No. 24 James Madison extends winning streak to 8 games with 58-10 win over Appalachian State

“We’re a team that takes pride in wanting to dominate for 60 minutes, or however long it takes to win a ballgame," Malary said. "Wanted to punch them in the mouth, early and often.”

Alonza Barnett completed 22 of 35 passes for 303 yards and ran for two TDs as the Dukes piled up 557 yards of total offense, their second-highest output of the season.

JMU’s defense dominated, holding the Mountaineers scoreless until 10:48 remained in the game. James Madison limited Appalachian State to a season-low 146 yards of total offense.

James Madison had an overwhelming advantage in time of possession, holding the ball for 42 minutes, 18 seconds.

“They won both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Appalachian State coach Dowain Loggains said. “We knew we needed to start fast versus a highly skilled team on the road, 20-point underdogs. Defensively we started really well. But they just kept landing jabs and jabs and jabs and just wore us down.”

JMU got on the board first by taking advantage of an interception by DJ Barksdale. A 42-yard catch-and-run by Jaylan Sanchez set up a 1-yard touchdown by Knight as the only score of the first quarter.

“It took us somewhere through late in the first quarter to be able to gain that identity and understand what we were getting and who we were compared to who they were," JMU coach Robert Chesney said. "After we did that, we were able to lock in and dominate the game.”

Dominic DeFreitas kicked a 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and App State denied the Dukes their first shutout since the 2020-21 spring season against Morehead State. The Mountaineers found the end zone with 1:54 left on a 19-yard TD reception by Davion Dozier.

Spread it around

James Madison's offensive depth was on display Saturday, with 11 Dukes catching passes and eight players carrying the ball.

“They’ve got talent. They’ve got strength. They’ve got speed,” Loggains said. “It’s a highly skilled team. They’ve done a very good job recruiting.”

Six Dukes had multiple catches and four players scored rushing touchdowns. That list was highlighted by Malary’s three trips to the end zone, his first scores of the season. A backup, Malary had just nine carries going into the game.

“It really just shows, if the opportunity comes my way, I'm going to take advantage of it,” Malary said. “Regardless of what's happening throughout the season, I'm going to always be ready when my time comes. And tonight was the night.”

The takeaway

Appalachian State: Loggains, a former longtime NFL coordinator, had the Mountaineers at 4-2. But, after consecutive close losses, App State wasn’t competitive, dropping its fourth straight game.

James Madison: The Dukes’ win, coupled with losses by South Florida and Cincinnati, have people in Harrisonburg seriously thinking about JMU representing the Group of Five in the College Football Playoff.

Up next

Appalachian State: Hosts Sun Belt foe Marshall on Saturday.

James Madison: Hosts Washington State in a non-conference game on Saturday.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football