The Matchup – No. 1 seed North Dakota State (15-0) vs. No. 2 seed James Madison (14-1)
Kickoff – Noon ET on Jan. 11 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas
Series – NDSU leads 2-1 (all three meetings in the postseason since 2011)
Championship Game History – NDSU: 7-0 (titles from 2011-15, 17-18); JMU: 2-1 (titles in 2004 and 2016, runner-up in 2017)
Coaches – NDSU: Matt Entz (15-0, first season); JMU: Curt Cignetti (14-1, first season; 81-27 overall)
North Dakota State 2019 Results – Butler (Minneapolis), W 57-10; North Dakota, W 38-7; at Delaware, W 47-22; UC Davis, 27-16; at Illinois State, W 37-3; Northern Iowa, 46-14; Missouri State, W 22-0; at South Dakota State, W 23-16; at Youngstown State, 56-17; Western Illinois, W 57-21; South Dakota, W 49-14; at Southern Illinois, W 21-7; *Nicholls, W 37-13; *Illinois State, W 9-3; *Montana State, 42-14 (*-FCS Playoffs)
James Madison 2019 Results – at West Virginia, L 13-20; Saint Francis, W 44-7; Morgan State, W 63-12; at Chattanooga, W 37-14; at Elon, W 45-10; at Stony Brook, W 45-38 (OT); Villanova, W 38-24; at William & Mary, W 38-10; Towson, 27-10; New Hampshire, W 54-16; Richmond, W 48-6; at Rhode Island, W 55-21; *Monmouth, W 66-21; *Northern Iowa, W 17-0; *Weber State, 30-14 (*-FCS Playoffs)
Key Stat – NDSU is 33-1 in the playoffs since the first of its seven FCS championship seasons in 2011 with JMU handing the Bison their only loss in the 2016 national semifinals (27-17 at the Fargodome)
How North Dakota State Wins – The Bison seek to impose what they do best – a power run offense mixed with physical, swarming defense – against a JMU program that’s built in a similar mold. Redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance (FCS-best 180.1 passing efficiency rating) leads a lineup that has a ridiculously low six turnovers in 15 games and has to withstand the Dukes’ fierce defense, keeping the Bison from miscues. The Bison are never fazed when in a tight game and needing to outperform an opponent in the fourth quarter.
How James Madison Wins – Field goals usually don’t beat NDSU, so the Dukes and quarterback Ben DiNucci (FCS-best 71.3 completion percentage) must sustain drives and finish them off with touchdowns. The senior-laden team is the best in the FCS at stopping the run and will seek to force the Bison into pivotal third-down situations and apply pressure with the nation’s top passing-rushing duo, Ron’Dell Carter and John Daka. The Dukes boast difference making special teams.
Bottom Line – This is the best possible matchup for the FCS considering No. 1 NDSU and No. 2 JMU haven’t budged off their national rankings the entire season. It’s the third time since the championship game moved to Frisco in 2010 that the top two seeds are squaring off for the national title. NDSU is on an FCS-record 36-game winning streak and seeking to become the first national champion to finish 16-0 (four of the five previous undefeated, untied FCS champions went 15-0).
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