The Shadow
HARRISONBURG, Va. (VR) – James Madison scored 28 unanswered points in the second quarter en route to a 45-17 win over Marshall on Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Stadium.
The Dukes (5-0, 2-0 Sun Belt) registered 573 yards of total offense, helping them to their 10th straight Sun Belt Conference regular-season victory. In front of a sold-out, Family Weekend crowd of 25,034, JMU earned its first-ever home victory over the Thundering Herd (3-2, 0-1 Sun Belt.)
Quarterback Camden Coleman finished 21-of-32 for 263 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Wide receiver Corey Scott caught a pair of touchdown passes, including a 53-yarder in the first quarter. He logged five total catches for 104 yards.
On the ground, running back George Pettaway turned in a career night, finishing with 206 yards and two scores on just 14 carries. Defensively, cornerback DJ Kelly had two interceptions.
Marshall started the scoring with a 14-play, 89-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter. It marked the first time the Dukes had trailed in a game at any point all season.
But JMU needed just three plays on the ensuing possession to even the score at 7. Coleman found Scott for a 53-yard catch and run into the end zone at the 5:40 mark of the opening frame.
Then, kicker Morgan Suarez made a 22-yard field goal on the Dukes’ next offensive possession, giving JMU a 10-7 lead.
The Herd regained the lead on the second play of the second quarter to cap a 76-yard drive to make it 14-10.
Coleman connected with Scott for the second time in the first half at the 11:52 mark of the second quarter for a 12-yard touchdown. It marked the fourth lead change and put JMU on top, 17-14.
Pettaway extended the lead later in the quarter on a 73-yard touchdown run to make it 24-14. It was the longest run of his career and fifth trip to the end zone this season.
Following an interception by Kelly, Pettaway added a second quarter score on a 33-yard touchdown scamper to give the Dukes a 31-14 lead. The Suffolk, Virginia, native became the first Duke to rush for 200 yards in a game since Wayne Knight in the Sun Belt Championship Game against Troy on Dec. 5, 2025.
Just before the half, wide receiver Noah Grevious caught a 20-yard touchdown to make it 38-14. JMU scored 28 second-quarter points, the most in any quarter this season.
In all, the Dukes tallied 387 yards of total offense in the first half.
Marshall scored the first points of the second half with a 27-yard field goal at the 7:18 mark of the third quarter. The Herd recovered a JMU fumble to get into scoring position.
Running back Nick Herman claimed the only other points of the half, capping the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, his third of the year.
The Dukes allowed just three points and 189 yards in the second half. Linebacker JT Hooten led the way with a team-high eight tackles.
With the win, JMU improved to 3-4 all time against Marshall. The squad is now 5-0 for the first time since 2023.
Up next, the Dukes return to the road to take on Georgia Southern on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff at Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro is set for 7 or 7:30 p.m., on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
