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Preview: JMU hosts #23 Coastal Carolina for regular-season finale on Saturday

Roger Gonzalez
(© Steve Heap – shutterstock)

The James Madison football team will wrap up its regular season on Saturday when the Dukes host No. 23 Coastal Carolina at Bridgeforth Stadium.

JMU enters the game at 7-3 overall and on a two-game winning streak while the Chanticleers are 9-1 and have won three games in a row. This is a battle of the top two teams in the Group A division of the Sun Belt Conference, with Costal entering the contest with a perfect 3-0 road record.

Where to watch?

The game will kick off at noon on Saturday and will air live on ESPN U.

What to know about the Dukes

The Todd Centeio that showed out earlier this season is now back. The gunslinger looked sharp and fully fit against Georgia State last week, going 21-for-27 for 274 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Add in the fact that running back Percy-Agyei Obese has been so consistent, this is a team that can slow down the pace. Coastal does want to mix it up a good bit, and they have relied on the running game more than in recent seasons, so expect JMU to play a tad conservatively on defense, knowing the run game will be doing plenty.

What to know about the Chanticleers

They are going to be fresh and very well rested. Last week, they were scheduled to play in Charlottesville against the University of Virginia, but that game was obviously called off after three Cavaliers players were killed by a gunmen on campus. Obviously a game like this pails in comparison to the importance of things such as gun safety and mental health. But on the football front, the extra time to prepare could benefit them in this game as JMU really like to mix it up on offense.

Prediction

Coastal 28, JMU 21

Roger Gonzalez

Roger Gonzalez

Roger Gonzalez is freelancer for Augusta Free Press. A native of Connecticut that grew up in Charlottesville, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech. He currently is a sportswriter with CBS Sports and has written for The Daily Progress, The Roanoke Times and other newspapers before getting into the digital sports journalism world.