BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Backup Billy Atkins threw for 181 yards and a touchdown in his first start since 2022, leading James Madison to the program’s first bowl win after topping Western Kentucky 27-17 on Wednesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl.
JMU was without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who suffered an injury against Marshall on Nov. 30, and the Dukes turned to Atkins, who had just three pass attempts in the last two years.
Atkins went 4 for 5 on a fourth-quarter drive, ending in a 21-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Thompson for a 24-17 lead with 9:20 left.
After both teams went three-and-out, Khairi Manns ended a Western Kentucky drive with 3:02 remaining when he recovered his own strip sack and JMU marched down the field for a short field goal for a 10-point lead.
It was the fifth game this season that JMU had three or more takeaways in a game.
George Pettaway finished with 100 yards rushing for James Madison (9-4).
Caden Veltkamp led Western Kentucky (8-6) with 302 yards passing and two touchdowns. Dalvin Smith had 76 yards receiving, including an 11-yard touchdown and a 65-yard catch-and-run.
LA BOWL
No. 24 UNLV 24, CALIFORNIA 13
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hajj-Malik Williams passed for two touchdowns, Kylin James ran for another and No. 24 UNLV pulled away in the second half for a 24-13 victory over California in the LA Bowl on Wednesday night.
UNLV won for the first time in a bowl game since 2000 and the first outside of the Las Vegas Bowl. It also gave the Rebels (11-3) 11 wins for the first time as an FBS program.
Del Alexander, an assistant when UNLV last won a bowl game, was the interim head coach after Barry Odom departed for the vacancy at Purdue on Dec. 8.
Dan Mullen, who will take over UNLV’s program next season after being hired last Thursday, was in attendance.
Cal (6-7), which hasn’t had a winning season since 2019, was missing quarterback Fernando Mendoza and leading wide receiver Nyziah Hunter, after both entered the transfer portal.
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