There was a ranked team featured in the last two meetings between these programs.
Coastal Carolina was ranked No. 23 in 2022 and JMU was ranked No. 24 last season. The Dukes have gotten the better of the Chanticleers since joining the Sun Belt and were victorious in both meetings. JMU outscored CCU by a combined 82 points in the wins. College football betting odds had the Chanticleers as a favorite in both.
Now, both teams enter this week at 4-1 but CCU is 1-0 in league play while the Dukes are 0-1 after last week’s critical loss to ULM. This will be an important game for these Sun Belt East foes that features the top two scoring offenses in the league.
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How To Watch Coastal Carolina-James Madison
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and will air on ESPN2.
Coastal Carolina-James Madison Betting Odds
JMU is currently an 8.5-point favorite.
Coastal Carolina-James Madison Coaches & Overall Records
CCU: Tim Beck (12-6)
JMU: Bob Chesney (4-2)
Last meeting: Nov. 25, 2023; JMU won 56-14.
This will be the fifth meeting between these schools, and the Dukes hold a 3-1 advantage.
Coastal Carolina Preview
Yes, the Chanticleers are 4-1, but I don’t think they’ve played a very tough schedule. I would argue their most difficult matchup came last week against a 1-4 Old Dominion team that was playing with its backup redshirt freshman quarterback. There aren’t any impressive wins on CCU’s resume — so far.
That could change this week if the Chants pick up a road win at Bridgeforth Stadium. If they want to do that, they’ll likely need to find ways to slow down JMU’s offense just as ULM did last week. CCU currently allows 29.6 points and 395 yards per game. It has given up 80 total points in its last two outings.
There’s a chance this game turns into a shootout, and outscoring the Dukes might be the way the Chanticleers win this game. Their 38.4 PPG rank second in the conference, and they’ve had a lot of success rushing the ball, averaging 197 YPG with 11 rushing touchdowns. Running back Christian Washington has been the lead guy, averaging 62.6 YPG with four rushing scores.
Dual-threat quarterback Ethan Vasko has been a good game manager and is averaging 220 passing YPG and has seven passing TDs to two interceptions. He’s added 220 yards and two scores on the ground. One thing that Vasko and the Chants do well is control the clock and play at their own pace. Their 31 minutes, 21 seconds of average time of possession ranks third in the conference.
Controlling the game will be key this week.
James Madison Preview
The high-powered JMU offensive attack came to a screeching halt last week in its loss to ULM. After scoring 133 points over its previous two games, the Dukes could only muster 19 in the defeat. Surprisingly, it’s not the lowest total of the season. They scored 13 in a seven-point win over Gardner-Webb in Week 2.
JMU’s biggest win so far this season came at North Carolina when it erupted for 53 first-half points. Behind that effort, the Dukes are averaging 39 points and 442.8 yards per game. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III is one of the early candidates for Sun Belt Player of the Year and is averaging 313.8 total YPG to go with 16 total touchdowns and just one interception.
The Dukes have the top scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 18.2 points per game. Their rushing defense also ranks first (113.6 YPG). They should pose problems for CCU’s rushing attack and force Vasko to beat them with his arm. That’s good news for JMU, which is tied for the most interceptions in the FBS with 10, led by Terrence Spencers’ three picks. They’re also tied for the most takeaways with 15.
One thing the Dukes struggled with last week was field position. They started inside their own 20 seven different times, and the only possession that didn’t start inside their own 20 in the second half came at their own 25 following a ULM score. Forcing some turnovers should help JMU earn better field position this week.
Coastal Carolina-James Madison Prediction
I predict James Madison will win by 10 points and pull away late behind some defensive stops.
The Dukes will be hungry following last week’s loss, and I think the Chanticleers have caught some breaks this season. That should catch up to them this week.
