Armed Forces Bowl matchup: What to know about James Madison, Air Force

The 21st edition of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is one of the more intriguing matchups the bowl has featured in years.

Pass-oriented upstart James Madison (11-1) enters the game ranked No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff rankings against run-heavy Air Force (8-4).

The teams square off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.

Upstart might not even do the Dukes justice. This is James Madison’s first bowl appearance (more on that below). Meanwhile, the Falcons have made a habit out of earning trips to Fort Worth. This is their second consecutive appearance and seventh overall in the Armed Forces Bowl.

James Madison offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski is serving as the Dukes’ acting head coach after Curt Cignetti took the head job at Indiana.

The Dukes hired Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney to replace Cignetti on Dec. 7, but he’ll let Wroblewski run the show in Fort Worth.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

Who: No. 24 James Madison (11-1) vs. Air Force (8-4)

What: This is the 21st edition of the ‘Bowl For the Brave,’ which has featured an Armed Forces name and theme since 2006

When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday (WFAA/Ch. 8)

Where: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth

Why: ESPN Events owns and operates the Armed Forces Bowl, which was called the Fort Worth Bowl its first three seasons

How: James Madison won the Sun Belt; Air Force tied for fourth in the Mountain West

What You Need To Know About James Madison

This is the first bowl appearance by James Madison, which just completed its two-season transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision from the Football Championship Subdivision. JMU was granted a waiver to play in the game when not enough teams qualified with six regular-season victories.

The Dukes are 19-4 over the past two seasons, finishing atop the Sun Belt Conference East Division both seasons with a two-year combined record of 13-3.

What You Need To Know About Air Force

The Falcons are much less mysterious to Fort Worth, especially for long-time TCU fans who remember the always-tough Falcons during the Horned Frogs’ Mountain West Conference days. Plus, Air Force is the most frequent participant in the Armed Forces Bowl. This will be the Falcons’ seventh appearance in the bowl, including last year’s 30-15 win over Baylor and 11 total games played at Amon Carter Stadium, where they are 2-9, including 2-4 in the bowl.

Dukes To Watch

• Running backs Kaelon Black and Ty Son Lawton work as a duo, with each having rushed for nearly 600 yards and both averaging 4.5 yards a carry.

• Quarterback Jordan McCloud has thrown for 3,400 yards and 32 touchdowns with nine interceptions.

• Receivers Elijah Sarratt and Reggie Brown both have more than 1,000 yards receiving and have combined for 125 receptions and 17 touchdowns.

• Defensive lineman Jamree Kromah has 11 of the Dukes’ 45 sacks, including at least a half-sack in each of the past six games.

Falcons To Watch

• Running back Emmanuel Michel leads a quintet of rushers who have more than 400 yards in the Falcons’ triple-option attack. Michel has nine touchdowns and is averaging 4.4 yards a carry.

• Sophomore running back Dylan Carson has come on strong late in the season, rushing for 323 yards and two scores over the past three games.

• Senior defensive ends PJ Ramsey and Bo Richter lead the team with 7.5 and 7 sacks.

• Senior free safety and Frisco Lone Star graduate Trey Taylor leads the Falcons with three interceptions.

James Madison History Lesson

The school was founded in 1908 in Harrisonburg, Va., as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women. It was renamed Madison College in 1938 and has been known as James Madison University since 1977, in honor of the Founding Father and our fourth president. The football program started in 1972.

Air Force History Lesson

The Air Force Academy was established in 1954 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and graduated its first class in 1959. Graduates of the four-year program earn a Bachelor of Science degree and are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force. The football program began in 1955, but the on-campus Falcon Stadium wasn’t built until 1962.

Key stats

3: Only three FBS head coaches have been at their current school longer than Troy Calhoun, who has been at Air Force since 2007: Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (1999), Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy (2005), and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham (2005).

4: Consecutive losses for Air Force after starting 8-0.

13: James Madison’s defense has 13 interceptions, including three by safety Francis Meehan.

17: Players, including 16 with Air Force and one with James Madison, are from Texas. Nine of the 16 Falcons attended high school in North Texas.

19: Combined win total between James Madison and Air Force is tied for the second-most by opponents entering the game in the 21 years of the bowl. TCU and Boise State were both 11-1 before the inaugural bowl in 2003. Army and San Diego State combined for 19 wins in 2017.

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