That was easy! JMU football ran past Ball State on Saturday, winning 63-7 in one of the Dukes’ most complete team performances of their FBS era. 

The Dukes’ offense didn’t punt. The defense scored as many touchdowns as it allowed, and the special teams unit was solid. JMU crushed Ball State, looking the part of a Group of Five powerhouse in the process. Here are three takeaways/observations from the win.

Alonza Barnett is a star

There were JMU fans who wanted Alonza Barnett benched in Week 2. Many of those same fans are now hopeful Barnett spends the rest of his college career as JMU’s starting QB.

That’s what 13 touchdowns across two weeks will do.

Barnett followed up a seven-touchdown showing with another dazzling performance against Ball State. He racked up 330 total yards to go with six total touchdowns and no turnovers. After a somewhat slow start to the season, Barnett is on fire. The redshirt sophomore is a frontrunner for Sun Belt Player of the Year through the early portion of the season, and he looks like he could be more explosive than Jordan McCloud, who is playing quite well at Texas State.

Barnett dissected Ball State’s defense with ease Saturday, and he looks completely in control of the offense. He looks comfortable in Dean Kennedy’s offensive system, understanding when to take off and run and when to stand tall in the pocket and deliver catchable passes.

He has been superb the last two weeks, and he used a ton of different weapons Saturday. Taylor Thompson had a stellar day, securing five balls for 91 yards and a TD. Yamir Knight caught two TDs. Cam Ross added another, as did Omarion Dollison. JMU’s offense is balanced, and Barnett leading the charge makes it one of the most dangerous in college football.

Just like ya draw it up.

Great pitch and catch by Zo and Yamir, but let's talk about that downfield blocking by OD to set this one up! #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/3LBaglXn4N

— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) September 28, 2024

Defense bounces back

JMU’s defense forced five turnovers against UNC, but the unit allowed 43 points (special teams gave up the other TD). Against a much less potent offense in Ball State, JMU showed why it can still be an elite G5 defense.

The Dukes forced three turnovers — with Eric O’Neill giving JMU another defensive TD — and they tallied eight tackles for loss and five sacks. Ball State only scored 7 points and was held below 300 yards. JMU held Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, and Ball State to 20 combined points. None of those three teams surpassed 325 total yards, with Gardner-Webb and Ball State failing to even hit 300.

Defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill’s group needs to clean up its tackling — the Dukes 57.2 tackling grade is the 26th-worst in the FBS, per Pro Football Focus — but there are a ton of positives through four games. The unit is deep at multiple positions, and the defensive line is starting to look like a dominant force. It might not be what last year’s unit was, but it’s not much of a drop off.

A disruptive defensive line coupled with a playmaking secondary makes JMU’s defense dangerous entering league play.

This was such a ridiculously good play from Eric O’Neill. He’s starting to look like an All-Sun Belt DE.

In addition to the INT, O’Neill has 3 sacks the last two weeks. pic.twitter.com/ddMVg8jk2h

— JMU Sports News (@JMUSportsNews) September 28, 2024

Jobi Malary needs more run

Look, it was a 63-7 win. Not every takeaway can be a big-picture take on the team. So yes, I have a take about JMU’s RB3 position.

I’m on the Jobi Malary bandwagon. The Portland State transfer carried the ball five times for 50 yards and a TD against Ball State, with his 32-yard TD being one of the most impressive plays of the entire game. He ran through multiple tackles, showcasing how hard it is to bring down the 240-pound back.

During his 2023 season with Portland State, Malary carried the ball 103 times and scored 12 touchdowns. So in his last 109 carries, including his six rushes at JMU, he’s scored a touchdown on 11.9% of his runs. He’s a monster!

Malary’s PFF grade in 2023 (91.2) was the second-best of any FCS running back, behind only Isaiah Davis of South Dakota State. Davis was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. Malary’s talent is undeniable and he looked fantastic against Ball State late in the game. With Ayo Adeyi battling injury, now seems like the perfect time to increase Malary’s workload.

Tyler Purdy is a highly productive short-yardage back, so it’s hard to take him off the field in those situations. He’s also familiar with the Holy Cross coaches and knows Dean Kennedy’s scheme better than any RB on the roster. But I beleive Malary can add a physical element to JMU’s running game that no other back can replicate. 

I’d love to see Malary implemented more offensively in the coming weeks. The senior makes game-changing runs when given opportunities. Give him opportunities!

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications