Soccer
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison opens its 51st season of soccer and its first as a member of the Solar Belt Convention when it hosts Center Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 3.
Kickoff from Bridgeforth Stadium is ready for six p.m. and will probably be streamed on ESPN+. Pregame radio protection on the Morris Insurance coverage & Monetary JMU Radio Community begins at 5 p.m.
Saturday’s recreation is sponsored by United Financial institution, and the 2022 season is introduced by CarMax.
THE SUN HAS RISEN IN HARRISONBURG
- James Madison College has ushered in a brand new period, because it formally joined the Solar Belt Convention on July 1.
- The Dukes are one among 14 full-time members of the Solar Belt, and with the additions of JMU, Previous Dominion, Marshall and Southern Miss, the league unveiled its east and west divisions.
- The east consists of App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, JMU, Marshall and ODU.
- The west is comprised of Arkansas State, Louisiana, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy and ULM.
- James Madison is first establishment to host 5 FBS opponents within the first 12 months of its FBS transition because the NCAA carried out the two-year transition course of for reclassifying establishments in 1997.
- With the transition, JMU is not going to be SBC championship or bowl eligible in 2022.
JMU IN SEASON & HOME OPENERS
- The Dukes are 27-22-1 all-time in season openers, courting again to their 1972 inaugural marketing campaign.
- JMU has received its previous two season openers, each at residence towards FCS foe Morehead State, with a mean rating of 60-5. JMU received 52-0 within the spring 2020-21 opener and 68-10 final season.
- In residence openers, JMU is 39-11, which incorporates 19 straight home-opening victories.
- Throughout its present 19-game win streak to start the Bridgeforth slate, JMU has outscored its opponents by a mean of 49.3 to eight.8.
- JMU has scored greater than 40 factors in 15 of these wins, together with 80 within the 2016 opener.
- The final opposing crew to win JMU’s residence opener was Hampton again on Aug. 31, 2002 (31-28).
BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES
- Saturday marks simply the second between JMU and Center Tennessee, with the Dukes main 1-0.
- Within the first assembly, again on Sept. 10, 1994, JMU held off a late comeback try, upending the Blue Raiders 24-22. MTSU out-gained the Dukes by practically 100 yards, however JMU opened up a 24-6 halftime lead.
- Center Tennessee scored 16 second-half factors to tug inside two early within the fourth, however three field-goal misses, together with a 38-yard try with 1:24 to play, gave JMU the win.
FIRST MATCHUP VS. C-USA
- This weekend’s recreation marks JMU’s first recreation towards a member of Convention USA.
- JMU’s earlier matchup with MTSU occurred when the Blue Raiders had been an FCS program.
- The Dukes additionally had different matchups with groups that at one time had been C-USA members, however not whereas they had been in that convention.
HOME COOKING AT BRIDGEFORTH
- Because the begin of the 2016 season, JMU has handled its followers properly at Bridgeforth Stadium.
- Over the previous six seasons, the Dukes have gone 43-2 on their residence turf.
- That features 4 unbeaten seasons, going 9-0 in 2017 and 2019, 8-0 in 2016 and 5-0 in 2020.
- Throughout the span, JMU has scored 50+ factors in 21 video games, had 9 over 60 factors, 4 over 70 and two with no less than 80.
- JMU’s first residence loss from 2016-21 got here on Oct. 6, 2018 when present head coach Curt Cignetti led Elon to a 27-24 win.
- The Dukes noticed a 19-game residence win streak finish final season on Oct. 9, 2021, falling 28-27 to Villanova.
CIGNETTI ENTERS SEASON #4
- Curt Cignetti enters his fourth season on the helm in 2022 and his twelfth general as a head coach.
- Over his first three seasons, he is guided JMU to a 33-4 file, three convention championships and three journeys to the FCS semifinals, with a title-game berth in his first season.
- JMU’s most up-to-date win on Dec. 10, 2021, a 28-6 overcome Montana within the FCS quarterfinals, was the one hundredth profession victory for Cignetti.
- The 2-time VaSID State Coach of the 12 months has coached three Consensus All-People at JMU and 25 complete because the 2019 season.
- Previous to JMU, Cignetti spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons at Elon, going 14-9. He was first a head coach at Division II Indiana (Pa.), the place he was 53-17 from 2011-16.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
On-line: ESPN+ (subscription required)
Pay attention: Morris Insurance coverage & Monetary JMU Radio Community
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