JMU athletic director pleads with fans to stop throwing snowballs after punter is nearly hit: ‘Please stop’

JMU athletic director pleads with fans to stop throwing snowballs after punter is nearly hit: 'Please stop'

A college football conference championship descended into a snowball fight on Friday that resulted in a player nearly being hit in a moment that may have swung the game. 

During James Madison’s Sun Belt Conference championship game against Troy on Friday, James Madison athletic director Matt Roan delivered a public address message to home fans, warning them to stop throwing snowballs onto the field or risk a penalty for JMU.

Roan’s warning came shortly after Troy punter Evan Crenshaw was nearly hit with a snowball while punting from the end zone with the JMU student section behind him. 

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Crenshaw shanked a 26-yard punt that helped set up the Dukes’ first score, a 40-yard field goal.

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Fans in the student section began throwing snowballs during pregame warmups, and the Dukes’ marching band got pelted. They kept it up for most of the first half despite repeated warnings over the PA system.

Harrisonburg received about 1½ inches of snow Friday, its first measurable snowfall of the season.

No. 19 JMU has an outside shot at making the College Football Playoff field with a win over Troy and a loss by No. 16 Virginia to Duke in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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