Otterson Stadium hosts the first (college) playoff game in the stadium’s history tonight. Although the James Madison Dukes were the underdogs in the competition, they were determined to prove that expectations were not reality. Oregon State won the toss and gained possession of the ball on the opening kickoff. In just four plays, TE #9 Jamari Johnson’s one-handed catch gave the Ducks the win. Coach Lanning decided to use skills to expand the advantage and strive for a two-point conversion, but the attempt failed. With 1 minute and 38 seconds left in the game, the score was 6-0.
Duke’s offense was determined to keep the game close. Big runs from RB JMU #21 Knight and QB JMU #14 Barnett were key in the time-consuming drive. JMU took 4th-and-2, followed by 4th-and-1 without losing a game. Over the course of 15 games and 8:03, it was the kind of momentum every underdog hopes for, only to end with just a field goal (a considerable accomplishment relative to previous postseason games) to make it 6-3.
Oregon State used the speed of No. 23 RB Dierre Hill on the edge to get another big gain, then freshman RB No. 0 Jordon Davison made a long run to get them into the red zone. A field goal by quarterback No. 5 Dante Moore drove 75 yards in five plays but never threw the ball past the line of scrimmage. For all of JMU’s high-level execution this season, the speed difference between these teams is evident. With the score at 13-3, Duke had to score points to avoid the game going beyond expectations.
No. 3 and No. 9 JMU got into the red zone with a double pass before the end of the first quarter. Otterson fans did their part to support Duke’s move into first place and scored from the 15th. Oregon State’s defense forced them back from there. The longer shot was blocked by DT #50 Tionne Gray and the lead remained at 13-3.
WR #1 Dakorien Moore, back from injury, caught his first pass in more than a month. Hill once again showed off his quickness on the edge, scoring from 56 yards out.
JMU’s offense has moved the ball, but without a touchdown, their chances diminish at an alarming rate. Three outs means that without an error or something big like that, the game is going to get out of hand. Davison’s explosive run, coupled with two catches by WR #11 Jeremiah McClellan, including a touchdown on a tight end, extended the lead to 27-3 and the rout began.
Clearing their playbook early and giving Oregon State time to adjust, JMU’s running game couldn’t find any traction, but star WR JMU #13 Ellis made a great catch on 3rd and 15. Forced out of their element and passing the ball straight back, Duke couldn’t capitalize and throw it away. Less than two minutes later, WR #4 Malik Benson broke through the defense and caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from Moore.
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Oregon State scored five consecutive touchdowns, scored by five different players, all of which came on five possessions or less in the first five possessions.
The Ducks also played a very clean game, only to have their first penalty called (an unintentional facemask) on JMU’s next possession. Duke failed to capitalize on its chance to practice a 2-minute drill to put an exclamation point on a dominant half. Instead, JMU got a much-needed turnover when it was intercepted on a tip-in pass. Duke got into the red zone, but three consecutive incomplete passes meant they only got one other field goal, making it 34-6 going into halftime.
Duke opened the second half with what appeared to be a three-and-out, but managed to run a dangerous fake punt deep in its own territory to extend the offense. Duke read the corner blitz and punted directly, but after a missed tackle, JMU scored its first touchdown of the night.
Duke risked a squib in an attempt to catch the Ducks off guard to keep the momentum going, but was covered by Oregon. Moore and Benson capped off another four plays with a 45-yard touchdown pass, dashing JMU’s hopes of a miraculous comeback.
JMU went three-and-out, faced 4th-and-8, and decided not to try another play fake, handing the ball back to Oregon State’s starting offense. Oregon faced only its second third-and-goal of the night, when a miscommunication between Dante Moore and Dakrian Moore gave Oregon’s punt team its first drive. The defense began to mix more players further down the depth chart with starters on JMU’s ensuing offense, but it still resulted in a three-and-out. OLB #9 Blake Purchasing running back was blocked on a punt and RB #27 Jayden Limar scored a touchdown to make the score 48-13.
Another three-and-out put the ball back in the hands of Moore (still in the game) and an Oregon offense that wasn’t ready to let up just yet. Moore threw his second interception of the game when Jamari Johnson went down at the goal line. After a lengthy return, an embarrassing unsportsmanlike conduct penalty put Duke in the red zone with most of the game off the bench. JMU’s offense was bolstered by a couple of sacks, but a great pass to a receiver who was isolated by a backup linebacker set up Duke’s second touchdown.
To end the game on a high note, Dante Moore and the starting receivers remained in the game as the starting offensive line, but backup RB #22 Jay Harris and Lemar, who recently returned from injury, were more prominent. As a result, the Ducks were held to just one punt and one field goal, while JMU scored two long touchdowns against defensive backups in the fourth quarter.
The game had entered garbage time, but it was important to the Vegas crowd because JMU tied the score late. It will also provide the coaching staff with considerable instructional tape for the entire team to prepare for the Orange Bowl.
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The Ducks have punched their ticket to the quarterfinals and will face Texas Tech at 9 a.m. New Year’s Day in Miami, Florida. The Red Raiders are a different team than James Madison, especially on defense. Oregon State won a playoff game, but is this team really a national championship contender? We’ll find out the first thing in 2026.
Happy holidays, duck fans. Here’s to the football season continuing into January!