James Madison

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James Madison to play at Virginia in 2028our readTrent Hendrick Transfers to UCLA Amid Big Ten Eligibility Concernsour readThe Old Dominion rivalry

Sun Belt · Billy Napier, year 1 (2-0) · Bridgeforth Stadium · 24,877 · 25,031 avg in 2026

The nationunrankedAP / Coaches
The model#81 CFB ZeitgeistSP+ #72 (-0.3) · FPI #68
The marketSan Diego State by 2.5at San Diego State · our model 31% James Madison · a number, not a pick

LastW 87–3 vs Wagner · Sat Sep 12 · Nick Herman 132 rush yds, 2 TD, 12 rec yds

Nextat San Diego State · Sat Sep 19 · 10 pm ET · Snapdragon Stadium · San Diego State by 2.5 · first meeting on record · Game preview

Updated Tue Sep 15 · through week 2

Key stats — 2026 — FBS rank
Points/game
53.5
Pts allowed/game
8.0
Total yards/gmT-#53 / 138 · 62nd pct
439.5
Rush yards/gm#30 / 138 · 79th pct
231.5
Pass yards/gmT-#90 / 138 · 34th pct
208.0
Yards allowed/gm#37 / 138 · 74th pct
262.5
Rush yds allowed/gm#39 / 138 · 72nd pct
88.5
SacksT-#106 / 138 · 16th pct
2
3rd-down convT-#33 / 138 · 73rd pct
50.0%
All 78 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team
879439.5/gm7.92/playT-#53 / 138 · 62nd pctT-#36 / 70 · 49th pct#4 / 14 · 75th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
525262.5/gm3.98/play#37 / 138 · 74th pct#33 / 70 · 54th pct#2 / 14 · 89th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Rush yards
Team
463231.5/gm4.17/play#30 / 138 · 79th pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#2 / 14 · 89th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
17788.5/gm1.34/play#39 / 138 · 72nd pct#31 / 70 · 56th pct#4 / 14 · 75th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Rush carries
Team
6633.0/gmT-#96 / 138 · 28th pctT-#47 / 70 · 29th pct#12 / 14 · 18th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
7839.0/gmT-#107 / 138 · 22nd pctT-#62 / 70 · 11th pct#9 / 14 · 39th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Rush TDs
Team
73.5/gmT-#17 / 138 · 85th pctT-#12 / 70 · 79th pctT-#3 / 14 · 79th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
00.0/gmT-#1 / 138 · 92nd pctT-#1 / 70 · 87th pctT-#1 / 14 · 93rd pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Net pass yards
Team
416208.0/gm3.75/playT-#90 / 138 · 34th pct#56 / 70 · 21st pct#9 / 14 · 39th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
348174.0/gm2.64/play#47 / 138 · 66th pct#35 / 70 · 51st pct#3 / 14 · 82nd pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Pass attempts
Team
4522.5/gmT-#116 / 138 · 15th pctT-#63 / 70 · 10th pct#13 / 14 · 11th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
5427.0/gmT-#47 / 138 · 66th pctT-#31 / 70 · 55th pct#4 / 14 · 75th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Completions
Team
3216.0/gmT-#98 / 138 · 28th pctT-#57 / 70 · 19th pct#10 / 14 · 32nd pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
3115.5/gmT-#38 / 138 · 71st pctT-#24 / 70 · 65th pctT-#4 / 14 · 71st pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Pass TDs
Team
42.0/gmT-#48 / 138 · 57th pctT-#33 / 70 · 46th pctT-#3 / 14 · 79th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
10.5/gmT-#13 / 138 · 80th pctT-#11 / 70 · 72nd pctT-#1 / 14 · 89th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Interceptions thrown
Team
00.0/gmT-#92 / 138 · 17th pctT-#42 / 70 · 21st pctT-#9 / 14 · 21st pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
00.0/gmT-#1 / 138 · 92nd pctT-#1 / 70 · 92nd pct#1 / 14 · 96th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Sacks (def)
Team
21.0/gmT-#106 / 138 · 16th pctT-#61 / 70 · 9th pctT-#10 / 14 · 18th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
10.5/gmT-#9 / 138 · 86th pctT-#6 / 70 · 82nd pct#2 / 14 · 89th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Tackles for loss
Team
115.5/gmT-#63 / 138 · 49th pctT-#37 / 70 · 42nd pctT-#7 / 14 · 50th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
63.0/gmT-#20 / 138 · 83rd pctT-#15 / 70 · 77th pctT-#2 / 14 · 86th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
First downs
Team
4221.0/gmT-#73 / 138 · 45th pctT-#44 / 70 · 35th pctT-#7 / 14 · 50th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
2914.5/gmT-#35 / 138 · 74th pctT-#30 / 70 · 57th pctT-#3 / 14 · 79th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
3rd-down conv
Team
94.5/gmT-#85 / 138 · 32nd pctT-#50 / 70 · 24th pctT-#6 / 14 · 50th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
136.5/gmT-#103 / 138 · 23rd pctT-#55 / 70 · 19th pct#11 / 14 · 25th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
3rd-down att
Team
189.0/gmT-#130 / 138 · 4th pctT-#65 / 70 · 6th pctT-#12 / 14 · 11th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
3517.5/gmT-#122 / 138 · 11th pctT-#67 / 70 · 4th pctT-#12 / 14 · 14th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
4th-down conv
Team
00.0/gmT-#114 / 138 · 9th pctT-#52 / 70 · 14th pctT-#13 / 14 · 7th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
10.5/gmT-#26 / 138 · 66th pctT-#15 / 70 · 61st pctT-#4 / 14 · 54th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
4th-down att
Team
10.5/gmT-#119 / 138 · 9th pctT-#55 / 70 · 14th pctT-#12 / 14 · 11th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
42.0/gmT-#80 / 138 · 36th pctT-#42 / 70 · 32nd pctT-#11 / 14 · 21st pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Time of possession
Team
45:1922:40/gm#136 / 138 · 2nd pct#69 / 70 · 2nd pct#14 / 14 · 4th pct#5 / 5 · 20th pct
Opp
74:4137:20/gm#128 / 138 · 8th pct#70 / 70 · 1st pct#14 / 14 · 4th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct

