In an intense game that drew a sellout crowd of 21,984 fans during family weekend, ODU football came up just short against the James Madison Dukes, losing 35-32. This clash was crucial for both teams as they battled it out in the Sun Belt Conference. With the victory, the Dukes improved to an impressive 8-2 overall and secured a second-place standing in the Sun Belt East with a 4-2 conference record. Meanwhile, the Monarchs, with the loss, fell to 4-6 overall and found themselves in the middle of the Sun Belt East pack at 3-3.
“We made too many mistakes to win a game like this,” commented Head Coach Ricky Rahne.“Too many correctable mistakes. The bottom line is that we didn’t really ever give ourselves a chance to win that game.”
The first half of the game was a thrilling back-and-forth affair, with ODU holding a slim lead of 24-21 at halftime. The Dukes wasted no time in making their mark, scoring on their very first drive with a three-yard touchdown run that set the tone early on.
But the Monarchs quickly answered back. Redshirt freshman Colton Joseph connected with his go-to receiver, Isiah Paige, on a 27-yard pass, then took it himself into the end zone, leveling the score at 7-7 with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, JMU capitalized on some costly penalties by ODU’s defense, allowing them to kick a field goal and take a 10-7 lead just 41 seconds in. The Dukes continued to surge, with quarterback Alonza Barnett III breaking loose for a stunning 50-yard touchdown run. After successfully converting a two-point play, JMU widened their lead to 18-7 midway through the second quarter.
But ODU wasn’t backing down. A game-changing blocked punt by safety Mario Easterly gave the Monarchs a golden opportunity, setting them up on the JMU 3-yard line. Aaron Young charged into the end zone for a touchdown, narrowing the score to 18-14 with just under 10 minutes left in the half.
After JMU added another field goal, ODU rallied again, with Joseph executing a well-timed QB draw to tie the game at 21 with a little over two minutes remaining in the half. The Monarchs’ defense admirably forced the Dukes off the field, giving their offense one more chance before the break.
During that final drive, the Monarchs managed to get into field goal range, and Ethan Sanchez nailed a kick after a big play by Isiah Paige. With that, ODU went into halftime with a 24-21 lead over their rivals.
However, the momentum shifted in the second half. The ODU offense struggled to find its rhythm, and JMU’s offense initially looked flat as well. But that didn’t last long—Barnett connected with receiver Yamir Knight for a stunning 58-yard touchdown pass, reclaiming the lead for the Dukes with less than three minutes left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter brought more challenges for the Monarchs. A key defensive penalty on a fourth-and-one play allowed JMU to keep their drive alive, leading to another Dukes touchdown, this time on a rushing score from Barnett. With that, JMU took a two-score lead at 35-24 with just 2:30 left on the clock.
Facing a tough uphill battle, the Monarchs executed a solid two-minute drill, capping it off with a three-yard touchdown run from Joseph and a successful two-point conversion to tight end Pat Conroy. Unfortunately, their efforts were too little, too late, as their attempt at an onside kick fell short, allowing the Dukes to escape with the win in front of a passionate Norfolk crowd.
Despite the loss, there were bright spots for ODU. Isiah Paige and Aaron Young stood out with impressive performances; Paige had three catches for 77 yards, and Young rushed for 116 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown, averaging nearly seven yards per carry. Senior Diante Vines also had a noteworthy game, racking up four receptions for 89 yards.
Yet, not everything went smoothly. Joseph struggled with his passing, completing just 9 of 21 attempts and facing five sacks, which has been a recurring issue since their loss to App State. The defense, too, faced challenges, giving away crucial yardage with four offsides penalties throughout the game.
When asked about the defensive performance, Linebacker Koa Naotola commented, “You’ve got to be able to consistently do your job. We talk about it all the time, especially on defense, when our keys are playing fast, tough and disciplined. That was the key. We didn’t consistently do our job and we made too many mistakes.”
The Monarchs, following this loss, will face the Marshall Thundering Herd this coming Saturday, November 23rd, in a night game at 7:30 PM. They will conclude the season at Arkansas State on November 30th. The Thundering Herd currently leads the Sun Belt East with an in-conference record of 5-1 and an overall record of 7-3, making this another challenging matchup at home for the Monarchs this season.
