JMU is 4-1 after an ugly 14-7 win over Georgia State. It’s the first time in four attempts this season that the Panthers stayed within 10 points of an FBS opponent.

There were some glaring issues in the Dukes’ win, but there were also some obvious positives. Let’s break down three takeaways from the game.

A win is a win

This game was ugly, but JMU played ugly on the road in 2024 and lost the games. It’s much better to play ugly and win than play ugly lose.

JMU played a horrendous first half and trailed 7-0, but the Dukes outscored Georgia State 14-0 after halftime. They won a game with 74 passing yards. That’s concerning, but it also says a lot about JMU’s running game, defense, and special teams.

“A lot of it was just waking up mentally,” running back Jordan Fuller said. “It’s tough, we didn’t really come out to play today.”

That’s concerning to hear, but the second half looked more like JMU football. The Dukes ran the ball and played great defense over the game’s final 30 minutes. They’ve played strong second halves in two G5 road games, pulling away from both Liberty and Georgia State away from home.

The Dukes showed just enough grit to come away with a win. That’s a step in the right direction after having so many issues on the road in 2024.

“It wasn’t pretty, but I think a year ago this is a game that I don’t know if we walk away with a win,” coach Bob Chesney said.

JMU is 4-1 and a perfect 2-0 in the Sun Belt. The Dukes are still firmly in the mix to win a league championship. They avoided disaster.

Passing game regresses

OK, time for a negative.

JMU passed for 74 yards, completing just 11 of 22 passes. Oof.

The Dukes rank 120th nationally in passing efficiency, and they’re in the bottom 15 in both yards per completion and yards per pass attempt. Is the issue Alonza Barnett or coaching or the receivers? Likely a combination of all three.

“We just missed some things in the pass game … I remember four or five runaway routes coming across the formation that we ended up missing on,” Chesney said.

Late in the game, JMU decided it would rather run into a stacked box than throw the ball. That’s not an endorsement of the passing game.

“The box is loaded, the safety is coming downhill, and we’ve got to be able to take advantage of that,” Chesney said. “We ended up in the end, not willing to throw it. And I did not want to throw it when we had the lead, we wanted to be able to run it into that box.”

Hmmm.

The trust in the passing game is low, but the belief in the running game and defense is quite high. As a result, JMU abandons the passing game when it can. It’s the right strategy, but it’s concerning.

If the Dukes can’t pass the ball more efficiently, they’re going to struggle. JMU struggled Saturday against one of the worst teams in the conference. Imagine the passing attack like this against an impressive ODU team or on the road against Texas State or Marshall? JMU needs something positive through the air to keep defenses from loading the box.

On the plus side, Barnett has just one interception on the year. He’s limiting turnovers through the air at a respectable rate, if nothing else. Given the defense’s success, that’s important. 

“We have to get things going in the air,” Barnett said. “We have to get things going, and we will.”

Special teams boost

JMU needed a special teams boost with its offense sputtering, and the unit delivered. Tied at 7, JMU punted to the Georgia State 1-yard line as Patrick Rea delivered his best punt in a JMU uniform. The Dukes forced a 3-and-out and Wayne Knight returned a punt to inside the Georgia State 30. JMU scored the go-ahead touchdown on four runs.

Because of Rea’s punt and Knight’s punt return, JMU took the lead without needing to throw a pass. That’s massive.

Rea finished the game with five punts, and four of them ended up inside Georgia State’s 20-yard line. The Louisiana Tech transfer has looked good after a couple of shaky kicks to begin the season.

JMU needs to be way better in the passing game, but the running game, defense, and special teams operated at a Sun Belt title level Saturday.

Photo courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications