(STATS) – The FCS playoffs continued to take shape on Saturday with everybody in the 24-team field lining up behind defending champion James Madison.
The top-ranked and unbeaten Dukes beat No. 11 Elon 31-3 to clinch an outright title in CAA Football and the conference’s automatic playoff bid.
Quarterback Bryan Schor fueled JMU’s 23rd straight win with 290 yards of total offense and three rushing touchdowns. Coach Mike Houston’s Dukes (11-0) are expected to be the No. 1 seed when the pairings are announced during an ESPNU selection show Sunday (11 a.m. ET).
“They’ve (JMU) got a lot of talent, but they’re also very experienced and mature,” Elon coach Curt Cignetti said. “That’s a seasoned football team, and they played like a championship team today, and they deserve a lot of credit.”
Ten teams earn automatic bids as conference champions. Also entering the field were Central Arkansas (Southland), Central Connecticut State (Northeast), Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley), Lehigh (Patriot), North Dakota State (Missouri Valley), San Diego (Pioneer) and Wofford (Southern). Bids in the Big Sky and Big South were still to be determined Saturday.
Fourteen teams will qualify for the playoff field with at-large bids.
Three conferences don’t send their champion to the playoffs. Yale (9-1) ended its season as the outright Ivy League champ, while MEAC champ North Carolina A&T (11-0) will play the winner of the SWAC championship game in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Dec. 16.
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