DALLAS (FWAA) – The James Madison Dukes stunned the college football world with a 70-point explosion in Chapel Hill on Saturday, as JMU defeated an ACC team on the road for the second straight season with its 70-50 win over North Carolina. As a result, JMU is the Cheez-It National Team of the Week for games played the weekend of Sept. 21, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
Since the 2002 season, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Each honored team receives a custom Cheez-It "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs. This is the first time for James Madison (3-0) to earn the honor.
“We never stopped believing in our players, they never stopped believing in themselves, and we knew we could win,” head coach Bob Chesney said. “We played harder, we played more disciplined, and we played together and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Quarterback Alonza Barnett III couldn’t be stopped Saturday as he set a single-game school record with seven touchdowns. It was a career afternoon for the redshirt sophomore, who passed for a career-high five while rushing for two more. He finished the game 22-of-34 through the air for 388 yards with no interceptions, while rushing for a career-best 99 yards on 13 carries.
Barnett’s 487 total yards are the third-most in JMU's single-game history. Barnett mixed his passes to eight different receivers, and two JMU players went over 100 receiving yards for the first time this season. Cam Ross caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown while Omarion Dollison had three grabs for a career-high 125 yards and a score. JMU also out-rushed UNC 223-141 and averaged 8.4 yards per play.
The scoreboard operator was especially busy in the first two quarters, as JMU set a school record with a 53-point first-half tally that sent them into the break with a 32-point lead. The teams combined for more than 1,200 total yards, and the 70 total points allowed tied a UNC single-game record. The Dukes also set team records for most points in a game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent and as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
Defensively, the Dukes forced five turnovers with two interceptions and three fumble recoveries, recorded eight tackles for loss and came up with three sacks.JMU closes its non-conference schedule Saturday hosting Ball State with a 1:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN+
The other National Team of the Week nominee for the weekend of Sept. 21 was:
· Tennessee (4-0): The No. 6 Volunteers showcased their defensive prowess in a 25-15 SEC-opening win at No. 15 Oklahoma. Tennessee limited the Sooners to 222 total yards – the Vols have now held their last five opponents under 250 total yards – and went 19 quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown until Oklahoma scored with 8:25 left in the game, the second-longest such streak in program history. The Vols topped 300 yards of total offense (345) for the 41st time in 43 games in the Josh Heupel era.
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