SAN DIEGO, CA: (JMU Athletics) – In the longest regular-season trip in program history, James Madison earned a 26-13 win over San Diego State on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium.
Quarterback Camden Coleman threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns and ran in a third to help the Dukes (3-0) win their road opener for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. JMU finished with 417 yards of total offense and forced two Aztec turnovers on defense to help secure the win.
JMU got the ball first and went right down the field, taking the early lead on a 6-play, 75-yard drive. Coleman scored on a 4-yard touchdown run after he connected with wide receiver Braeden Wisloski on a 54-yard reception to get the Dukes into the red zone.
Cornerback DJ Kelly picked off a San Diego State pass on the ensuing possession, which led to a 46-yard field goal by kicker Morgan Suarez to make it a 10-0 game.
Suarez added his second field goal of the night from 32 yards away to begin the second quarter and push JMU’s lead to 13-0.
Looking for some momentum, the Aztecs (1-2) recovered a Dukes’ fumble midway through the second quarter. But JMU’s defense held, getting a fourth-down stop at the 3:10 mark.
In the closing moments before halftime, JMU struck again on an opportunistic sequence. Linebacker JT Hooten intercepted a pass with 1:02 to play and returned it 14 yards to the SDSU 9-yard line. Two plays later, Coleman found tight end Cole Keller for a 7-yard score to make it 19-0 at the break.
The Dukes finished with 281 yards of total offense in the first half.
San Diego State got on the board at the 6:47 mark of the third quarter, when running back Javion Kinnard rushed for a 3-yard score to cut JMU’s lead to 19-7.
Early in the fourth, Coleman found wide receiver Corey Scott for a key, 20-yard gain on a fourth down, which led to Keller’s second touchdown of the night. The Grain Valley, Missouri, native hauled in a 20-yard pass to bump the lead back to 26-7 with 12:54 to play.
Keller finished with three catches for 40 yards and the scores in the win.
SDSU got within two scores again with a 14-yard touchdown grab by Nathan Acevedo with 8:52 to play. However, the hosts were unable to draw any closer, as the JMU defense turned the Aztecs over on downs in each of its last two possessions of the game.
Running back George Pettaway logged 82 rushing yards on 20 carries in the win, while Wisloski finished with five catches for 90 yards. Coleman added 25 rushing yards on the ground in his second JMU start of his career.
Defensively, linebacker Nakian Jackson had a game-high 14 tackles, while safety Jayon Harvey tallied 12 of his own. Hooten had six tackles, including a sack, to go along with his interception, while defensive lineman Kells Bush also registered a sack for the Dukes.
Saturday marked the first-ever meeting between the Dukes and Aztecs. It also was the squad’s first time in California and second in the Pacific Time Zone. With the win, JMU snapped San Diego State’s seven-game, home win streak.
Up next, JMU enters Sun Belt Conference play when it travels to Old Dominion on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff at S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk is set for 6 p.m. ET, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
