Venue, Date & Time
Location: Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Kickoff: 1:30 PM ET
Broadcast: ESPN+
Weather Forecast (Harrisonburg, VA)
Conditions: Sunny, mild fall afternoon
Temperature: ~67°F (19°C) at kickoff
Wind: 5–8 mph
Impact: Ideal football weather, no disruptions expected
Injury Report
Georgia Southern Eagles
TE River Helms – Questionable (shoulder)
TE Jackson Long – Questionable (knee)
WR Josh Dallas – Questionable (hip)
James Madison Dukes
RB Jobi Malary – Out until Oct. 11 (undisclosed)
RB George Pettaway – Doubtful (transfer portal/leg)
Key Player Matchups
QB JC French (GSU, 781 yds, 6 TD, 3 INT) vs. QB Alonza Barnett III (JMU, 445 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT)
French leads a balanced Eagles offense; Barnett adds dual-threat ability with 3 rushing TDs.
WR Camden Brown (GSU, 281 yds, 5 TD) vs. CB Jacob Thomas (JMU, 1 INT, 1 sack)
Brown is a red-zone weapon; Thomas is JMU’s top playmaker in the secondary.
RB OJ Arnold (GSU, 299 yds, 3 TD) vs. RB Wayne Knight (JMU, 190 yds, 2 TD)
Arnold is Georgia Southern’s workhorse; Knight is JMU’s versatile back.
DL MJ Stroud (GSU, 2.5 sacks) vs. QB Barnett (JMU)
Stroud leads GSU’s pass rush; Barnett must avoid pressure.
Recent Team Forms
Georgia Southern (2-2)
W 45–17 vs. Maine
W 41–34 vs. Jacksonville State
L 20–59 @ USC
L 14–42 @ Fresno State
Trend: Offense averaging 30 PPG, defense struggling (38 PPG allowed).
James Madison (2-1)
W 31–13 @ Liberty
L 14–28 @ Louisville
W 45–10 vs. Weber State
Trend: Defense elite (17 PPG allowed, 6th in FBS in yards allowed).
Conference Context
Both teams: Sun Belt Conference rivals
Georgia Southern: Looking to prove offensive firepower can overcome defensive lapses.
James Madison: Aiming to stay in Sun Belt title contention with dominant defense.
Series History
All-time H2H: Georgia Southern leads 9–2
Last Meeting (2024): Georgia Southern 28–14 win in Statesboro
Trend: Georgia Southern has won 2 of last 3; JMU won big in 2023 (41–13).
Betting Trends
Georgia Southern:
2–2 ATS in 2025
4–0 to the Over this season
0–1 ATS as underdog of 17+
James Madison:
3–0 ATS in 2025
0–3 to the Over this season
6–1 SU in last 7 home games
Historical Betting Results
2024: Georgia Southern +10 covered, upset JMU 28–14 (Under 58.5)
2023: JMU -5.5 covered, beat GSU 41–13 (Under 60)
2022: Georgia Southern +12 covered, upset JMU 45–38 (Over 67)
Game Odds
Georgia Southern Eagles 54.5
James Madison Dukes – 15.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 26, 2025