FBS rankings · 2026 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs

Player stats — 2026 season
Quarterbacks
Player#GCmp/AttPctYdsY/ATDINTRateZPRQBRAdj ANY/ASack%
+0.19 EPA/play7217 / 2763.02288.410146.1—38.4——
Running Backs
Player#GCarYdsAvgTDLongStuff%10+%
+0.14 EPA/play6224994.14
#5 FBS		32——
Receivers
Player#GRecYdsAvgTDLong
+0.47 EPA/play3277310.4128
+0.58 EPA/play11277110.1015

2026 stat leaders · James Madison

through 2 games

Ken Willis leads James Madison with 14 tackles through 2 games.

1. Ken Willis CB 14 tackles
2. Jayon Harvey S 12 tackles
3. Nakian Jackson LB 10 tackles
4. Nick Herman RB 135 rushing yards
5. Amar Thomas EDGE 7 tackles
How They Play · 2025

James Madison fields a strong run-heavy offense behind an elite, gives up the big play defense.

Offense
77th pct EPA/play
Run/Pass
60% run plays
Defense
95th pct EPA allowed
Defensive shape
1st pct at limiting explosive plays

Percentile vs all FBS, based on this season's per-game production. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.

The Savant Card · James Madison · 2025

James Madison reads strongest in success rate allowed (top 2%) and epa allowed (top 5%); the crux lives in explosive plays allowed, where James Madison sits at the 1st percentile.

offense · strengths lead

EPA / play +0.22
77th
Success Rate +0.45
75th
Explosive Plays +1.30
67th
Rushing EPA +0.24
90th

defense · higher bar = harder to play against

EPA Allowed +0.01
95th
Success Rate Allowed +0.30
99th
Explosive Plays Allowed +1.48
1st
Passing EPA Allowed +0.07
92nd

hidden math · special situations

Passing EPA +0.32
66th
Rushing EPA Allowed -0.06
93rd
Elite · 90+Strong · 70+Average · 40-70Concern · 10-40Bottom · <10
Sources · CFBD tier-2 advanced stats · per-game production · 14 games this season · percentiles vs. up to 136 FBS peers

Home-field advantage · James Madison · 2018–present · FBS opponents

James Madison is worth +6.4 points more at home than on the road.

Top third of FBS, 86th percentile of 133 programs

87% at home, 62% away against FBS opponents since 2018 (20–3 home, 18–11 away). Interval ±4.9.

95% intervalmodel 2.3 · books ~3Weakest home edge in FBSStrongest

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge — per-team modelling was tested and did not survive scrutiny (why) — and the books use about 3. Against the closing line, James Madison has beaten the number by +2.0 more at home than away over 53 games — inside the ±9.3 that many games can resolve. Results here cannot tell the flat number apart from the building, and that is the honest reading of nearly every FBS stadium.

Bridgeforth Stadium seats 24,877 and has averaged 98% full (24,462, 26 games reported). Visitors cover a median 296 miles to get here since 2018 — 34th-shortest of 135 FBS venues, inside the ordinary range. 15% of the 2026 roster (15 of 101 located players) grew up inside 100 miles of the stadium.

Edge = half the gap between average home margin and average road margin, FBS opponents only, non-neutral games since 2018; the interval is 95%. Market line: closing spread, seasons with lines on file. Trip length is straight-line miles from the visiting team's campus to the venue, measured across all 52 home games since 2018.

Home20–3Away18–11Edge+6.4 ±4.9Visitor trip296 mi

More in this tab

RatingsWhere the public rating systems put this team.

Model Consensus

Where the Models Rank James Madison

CFB Zeitgeist

#81

-1.0

SP+

#72

-0.3

FPI

#68

+0.1

Elo

#18

1776

The national models put James Madison between 18th and 72nd nationally — CFB Zeitgeist is more skeptical, at 81st.

National rank of 138 FBS teams · 2026 season. SP+/FPI/SRS published; Elo & CFB Zeitgeist ranked by rating.

Comparable teamsPrograms built like this one — tier, prestige band, kind of fanbase, roster size. Not a stat match.

Most similar programs · James Madison

Reads like

AkronMid-AmericanSame tier of program · Same prestige band · Similarly-sized rosters up frontApp StateSun BeltSame tier of program · Same prestige band · Similarly-sized rosters up frontArizonaBig 12Same tier of program · Same prestige band · Similarly-sized rosters up front

Matched on how the programs are built — tier, prestige band, kind of fanbase, conference, voice and roster size — not on this season's stats. A calibration, not a prediction.

ConditionsThe weather and altitude visitors have to deal with.
Venue texture

62°F average kickoff temp; 14% of games had measurable precipitation; 5 mph average wind.

Based on 37 home games with weather data.

This page may include content derived from public news sources, social media, and fan communities. We relay these sources as-is — we are not reporting them. Sources may be summarized or quoted imperfectly; for anything that matters, go look at the original source directly. The original source may also be wrong. AI-generated content is labeled and may contain factual errors. All analysis is editorial opinion, not professional reporting. Data sources · About this site