Week 2Home
vs Wagner
Wagner
Saturday, September 12 · 3:30 PM EDT- Venue
- Bridgeforth Stadium
- Model outlook
- Projected win
Saturday Index
Loading team intelligenceBringing the latest verified football information into focus.
Saturday Index
Loading team intelligenceBringing the latest verified football information into focus.
Sun Belt · 2026 team profile
Program context and schedule for the Dukes.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Cropped for display
2026 season probabilities
The highlighted finish is the single most likely record—not a fixed list of game results.
Season outlook
Opponent, kickoff, venue, and the latest game outlook.
vs Wagner
Projected 2026 finish
Where James Madison is projected to finish in the Sun Belt.
Sun Belt projected standing
#1
7-1 projected · 6.7 expected conference wins · conference favorite.
Primary team read
How James Madison played in 2025.
2025 FBS percentile scale · 50 is average
Incoming class
National and conference recruiting ranks, confirmed commitments, and the highest-ranked recruits in this class.
Top committed recruits
James Madison2026 transfer movement
Incoming and outgoing transfer activity, with rated FBS-to-FBS moves below.
Incoming Transfers
James MadisonOutgoing Transfers
James MadisonSeason schedule
Projected record is the highest-probability season total across every possible outcome. Upcoming rows show each matchup’s win chance, not one locked sequence of wins and losses.
Detailed football intelligence
The full team identity, offense, defense, and supporting evidence.
Team identity
Last season, James Madison tried to lean on the running game; the approach consistently kept the offense on schedule.
Why it matters
The run game was James Madison's steadier way to stay ahead of the chains; opponents have to win early fits without handing away play action.
At a glance
The essential 2026 season outlook.
Profile high point
Down-to-down defense held the profile's highest percentile position.Profile low point
Big-play prevention held the lowest percentile position among the profile's strength measures.The defense's control of ordinary downs is what James Madison can trust most.
Why it matters
That unit is the most credible foundation for making opponents string together clean drives; passing efficiency remains the first counter an opponent should test.
James Madison did not show one unit opponents could treat as an automatic target; the passing game is only the first place to look.
What matters
James Madison's lowest-rated unit still finished above the national average last season, so opponents do not have an obvious weakness to attack.
James Madison is at its best when it can use the running game to control early downs and finish drives; an average pace puts more weight on winning ordinary downs.
What matters
James Madison's run-first structure played at a balanced pace. The run game finished top-tier, while the pass game finished above-average.
Inside the team
Open a section for the football detail and supporting numbers.
The down-to-down question that determines whether the offense can keep both the run and pass available.
Opponents have to keep James Madison's run game from turning first down into second-and-manageable.
What matters
Early run success keeps play action alive and prevents the defense from dictating obvious passing downs.
The pace, play selection, and methods this offense uses to stay on schedule.
James Madison played at a balanced pace in 2025.
Why it matters
At that pace, James Madison cannot count on extra possessions or expect to shorten the game.
James Madison's prior passing record was above-average.
Why it matters
James Madison's offense needs protection, field position, or explosive variance when ordinary dropbacks do not create enough value.
James Madison's prior rushing record was top-tier.
Why it matters
A sustainable run game keeps James Madison's play action credible and limits obvious passing situations.
James Madison's explosive-play upside came with real defensive volatility.
Why it matters
That mix can produce fast scoring swings in either direction and makes missed tackles or coverage busts especially expensive.
How consistently the offense creates manageable situations and the defense prevents them.
James Madison won ordinary downs on both sides of the ball.
Why it matters
James Madison's success rate shows whether it can sustain drives and get stops without relying on sacks, turnovers, or isolated big plays.
Opponent-adjusted EPA identifies the run game as James Madison's stronger offensive unit.
Why it matters
Forcing longer passing situations is the clearest way to move the offense away from its stronger adjusted unit.
Where the defense can create pressure, control the run, and end drives.
James Madison's prior defense was top-tier overall, with no clear separation among its main units.
Why it matters
That balance makes it harder for an offense to choose one automatic target; the defense still has to win early downs before any unit can dictate the offensive options.
James Madison's available disruption measures ranked among the best in the country last season; a charted pressure rate is not available.
Why it matters
Sustained disruption can create negative plays and give James Madison a better chance to end drives before third down.
James Madison's disruption regularly finished at the quarterback.
What matters
Both sack production and front-seven disruption cleared the FBS midpoint.
Why it matters
A dependable run front can let James Madison create obvious passing downs without committing extra bodies to the box.
