Boca Raton, FL. – Backup quarterback Billy Atkins completed 181 passing yards and one touchdown during his first start since 2022, guiding James Madison to its inaugural bowl victory by defeating Western Kentucky 27-17 on Wednesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl.
JMU was without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who sustained an injury against Marshall on November 30. Consequently, the Dukes relied on Atkins, who had previously made only three passing attempts in the past two years.
James Madison University (JMU) displayed strong momentum as their quarterback, JC Evans, took the lead at the start of the second half. He guided JMU on an impressive 11-play, 71-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kyi Wright, which brought the score to 14-14. In a notable play, Evans executed a fake sneak up the middle, allowing him to locate Wright, who typically serves as a blocking tight end, wide open in the end zone for his first reception of the season. Additionally, Atkins contributed significantly by facilitating JMU’s scoring opportunity with a 33-yard completion to Omarion Dollison.
“It is an unbelievable feeling; we put this work in since January,” Evans, who is a South Florida native, said. “I didn’t know how much I would play, but I made the most of it. I had so much trust in these guys around me; they trusted me. They would go to bat for me; I would do the same for them. This goes out to the offensive lineman who has worked just as hard as I have.”
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Atkins completed 4 out of 5 attempts during a fourth-quarter drive, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Thompson, resulting in a 24-17 lead with 9:20 remaining in the game.
This marks the fifth game this season in which JMU recorded three or more takeaways.
George Pettaway recorded 100 rushing yards for James Madison, contributing to their overall record of 9-4.
Caden Veltkamp led Western Kentucky with 302 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Dalvin Smith had a noteworthy performance with 76 receiving yards, which included an 11-yard touchdown reception and a 65-yard catch-and-run.
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