JAMES MADISON DUKES NOTES:
LET’S GO BOWLING
• JMU makes its bowl season debut on Saturday when it travels to Fort Worth, Texas, to face Air Force out of the Mountain West Conference. • JMU is the fifth nationally-ranked team ever to play in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. • This is JMU’s 19th overall postseason appearance, having competed in the FCS (formerly I-AA) playoffs in 18 seasons. • JMU and Air Force face off for the first time ever and is the program’s second matchup versus a MWC foe. Back on Sept. 23 this season, JMU defeated Utah State, 45-38, in Logan, Utah, in the first MWC matchup for the Dukes. • JMU’s run through bowl season is presented by Door Gorilla
BACK IN TEXAS FOR THE POSTSEASON
• JMU is making its return to the Lone Star State for its first bowl game, a state that JMU fans have come accustomed to through the team’s run to the FCS championship game. • This will mark JMU’s sixth trip to the state of Texas and its fifth during the postseason. • The Dukes are 2-3 in those games, beating SMU during the 2015 regular season in Dallas and Youngstown State in the 2016 national title game in Frisco. • JMU also dropped a pair of decisions to North Dakota State in the championship game in 2017 and 2019 and fell in the 2020 semifinals at Sam Houston.
BEST RECORD IN A TRANSITION
• JMU turned in a transition season from FCS to FBS like no one ever has before with an 11-1 overall mark and 7-1 ledger in conference play. • No team had ever won more than its first five games during a transition up to the FBS level, though JMU was one of those teams a year ago. • The Dukes have 10 wins over FBS opponents this season, which is a record for any year-two transitioning team. • Georgia Southern previously beat eight FBS foes during the 2014 season. • Last year, JMU started 5-0 and became the inaugural first-year transition team to earn an AP Top 25 ranking. • Currently, the Dukes have been ranked in the AP Top 25 for seven straight polls entering the postseason and in the US LBM Coaches Poll for six of seven.
RANKED DUKES
• After a 10-0 start to the season, JMU has become a mainstay in the AP Top 25, where it currently ranks #24. • JMU has been ranked inside the top 25 for seven straight polls dating back to Oct. 22 and was as high as #18 on Nov. 12. • It also ranked as high as #21 in the US LBM Coaches Poll on both Nov. 5 and 12. • JMU is the fourth-highest ranked team in Group of Five, as SMU is #17, Liberty is #18 and Tulane is #23. • Between both polls, JMU has at least received votes in one poll every week this season.
DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN TEAMS
• Entering bowl season, JMU is one of 22 teams with double-digit wins and one of just 15 squads with at least 11 victories. • It’s the eighth time in JMU’s 52-season history it has won at least 10 games. • Leading the pack with 13 wins are Florida State, Liberty, Michigan, and Tulane. • Coming in at 12 wins are Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. • Joining the Dukes in the 11-win club are Miami (OH), Ohio State, Oregon, SMU, Toledo, Troy, and Tulane.
WHAT A RIDE FOR 13 STRAIGHT WEEKS
• Until its game on Nov. 18, JMU held the fourth-longest win streak in the FBS and largest in the Group of Five, at 13 straight victories. • It was the third-longest win streak in program history, dating back to 1972. • JMU won a program-record 26 straight games from 2016-17 and reeled off 14 in a row in 2019. • The Dukes have rattled off double-digit win streaks five times in the history of the program.
AIR FORCE FALCONS NOTES:
THE GAME
• Air Force takes on James Madison in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Saturday, Dec. 23, at 1:30 p.m. MT at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. • Air Force is playing in its seventh Armed Forces Bowl (2007, 08, 09, 12, 15, 22, 23), the most appearances in any bowl in school history. The seven appearances are the most by any team in the bowl’s history. • Air Force is playing in its 30th bowl game overall. The Falcons are 15-13-1 all-time.
AIR FORCE BOWL HISTORY IR FORCE BOWL HISTORY
• Air Force is playing in its 30th bowl game. The Falcons are 15-13-1 all-time. • The Falcons have earned a bowl bid 13 times in Head Coach Troy Calhoun’s 17 seasons. Air Force is 7-5 in bowls under Calhoun. • Air Force has won four straight bowl games, dating back to the 2016 Cheez-It Bowl.
AIR FORCE PLAYING IN SEVENTH ARMED FORCES BOWL
• Air Force is playing in its seventh Armed Forces Bowl (2007, 08, 09, 12, 15, 22, 23), the most appearances in any bowl in school history. The seven appearances is the most by any team in the bowl’s history. • The Falcons are 2-4 all-time in the Armed Forces Bowl. • This season marks the second time the Falcons have played in consecutive Armed Forces Bowls, as the program played in the game from 2007-09. • Air Force snapped a two-game losing streak in the bowl with last season’s 30-15 win over Baylor. Air Force defeated Houston, 47-20, in 2009 to record its only other victory in the Armed Forces Bowl.
BOWL FACTS
• Air Force has won four straight and five of its last six bowl games. • This is Air Force’s 10th bowl overall and third straight in the state of Texas. • Air Force is 2-4 in bowl games at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. •
BRINGING THE BLUE: Air Force has averaged 41,165 in attendance in six previous Armed Forces Bowl games.
AIR FORCE VS. SUN BELT CONFERENCE
• Air Force is 4-0 vs. teams from the Sun Belt (at the time of the game). • Air Force is 1-0 vs. the Sun Belt in bowl games. • Air Force’s last meeting vs. a Sun Belt team came vs. South Alabama in the 2016 Arizona Bowl, resulting in a 45-21 win.
ABOUT JAMES MADISON
• James Madison is a first-year FBS program. Athletics sponsors 18 intercollegiate sports. The Dukes compete in the Sun Belt in football. JMU won the East Division of the Sun Belt with a 7-1 record, but were not eligible to participate in the conference championship game. JMU’s only loss came to App State, 26-23, in overtime Nov. 18. The Dukes won at Virginia of the ACC, 36-35, Sept. 9. • JMU averages 35.2 points per game, while allowing 18.5. The Dukes average 430.3 total yards per game, including 287.1 passing. Quarterback Jordan McCloud has hit 261-379 passes for 3,400 yards with 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Elijah Sarratt leads the team in receiving with 74 catches for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns. Reggie Brown has added 51 catches for 1,010 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns. Aiden Fisher leads the defense with 91 total tackles. Jalen Green has 21.0 tackles for loss for 132 yards, while Jamree Kromah has 19.5 for 92 yards and Mikail Kamara 18.5 for 81 yards. Green leads the way with 15.5 sacks for 120 yards.
AIR FORCE VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
• Air Force is 3-1 this season and 12-2 over the last three seasons vs. non-conferences foes. • Air Force is 51-28 against non-conference opponents under head coach Troy Calhoun. • The Falcons are 31-4 at home, 11-17 on the road and 9-7 in neutral site games.
PLAYING IN TEXAS
• Air Force is playing its sixth game in the state of Texas since 2021. • Prior to 2021, Air Force last played in Texas vs. New Mexico (L 45-40) in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016.
ROAD/NEUTRAL SUCCESS
Air Force has won eight of the last 11 games away from Falcon Stadium, including road/ neutral site games. The Falcons had won eight straight prior to a current three-game losing streak. Air Force has won three of its last four neutral site games.
