Overview

• James Madison (8-4) will play in its second-ever FBS bowl game, aiming for its first victory after losing last year to Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.
• Western Kentucky (8-5) enters the game with a depleted roster, as 27 players have entered the transfer portal, though star quarterback Caden Veltkamp will still play.
• James Madison will rely on backup quarterback Billy Atkins, as starter Alonza Barnett III is sidelined with an injury sustained in the regular season finale.
• Western Kentucky has a strong bowl game history under coach Tyson Helton, holding a 4-1 bowl record, but is coming off a heavy loss in the Conference USA championship game.
• The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams and James Madison's first game in Florida in 24 years, with kickoff set for December 18 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida.