James Madison Dukes football
Encyclopedia
The James Madison Dukes
football team, founded in 1972, plays at Bridgeforth Stadium
. Originally called JMU Stadium, it was renamed for William E. Bridgeforth in 1990. The JMU football team was rarely the centerpiece of JMU sports until the hiring of Mickey Matthews
in 1999. Since then, JMU has gained recognition as one of the top programs in NCAA Division I FCS football.
Notable Dukes include Charles Haley
, the only player to win five Super Bowl
rings and inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame
; Scott Norwood
, the Buffalo Bills
' all-time leading scorer; and Gary Clark
, a pro bowl
wide receiver
for the Washington Redskins
.
. The team consisted of a few dozen walk-ons and was coached by 30 year-old Challace McMillin
.
In 1975, the Dukes had their first – and, to date, only – undefeated season and won the Virginia College Athletic Association title. Two players, Madison Hall of Fame quarterback Les Branich and offensive guard Jeff Adams, played on both the Dukes' only winless season in 1972 and its only undefeated season in 1975.
For the 1980 season, Madison made the jump from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division I-AA where they played as an Independent through 1992. After twelve seasons the Dukes would join the Yankee Conference
, which would become the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1997, then finally the Colonial Athletic Association
in 2007.
. They returned to the playoffs in 2006 but suffered an early exit to the hands of Youngstown State University
. The Dukes went to the playoffs again in 2007, traveling to Appalachian State
in the first round. While down 27-28, JMU lost the game with a fumble on the ASU 8-yard line in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. In 2008, they posted a 10-1 season record (the lone loss coming in the season opener to FBS team Duke
) and received the top seed in the playoffs behind sensational quarterback Rodney Landers
. After defeating Wofford
and Villanova
(for the second time that season), they were defeated by the Montana Grizzlies
in the semi-final round after Landers went down with an ankle injury.
In 2008, the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget has approved a $10 million budget to "renovate and expand Bridgeforth Stadium". The stadium expansion to Bridgeforth will bring its total capacity to 25,000 and is to be completed prior to the 2011 football season.
On September 11, 2010, they beat the FBS #13 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies 21-16 at Lane Stadium
in front of over 66,000 fans. James Madison was the second FCS team to beat a nationally ranked team since Appalachian State
defeated #5 ranked Michigan
in 2007.
James Madison Dukes
The James Madison University Dukes is the name given the athletics teams of James Madison University. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. JMU is a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level...
football team, founded in 1972, plays at Bridgeforth Stadium
Bridgeforth Stadium
Bridgeforth Stadium and Zane Showker Field is a football only facility located on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The stadium is home to the James Madison University Dukes football team, the 2004 NCAA Division I National Champions.Originally named Madison Stadium,...
. Originally called JMU Stadium, it was renamed for William E. Bridgeforth in 1990. The JMU football team was rarely the centerpiece of JMU sports until the hiring of Mickey Matthews
Mickey Matthews
Michael Chester "Mickey" Matthews, is the head football coach at James Madison University , and has served in that role since 1999. Under Matthews's leadership, James Madison achieved a Division 1-AA national football championship in 2004...
in 1999. Since then, JMU has gained recognition as one of the top programs in NCAA Division I FCS football.
Notable Dukes include Charles Haley
Charles Haley
Charles Lewis Haley is a former American football linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys . He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1986 NFL Draft out of James Madison University...
, the only player to win five Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
rings and inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
; Scott Norwood
Scott Norwood
Scott Allan Norwood is a former American football placekicker in the NFL who played for the Buffalo Bills. Norwood was an integral part of its offense during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and kicked in Buffalo's first two Super Bowl appearances...
, the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' all-time leading scorer; and Gary Clark
Gary Clark
Gary C. Clark is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins , Phoenix Cardinals and Miami Dolphins .-Early life:...
, a pro bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
History
Just five years after (then) Madison College had become a coeducational institution, the Dukes fielded their first football team. Football was the brainchild of Dr. Ronald Carrier, Madison's president at the time, who was attempting to change the psychology of the campus away from an all-women's teachers colleges. The first game took place on October 7, 1972 against Shepherd College's junior varsity team at Harrisonburg High SchoolHarrisonburg High School (Virginia)
Harrisonburg High School, part of the Harrisonburg City School System, is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.HHS serves grades nine through twelve, and is home of the Harrisonburg Blue Streaks. There are currently 1381 students enrolled...
. The team consisted of a few dozen walk-ons and was coached by 30 year-old Challace McMillin
Challace McMillin
-References:...
.
In 1975, the Dukes had their first – and, to date, only – undefeated season and won the Virginia College Athletic Association title. Two players, Madison Hall of Fame quarterback Les Branich and offensive guard Jeff Adams, played on both the Dukes' only winless season in 1972 and its only undefeated season in 1975.
For the 1980 season, Madison made the jump from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division I-AA where they played as an Independent through 1992. After twelve seasons the Dukes would join the Yankee Conference
Yankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. It once sponsored competition in many sports, but eventually became a football-only league...
, which would become the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1997, then finally the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
in 2007.
