James Madison were one of three teams in the G5 to enter Week 8 undefeated. They will also enter week 9 with a 7-0 record after a physical, low-scoring win at Marshall on Thursday night. The Dukes earned a 20-9 victory behind another monster day from their FBS-leading rushing defense.
One thing is for sure: there will only be more conversation this week regarding how flexible the NCAA's FBS transition rules are with regards to postseason eligibility. The dominant Dukes will continue to be a central talking point in that conversation.
Concerns At Marshall?
After a 4-0 start, Marshall have dropped three straight games.
The absence of Rasheen Ali in this game is also troubling. Ali missed most of 2022 due to injury after a very productive 2021 season. Ali is the Herd's leading rusher this season and has 11 rushing touchdowns, the second-most in FBS.
If his injury is long term, that could significantly hurt their chances of a run at the SBC East, or more.
No Room To Run
Remember that aforementioned FBS-leading rushing defense from JMU? They ran wild in this game, especially with the absence of Ali.
Marshall ended the day with a net total of -4 rushing yards on 32 attempts. Even with Charles Huff's foresight that the JMU defensive line would be a problem, the Dukes were a constant presence in Marshall's backfield. JMU totaled 15 tackles for loss while sacking Marshall QB Cam Fancher eight times on Thursday night.
Jordan McCloud's Dual-Threat Day
McCloud had another fairly strong day under center for the Dukes. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 264 yards and one touchdown with one interception. On top of that, McCloud totaled 69 rushing yards on six carries, a career high for him. McCloud also grabbed his third rushing touchdown of the season from six yards out.
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