Napier's JMU Drops Second Straight As Double-Digit Favorite
James Madison joined Florida State in losing consecutive games where it was favored by at least 10 points, while other sports and election items rounded out the day.
By Arjun Weber ·
James Madison lost to Florida under Billy Napier on Thursday night, making the Dukes the second team this season to drop consecutive games as a double-digit favorite, joining Florida State. The defeat came with an overtime fourth-down play call that drew criticism. Napier came to James Madison from Florida, where he spent four seasons before being replaced.
The game's result was part of a wider mix of sports, entertainment and political items circulating on Friday, the day before Halloween. James Talarico, a Texas candidate, sent a fundraising text to a Florida-based writer, and Byron Donalds has sent repeated messages about voting. The U.S. presidential election is four days away, on Tuesday.
Angel Reese played in Game 6 of the WNBA playoffs on Thursday night. She finished with a plus-minus of +10 despite turning the ball over six times and shooting 27% from the field. Her team won the game, setting up a Game 7 scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, the same night as a college football slate. The WNBA season ends after that game.
Christian Watson left Thursday's game in an ambulance and later returned to play. His case became a focal point for debate about injury protection policies at sports books. Those policies void straight bets and parlay lines when a selected player is injured and does not return to the game. Watson's return meant some bets that appeared headed for a void were instead graded as losses. The practice of issuing refunds when a player is hurt has been in place at sports books for several years.
Maggie Sajak appeared in Halloween costume imagery circulated on Friday. The original 1978 Halloween mask used in the film was built from a Captain Kirk mask. The film is scheduled for its annual Halloween night viewing by the writer of the column that reported these items.
Election season ends on Tuesday, with four days remaining as of Friday. Candidates including James Talarico and Byron Donalds have contacted potential donors and voters in the final stretch. The writer of the column reported receiving a fundraising text from Talarico and repeated voting reminders from Donalds, and stated a preference for Ron DeSantis while acknowledging Donalds as the next in line.
The WNBA's Game 7 is set for 8 p.m. Saturday, alongside a college football schedule. The column that reported these items runs Monday through Friday on OutKick.com and does not publish on weekends. The next installment is scheduled for Monday.
