Marshall Thundering Herd @ James Madison Dukes
Marshall beats JMU 35-33 in 2OT, clinches program's first berth in Sun Belt Championship
HARRISONBURG, Va. -- — Tychaun Chapman scored on a 10-yard run and Braylon Braxton hit Charles Montgomery for the 2-point conversion to help Marshall beat James Madison 35-33 in double overtime Saturday night to clinch a spot in the Sun Belt Championship for the first time in program history.
Marshall (9-3, 7-1 Sun Belt Conference) won the East Division and will play Louisiana-Lafayette on Dec. 7 for the conference title.
George Pettaway scored on a 5-yard run, Alonza Barnett III capped an 11-play, 90-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Dollison and Noe Ruelas kicked a 23-yard field goal with 8:27 to go in the second quarter that game James Madison (8-4, 4-4) a 17-0 lead at halftime.
Rece Verhoff kicked a 42-yard field goal and Braylon Braxton threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Toby Payne to make it a seven-point game with 2:18 left in the third quarter. On the next play from scrimmage, Jadarius Green-McKnight intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards for a TD that made it 17-all just 7 seconds later.
Jobi Malary ran for a 7-yard touchdown that gave James Madison a 24-17 lead with about 11 minutes to play but Braxton powered into the end zone to make it 24-all with 5:04 remaining.
The Dukes went three-and-out and Marshall lined up to attempt a field goal from about 36 yards out with 2 seconds left in regulation but didn't get it off and time expired.
Verhoff kicked a 49-yard field goal before Ruelas made a 38-yarder in the first OT.
Wayne Knight scored on a 9-yard reception from Barnett but Chapman's run from the 10 tied it at 33-all in the second overtime.
------ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Game Information
Harrisonburg, VA
2025 Standings
| Sun Belt - EastSun Belt - East | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| James Madison | 8-0 | 12-2 |
| Old Dominion | 6-2 | 10-3 |
| Coastal Carolina | 5-3 | 6-7 |
| Georgia Southern | 4-4 | 7-6 |
| Marshall | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| App State | 2-6 | 5-8 |
| Georgia State | 0-8 | 1-11 |
| Sun Belt - WestSun Belt - West | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Troy | 6-2 | 8-6 |
| Southern Miss | 5-3 | 7-6 |
| Louisiana | 5-3 | 6-7 |
| Arkansas State | 5-3 | 7-6 |
| Texas State | 3-5 | 7-6 |
| South Alabama | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| UL Monroe | 1-7 | 3-9 |
NCAAF News

Ranking the best players in the college football transfer portal
8h

Senior Bowl practices for 2026 NFL draft: Best QBs, prospects
19h

Sen. Ted Cruz against idea of college athletes as employees
1d

