HODDESDON, Hertfordshire (Interstat) — In a showcase of American football on an international stage, the James Madison Dukes methodically dispatched the Marshall Thundering Herd 35 to 23 on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at The Stewart Edwards Stadium.

The Dukes, improving to 8 wins and 1 loss, used a balanced offensive attack and a stifling defensive effort to control the contest, handing Marshall its fifth loss against four wins.

James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III, a 5-foot-11, 201-pound sophomore from Whitsett, North Carolina, orchestrated the victory with precision. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns, adding 32 yards on 12 rushing attempts. His counterpart, Marshall’s Carlos Del Rio-Wilson of Atlanta, Georgia, struggled with accuracy, completing only 16 of 35 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown, though he led his team with 73 rushing yards on 23 carries.

The Dukes established control early, marching 80 yards on their opening possession. The drive culminated in a 26-yard touchdown strike from Barnett III to receiver Braeden Wisloski, giving James Madison a 7 to 0 lead with 8:02 remaining in the first quarter. The James Madison defense set the tone on Marshall’s ensuing drives, consistently pressuring Del Rio-Wilson and forcing a pair of punts.

James Madison extended its lead in the second quarter. Running back Wayne Knight, a dynamic playmaker from Smyrna, Delaware, capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, pushing the advantage to 14 to 0. Knight finished with a versatile stat line, rushing 14 times for 87 yards and a touchdown while catching four passes for 79 yards and another score.

Marshall, however, found a spark in its ground game. Running back Antwan Roberts of Nashville, Tennessee, broke through for a 15-yard touchdown run with 13:55 left in the half. The Thundering Herd’s two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score at 14 to 6. Roberts was a bright spot for Marshall, grinding out 121 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

After a James Madison field goal attempt missed wide right, Marshall drove into Dukes territory and cut the deficit further with a 49-yard field goal from Lorcan Quinn, making it 14 to 9. James Madison responded just before halftime, engineering a 13-play, 80-yard drive. Running back Jordan Fuller of North Hampton, New Hampshire, plunged in from one yard out with 28 seconds remaining, sending the Dukes into the break with a 21 to 9 lead.

Marshall managed to add a 52-yard field goal from Quinn as the first-half clock expired, narrowing the gap to 21 to 12 at halftime.

The Dukes delivered a decisive blow early in the third quarter. On their first offensive play of the second half, Barnett III connected with Jaylan Sanchez on a deep post route. Sanchez, a receiver from North Bergen, New Jersey, hauled in the pass and raced 80 yards for a touchdown, extending the James Madison lead to 28 to 12.

The Thundering Herd mounted a sustained response, embarking on a 17-play, 98-yard drive that consumed over eight minutes of the third quarter. The marathon drive ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Del Rio-Wilson to tight end Tracy Stephens of Columbia, South Carolina. Marshall successfully converted a two-point attempt on a trick play, with receiver De’Andre Tamarez finding the end zone, pulling the Thundering Herd to within a single score at 28 to 20.

Marshall’s defense then came up with a critical turnover early in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Paul Hutson III of Norfolk, Virginia, intercepted a Barnett III pass that was hurried by pressure from Boogie Trotter, giving the Thundering Herd the ball at the James Madison 43. The Marshall offense drove to the 5-yard line but could not punch it in, settling for a 23-yard Quinn field goal to make it 28 to 23 with 10:15 remaining.

The James Madison defense then rose to the occasion, forcing a three-and-out on Marshall’s next possession. After a trade of punts, the Dukes put the game away. Facing a third-and-6 from their own 49-yard line with just over two minutes to play, Barnett III found Knight on a screen pass. Knight broke a tackle and sprinted 49 yards for the clinching touchdown, sealing the 35 to 23 victory.

Defensively, James Madison was led by safety Tyler Brown of Annapolis, Maryland, who racked up 13 tackles. Linebacker Trent Hendrick of Richmond, Virginia, added 12 tackles, and linebacker Gannon Weathersby of Atlanta, Georgia, recorded 11 tackles and three quarterback hurries, consistently disrupting Marshall’s backfield.

For the Thundering Herd, linebacker Jibreel Al-Amin of Woodbridge, Virginia, was a force with six tackles and a quarterback hurry, while the secondary was anchored by cornerback Josh Pierre-Louis of Riviera Beach, Florida, who made seven tackles.

The game, played in England, drew a crowd of 22,117. The final score of 58 total points went under the betting over/under line of 53.5. James Madison, which had been a 13.5-point underdog according to the pregame spread, outperformed expectations, while Interstat’s game simulator had projected a closer James Madison victory, 36 to 29.

James Madison will look to continue its winning ways next Saturday when it hosts Appalachian State. Marshall will hit the road to face Georgia State.