Under Mickey Matthews
The Dukes made the NCAA playoffs in current head coach Mickey Matthews' first year with the team and in 2004, the Dukes won the Division I-AA (now FCS) National Championship behind quarterback Justin Rascati and running back Raymond Hines. They were the first and only team to win three games on the road to advance to the National Championship Game2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season
-NCAA Division I-AA Playoff bracket:* Denotes host institution-References:* http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/FB-FCS-2004* http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_champs_records/2004/d1aa/confstat.htm...
. They returned to the playoffs in 2006 but suffered an early exit to the hands of Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
. The Dukes went to the playoffs again in 2007, traveling to Appalachian State
2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
The 2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team was coached by Jerry Moore and the Mountaineers played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.The football team competes in...
in the first round. While down 27-28, JMU lost the game with a fumble on the ASU 8-yard line in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. In 2008, they posted a 10-1 season record (the lone loss coming in the season opener to FBS team Duke
2008 Duke Blue Devils football team
The 2008 Duke Blue Devils football team represented the Duke University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team was led by head coach David Cutcliffe...
) and received the top seed in the playoffs behind sensational quarterback Rodney Landers
Rodney Landers
Rodney Landers is an American football player. He played college football as the starting quarterback for the James Madison Dukes of James Madison University . He was not selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, where due to his speed and flexibility he had been considered a potential defensive back,...
. After defeating Wofford
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
and Villanova
Villanova Wildcats football
The Villanova Wildcats football program represents Villanova University in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The Wildcats play at Villanova Stadium with capacity of 12,500.-History:...
(for the second time that season), they were defeated by the Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies football
The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference, where it is a founding member, since 1963...
in the semi-final round after Landers went down with an ankle injury.
In 2008, the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget has approved a $10 million budget to "renovate and expand Bridgeforth Stadium". The stadium expansion to Bridgeforth will bring its total capacity to 25,000 and is to be completed prior to the 2011 football season.
On September 11, 2010, they beat the FBS #13 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies 21-16 at Lane Stadium
Lane Stadium
Lane Stadium/Worsham Field is a stadium located in Blacksburg, Virginia. It is the home field of the Virginia Tech Hokies. It was rated the number one home field advantage in all of college football in 2005 by Rivals.com...
in front of over 66,000 fans. James Madison was the second FCS team to beat a nationally ranked team since Appalachian State
Appalachian State Mountaineers football
The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team is the college football team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers have competed in the Southern Conference since 1972, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
defeated #5 ranked Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
in 2007.
Seasons under Mickey Matthews
Conference affiliations
- 1972-1973: Independent
- 1974-1975: Virginia Collegiate Athletic Association (VCAA)
- 1976: NCAA Division II IndependentNCAA Division II independent schoolsNCAA Division II independent schools are four-year institutions that field intercollegiate teams in football and other sports, but which are not formally affiliated with any athletic conference.-Full Division II member:...
- 1977-1979: NCAA Division III IndependentNCAA Division III independent schoolsNCAA Division III independents are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA’s Division III level, but do so independently of an established athletic conference. These same institutions often compete as members of an intercollegiate athletic conference in some sports...
- 1980-1992: NCAA Division I-AA Independent
- 1993-1996: Yankee ConferenceYankee ConferenceThe Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. It once sponsored competition in many sports, but eventually became a football-only league...
- 1997-2006: Atlantic 10 Conference
- 2007–present: Colonial Athletic AssociationColonial Athletic AssociationThe Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
Head coaches
- Challace McMillinChallace McMillin-References:...
(1972–1984) - Joe PurzyckiJoe Purzycki-External links:*...
(1985–1991) - Rip SchererRip SchererRip Scherer is the quarterback coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. He previously served as quarterbacks coach/assistant head coach for the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, offensive coordinator for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks, the head...
(1992–1994) - Alex WoodAlex Wood (American football)-References:...
(1995–1998) - Mickey MatthewsMickey MatthewsMichael Chester "Mickey" Matthews, is the head football coach at James Madison University , and has served in that role since 1999. Under Matthews's leadership, James Madison achieved a Division 1-AA national football championship in 2004...
(1999–present)
All-time records
James Madison's all time record stands at 241 wins, 188 losses, and 4 ties in 40 seasons.All-time coaching records
| Years | Coach | Seasons | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–1984 | Challace McMillin Challace McMillin -References:... |
13 | 67 | 60 | 2 | .527 |
| 1985–1991 | Joe Purzycki Joe Purzycki -External links:*... |
6 | 34 | 30 | 2 | .530 |
| 1992–1994 | Rip Scherer Rip Scherer Rip Scherer is the quarterback coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. He previously served as quarterbacks coach/assistant head coach for the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, offensive coordinator for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks, the head... |
4 | 29 | 19 | – | .604 |
| 1995–1998 | Alex Wood Alex Wood (American football) -References:... |
4 | 23 | 22 | – | .511 |
| 1999–present | Mickey Matthews Mickey Matthews Michael Chester "Mickey" Matthews, is the head football coach at James Madison University , and has served in that role since 1999. Under Matthews's leadership, James Madison achieved a Division 1-AA national football championship in 2004... |
13 | 96 | 60 | – | .615 |
| Totals | Coaches | Seasons | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–2011 | 5 | 40 | 249 | 191 | 4 | .565 |