HARRISONBURG – The program’s recent history against FBS competition is strong.

James Madison has won two of its last four contests over foes from the highest level of college football and get another crack at taking down one of those squads this coming Saturday in its season opener at West Virginia.

“I just think we don’t back down from anybody,” Dukes senior defensive end Ron’Dell Carter said about why him and his teammates have performed well against FBS opponents.

Two seasons ago, JMU routed East Carolina 34-14 behind former running back Cardon Johnson’s 265 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In 2015, the Dukes won in the last minute at SMU when former quarterback Vad Lee connected with former receiver John Miller for a score with 27 seconds left.

Even last year, Madison had a chance to win its opener at N.C. State, keeping the score close into the fourth quarter. It was a four-point game until the Wolfpack separated on Reggie Gallaspy’s 6-yard touchdown run with 1:05 to play.

“You can be faster,” Carter said. “You can be bigger and that’s all fine and dandy, but if you don’t have the heart, I think you’ve lost half the battle right there when you don’t have a team that’s willing to go out there and do each and everything they need to do to win. If you have a team that’s more talented and is bigger and faster, and if you look at ECU a few years, ago they were bigger and faster and all that stuff, but we had the will to win. We have a will to win each and every game and I think that’s our edge.”

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- Carter said JMU is anxious to play on Saturday. He said between getting rid of the taste last year’s season-ending loss to Colgate out of their system to finally putting the transition of a new coaching staff behind them, players are ready for a game.

- Cornerback Rashad Robinson called his wait to play, “very, very, long.” He hasn’t played in a game since the 2017 national championship loss to North Dakota State. Robinson missed all of last year with turf toe and said, “But we’re finally here. There’s light at the end of the tunnel and next week is game week.”

- Dukes coach Curt Cignetti said the team transitioned to West Virginia-focused practices earlier this week. He said about 60 percent of practice is dedicated to preparing for West Virginia schemes and plays.