How to Watch | Louisville vs. James Madison football: Time, TV, odds, what to know | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The last time Louisville faced James Madison, it needed a strong second half to pull away. Don't expect Friday night to be as simple as an FCS warm-up — not against a JMU program with back-to-back ACC wins on its résumé and a reputation for spoiling Power 4 parties.

Some things to know about the matchup:

The Time

7 p.m. ET Friday, Sept. 5, L&N Stadium (59,823), Louisville

How to Watch / Listen

TV: ESPN2 (Anish Shroff play-by-play; Andre Ware analyst; Paul Carcaterra sideline). Streaming: ESPN app.

Radio: Louisville Sports Radio, 93.9 FM The Ville, WGTK 970 AM (Paul Rogers play-by-play; Craig Swabek analyst; Jody Demling sideline). Streaming: ESPN Louisville app

The Line

Spread: Louisville is a 13.5-point favorite (DraftKings)

Over/Under: 58.5

Notes: JMU is 2-0 vs. the spread in its past two games against Power 4 opponents, including a 70-point outburst against North Carolina last season. The Dukes are also 3-1 as road underdogs since joining the Sun Belt in 2022. Louisville is 9-4 ATS as a home favorite under Jeff Brohm and hasn't lost a September home game in his tenure. Its last five games against the Sun Belt have gone under the total.

The Coaches

Louisville: Jeff Brohm (third season, 20-8 at U of L; 86-52 overall)

JMU: Bob Chesney (second season, 10-4 at JMU; 121-50 overall)

The Last Meeting

Louisville beat James Madison, 34-10, on Nov. 5, 2022, behind 244 rushing yards — the most JMU allowed that season. The Cardinals also held JMU to its season low in points and total yards. The game was tied 10-10 at halftime before the Cardinals scored 24 unanswered. Running backs Tiyon Evans (126 yards) and Jawhar Jordan (117) led the second-half attack.

Series History

Louisville leads the all-time series 1-0.

The Cards are 33-32-1 vs. current Sun Belt teams.

The Records

Louisville: 1-0, coming off a 51-17 win over Eastern Kentucky.

James Madison: 1-0, coming off a 45-10 win over Weber State.

Players to Watch

Louisville: Running back Isaac Brown had 126 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries last week against EKU. Wideout Caullin Lacy added a 93-yard punt return TD and four catches for 62 yards. In his Louisville debut, quarterback Miller Moss went 17-for-25 for 223 yards and a touchdown but also threw two interceptions. Defensive end Clev Lubin had a pair of sacks in his debut.

James Madison: Alonza Barnett III is a dynamic dual-threat QB who accounted for seven TDs in a 70-50 win over UNC last season. George Pettaway,a former UNC back rushed for 110 yards last week. Linebacker Trent Hendrick anchors a defense that had 10 tackles for loss in last week's season-opener vs. Weber State. Terrence Spence and Jayden Mines are a block-and-score special teams duo that helped beat UNC and Virginia in back-to-back seasons. Spence, a cornerback, also led JMU with five interceptions in 2024.

Quick Sideline Storylines

Louisville has scored 30+ in 12 of 14 home games under Brohm.
JMU has won its last two games against ACC opponents (UNC, UVA), each featuring a blocked punt return TD.
Louisville is seeking a fifth-straight win dating back to last season.
Louisville has billed the game as a “Throwback Night,” featuring call-backs to past program players and accomplishments throughout the game
The prime-time kickoff is the first night game in L&N Stadium in 665 days, since November of 2023

The Quote

"James Madison knows how to win. They've done it over the years. They've proven it. They play a good brand of football. They give you a lot of things that you've got to deal with, both offensively and defensively. They're well-coached, and they've got really good players. So, I think for us, improving on our mistakes from last week, which were penalties and turnovers, is going to be vital to success. We definitely have to play our best and be sound in what we're doing. And they've got a really good quarterback who can run and throw, with a good running back and some weapons on the outside, and they play a good brand of defense as well. So, I just think this is going to be a great test, and a fun Friday night."

— Jeff Brohm

The Pick

Louisville 31, James Madison 24

Barnett and Pettaway present a challenge, and the JMU defense is tough against the run. If Louisville opens things up with its passing game and its running game gets going, this could get more out of hand than my pick projects.