 and 2018
- Accounted for 101 total touchdowns in prep career
- Dual-sport athlete who also lettered in lacrosse and basketball
Personal:
- Son of Robert and Lorraine Sluka
- Has four brothers – Robert, Andrew, Thomas and Peter
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