Football November 26, 2023 10:29:00 am
Story links
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison football is heading into bowl season for the first time in program history, the Bowl Alliance announced Sunday morning.
JMU, which is in the second year of its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision, has officially been cleared for selection in a bowl game under NCAA bylaws.
JMU finished its second FBS season with unprecedented success for a transition team, going 11-1 overall with a 7-1 record in Sun Belt Conference play. The Dukes had both the best overall and best conference record in the SBC.
The Dukes lead the country in rushing defense (61.5), tackles for loss (9.1) and yards per rush allowed (2.09), while leading in both sacks (3.75) and blocked punts (2). take second place. JMU ranked in the top 25 in both offense and defense as it averaged 35.2 points per game and allowed 18.5 to its opponents.
JMU began the season with a 10-0 record and built a 13-game winning streak dating back to last year. The Dukes were ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 and were ranked No. 24 entering the final week of the regular season.
A total of 82 teams will participate in the bowl season, which begins December 16th. The full bowl schedule will be announced next Sunday, December 3rd on ESPN.