The Air Force Falcons defeated James Madison in the Armed Forces Bowl on Saturday.
The Falcons beat James Madison 31-21 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. The loss was just the second of the season for the Dukes who saw nearly all of its coaching staff depart earlier in the month.
“We knew up front we had to do some things with the running game, and Emmanuel Michel just had a great game with some of those big early runs,” Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun said following the win. “This team has hung in there, and I keep thinking about all those on-score games we had late in the season. We played hard the whole season and in this game.”
Michel was the team leader in rushing all season and capped off the season with another stellar performance in Fort Worth. Michel tallied 205 yards on 25 totes, while the potent triple-option Air Force offense amassed 351 yards. Michel was named the game’s MVP.
In comparison, James Madison accounted for just 35 yards on the ground. After getting off to a hot start, quarterback Jordan McCloud could not keep the Dukes in competition against the Falcons. McCloud gave up four-and-a-half sacks to Air Force’s Bo Richter, who was a constant menace throughout the game.
“We had 30 to 40 yards rushing, and if you watch the running plays, you’d think they were OK,” JMU acting coach Damian Wroblewski said. “That is where my frustration lies. The protection was fundamentally not where we needed to be. Those negative plays got us behind the sticks, and then we had to play catch up, and that is not an easy thing.”
James Madison ended the season with an 11-2 record and made their first bowl appearance as a member of the FBS. The division previously ruled the Dukes to be ineligible for postseason action due to a rule that bars teams that join the FBS for a two-year period. The Dukes earned the bowl appearance after not enough teams qualified for the contest.
The win is the second consecutive Armed Forces victory for the Falcons. Air Force opened the season with an 8-0 record but dropped the final four games of the season. The Armed Forces Bowl win at least erased the losing streak.
