With 24,965 fans watching on, Weber State University’s football team came up short in their season-opening matchup with James Madison University, losing to the Dukes 45–10 at Bridgeforth Stadium on Aug. 30.
Far from Stewart Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Wildcats were unable to provide an answer for JMU’s offense. Less than 8 minutes into the first quarter, junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III spotted a gap in Weber’s defensive line and ran for 11 yards to put the Dukes’ first touchdown on the board.
Before the quarter finished, Barnett helped double JMU’s lead with a 20-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Isaiah Alston.
Losing 14–0 at the start of the second quarter, WSU sought to revive its chances but turned the ball over on downs after eight plays and 38 yards. The Dukes’ subsequent 10-play, 57-yard drive ended with senior quarterback Matthew Sluka carrying the ball past the 1-yard line and in for a third touchdown. Sluka contributed again, less than four minutes later, with a 14-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Landon Ellis.
The Wildcats’ first touchdown of the year came from sophomore wide receiver Noah Kjar, who broke free from his defender and caught a 14-yard pass from redshirt-sophomore quarterback Jackson Gilkey in the end zone with 44 seconds left in the first half. Gilkey, who transferred from the University of Texas, San Antonio, this offseason, had his first start of his collegiate career. Senior kicker Sloan Calder made the extra point and added a 51-yard field goal at the beginning of the third quarter, reducing the deficit to 28–10.
However, this was the end of Weber’s scoring, and the Dukes’ senior kicker Morgan Suarez capitalized on a 38-yard field goal after a 15-yard pass-interference penalty halted JMU’s drive progress to bring the score to 31–10.
The opening play of the fourth quarter saw junior running back Wayne Knight bypass the cluster of Wildcat defenders and rush 59 yards for another Dukes touchdown, bringing the score to 38–10 after Suarez’s kick. JMU’s third-string quarterback, freshman JC Evans, put the game to bed with 4:48 remaining as he ran for 5 yards into the left side of the endzone for the night’s final touchdown.
Gilkey managed 84 passing yards for the Wildcats while senior running back Zach Hrbacek, who transferred from Sam Houston State University over the offseason, led WSU in rushing yards with 39 and junior wide receiver Marcus Chretien posted a team-high of 22 receiving yards. In addition to Gilkey’s three interceptions, these numbers show the offensive struggles Weber faced when compared with JMU’s offense: Barnett threw for 130 yards, junior running back George Pettaway rushed for 99 and freshman wide receiver Michael Scott posted 38 receiving yards.
Defensively, Weber similarly faltered and had little joy aside from sophomore cornerback Ishaan Daniels’ fumble recovery, sack on Barnett for the game’s only sack and senior safety Angel King’s game-high 11 tackles.
The Wildcats will be back in action on Sept. 6 to take on the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.
