James Madison overcame its first deficit of the season to beat Marshall 45-17 on Saturday at Bridgeforth Stadium, scoring 28 unanswered points in the second quarter. According to CBS Sports, Camden Coleman threw three touchdown passes as the Dukes improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference play. George Pettaway rushed for a career-high 206 yards and two touchdowns, and Camden Coleman threw three touchdown passes
Marshall led 14-10 early in the second quarter before Coleman and Corey Scott connected for a 12-yard touchdown, flipping momentum for good. The Thundering Herd, who dropped to 3-2 in their Sun Belt opener, got 221 passing yards from Carlos Del Rio-Wilson but turned it over twice in the shift.
Takeaways from James Madison’s win over Marshall
The Dukes answered adversity for the first time all season
Marshall’s Del Rio-Wilson found Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw for a 3-yard score on the Thundering Herd’s opening possession, and TJ Lester’s 1-yard run put Marshall up 14-10 early in the second quarter. It marked the first time James Madison had trailed in 2026. The Dukes responded by scoring on six straight possessions, outscoring Marshall 28 straight points over a 12-minute stretch to take a 38-14 halftime lead.
Pettaway’s big-play rushing broke the game open
Pettaway turned 14 carries into 206 yards, an 14.7-yard average, with touchdown runs of 73 and 33 yards sandwiched around Coleman’s scoring passes. The Dukes finished with 310 rushing yards on just 35 attempts, an 8.9 yard average that overwhelmed Marshall’s front.
DJ Kelly’s two interceptions swung the turnover battle
Kelly picked off both Del Rio-Wilson and backup Zion Turner, giving James Madison two takeaways to Marshall’s one. The Dukes won the turnover margin despite committing a lost fumble, and the extra possessions helped fuel the second-quarter scoring surge.
Player of the game: George Pettaway
Pettaway carried 14 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including scoring runs of 73 and 33 yards. His per-carry average of 14.7 yards paced an offense that piled up 573 total yards against Marshall.
By the numbers
- Rushing yards: James Madison 310, Marshall 135
- Yards per rush: James Madison 8.9, Marshall 4.5
- Passing yards: James Madison 263 (Camden Coleman), Marshall 309 (Carlos Del Rio-Wilson 221, Zion Turner 88)
- Third-down efficiency: James Madison 6-12, Marshall 8-16
- Turnovers: James Madison 1, Marshall 2
What’s next
Marshall hosts Coastal Carolina next Saturday. James Madison travels to face Georgia Southern next Saturday as it looks to extend its unbeaten start.
Reporting from CBS Sports contributed to this story. Official statistics: ESPN (official league data).
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