Billy Napier's James Madison improves to 7-0, only unbeaten FBS team
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The gist
First-year James Madison coach Billy Napier beat Georgia State 49-22, his 19th straight Sun Belt win.
JMU is the lone 7-0 FBS team; Napier wants second-half lulls fixed.
Background
Billy Napier is the first-year head coach of James Madison (JMU), a Virginia football program that moved up from FCS to FBS four years ago; he previously coached at Florida and at Louisiana, where his Sun Belt conference win streak began. JMU is 7-0 and the only undefeated team in the FBS (the top division of college football) through Week 7, and it has accepted membership in the American Conference. The topic is trending because Napier's streak and JMU's start have drawn national attention, while Napier himself is stressing that his team's play after halftime needs work.
How it unfolded
- Oct 14, 2020Napier's most recent loss to a Sun Belt program came on this date, against Jamey Chadwell's Coastal Carolina team.
- Oct 17, 2026JMU beat Georgia State 49-22 in Harrisonburg, and Napier's Sun Belt win streak reached 19.
- Oct 18, 2026JMU improved to 7-0, becoming the only 7-0 team in the FBS and one of six undefeated teams.
- Oct 20, 2026Napier said the staff is "about to overhaul the entire halftime process" to eliminate second-half lulls.
- Oct 22, 2026James Madison is scheduled to play App State on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- Napier said his team is "sleepwalking" defensively at times and that complacency with big leads could "cost us in the future."
- Support
- Napier credited a player-led culture and "fantastic leadership" at JMU, calling the American Conference move a "great day for JMU."
- Analysts
- On3 noted James Madison is the only FBS program at 7-0 after Week 7 and that Napier has won 19 Sun Belt games in a row.