WHERE: Bridgeforth Stadium, Harrisonburg, Virginia

KICKOFF: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

ALL-TIME SERIES: James Madison leads, 12-5

LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2016, won by James Madison, 31-20

WHEN MAINE HAS THE BALL: Sophomore RB Josh Mack leads the FCS with 179 rushing yards per game, but he’s going to be hard-pressed to do that against a defense that has allowed just 56.7 rushing yards and 12.7 points per game. Still, Maine needs something out of Mack to take the pressure off QB Chris Ferguson. Ferguson has thrown six touchdown passes in two games. Look for the tight ends to become more involved this week.

WHEN JAMES MADISON HAS THE BALL: The Dukes average 56.7 points and are second among FCS teams with 589.3 yards per game. James Madison suffered a big loss last week when leading rusher Cardon Johnson sustained a season-ending leg injury. But JMU has one of the best quarterbacks in the CAA in Bryan Schor, who has completed 74 percent of his passes and has thrown eight touchdown passes. He is a dangerous runner as well, with 139 yards and two touchdowns. JMU has a lot of players who can make big plays. Maine’s secondary, which leads the CAA with six interceptions, is going to have to be at its best.

KEY STAT: 15 – consecutive wins for James Madison, which owns the nation’s longest winning streak.

OUTLOOK: This is a monumental task for the Black Bears, to go on the road and beat the No. 1 team in FCS. But Maine has had two weeks to prepare and actually matches up well with the Dukes in terms of playing an aggressive, physical style. The key will be whether Maine’s veteran offensive line can play as well as it has in the first two games, in which it has allowed just one sack. If the Black Bears protect Ferguson and get some production from Mack, they’ll be in this game. Maine’s young defensive front will be tested by JMU’s big offensive line and a balanced, deep offense. The Black Bears are going to have to play a nearly flawless game on both sides. Special teams could be a factor: Maine’s Earnest Edwards leads the CAA with 29.5 yards per kickoff return.

OF NOTE: Maine is healthy, with safety DeAndre Scott returning after missing the Bryant game because of a concussion. Wide receiver Micah Wright has been reinstated from his suspension but won’t play this week. Maine is still missing defensive lineman Uchenna Egwuonwu, who remains suspended. … This will be Maine’s first trip to James Madison since 2011, when the Black Bears won 25-24 in overtime on Chris Treister’s 2-point conversion, the famous “helicopter play” that ended up on ESPN’s Top Ten list. … The Dukes have won seven of the last eight games between these schools and have won 16 consecutive games against FCS schools.

— Mike Lowe

Copy the Story Link