JMU Rivalry Flashback – Jacobi Green Reflects On College Gameday
10/15/2021
RICHMOND, Va. – Not many people expected the Spiders to win but those in the Richmond locker room back in 2015 sure expected it. The Spiders spoiled the ESPN College Gameday experience for James Madison and the Duke faithful with a 59-49 victory at Bridgeforth Stadium. Running back Jacobi Green was one of the biggest stars for the Spiders that October day back in 2015.
Green was unstoppable as was the Spider offense that day. He rushed for a career-high 236 yards and scored an astonishing five touchdowns on the ground. The Spider offense had a day of its own, scoring 59 points and amassing 720 yards of total offense in the victory.
“I remember all of the hype surrounding ESPN College Gameday. We were the underdog and everyone around college football thought we were going to get our doors blown off. We came out and handled business pretty well.” - Jacobi Green
Green’s day was one for the record books at Richmond. His yardage total ranked seventh all-time in a single-game while his five scores were tied for most in program history. He scored the game’s first and last points as his touchdown with 2:09 remaining sealed the victory for the Spiders.
“I remember celebrating with my guys in the locker room afterwards,” Green said. “Honestly, that is one of the greatest memories I ever had celebrating with my team that night. Of course I had a really good game but I loved to see the joy in our team and all the hard work we put in.”
Quarterback Kyle Lauletta had an unbelievable game of his own. He threw for a career-best 415 yards which now rank fourth all-time for a single game. Wide receiver Brian Brown caught seven balls for 204 yards, ranking fifth best in school history. Brown became the first Richmond receiver since John Henry in 1986 to collect 200+ yards through the air.
Green finished his Spider career fifth all-time in program history with 2,969 career yards on 547 carries from 2012-15. He scored 28 touchdowns on the ground, ranking fourth best in a Spider career. His 21 rushing touchdowns in 2015 – five of which came against the Dukes – still ranks as the most in a single season in program history.
“It became a big rivalry week – Richmond vs. JMU – and that ESPN Gameday put a big magnifying glass on it. They really had a bitter taste in their mouth after that because you really can’t get that (ESPN Gameday) moment back.”
