Unbeaten JMU visits Old Dominion as Sun Belt play begins

James Madison brings a 3–0 record to Norfolk for Saturday’s Sun Belt opener against Old Dominion. The September 26 game starts at 6 p.m. Eastern at S.B. Ballard Stadium and streams on ESPN+.

The Dukes won 26–13 at San Diego State in their most recent game. ODU, now 1–2, is coming off a 20–17 loss to East Carolina and faces an immediate chance to reset in conference play.

The Monarchs held ECU to 276 yards, but a special-teams mistake and an interception returned 67 yards for a touchdown helped decide the result. That makes possession management and special teams specific areas to watch against JMU, alongside whether ODU’s defense can sustain its resistance.

Mario Thompson led ODU with nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack, against ECU. JMU leads the series 4–2. Saturday adds a conference result to the regional rivalry, with one team protecting an unbeaten start and the other trying to turn a narrow loss into a better outcome.

Official schedule and reporting

Prepared with AI assistance by NSMT Newsroom from the linked sources. This article does not represent on-site reporting.