It's always refreshing when athletes show personality at the podium. Taking questions ahead of the College Football Playoff Game between James Madison and Oregon, Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III showed himself to be candid and funny, with a great appreciation for Duck football history.
Reporters asked him about the sights and sounds JMU was using at practice, trying to mimic the environment at Autzen Stadium. "How do prepare yourself for an intense environment like that?"
Barnett said, "You can't psych yourself out and lose the game before you start it again."
"You have to remember based on one day why you started playing this game as a kid. I think if we asked everybody on this team especially this generation 'who was your favorite football team growing up?' they would probably say Oregon. They had the flashy jerseys, Marcus Mariota, Darron Thomas, [Darren] Carrington, Kenjon Barner, a bunch of people."
JMU is a 21-point underdog at Autzen Stadium, Saturday December 20, 4:30 p.m. PT on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.
Barnett grew up watching and liking the Ducks as a young athlete
"I was one of those kids that grew up watching Oregon and so this environment's one that you dream of playing in. And if you are who you say you are you can't shut down when the lights are bright."
Dude just listed off all those Ducks like it was nothing.
— 🦆 B1G Duck Energy 🦆 (@B1GDuckEnergyy) December 16, 2025
He’s just like me 😭 https://t.co/C691IbSbuK
Barnett is who he says he is, a competitor who torched opponents for 2,533 yards passing and 21 touchdowns this season, a threat on the ground with 544 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.
He's capable of taking a game over. Against Old Dominion on October 18 he passed for 295 yards and two TDs, rushed for 153 yards and four TDs. Ten days later in a 52-20 win at Texas State (Alex Harkey's old school) he passed for 264 with four scoring passes, ran for 98 a score, breaking out with a 76-yard touchdown pass to Nick Gennaro as well as a 51-yard run.
That's as dangerous and dynamic as Marcus Mariota or Darren Thomas ever were as college quarterbacks, Before you dismiss the Sun Belt Conference as a lower level of college football, remember that a dozen or so of Indiana's No. 1 team, the one that beat Oregon 30-20 in Autzen Stadium back in October, came from this same JMU program.
Barnett may take some lumps at Autzen, but the atmosphere is something he's ready for, knowing the history better than most opponents.
JMU star a true dual threat who's excelled in big environments before
In 2024, the 6-0, 217-pound junior from Whitsett, North Carolina led the Dukes to a shocking 70-50 win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill with five touchdown passes and two touchdown runs, 388 yards through the air and 99 yards rushing.