![The JMU mascot, the “Duke Dog,” excited everyone this year. [Photo by Heather Johnson]](https://www.potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jmu-duke-dog.jpg)
This is the year for the James Madison University Dukes football team, and it all comes to fruition on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, when JMU plays Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl in Texas.
Sure, it’s not the Sugar or Rose Bowl, but it’s a big step for JMU, and a few local watch parties are planned around Fredericksburg that afternoon.
