Unbeaten James Madison brings its 6-0 start and a five-game series streak into a home date with a Georgia State team coming off two weeks of rest
HARRISONBURG, Va. — James Madison has not lost yet this season, and it has never lost to Georgia State.
The Dukes (6-0, 3-0 Sun Belt) host the Panthers (4-1, 1-0) at noon ET on ESPNU with both streaks at stake. JMU is 3-0 at Bridgeforth Stadium and 3-0 on the road, and it survived a 27-24 game at Georgia Southern last weekend. In the series, James Madison is 5-0, most recently a 14-7 win in 2025.
Billy Napier, in his first season at JMU, has a balanced offense. Camden Coleman, the listed starter, has thrown for 1,150 yards with 11 touchdowns and one interception. JC Evans, who started the opener, returned briefly last week, but nothing newer points to a change. George Pettaway leads the ground game with 648 yards and six touchdowns, and Corey Scott has four touchdown catches.
Georgia State has had two weeks to prepare since a 42-10 win over Old Dominion on Oct. 3. Quarterback Cameran Brown has 1,157 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, and Rodshaun Dorsey has turned 18 catches into six touchdowns. Lanear McCrary Jr. leads the rushers with 361 yards. On defense, Xavier Esqillion has seven sacks, which could test JMU's protection. The Panthers' only loss came 44-30 at UCF.
ESPN's Football Power Index sees two similar offenses: Georgia State ranks 41st in efficiency and JMU 38th. The defenses are a step behind, with JMU 73rd and Georgia State 87th, so both teams should be able to move the ball.
These programs are young by college football standards. Georgia State played its first season in 2010 under Bill Curry. James Madison's history goes back to 1972, and its list of coaches includes Mickey Matthews and Curt Cignetti. The Dukes won the Sun Belt title in 2025.
The forecast calls for gusts near 23 mph and a chance of rain, which could tilt things toward JMU's running game.
Both teams have a lot at stake. JMU visits Appalachian State on Oct. 22. Georgia State goes to Arkansas State next week.
Our score assumes Coleman starts, since he is the listed starter and nothing newer says otherwise. With Coleman, we see James Madison 35, Georgia State 25. If Evans were to start, it would look more like James Madison 33, Georgia State 26.
Our call: James Madison 35, Georgia State 25.