JMU Dukes Survive, defeat WKU Hilltoppers at Boca Raton Bowl

Boca Raton, FL – What began as a defensive slugfest turned into a race against time as the James Madison Dukes did just enough to beat the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Points were hard to come by in the first half. James Madison proved why its defense was the best in the Sun Belt, slowing down the CUSA Offensive Player Of The Year, Caden Veltkamp.

The Dukes Defense Dominated

The storyline coming into this game was WKU’s offense vs JMU’s defense.

In the end, the Dukes prevailed. They forced three fumbles from the Hilltoppers and scored six points off of them. That includes a field goal with less than two minutes to go, making it a two-possession game.

FUMBLE!!!!

Gannon recovers it, and we take the ball right back!#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/wB1642IbQd

— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) December 19, 2024

Not many people gave JMU quarterback Billy Atkins enough credit leading into this game, but he was reliable with 181 yards, a passing touchdown, and no turnovers.

The running game was where the Dukes cooked the Tops. 212 rushing yards helped them dominate the game clock – 36 minutes with the ball on offense.

No Hill Too Steep To Climb

This isn’t to say that the Hilltoppers were useless on offense. Stat-wise, Veltkamp had another solid game, with 302 yards and two passing touchdowns.

The big problem was that WKU couldn’t close out drives, with five punts and a turnover on downs in their final chance to score points.

pic.twitter.com/TO2ddEiTYD

— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) December 19, 2024

Their worst moment of the game came when the Hilltopper offense found itself near the five-yard line late in the third. After an offensive pass interference and a sack, they were forced into a field goal instead of punching the ball in the end zone.

A Fun Way To Close 2024

With that out of the way, both teams have had their seasons end.

For James Madison, they win their first-ever Bowl Game in their second season in FBS. It also sets them up for a chance to earn a spot in the Top 25 and maybe a CFP spot in 2025.

FIRST ONE, BEST ONE. 🏆#GoDukes pic.twitter.com/0SNovttsAW

— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) December 19, 2024

Western Kentucky lost its final two games of the season. They were the runner-up in the CUSA Championship Game and were the runner-up once again tonight.

Bowl game season is just starting up. The next and final bowl game in South Florida will be the Orange Bowl, which will double as a CFP game. That’ll take place at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday, January 9th.