STATESBORO, Ga. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison overcame a four-point halftime deficit to take down Georgia Southern, 27-24, on Saturday night at Allen. E. Paulson Stadium.

The Dukes (6-0, 3-0 Sun Belt) scored 17 unanswered points at one point, helping them earn their first win in Statesboro in program history. The win moves the squad to 6-0 for just the fifth time ever and first since 2023.

Georgia Southern (2-4, 1-1 Sun Belt) took the lead early by opening the game with a 5-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. JMU, meanwhile, started slow offensively, punting and turning the ball over on downs on its first two possessions.

Then, the Dukes capitalized off an interception by cornerback Ken Willis, getting on the board with a 33-yard field goal by kicker Morgan Suarez with 54 seconds to play in the first quarter.

It stayed that way until the Eagles made a field goal of their own to make it 10-3 with 3:25 to play before halftime. From there, Suarez made his second field goal of the night from 21 yards as the first half expired.

Georgia Southern led, 10-6, at the break.

The Dukes grabbed their first lead of the night with a scoring drive to open the second half. A 29-yard catch by wide receiver Michael Scott and 35-yard run by running back George Pettaway set up wide receiver Jeremiah Harrison’s 2-yard touchdown grab from quarterback Camden Coleman to put the visitors up, 13-10.

JMU got the ball right back when linebacker Nakian Jackson jumped on a fumble, which led to a 57-yard touchdown pass from quarterback JC Evans to tight end Cole Keller on a key, fourth-and-1 play.

That made it 20-10 at the 7:48 mark of the third.

In need of a spark, Georgia Southern orchestrated an 11-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to draw within three of the lead at 20-17 with 12:50 to play in the game.

But JMU bumped the lead back to 10 at the 5:27 mark when tight end KD Mosley scored off a 1-yard pass from Evans. The hosts wouldn’t quit, however, cutting the Dukes’ lead to 27-24 with 2:27 to go.

After holding on defense, the Eagles had a chance to tie the game in the closing moments but a 52-yard field goal fell short.

JMU finished with 438 yards of total offense in the win. Pettaway tallied 151 yards on 21 carries, good for his third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance. Keller led the way in the receiving game with four catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

Coleman threw for 171 yards and a score on 16-of-27 passing, while Evans, who saw his first action since Week 1, went 2-of-2 for 58 yards and two scores. He added 15 yards on seven carries on the ground.

Defensive back Jayon Harvey led the way defensively, securing nine tackles, including eight solos.

With the win, JMU improved to 4-9 all time against Georgia Southern, including 1-6 on the road. It also marked the squad’s 11th straight regular-season Sun Belt victory.

JMU is now bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season since completing its transition to the FBS.

Up next, the Dukes return home to take on Georgia State in a Homecoming matchup on Saturday, Oct.17. Kickoff at Bridgeforth Stadium is set for noon ET, and the game will air live on ESPNU.