JMU football opened Sun Belt play with a statement, beating Georgia Southern, 35-10. The Dukes are now 2-0 against G5 competition, beating both Liberty and Georgia Southern by 17+.

It’s a nice start to the season for JMU (3-1, 1-0 SBC). Here are three takeaways from a rainy win over the Eagles.

Trent Hendrick is much improved

JMU’s senior linebacker looks like an All-American. He had 11 tackles and three sacks in Saturday’s win, giving him 30 tackles and three sacks on the year.

“He was a little bit revealed today in a really positive way,” coach Bob Chesney said. “It was awesome for him to be able to show that.”

Hendrick, who also has a forced fumble this season, has a PFF grade just over 88. He’s ranked as the fourth-highest linebacker in the FBS on PFF.

After three solid seasons with the Dukes, Hendrick has taken a massive leap. He’s covering, rushing the passer, and tackling. He has 20 pass rushing snaps and has generated pressures on five of those 20 snaps, per PFF. He’s a force when blitzing and his 4.8% missed tackle rate would be by far the best of his JMU career if he can keep it up.

Hendrick has always been a good player for JMU, including in 2024 when he posted a career-best 68 PFF grade. But in 2025 Hendrick has gone from a solid Sun Belt player to one of the best linebackers in college football. Hendrick had 54 tackles in 2024. He’s on pace for 90 in 2025, and that’s not including any possible postseason play. He’s leading what looks like one of the best defenses in the country, too.

Running game feasts

It’s easy to like the Dukes’ running back room. Even with Ayo Adeyi, George Pettaway, and Jobi Malary unavailable, the position group thrived Saturday.

Wayne Knight rushed for 151 yards on 19 carries, and Jordan Fuller added 137 yards on 16 carries. Both players reached the end zone once.

“We just wanted it more,” Knight said. “We went out there, we slapped them in the face from the start of the game. We just wanted it more. We dominated up front.”

JMU leads the Sun Belt in rushing with 249.3 yards per game, which ranks 10th nationally. The Dukes are using a deep position group to find an offensive rhythm. Saturday, Chesney felt compelled to keep running given the consistent success on the ground, especially on early downs.

“That’s just something you’re going to keep riding if you can,” Chesney said.

Getting at least one of the three injured runners back in the coming weeks will be important so Knight and Fuller don’t become overworked, but JMU’s 5-deep running back room is impressive. As long as a couple guys stay healthy this fall, the Dukes should rack up lofty rushing totals.

It helps to have athletic quarterbacks like Alonza Barnett, Matthew Sluka, and JC Evans who can help boost the rushing totals, too. JMU’s rushing attack is a true team effort.

The offensive line deserves credit for getting consistent push against inferior Liberty and Georgia Southern fronts. After a shaky showing against Louisville, the unit looks to have found its footing and is taking advantage of weaker defensive linemen.

“You could kind of feel in the first quarter that it was starting to go for them and they were kind of losing life a little bit,” Fuller said of Georgia Southern’s defensive front. “When you see that, it pushes you a little bit more.”

Still lots to clean up

The Dukes could’ve won this game by way more than 25 points, but their collection of errors Saturday included a missed field goal, a snap over the punter’s head, and seven penalties for 60 yards. Two of the penalties were holding calls on touchdown runs that got called back.

JMU has looked impressive through four games. The Dukes can run the ball with anyone in the G5, and their defense is elite. But this team hasn’t come close to reaching its potential yet.

The passing game leaves plenty to be desired — four drops Saturday were concerning but can perhaps be blamed on the weather — and the penalties are worrisome. JMU’s offense is leaving points on the field each week, although Alonza Barnett posting a PFF grade over 80 this weekend suggests he’s rounding into form.

Still, this team is averaging a lowly 160 passing yards per game. The Dukes need to find a little more through the air, and receivers need to help Barnett when he hits them in the hands.

The Dukes also have a weird quarterback dynamic brewing, with Matthew Sluka looking particularly frustrated Saturday. He had one carry for four yards and then was supposed to be in for another play, but he was quickly pulled after a false start. He left the field angrily, with Fuller pushing him toward the sideline.

Sluka’s frustration is understandable — the Dukes brought him in under the impression that Barnett wouldn’t be ready for Week 1. A rapid recovery from an ACL tear put Barnett in position to play, and he won the job over Sluka. After a tumultuous year at UNLV ended with Sluka transferring over an NIL dispute, he likely wanted to spend his final college season starting and proving to his detractors that he’s a top-tier QB. Instead, he finds himself as the QB2 for the first time in years. That’s a hard pill to swallow.

Regardless of Sluka’s future usage, JMU needs to tighten up offensively. An inconsistent passing game might not be an issue against Georgia Southern, but it will be an issue against legitimate SBC title threats like ODU and Texas State. The same goes for special teams blunders. They weren’t killers Saturday, but better teams remain on the schedule.

To stay in the College Football Playoff hunt and to win the Sun Belt, JMU needs to build on the past few successful weeks. The work isn’t nearly complete.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications