The 21st edition of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday (Dec. 23) will feature a team that is certainly no stranger to the event going against an opponent making its first trip to Fort Worth’s showcase bowl game.
A record holder and a rookie.
The Air Force Falcons (8-4) will be playing in the game for a record seventh time. Meanwhile, the James Madison Dukes (11-1), ranked No. 24 in the nation by the Associated Press, will be making their inaugural appearance in the game and will be playing in their first bowl game since moving up to NCAA Division I last season. It will be the first-ever meeting of the two teams.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. with TV coverage on ABC and ESPN+. Tickets to attend the game are available online.
“We are excited that we will have two very deserving, proud programs joining us in Fort Worth as we honor our military heroes,” said Brant Ringler, executive director of the Armed Forces Bowl.
And it appears the weather will be considerably warmer than last year when the game-time temperature was 13 degrees (wind chill minus 4) for the Air Force Falcons’ 30-15 victory over Baylor. Forecasters are predicting high temperatures in the upper 60s Saturday with the possibility of rain or thunderstorms.
James Madison, which is No. 25 in the American Football Coaches Association rankings, has the nation’s stingiest run defense, allowing just 61.5 yards per game and 2.1 yards per rush. The Dukes also are among the nation’s top 25 scoring teams, averaging 35.2 points per game while yielding just 18.5.
The fifth top-25 team to play in the Armed Forces Bowl, James Madison topped the 40-point plateau in three of its last four games; 17 Dukes were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team. James Madison will be led by acting head coach Damian Wroblewski.
The Dukes are 19-4 since making the move to Division I.
Air Force, playing in a bowl game for the 30th time in school history, soared to an 8-0 start this year en route to a national ranking as high as 17th before hitting a slump to end the regular season.
The Falcons are second in the FBS in rushing offense at 275.8 yards per game. Defensively, Air Force is ninth nationally in rushing defense, giving up 96.2 yards per game, and 14th in scoring defense at 17.9 points per game. Seven Falcons earned All-Mountain West Conference honors.
Air Force Coach Troy Calhoun has a career won-lost record of 129-82 and is making his seventh appearance at the Armed Forces Bowl. He has led the Falcons to bowl games in 13 of his 17 years at the helm of the program. Air Force is 2-4 in the Armed Forces Bowl following its 2022 victory over Baylor.
Since 2014, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is the second highest scoring of the more than three dozen bowl games in the nation with a total of 602 points. Only the Rose Bowl Game has had more points scored ((633).
The annual bowl game in Fort Worth began in 2003 and has featured the “Armed Forces” theme since 2006. It was the first collegiate football bowl game to host all three U.S. military academy football teams – Air Force (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2022); Army (2010, 2017, 2018, 2021); and Navy (2013, 2016). The 2023 matchup marks the 13th time in the past 17 years that the game has featured an academy team.
Patriotic overtones recognizing all six branches of the service are prevalent throughout the game.
