The Shadow
HARRISONBURG, Va. (VR) – James Madison returns to the road to take on Georgia Southern in a Sun Belt Conference clash on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff at Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be aired live on ESPNU.
The Dukes enter the matchup at 5-0, including 2-0 in league play. JMU is perfect through five games for the fourth time in the last seven seasons but the first since 2023.
Last week, JMU defeated Marshall, 45-17, in its conference home opener at Bridgeforth Stadium. The Dukes used 573 yards of total offense and ended the first half by scoring 28 unanswered points to help lead to the victory.
Running back George Pettaway rushed for a career-best 206 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, finding the end zone on runs of 77 yards and 33 yards, respectively. Wide receiver Corey Scott also had a big day, securing five catches for 104 yards and two scores.
Quarterback Camden Coleman finished 21-of-32 for 263 yards and three touchdowns in the win. He also added a 48-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to add to his totals.
Defensively, cornerback DJ Kelly recorded a pair of interceptions. Both occurred deep in the red zone to deny Marshall of points. Linebacker JT Hooten led the team in tackles, with eight.
On special teams, kicker Morgan Suarez notched his 300th career point in the win, while wide receiver Michael Scott, the nation’s leader in total return yards, logged a 45-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.
Additionally, punter Patrick Rea punted three times for 142 yards, placing two inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, with a long of 59 on the day. For his efforts, he was named to the Ray Guy Award’s “Ray’s 8” on Monday.
Georgia Southern is off to a 2-3 start to the season. The Eagles won their Sun Belt opener at Coastal Carolina, 31-24, last weekend.
Head coach Clay Helton is in his fifth season leading the Eagles.
Pregame radio coverage of Saturday’s game begins at 5:30 p.m., on the Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network.
The 2026 JMU football season is presented by CarMax.
BROADCAST INFO
Watch: ESPNU (Mike Corey – PXP, Rene Ingoglia – Analyst)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network (Dave Riggert – PXP, Isai Bradshaw – Analyst)
Radio: WSVA 550 AM | 92.1 FM
Online: The Varsity Network
THE MATCHUP
Saturday marks the 13th meeting between JMU and Georgia Southern. All time, the Eagles hold a 9-3 advantage in the series, including 6-0 at home.
Last season, JMU earned a 35-10 win over Georgia Southern in Harrisonburg. In all, the series is tied at 2-2 since 2022, with the home team winning all four meetings.
A matchup of former FCS powerhouses, JMU and Georgia Southern met annually from 1985-92, with the Eagles winning seven of those eight matchups. The two schools have a combined eight FCS/I-AA National Championships.
TEN STRAIGHT
Following last weekend’s win against Marshall, the Dukes have now won 10 consecutive Sun Belt regular-season games. It’s the third-longest conference win streak in the country, behind just Indiana and Ohio State.
The Dukes also have won 10 straight home games, including last season’s Sun Belt Championship victory over Troy, and hold a record of 25-3 at Bridgeforth Stadium since joining the FBS.
In all, the Dukes enter Saturday’s contest with a 27-7 overall mark in Sun Belt play since entering the league in 2022. JMU also has the most wins of any Sun Belt team since joining the conference, with 45.
ON THE ROAD
JMU has been one of the most successful road teams in the country since joining the FBS ranks. The squad is 19-7 away from home in that time, which is tied for the most road wins in college football, along with Oregon and Tulane.
The Dukes also boast the seventh-highest road win percentage in the country since 2022 (.731).
Overall, JMU is 13-4 on the road in Sun Belt action.
STANDING OUT
The Dukes enter the week as one of three teams in the nation with both a top-10 scoring offense (No. 6) and defense (No. 10), joining Indiana and Miami. JMU has scored 44.8 points per game and allowed just 13.2, good for a win margin of 31.6.
Along with its success on offense and defense, JMU also ranks No. 4 nationally in kickoff returns (40.63) and No. 11 in punt returns (19.0). Michael Scott ranks No. 1 in the nation in combined return yardage (534) and punt return touchdowns (2).
Kelly is No. 5 in the nation in interceptions per game (0.6), while Pettaway is No. 9 in rushing touchdowns (6), No. 12 in rushing yards per carry (6.72) and No. 15 in rushing yards (497).
Suarez, who is 10-of-11 on field goal attempts this fall, is No. 6 nationally in field goals per game (2.0) and No. 9 in scoring (11.2).
JMU is one of 15 undefeated teams remaining in the FBS, including one of just two Group of Six programs (North Dakota State).
IN THE POLLS
The Dukes received votes in both the AP Poll and US LBM Coaches Poll once again this week. JMU earned 12 points by the AP and 42 in the coaches, good for season-high marks in both polls.
JMU has received votes in every edition of the AP Poll this season and remain the only Sun Belt program to do so at any point in 2026. The squad remains the second-high ranked Group of Six program, behind only Boise State.
UP NEXT
JMU heads home for a Homecoming matchup against Georgia State on Saturday, Oct. 17. Kickoff at Bridgeforth Stadium is set for noon ET, and the game will air live on ESPNU.
