Air Force to play #24 James Madison in Armed Forces Bowl Dec. 23 in Fort Worth, Texas
12/3/2023 1:21:00 PM | Football
Falcons making seventh appearance in Armed Forces Bowl
Falcons making seventh appearance in Armed Forces Bowl
FORT WORTH, Texas (Dec. 3, 2023) – The No. 24 James Madison Dukes (11-1, 7-1 Sun Belt) and defending Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl champion Air Force Falcons (8-4, 5-3 Mountain West) have officially accepted invitations to play in the 2023 game. Air Force is making its record seventh appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, while James Madison is playing in the bowl for the first time. The teams have never met previously.
The 21st edition of the bowl game will be played Saturday, Dec. 23 at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC. The game will also be simulcast on ESPN+.
"We are extremely pleased to announce that James Madison and Air Force will compete in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl," Executive Director Brant Ringler said. "We are excited that we will have two very deserving, proud programs joining us in Fort Worth as we honor our military heroes."
James Madison, ranked 24th in the AP Top 25 and 25th in the AFCA Coaches Poll, has outscored its opponents by a 422-222 total in 2023. The Dukes lead the country in rushing defense (61.5) and yards per rush allowed (2.1). JMU is among the nation's top 25 in both scoring offense and defense, averaging 35.2 points per game while yielding just 18.5.
The fifth top-25 team ever to play in the Armed Forces Bowl, JMU topped the 40-point plateau in three of its last four games, and 17 Dukes were tabbed to the All-Sun Belt Conference team. James Madison, which is in year two of its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision, will be managed by acting head coach Damian Wroblewski.
Air Force is playing in its 30th all-time bowl game. The Falcons soared to an 8-0 start this year en route to a national ranking as high as 17th. The team is second in the FBS in rushing offense at 275.8 yard per game. Defensively, Air Force is ninth nationally in rushing defense, giving up 96.2 yards per game and 14th in scoring defense at 17.9 points per game. Seven Falcons were named All-Mountain West Conference.
Making his seventh appearance at the Armed Forces Bowl, head coach Troy Calhoun is 129-82 in his career. He has led the Falcons to bowl games in 13 of his 17 years at the helm of the program. Air Force is 2-4 in the Armed Forces Bowl following a 30-15 victory over Baylor in 2022.
The annual bowl game in Fort Worth began in 2003 and has featured the "armed forces" theme since 2006. It was the first collegiate football bowl game to host all three U.S. Military Academy football teams – Air Force (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2022), Army West Point (2010, 2017, 2018, 2021) and Navy (2013, 2016). Patriotic overtones recognizing all six branches of the service are prevalent throughout the game. This marks the 13th time in the past 17 years that the game has featured an academy team.
Since 2014, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is the second highest scoring of the more than three dozen bowl games in the nation with a total of 602 points. Only the Rose Bowl Game (633) has had more points scored.
The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. For additional information about the bowl, please visit ArmedForcesBowl.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Air Force Tickets click here.
Air Force Bowl Central
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 33-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, nine college basketball events, a college softball event and the inaugural Band of the Year National Championship, in addition to a new a college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram or YouTube pages.
FORT WORTH, Texas (Dec. 3, 2023) – The No. 24 James Madison Dukes (11-1, 7-1 Sun Belt) and defending Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl champion Air Force Falcons (8-4, 5-3 Mountain West) have officially accepted invitations to play in the 2023 game. Air Force is making its record seventh appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, while James Madison is playing in the bowl for the first time. The teams have never met previously.
The 21st edition of the bowl game will be played Saturday, Dec. 23 at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC. The game will also be simulcast on ESPN+.
"We are extremely pleased to announce that James Madison and Air Force will compete in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl," Executive Director Brant Ringler said. "We are excited that we will have two very deserving, proud programs joining us in Fort Worth as we honor our military heroes."
James Madison, ranked 24th in the AP Top 25 and 25th in the AFCA Coaches Poll, has outscored its opponents by a 422-222 total in 2023. The Dukes lead the country in rushing defense (61.5) and yards per rush allowed (2.1). JMU is among the nation's top 25 in both scoring offense and defense, averaging 35.2 points per game while yielding just 18.5.
The fifth top-25 team ever to play in the Armed Forces Bowl, JMU topped the 40-point plateau in three of its last four games, and 17 Dukes were tabbed to the All-Sun Belt Conference team. James Madison, which is in year two of its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision, will be managed by acting head coach Damian Wroblewski.
Air Force is playing in its 30th all-time bowl game. The Falcons soared to an 8-0 start this year en route to a national ranking as high as 17th. The team is second in the FBS in rushing offense at 275.8 yard per game. Defensively, Air Force is ninth nationally in rushing defense, giving up 96.2 yards per game and 14th in scoring defense at 17.9 points per game. Seven Falcons were named All-Mountain West Conference.
Making his seventh appearance at the Armed Forces Bowl, head coach Troy Calhoun is 129-82 in his career. He has led the Falcons to bowl games in 13 of his 17 years at the helm of the program. Air Force is 2-4 in the Armed Forces Bowl following a 30-15 victory over Baylor in 2022.
The annual bowl game in Fort Worth began in 2003 and has featured the "armed forces" theme since 2006. It was the first collegiate football bowl game to host all three U.S. Military Academy football teams – Air Force (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2022), Army West Point (2010, 2017, 2018, 2021) and Navy (2013, 2016). Patriotic overtones recognizing all six branches of the service are prevalent throughout the game. This marks the 13th time in the past 17 years that the game has featured an academy team.
Since 2014, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is the second highest scoring of the more than three dozen bowl games in the nation with a total of 602 points. Only the Rose Bowl Game (633) has had more points scored.
The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. For additional information about the bowl, please visit ArmedForcesBowl.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Air Force Tickets click here.
Air Force Bowl Central
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 33-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, nine college basketball events, a college softball event and the inaugural Band of the Year National Championship, in addition to a new a college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram or YouTube pages.
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