Appalachian State pulled off one of the biggest upsets of its season on Thursday night, beating previously undefeated James Madison 34-31 in overtime at Kidd Brewer Stadium. James London’s 40-yard field goal sealed it, and the moment it went through, fans came pouring onto the field.
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Security had been set up to stop a field storm, but it couldn’t hold the crowd back, and soon thousands of people were singing and dancing around the 50-yard line. In the middle of all that chaos and heartbreaking loss for Dukes, one clip has now gone viral.
“Breaking: JMU student-athlete attempted assault; I wonder what the JMU fans will say about this,” a fan wrote, posting the video on X on October 24.
In the clip, an Appalachian State fan is arguing with JMU’s Jeremiah Harrison when teammate Braeden Wisloski runs over to try to hold the receiver back. The fan then pushes Harrison.
A second fan, the one who is filming, steps in between them and tells Harrison, “Shut the f— up.” A second later, Harrison appears to hit him. Neither fan has been identified, and there is no official word yet either.
From the short clip, it was clear that the home fans were trying to instigate JMU players before the alleged assault took place. The person recording the video can also be seen pushing Harrison before the latter hit him.
Harrison had a big role in the game as the sophomore, catching a three-yard pass on fourth-and-three late in regulation, which moved the Dukes to first-and-goal at the six with 12 seconds left. Quarterback Camden Coleman then ran in from six yards out with three seconds on the clock to tie it at 31.
James Madison coach Billy Napier had a choice at that point. He could have gone for a two-point conversion to win the game in regulation, but he chose to play for overtime instead.
That decision put the Dukes’ season in the hands of a field goal, and it didn’t go their way. Harrison and his teammates had fought all the way back from a seven-point deficit, only to watch it slip away in the extra period.
That’s what made the scene so tense. Players were still on the field, still processing an overtime loss, when a crowd rushed in to celebrate right in front of them. When emotions are that raw and people are that close, a shove or a few words can turn into something much bigger very fast.
How did Appalachian State’s win get so emotional?
The loss was James Madison’s first of the season, dropping the Dukes to 7-1. Appalachian State moved to 5-2. The game was close from start to finish, with the fourth quarter setting the tone.
App State scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. They started the period with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie it at 21-21. Then Morgan Suarez kicked a 47-yard field goal, and JMU led 24-21. James London answered with a 36-yard kick of his own to make it 24-24.
On JMU’s next drive, linebacker Colton Phares picked off Camden Coleman and ran it back 21 yards to the JMU 14, with 6:03 left. A pass interference penalty moved the ball to the four. From there, Henry Hasselbeck threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Luke Douglas, and App State led 31-24.
JMU drove 71 yards over 15 plays, and Coleman ran it in from six yards out with three seconds left. That made it 31-31 and sent the game to overtime.
For the Dukes, Coleman went 22 of 39 for 232 yards with one touchdown and one interception, plus his late rushing score. Running back George Pettaway ran for 57 yards on 15 carries and left late in the fourth quarter with an apparent left hamstring injury. His streak of four straight 100-yard games ended in the process.
Four unbeaten FBS teams remain: Miami, BYU, Utah, and UCLA. The Dukes’ strength of schedule ranked 131st among 138 teams, compared with 59th for Boise State, and they had only squeaked by Georgia Southern 27-24 earlier in the season.
For James Madison, the defeat was a solid setback after an unbeaten start to the season. The Dukes had risen as potential contenders for another College Football Playoff appearance, but their first loss weakened their position. Last year, they were the No. 12 seed.