James Madison suffered its first defeat of the season on Saturday as Appalachian State clinched a 26-23 win in overtime, ending the Dukes’ perfect 10-0 record.
The game’s turning point came when Appalachian State’s Kaedin Robinson made a crucial TD catch from Joey Aguilar. Robinson’s near-touchback play provided an electrifying and dramatic moment as he managed to barely cross the goal line before the ball fumbled and went out of bounds.
Following the denial of their late attempt at full postseason eligibility, and coinciding with the hosting of ESPN’s “College GameDay” for the first time, James Madison’s disappointing loss comes just days afterwards.
Throughout the entire regulation period, the Dukes were consistently behind and only managed to tie the game with less than a minute remaining, thanks to Elijah Sarratt’s spectacular TD and an acrobatic catch on the game-tying 2-point conversion.
Despite taking the lead in overtime with a field goal, James Madison couldn’t prevent Appalachian State from scoring a game-winning touchdown on their possession.
Although leading the Sun Belt’s East Division, James Madison is ineligible for the conference title game due to being in its second season at the top level of college football. NCAA regulations prohibit teams from playing in the postseason in their first two seasons at the FBS level.
Several attempts by JMU to seek a waiver and play in the postseason have been unsuccessful. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a James Madison graduate, is even considering legal action against the NCAA due to the Dukes’ ineligibility for the postseason.
There is a possibility that James Madison will participate in a bowl game, especially if there aren’t enough six-win teams to fill all 82 bowl spots. James Madison and Jacksonville State are the first alternates before any 5-7 teams, should any remaining bowl slots be available.
The win also puts Appalachian State in contention to win the East, with the Mountaineers having the opportunity to win the division and face Troy in the conference title game if they win against Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina loses to the Dukes in Week 13.
