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The James Madison Dukes (5-2) will take on the Louisville Cardinals (5-3) on Saturday night. Since the start of a 5-0 season, the Dukes have lost two straight, falling to second place in the Sun Belt's East division.
James Madison fell flat at home against the Marshall Thundering Herd in their most recent game, losing 26-12. They jumped out to an early 12-0 lead before a blocked PAT led to 26 unanswered points by Marshall.
The Dukes had to navigate all four quarters without starting QB Todd Centeio after the dual-threat playmaker pulled an oblique 48 hours before kickoff. Billy Atkins had his number called but threw four interceptions and was sacked seven times in the defeat. The JMU defense, which ranks tops in the FBS in rush defense, allowed an uncharacteristic 167 yards to the Herd.
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The Cardinals are starting to heat up as the weather begins to cool down. Louisville has won three straight, most recently beating up the (#10) Wake Forest Demon Deacons 48-21. With Wake Forest nursing a 14-13 halftime lead, the Cardinals poured on five 3rd quarter touchdowns highlighted by two pick-sixes off the arm of WF QB Sam Hartman. Louisville forced eight turnovers and registered eight sacks in the Cardinals' first win over a top-ten team in the Scott Satterfield era. Star QB Malik Cunningham ran for 38 yards and two scores.
James Madison Dukes vs. Louisville Cardinals Betting Odds
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Tale of the Tape
James Madison is in its first year as an FBS program, but you would be forgiven for thinking they have been one of the best non-Power 5 teams in the country. The Dukes won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) six times over the last seven seasons before jumping to the NCAA's highest level of competition in 2022. Instead, all JMU did was start the season a perfect 5-0 and get ranked in the AP top 25 poll for the first time in program history. Curt Cignetti's offense, which ranks second in the Sun Belt in yards per game, is anchored by the play of their quarterback, Todd Centeio. Even with the star missing Week 8's loss against Marshall, JMU averages nearly 200 rushing yards per game at 4.3 a pop. Fortunately for the Dukes, it will be 16 days between when the senior suffered his injury to kickoff at Louisville, giving him a decent window to recover.
JMU's defense is objectively the best against the rush. They allow a laughable 1.8 yards per carry, easily the top mark in the FBS. The domination against opposing rushers is so ludicrous that they didn't allow 100 total rushing yards this season until Week 4!
The Louisville Cardinals are in year four with Scott Satterfield as the head coach. The 2022 season is also the fourth-year QB Malik Cunningham is the starting quarterback for the Cardinals. The speedster has had an epic career donning the black and red, accounting for 116 total touchdowns against 20 interceptions. The Cardinals rank in the top third of the ACC in rushing yards per game (197), rushing yards per attempt (4.9), and rush attempts (39.9).
The Louisville defense had a rough start to the year but has since started to settle down in recent weeks. The Cardinals are still susceptible to an excellent passing attack but make up for it by forcing a bevy of turnovers. Scott Satterfield's squad is good for three turnovers a game, the best mark in all of the FBS. They also do a commendable job against the run, holding opposing rushers to 3.6 yards per attempt.
James Madison Dukes vs. Louisville Cardinals Prediction
Good luck finding reliable information about the status of JMU star QB Todd Centeio. If the senior gets the green light, then the Dukes immediately become a legit offense.
As far as the defense goes, this will be their toughest test since surrendering 28 points to App State back in September. This opens up an opportunity for a high-scoring affair between two quality offenses led by veteran signal callers.
Prediction: Over 52.5 (-110)
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