James Madison lost yet another college football game on a field goal in overtime on Thursday. Neither the players nor the coaches stayed on the field to sing the alma mater after the loss to Troy and the crowd had already emptied out at halftime.
It does not reflect well the culture in Harrisonburg.
Billy Napier’s approach to the alma mater presents a stark contrast the previous college football coaches.
James Madison lost in overtime in front of an empty crowd.
As of two weeks ago, James Madison was right in the mix to make the College Football Playoff as the highest-ranked Group of Six champion. That is no longer the case.
The Dukes gave up an early lead during a rivalry loss last weekend. Billy Napier’s PTSD stopped him from going for two on the road at App State, which allowed the Mountaineers to kick a walk-off field goal during overtime. Fans stormed the field.
Thursday’s loss was eerily similar. Although Napier did not have to decide whether or not to go for two at the end of regulation, James Madison lost to Troy on a walk-off field goal during overtime.
The Dukes were three-score favorites over the Trojans, who danced on the logo at the 50-yard-line after the game.
James Madison dropped to 7-2 with the loss and will have a less than 20% chance of making the College Football Playoff as the regular season continues. Fortunately, there were not a lot of fans in the stands to watch the crushing defeat. Unfortunately, that means they left early. It was a packed house during the first quarter.
The student section, which was completely full at the start of the first quarter, cleared out before halftime.
Bridgeforth Stadium was mostly empty by the end of the second quarter.
Troy even took a shot at the attendance after the game.
That is not a great reflection on the student section or the fanbase. James Madison, which lost its home field advantage when it needed it most, lost its second-straight game on a field goal during overtime after the new poop curse was established.
Billy Napier did not require his players to stay for the alma mater.
The Dukes went up 14-0 during the first quarter. They committed five turnovers and committed 10 penalties during a three-point loss. Situational play-calling was abysmal. Clock management was dreadful.
The loss ultimately falls on the coaching staff. Fans are already calling for first-year head coach Billy Napier to be fired.
To make matters worse, neither the players nor the coaches stayed on the field for the alma mater after the loss.
This presents a stark contrast to previous regimes. James Madison lost its only game of the regular season to App State in overtime in 2023. Curt Cignetti was the head coach at the time. He stood on the field next to his entire team during the alma mater.
Napier did not stay. Nor did his players.