James Madison University defeated Coastal Carolina University 59-10, after building an early lead, on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Brooks Stadium.
The James Madison Dukes scored first after Coastal opened with a three-and-out. James Madison running back Wayne Knight ignited the opening drive, and quarterback Alonza Barnett III capped it with a quarterback keeper following a 21-yard completion to wide receiver Braeden Wisloski.
James Madison quickly extended the lead to 10-0 with a field goal after a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Nick DeGennaro, though Coastal linebacker Tray Brown made a fourth-down stop earlier in the drive.
Coastal went three-and-out again before James Madison struck a big play, as Barnett found Wisloski for a 43-yard touchdown. The Dukes led 17-0 after the first quarter.
James Madison added another field goal early in the second quarter to push the margin to 20-0. Coastal responded with a drive highlighted by a 23-yard catch from tight end Zach Courtney and an 11-yard third-down conversion to wide receiver Cameron Wright. Placekicker Kian Afrookhteh connected on a field goal to get the Chanticleers on the scoreboard.
After an onside kick resulted in a penalty for illegal touching, Coastal defensive back Myles Woods intercepted JMU’s Barnett, but the Chanticleers were unable to convert the takeaway into points. Following back-to-back three-and-outs, Coastal pulled within 20-10 after a trick play in which wide receiver Bryson Graves completed a reverse pass to running back Dominic Knicely, setting up quarterback Tad Hudson’s touchdown pass to Graves.
Despite the Chanticleers’ efforts, James Madison maintained its 20-10 lead at halftime.
“It’s frustrating for everyone, the coaches and the players,” said Coastal Carolina Head Coach Tim Beck.
The Dukes opened the second half in favorable field position after an offsides penalty on Coastal’s onside kick attempt. Defensive back Ja’Marion Wayne forced a fumble on the drive, though the Dukes recovered. Linebacker Tray Brown made another key defensive stop with a tackle for loss on third-and-goal at the 1-yard line. James Madison resorted to a field goal, extending their lead 23-10.
James Madison widened the lead late in the third quarter when Barnett connected with tight end Lacota Dippre for a 25-yard touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion to make it 31-10.
Coastal reached scoring range after a 42-yard completion from Hudson to wide receiver Karmello English, but Afrookhteh missed the field goal attempt.
James Madison put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.
Barnett threw a goal-line fade to wide receiver Isaiah Alston for a touchdown to make it 38-10. Running back Jobi Malary followed with a 73-yard touchdown run to extend the margin to 45-10.
Safety K.J. Flowe then jumped a route and returned an interception for a touchdown before backup quarterback Matthew Sluka capped the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Scott.
James Madison sealed the 59-10 final, leaving Coastal with a 6-6 record.
“Record isn’t everything,” said linebacker Dontae Lunan. “It comes down to the little things.”
This loss sealed a 3-game losing streak after Coastal’s 4-game winning streak was broken against Georgia State.
“That’s just how the season has gone. The schedule ramps up late, and we took on some tougher teams while also getting pretty banged up down the stretch,” Beck said.
Coastal Carolina will await its postseason destination, with their bowl game to be determined.
“After games like this, we just have to focus on cleaning up the mistakes and getting better,” Lunan said.
