BOONE, N.C. — App State Soccer performed one more nailbiting recreation, falling 32-28 to James Madison in entrance of one other above-capacity, sellout crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
All 4 of the Mountaineers’ video games to this point have been determined by 4 factors or much less, with 13 factors being the mixed separation.
App State (2-2, 1-1 Solar Belt) constructed a 28-3 lead and led 28-10 on the break earlier than the Dukes (3-0, 1-0) scored 22 factors over the ultimate 16 minutes, 19 seconds of their first Solar Belt Convention recreation. After linebacker Trey Cobb made a fourth-and-1 cease for a 1-yard loss again to the App State 10 with 2:06 remaining, the Mountaineers superior to their 42, with Chase Brice’s 23-yard completion to Christan Horn getting them out from the shadow of their very own finish zone.
The Dukes have been capable of run out the clock after breaking apart a fourth-and-9 go within the last minute. A crowd of 33,248 was available to witness the primary FBS assembly between App State and JMU, which had a historical past of memorable video games when each tradition-rich applications have been FCS powers.
Nick Hampton recorded two sacks and compelled a fumble for an App State protection that created two key takeaways. Cobb made a team-high 9 stops and recovered a fumble compelled by DeShawn McKnight.
Offensively, Brice threw for 235 yards with touchdowns to Miller Gibbs and Dalton Stroman. Kaedin Robinson and Dashaun Davis completed with 57 receiving yards apiece.
The Dukes chewed up practically seven minutes on the sport’s opening drive, turning that right into a 40-yard discipline purpose, however App State responded by scoring 28 straight factors is a stretch of seven:35 in the course of the second quarter.
These 4 touchdowns adopted a three-and-out JMU punt, McKnight’s compelled fumble on a run play in JMU territory, a fourth-and-4 cease inside App State’s 35 and Hampton’s strip sack in JMU territory. The Mountaineers capitalized with Camerun Peoples’ 2-yard landing run, Gibbs’ 10-yard landing catch, Stroman’s 27-yard landing catch for his first profession rating and Nate Noel’s 5-yard landing run.
JMU threatened to finish the primary half with an enormous momentum swing, as they ended a 75-yard scoring drive with a 23-yard landing go after which compelled a turnover on a sack of Brice within the final 90 seconds of the half. The Dukes took over on the App State 10, however DeAndre Dingle-Prince made a sort out for no acquire earlier than pressures from Jordon Earle and Hampton compelled a 27-yard discipline purpose try.
That kick sailed extensive proper, permitting App State to take a 28-10 benefit into the locker room.
App State’s two takeaways gave the Mountaineers’ offense possession on the JMU 22 and the JMU 16.
The primary one got here when McKnight knocked the ball unfastened within the backfield on a run, resulting in a restoration by Cobb. Brice discovered Gibbs at the back of the tip zone 4 performs later.
Hampton’s second sack of the day and fifth of the season, giving him 24.5 in his profession, arrange the offense with one other brief discipline. Jalen McLeod initially scooped up the unfastened ball earlier than fumbling it once more, and Tyler Chook got here out of the pile with possession. Brice’s 11-yard completion to Robinson preceded Noel’s 5-yard rating.
With App State trying to construct on a 28-10 lead, JMU made cease on a fourth-and-2 run from the Dukes’ 27 to open the second half, then scored touchdowns with 1:19 left within the third quarter, 11:28 remaining within the recreation and 10:36 left.
Lower than 5 minutes remained within the third quarter when App State punted with an 18-point lead, and KeSean Brown fell on a muffed punt, however officers dominated kick-catch interference after a JMU blocker hit an App State protection participant near the punt returner, inflicting each gamers to make contact with the returner.
JMU transformed a fourth-and-5 keeper on a 41-yard landing drive, compelled a punt early within the fourth quarter and kickstarted a 92-yard landing drive with a 42-yard completion to midfield. A 36-yard landing go and profitable two-point go minimize App State’s result in 28-25, and linebacker Jailin Walker made a leaping seize to intercept a throw on a slant sample to start App State’s subsequent collection.
Walker’s 22-yard return to the App State 9 arrange Kaelon Black’s go-ahead, 4-yard landing run. After a three-and-out possession for App State’s offense, JMU ran 7:07 off the clock on its 13-play, 63-yard drive that ended with Cobb’s fourth-down cease to present the Mountaineers one final probability.
