James London’s 40-yard FG in OT helps Appalachian St. beat James Madison 34-31

In a thrilling contest on Thursday night, Appalachian State emerged victorious over the previously unbeaten James Madison in a dramatic overtime showdown. James London sealed the win with a 40-yard field goal in extra time, as the Mountaineers secured a hard-fought 34-31 triumph.

Malachi Singleton proved to be a pivotal figure in the game, connecting on two touchdown passes and contributing significantly with his 271-yard passing performance. The Blue Devils, led by Morgan Suarez, matched London's impressive kicking display with a second-half comeback, tying the score at 24-21 in the fourth quarter.

Appalachian State broke the deadlock late in the game when Colton Phares intercepted a pass from James Madison and returned it 21 yards to the Dukes' 14-yard line. Henry Hasselbeck capitalized on the turnover with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Luke Douglas, giving the Mountaineers their first lead of the night, 31-24.

James Madison's Camden Coleman was a standout performer, completing 22 of 39 passes for 232 yards, including a touchdown and an interception. Coleman also added a 6-yard rushing touchdown with just three seconds remaining in regulation, forcing the game into overtime. On fourth-and-3, Coleman made a crucial play, finding Jeremiah Harrison for a 3-yard gain that put JMU up 31-31 with just 12 seconds left in regulation, setting up a nail-biting overtime finish.

George Pettaway, who had been a consistent force with 57 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, left the game due to an apparent left hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter and did not return. The injury forced Pettaway to miss Appalachian State's crucial home game against Georgia Southern on Halloween.

Looking ahead, James Madison will host Troy next Thursday, while Appalachian State will travel to face Georgia Southern in a game that takes place during Halloween festivities.