{
  "id": 5829378,
  "title": "James Madison begins the coach Billy Napier era with a 20-13 victory over in-state foe Liberty",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/james-madison-begins-the-coach-billy-napier-era-with-a-20-13-victory",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T20:16:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/james-madison-begins-coach-billy-201616813.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Harrisonburg, Va. (AP) — In the kickoff of coach Billy Napier's tenure, James Madison secured a 20-13 triumph over their in-state rival Liberty on Saturday. JC Evans contributed significantly by both throwing a touchdown and securing a crucial first down in the fourth quarter. The Dukes demonstrated further control as they broke up a pass to the outside with mere two minutes left. JC Evans, who completed 7 of his 9 passes for 61 yards along with contributing 69 yards on the ground, led his team to triumph. This victory marked a 14-6 improvement in the series, securing the Battle of the Blue Ridge trophy for JMU. Evans found Corey Scott for a 5-yard touchdown in the first half, giving JMU a 17-3 lead. Notably, 11 of the past 20 matchups between the two teams have been decided by just a score. Deshawn Purdie from Liberty managed 230 passing yards and a touchdown, marking their first visit to Harrisonburg since 2014. The Dukes are returning from a 12-2 campaign that culminated in their first Sun Belt Conference title and a College Football Playoff appearance. Liberty will be back home to face Gardner-Webb the following Saturday, while James Madison will host Wagner the same weekend.",
  "summary": "JC Evans threw for a touchdown and ran for a key first down late in the fourth quarter to help James Madison begin the coach Billy Napier era with a 20-13 victory over in-state foe Liberty on Saturday. James Madison forced Liberty into a fourth-and-2 decision with 2:16 left in the fourth quarter before breaking up a pass to the outside. Evans rushed for 23 yards on the next play and the Dukes…",
  "key_points": [
    "James Madison defeats Liberty 20-13, marking start of Napier's coaching era.",
    "JC Evans throws TD, secures 4th quarter first down in crucial victory.",
    "Victory improves JMU's series record to 14-6 over Liberty."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "James Madison begins the coach Billy Napier era with a 20-13 victory over in-state foe Liberty",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/james-madison-begins-the-coach-billy-napier-era-with-a-20-13-victory-5830002",
        "published": "2026-09-05T20:20:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}