Jordan McCloud accounts for 6 TDs, JMU holds off Utah State for 45-38 win

Updated Sep. 24, 2023 1:54 a.m. ET

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LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Redshirt senior Jordan McCloud accounted for a career-high six touchdowns Saturday night, including a 74-yard pass to Reggie Brown that capped the scoring, and James Madison held off a furious rally by Utah State to win 45-38.

McCloud completed 23 of 34 for 364 yards with a season-high four touchdowns and two interceptions. He added a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs, the latter of which gave James Madison (4-0) a 38-14 lead with 1:32 left in the first half.

Elliott Nimrod kicked a 28-yard field goal to pull Utah State within 21 points going into halftime. McCae Hillstead threw TD passes of 20 and 6 yards to Terrell Vaughn in the third quarter and then connected with Micah Davis for a 76-yard TD that made it 38-38 with 11:01 to play.

JMU lost two fourth-quarter fumbles, but the Dukes defense — which went into the game leading the FBS in rushing defense, allowing 22.7 per game this season, and held Troy to minus-12 yards rushing last week — forced a three-and-out, a turnover on downs in their own territory and had two interceptions (one each by Aiden Fisher and D'Angelo Ponds) on Utah State's final four possessions.

Utah State (1-3) got on the board with a fake field in the second quarter. Nimrod ran right, took a pitch from the holder and broke a tackle on his way to an 18-yard touchdown that made it 24-7.

Vaughn finished with 10 receptions for 124 yards and Hillstead was 25-of-47 passing for 399 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions. Davon Booth added 103 yards rushing on 21 carries for the Aggies.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

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Jordan McCloud

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