The James Madison Dukes should come into this matchup well-rested after a week off from action. They will square off against the Louisville Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Cardinal Stadium. U of L should still be feeling good after a big win, while the Dukes will be looking to get back in the win column.
The point spread favored James Madison last week, but luck did not. They fell to the Marshall Thundering Herd 26-12. That makes it the first time this season James Madison has let down their home crowd. No one had a standout game offensively for James Madison, but TE Zach Horton led the way with one touchdown.
Meanwhile, U of L's contest against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday was close at halftime, but the Cardinals turned on the heat in the second half with 35 points. U of L blew past Wake Forest 48-21. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point U of L had established a 48-14 advantage. Their success was spearheaded by the efforts of RB Tiyon Evans, who rushed for one TD and 106 yards on 11 carries, and QB Malik Cunningham, who accumulated 164 passing yards in addition to rushing for two TDs and 38 yards. This was the first time Evans has racked up 100+ rushing yards all year.
U of L's defense was a force to be reckoned with, as it collected three interceptions and three fumbles. Those interceptions were spread across their defensive unit.
James Madison is now 5-2 while the Cardinals sit at 5-3. A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: The Dukes enter the game with only 55.6 rushing yards allowed per game on average, which is the best in the nation. As for U of L, they rank first in the nation when it comes to sacks, with 32 on the season.