App State sputters in 2nd half, loses to JMU

The Mountaineers fell to 2-2 on the season

BOONE — Todd Centeio accounted for three touchdowns and James Madison scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to beat Appalachian State 32-28 on Saturday.

Centeio scored on a 2-yard run late in the third quarter and then threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Greene Jr. that pulled James Madison (3-0, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference) to 28-25 early in the fourth.

Kaelon Black’s 4-yard touchdown run for the Dukes capped the scoring with 10:36 remaining. Appalachian State’s (2-2, 1-1) final drive stalled at its 42 when Chase Brice threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-9 with 49 seconds left.

Centeio was 16-of-28 passing for 204 yards with another 88 yards rushing on 18 carries. Black finished with 85 yards on the ground. The duo connected on a 23-yard TD pass just before halftime.

Brice threw for 235 yards and two second-quarter touchdowns. Camerun Peoples and Nate Noel each added a pair of short-yardage scoring runs in the second as the Mountaineers built a 28-10 halftime lead.

James Madison had a come-from-behind, 35-32 win on Sept. 20, 2008, when the teams last met.