HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III and reserve quarterback Matthew Sluka each threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the first half and James Madison dominated Weber State 45-10 in a season opener for both teams on Saturday.
Barnett got the starting nod before the game over the UNLV transfer Sluka. Before the break he completed 9 of 12 passes that included a 20-yard score to Isaiah Alston to give James Madison a 14-0 lead with 46 seconds left in the first quarter. He finished 14 of 22 for 130 yards.
Barnett, coming off an ACL tear suffered in the final game of last season, ran it in from the 11 for the game’s first score.
Sluka entered in the second and crashed in from the 1 for a 21-0 advantage. Following a blocked punt, Sluka threw a 14-yard touchdown to Landon Ellis for a 28-point lead.
Weber State got on the scoreboard when Jackson Gilkey threw a 14-yard touchdown to Noah Kjar with 53 seconds left before halftime.
After exchanging field goals in the third quarter, JMU closed the scoring in the fourth on a 59-yard touchdown run by Wayne Knight and a 5-yarder by JC Evans.
The Dukes outgained Weber State 458-148.
