Friday Night Lights: James Madison @ Louisville (9/5/2025)

Preview

Kickoff: Friday, Sept. 5, 2025 — 7:00 PM ET (ESPN2)

Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY

The second weekend of September serves up a fascinating clash between an ACC contender Louisville and one of the more dangerous G5 teams in James Madison. Louisville and James Madison both enter Week 2 at 1–0.

Louisville

The Cardinals opened with a 51–17 rout of Eastern Kentucky. Louisville remains a run first team. True freshman Isaac Brown (126 yards, 2 TD vs EKU) and QB Miller Moss’s play-action deep shots headline an offense capable of breaking games open.

James Madison

The Dukes dismantled Weber State 45–10, showcasing 458 total yards, including a 313 yards on the ground. The power run game sets up a two quarterback approach: Alonza Barnett III as the main signal-caller, with Matthew Sluka providing situational looks.

Balanced and opportunistic. JMU will try to pound the rock with Wayne Knight and George Pettaway, while mixing in quarterback runs to stress the edges. They’ll need chunk plays if they want to pull off this upset.

Key Matchups to Watch

1. Louisville’s Run Game vs. JMU’s Front Seven: The Cards have gone over 200 rushing yards in five of their last six games. Can Hendrick and Weathersby plug the early gaps and force Moss to win with his arm?

2. QB Containment: Barnett and Sluka can extend drives with their legs. Louisville’s defensive ends must keep contain and avoid over-pursuit.

3. Penalties & Turnovers: Brohm’s “fix the details” push will be tested. If Louisville plays clean, their talent advantage grows.

4. Explosives on Both Sides: Louisville thrives on play action shots; JMU has hit big plays in transition before. One or two sudden scores could swing momentum.

Prediction

I think with spread being double digits, this will favor the underdog in this matchup. Both run heavy offenses will chew clock which will not be good for a heavy favorite to cover. Look for James Madison to utilize Sluka at QB in the red zone. As you may recall, he led a UNLV team to a upset win over Kansas last year. This game will end a lot closer than the spread suggests.

I'm taking James Madison +14.5!