Liberty Flames at James Madison Dukes
· NCAA - Football
James Madison begins the coach Billy Napier era with a 20-13 victory over in-state foe Liberty
James Madison forced Liberty into a fourth-and-2 decision with 2:16 left in the fourth quarter before breaking up a pass to the outside. Evans rushed for 23 yards on the next play and the Dukes were able to run out the clock on three more run plays in front of 25,035 fans.
Evans was 7-of-9 passing for 61 yards and he ran it nine times for 69 yards for JMU, which improved to 14-6 in the series to earn the Battle of the Blue Ridge trophy. Evans found Corey Scott for a 5-yard touchdown late in the first half for a 17-3 lead.
Eleven of the previous 20 games between the two schools have been decided by one score.
Deshawn Purdie threw for 230 yards and a touchdown for Liberty, which was making its first trip to Harrisonburg since the 2014 season.
The Dukes are coming off a 12-2 season, which ended with the program’s first Sun Belt Conference title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
James Madison: Hosts Wagner next Saturday.
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How To Watch
How can I watch Liberty Flames vs. James Madison Dukes?
- TV Channel: Flames at Dukes 2021 College Football, week 1, is broadcasted on ESPNU.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
TD | 1st Period 4:23 | G. Pettaway run for 7 yds, for a TD (M. Suarez KICK) |
 |
FG | 2nd Period 8:57 | Chase Reeves 30 Yd Field Goal |
|
FG | 2nd Period 5:57 | Morgan Suarez 46 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 2nd Period 1:53 | JC Evans pass to C. Scott for 5 yds, for a TD (M. Suarez KICK) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 0:00 | Chase Reeves 42 Yd Field Goal |
|
FG | 3rd Period 11:11 | Morgan Suarez 32 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 4th Period 8:33 | D. Purdie pass to M. Jackson for 34 yds, for a TD (C. Reeves KICK) |
Statistics
 LIB |
 JMU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 19 | 1st Downs | 15 |
| 7-16 | 3rd down efficiency | 4-10 |
| 1-3 | 4th down efficiency | 0-0 |
| 321 | Total Yards | 291 |
| 230 | Passing | 118 |
| 17/27 | Comp/Att | 12/18 |
| 8.5 | Yards per pass | 6.6 |
| 91 | Rushing | 173 |
| 38 | Rushing Attempts | 31 |
| 2.4 | Yards per rush | 5.6 |
| 12-82 | Penalties | 8-92 |
| 0 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 0 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 37:17 | Possession | 22:43 |
Game Information
Location: Harrisonburg, VA
Attendance: 25,035 · Capacity:
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