Billy Napier’s James Madison team commits 15-yard penalty prior to opening kickoff
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Billy Napier had a 4-year run to forget at Florida, compiling a 22-23 overall record and a 12-16 mark in the SEC, which all led to his firing midway through last season.
But Napier has an opportunity for a fresh start this fall at James Madison, a Sun Belt Conference powerhouse which was in the College Football Playoff last season. Napier wants to keep that ship moving in the right direction for the Dukes, and on Saturday afternoon his new coaching life began at James Madison with a home matchup against Liberty.
This was going to be a day to remember for Napier, far away from the pressures of the SEC and Gainesville. But before it could even start, there was a bad start for JMU, if that makes sense. If not, it can be explained by a 15-yard penalty that James Madison committed before the opening kickoff could even occur.
How many times do you see that? The answer is not every often, but sarcastic Gators fans would say that Napier made the impossible very possible in not such a good way during his years at Florida, so this was just another case of Napier doing that.
Here is the unforgettable start to JMU’s season before it even started:
James Madison shook off that very early mistake and got down to the business of actual football once the game began. The Dukes had a 20-6 lead early in the fourth quarter, with Napier closing in on being 1-0 at his new coaching locale.
Despite Saturday’s big mistake before his team’s season even started, Napier will be trying to get James Madison back to the level it was at last season, when it made the Playoff. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top teams’ odds to crack the Playoff field in 2026:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
