HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison pulled away in the fourth quarter to outlast Troy, 31-14, in the 2025 Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship presented by Visit Pensacola at Bridgeforth Stadium.
In its first Sun Belt title game appearance, James Madison (12-1) collected its 11th-straight victory behind stout second-half defense and redshirt junior running back Wayne Knight, who took 21 carries for a career-high 212 yards and one touchdown. Knight racked up a Sun Belt Championship Game record 234 all-purpose yards en route to being named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
James Madison sophomore defensive back Tyler Brown received the Sun Belt’s Elite Award which recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition while also achieving the highest academic standard. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average competing on the final day for each of the Sun Belt Conference’s championships.
“Today’s game is not special, it’s important,” James Madison head coach Bob Chesney said. “But when you get to this point, and you actually win the game, it is special.”
Defensively, the Dukes racked up Sun Belt Championship Game records in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (8), while limiting Troy (8-5) to -26 yards rushing on 28 attempts. The 2025 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, defensive lineman Sahir West made 10 tackles, while his 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks established new individual records in Sun Belt title game history.
In what proved to be a defensive battle early, James Madison scored the first points of the game on a 40-yard field goal by redshirt senior kicker Morgan Suarez with 1:59 remaining in the first quarter.
On the second play of the second quarter, Troy redshirt junior quarterback Goose Crowder connected with senior wide receiver RaRa Thomas for a 37-yard completion, before he went down at the one yard-line. Crowder escaped pressure on the next play, running to his right and into the end zone for the game’s first touchdown.
The Dukes countered with an immediate response when Knight broke two tackles and then raced free for a 73-yard touchdown run down the middle of the field on the first play of their next drive to pull back in front, 10-7. The play was the longest rush and the longest touchdown of any variety in Sun Belt Football Championship Game history.
Two possessions later, James Madison extended the lead to 17-7 when redshirt junior quarterback and 2025 Sun Belt Player of the Year Alonza Barnett III completed a 26-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Braeden Wisloski with 6:56 remaining in the first half.
The Trojans pieced together an 11-play, 75-yard drive in just under five minutes on their next possession to pull back within three, 17-14, on a two-yard rushing touchdown by junior running back Tae Meadows with 2:12 left in the second quarter.
Troy forced the game’s first turnover at the 5:22 mark of the third quarter when junior defensive lineman Donnie Smith got his hand on a pass attempt by Barnett. The pass floated forward and into the arms of junior defensive back Jaquez White for an interception just inside midfield. White returned the pick 20 yards to James Madison’s 28 yard-line, but the Dukes made stops on four-consecutive plays to force a turnover on downs.
The Trojans generated their second turnover on the third play of the Dukes’ ensuing possession after a nine-yard completion from Barnett to junior wide receiver Landon Ellis. Junior defensive back Justin Powe recovered the fumble he forced on Ellis to give Troy the ball back at its own 45 yard-line with 3:04 to go in the third quarter.
Three plays later, Crowder left the game after suffering a right ankle injury with 1:41 remaining following an incomplete pass on third down.
The battle for field position by both teams continued to swing back and forth across the midway point of the fourth quarter until James Madison broke through with under five minutes left in the game. Knight broke a 40-yard run on the fourth play of a drive before Barnett took a quarterback run to his left, broke his tackle and then sprinted across the defense and into the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown to push the advantage to 24-14.
Four plays later, Troy faced a third down 19 yards behind the first down marker when West sacked junior quarterback Tucker Kilcrease, who fumbled on the play. Junior linebacker Drew Spinogatti was there to collect the loose ball and returned it 22 yards for the game’s final touchdown with 3:24 remaining.
NOTABLES:
- James Madison’s 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks set new Sun Belt Championship Game records, respectively.
- James Madison running back Wayne Knight’s 73-yard touchdown run set the record for the longest scoring play in Sun Belt Championship Game history. It was also the longest rush in Sun Belt Championship Game history.
- Knight’s 212 rushing yards were the second most in Sun Belt Championship Game history.
- Knight became just the second 200-yard rusher in Sun Belt Championship Game history and the sixth 100-yard rusher.
- James Madison redshirt freshman defensive end Sahir West’s 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks established new Sun Belt Championship Game records.
- Troy punter Evan Crenshaw’s 363 punt yards set a new Sun Belt Championship Game record.
- Friday’s title bout drew an attendance of 19,836 - the fifth largest in Sun Belt Championship Game history.