HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – James Madison\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe needed a spark,\u201d said JMU head coach Bob Chesney. \u201cWe knew they were playing downhill a little bit. We had to do something. Coming out of halftime, I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe left a lot on that table and we still had 290 in the air which says a lot about our potential offensively,\u201d Barnett said. \u201cWe\u2019re close. It\u2019s like a water balloon about to pop. We\u2019re close.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Ellis, the performance marked a personal milestone he had been chasing all season. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been saying for the past few weeks I need a Ben Franklin. A 100 yard game. I\u2019ve been waiting on it,\u201d Ellis said. \u201cFinally today, Jaylan and Steve Hollander actually spoke it into existence for me all day. Steve told me before the game, \u2018Why not have the best day of your life?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
For Ellis, it was indeed the best day of his life as his three touchdown receptions was a single-game career high.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s premier programs under Chesney\u2019s leadership. The passing game\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
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