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The 2023 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl will feature James Madison taking on Air Force, with one team being a newcomer to the bowl and the other having had the most appearances. But that's only one story of many others that will be part of this matchup before, during and after game day.
For the James Madison Dukes, their first-ever appearance at the Armed Forces Bowl is punctuated by an excellent regular season performance. With an 11-1 record, the Dukes steamrolled through their entire schedule--only ever getting stopped by Appalachian State 26-23 in an overtime thriller. They were never really in much trouble for the whole of that game.
They'll be facing an Air Force team that has, all things considered, managed to start the season off right. The Falcons were undefeated for the first eight games until they got punched in the mouth by the Army Black Knights, and things snowballed from there. They're heading into this bowl showdown having lost four straight games, meaning they're the underdogs.
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What channel is the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
on?
Live Stream: The bowl game featuring James Madison vs. Air Force will be livestreamed on Fubo TV. This service is one of the best sites for streaming college football today. Fans can try Fubo out as the service offers a free trial. Aside from that, all plans can be canceled anytime, so there's no obligation to stay.
TV Channel: Fans can catch the 2023 edition of the Armed Forces Bowl live on ABC. Formerly known as the Fort Worth Bowl from 2003 to 2005, the matchup officially started with its first game featuring Boise State and TCU. It has since hosted 19 games but skipped the years 2014 and 2019.
Air Force is quite the veteran of the Armed Forces Bowl, having featured a total of seven times now, including 2023. But despite that many appearances, the Falcons haven't won much--going 2-4 in all their previous stints. The record for the most wins in this bowl is held instead by Army, who's won all four tries.
On the other hand, this is James Madison's first-ever appearance at the Armed Forces Bowl. And it's safe to say the program will be raring to go.
What time is the James Madison vs. Air Force Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Game?
Date: The Armed Forces Bowl game featuring James Madison vs. Air Force is scheduled for Dec. 23.
Time: Fans can catch the 2023 edition of the Armed Forces Bowl at 3:30 p.m. ET.
What to expect in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl game?
While James Madison has had the far better regular season record, there's turmoil afoot at the Dukes' camp--and it involves a good chunk of their coaching staff. Or, basically, a lack thereof.
Former coach Curt Cignetti has already left for Indiana and will not be coaching the team in its first-ever bowl game. Aside from that, he also brought a considerable portion of the staff with him. In Cignetti's place, Bob Chesney will be manning the helm. He previously spent time with Holy Cross, Assumption and Salve Regina.
Chesney is inhering a good offensive team that ranks within the top 30 in PPG (15th), yards per game (26th), points/play (16th) and yards/play (28th). Aside from that, the Dukes' defense also tallied great marks throughout the year, giving them a well-balanced squad on either side of the field. This is something that Air Force should be quite equipped to contend with, too--especially on the ground.
The Falcons are arguably among the best rushing teams in the nation, ranking first in rush play percentage and rushes/game and second in rush yards/game. But the Dukes are among the absolute best at stopping the run game, so the contest could be a great back-and-forth battle between these two teams.
Who will be the starting QB for James Madison in the
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl?
After losing Jordan McCloud to the transfer portal earlier this month, the Dukes will now have to look deep. There's a chance that sophomore quarterback Billy Atkins will see action as the starter, but he will be filling massive shoes after McCloud's departure.
Atkins has thus far played in three games and doesn't have a lot of numbers to show for it. In those three outings, he only totaled 10 pass yards on 1 of 2 attempts, though he did have 16 total rush yards on 16 carries. If he's to prove that he's the Dukes QB of the future, he'll need to have an excellent game here.
Who will be the starting QB for Air Force in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl?
QB1 Zach Larrier is listed as questionable for the Armed Forces Bowl, as he suffered an injury in Week 7 that didn't let him finish the game against the Wyoming Cowboys. While he did return in time for their matchup against the Army, he didn't have an excellent outing stats-wise.
It looks like Larrier's status will be a game-day decision for now. So Falcons fans should look to backups John Busha or Jensen Jones to pick up the slack--if Larrier doesn't come back in time.
James Madison 2023 schedule before it faces Air Force
Air Force 2023 schedule before it faces James Madison
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