Arrr! Appalachian State be ruinin' James Madison's unbeaten voyage, scuttlin' their bowl dreams further!
2023-11-18
Arr! The James Madison footy crew's grand triumphin' be cut short on the day of Saturn, dashin' the Dukes' dreams of finishin' the season with nary a scratch upon their name!
The James Madison Dukes, with a 10-0 record, suffered their first loss of the year against Appalachian State. The Dukes are currently in a two-year transition period after moving from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision to the highest level of college football, the FBS. They have sought waiver approval for full bowl eligibility, but their requests have been denied. The team was hoping to improve their record to 11-0, but Appalachian State secured a 26-23 win in overtime. James Madison has not been included in the College Football Playoff selection committee's rankings and is not allowed to play in the conference championship due to their lack of bowl eligibility. Last season, they finished with an 8-3 record. The Virginia Attorney General, Jason Miyares, has written a letter to the NCAA advocating for the school's case. Teams need to win six games to be bowl eligible, and there may be a shortage of eligible teams for all the bowls this year. If there are vacancies, James Madison could be considered. However, their goal was to finish the year with an undefeated record and be considered for a New Year's Six bowl game. Robinson, from Appalachian State, finished the game with four catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns, while their quarterback, Aguilar, threw for 318 passing yards and three touchdowns. Appalachian State coach Shawn Clark praised his team for their victory against a ranked opponent.