Opponent Preview: JMU
Georgia Southern (2-2) will open their Sun Belt Conference play in the 2025 season on September 27th against the James Madison Dukes who are 2-1 with wins over Weber State and Liberty and a loss to ACC foe, Louisville. The Dukes enter week five with their offense averaging 30 points per game and their defense surrendering just 17 points per game.
Offensively, JMU is lead by QB Alonza Barnett III who has completed 46 of his 72 passes for 445 yards and 3 touchdowns through three games this season. In addition to his passing, he has added 52 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Through three games, the Dukes have four players with more than 100 rushing yards: RB Wayne Knight (190), RB George Pettaway (132), QB Matthew Sluka (113) and RB Ayo Adeyi (112). The most heavily used of those four guys in the last game was Knight who had 17 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown against Liberty. Based on carry numbers each game, it appears that JMU rolls with the hot hand and whoever is finding the most success gets the bulk of the carries in that game. JMU has just one receiver with more than 100 receiving yards in WR Landon Ellis who has 8 catches for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns this season.
Schematically, so far this season, the Dukes have run the ball nearly 62% of the time and have found success in doing so. They are averaging 5.0 yards per carry and 222 yards per game. This is going to make it a tough matchup for an Eagles defense that is surrendering 245.5 rushing yards and 481.5 total yards per game which is ranked 128th out of 134 FBS teams this season.
Defensively, JMU is ranked 6th out of 134 FBS teams in terms of total defense. So far this season, they have surrendered just 215 yards per game, so the Eagles will need to be on their A-game to move the ball and put points on the board. The Dukes’ defense is led by LB Trent Hendrick who has tallied 19 tackles including 2.0 TFL through three games this season. With the contrast of styles, expect the Eagles to need to score 34+ to win this game. This group has forced four turnovers (3 interceptions and 1 fumble recoveries) so far, so JC French IV and company will need to ensure they protect the ball to prevent giving JMU’s offense extra possessions.
On Special Teams, the Dukes have attempted just three field goals this season and K Morgan Suarez has converted two of the three as one was blocked. His longest made field goal is from 39 yards, so the Dukes are likely to go for it on fourth downs if they are between midfield and the Eagles 35-yard line. P Patrick Rea has punted the ball away 8 times and averaged 38 yards per punt this season.
The 2024 meeting between these two teams ended with a 28-14 win for the Georgia Southern even after the Eagles turned the ball over four times. Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia always provides an intimidating environment and this is one of those games where playing at USC early in the season will pay dividends as the guys got experience in a large, loud stadium. The Eagles defense will need to play their best game of the season to give the offense a chance to go win this game. The Dukes have an extremely stingy defense and playing from behind against a team like this is a recipe for disaster, so it is important to find stability and success early on while protecting the ball. Look for OC Ryan Aplin to try to get the running game established early on to open up passing lanes and cut down on chances for errors in the passing game. QB Weston Bryan will likely see quite a few snaps in this game, especially on 3rd down and goal line situations.
Players to Watch
QB Alonza Barrett III
46/72 for 445 Yards and 3 Touchdowns
3 Rushing Touchdowns
RB Wayne Knight
29 Carries for 191 Yards and 2 Touchdowns
LB Trent Hendrick
19 Tackles including 2.0 TFL through three games this season
