HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Wayne Knight rushed for career-high 212 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown, and No. 19 James Madison made its case for a College Football Playoff berth, beating Troy 31-14 in the Sun Belt Conference title game on Friday night.
The Dukes (12-1) will now root for unranked Duke to beat No. 16 Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game on Saturday night, a result that could make JMU one of two Group of Five schools in the 12-team playoff.
On a chilly night when fans were repeatedly chided for throwing snowballs onto the field, JMU's defense recorded eight sacks, a scoop-and-score touchdown and, for the sixth time this season, shut out an opponent in the second half. Defensive end Sahir West had three sacks and was in on 10 tackles.
“Every battle is different. Every hunt is different,” Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III said. “This one just took a little bit more. It was a gutsy win. We just didn’t give up on each other.”
JMU outscored the Trojans 14-0 in the fourth quarter.
“They certainly played championship football, especially in the second half, to finish the job,” Troy coach Gerad Parker said. “They outplayed us tonight.”
Barnett's 26-yard touchdown run with 4:11 to play sealed the win as coach Bob Chesney, reportedly bound for UCLA, won his final home game with the Dukes. Barnett rushed for 85 yards and threw for 93 yards and a TD with an interception.
A coaching gamble helped keep the game tight in the first half.
With Troy trailing 17-7 and facing a fourth-and-1 at its own 34-yard line, Parker opted to go for it. Lining up in a tight formation, the Trojans used play-action and tried to catch JMU’s defense unprepared for a pass downfield.
The play didn’t seem to surprise the Dukes’ defense, but defensive back Elijah Culp grabbed Troy receiver RaRa Thomas, getting flagged for pass interference and giving the Trojans a first down.
Troy went on to score seven plays later, with Tae Meadows' 2-yard touchdown run trimming the JMU lead to 17-14 with 2:14 left.
Troy (8-5) had a chance to tie it, but Scott Taylor Renfroe missed a 46-yard field-goal try with 4:24 left in the third quarter.
The Trojans led 7-3 early in the second quarter when Knight busted loose for his 73-yard TD, the longest in Sun Belt title game history.
JMU's defense ensured the Dukes kept the lead rest of the way.
“They're tough. And I think they believe,” Chesney said. “They know who they are and they know what they’re capable of.”
Chesney — who spent two seasons at JMU as the successor to Curt Cignetti — confirmed that he will be leaving the Dukes. He said he will coach the team if it makes the CFP, adding that he's in discussions with athletic director Matt Roan about whether he would coach a bowl game if the Dukes don't reach the playoff.
“It's been a little extra emotion this whole week,” Chesney said. “Every moment that you're spending together with these guys, you don't know if it'll be your last or not. This is definitely our last on this field. You realize just how special a place JMU is. This is, to me, the greatest Group of Five school in the country and it's not even close.”
Troy: The Trojans were three-touchdown underdogs playing at JMU in the title game and kept things tight for most of the night.
JMU: If the Dukes needed to rack up style points to impress the CFP selection committee, they probably came up short. Still, they followed up a dominant 8-0 regular season in conference play with a Sun Belt championship.
Troy: The Trojans are headed to a bowl game for the third time in four seasons.
JMU: The Dukes will hope for the chaos of a Duke win, which could lead to the ACC getting shut out of the playoff. If not, JMU will be bowl-bound for a third straight year.
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