HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – James Madison’s passing offense finally delivered the explosive plays that wide receiver Jaylan Sanchez promised in the preseason, sparked by a bold second-half play call that helped lead the Dukes to a 24-14 win over Louisiana.
After managing just 74 passing yards against Georgia State, 165 passing yards in rainy conditions against Georgia Southern, and a slow start early against Louisiana, JMU’s aerial attack came alive when offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy called for a flea flicker to open the second half. The trick play resulted in a 62-yard touchdown pass from Alonza Barnett to Landon Ellis, providing the momentum shift the Dukes needed.
“We needed a spark,” said JMU head coach Bob Chesney. “We knew they were playing downhill a little bit. We had to do something. Coming out of halftime, I’m sure as much as we were running the football, they felt like it was fourth and 1 basically. You knew you were going to get them downhill and I thought it was a really good opportunity for us to be able to do that.”
Barnett completed 26 of 40 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns, all three scoring strikes going to Ellis, who recorded 120 receiving yards on six catches in his breakout performance. The connection between quarterback and receiver provided a glimpse of the offensive potential that has been building throughout the season.
“We left a lot on that table and we still had 290 in the air which says a lot about our potential offensively,” Barnett said. “We’re close. It’s like a water balloon about to pop. We’re close.”
For Ellis, the performance marked a personal milestone he had been chasing all season.
“I’ve been saying for the past few weeks I need a Ben Franklin. A 100 yard game. I’ve been waiting on it,” Ellis said. “Finally today, Jaylan and Steve Hollander actually spoke it into existence for me all day. Steve told me before the game, ‘Why not have the best day of your life?’”
For Ellis, it was indeed the best day of his life as his three touchdown receptions was a single-game career high.
With the victory, the Dukes became the first team in Sun Belt Conference history to start 5-1 in four consecutive seasons, cementing their status as one of the league’s premier programs under Chesney’s leadership. The passing game’s emergence comes at a crucial time, as JMU prepares for what may be their toughest conference test yet when they host Old Dominion next week.
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