#2 JMU Heads to Frisco to Battle #1 NDSU in National Championship Game

Saturday, January 11

Frisco, Texas

Noon ET (11 a.m. CT)

James Madison University

North Dakota State

Tickets

#2 JMU Heads to Frisco to Battle #1 NDSU in National Championship Game

1/7/2020 12:00:00 PM | Football

Press Luncheon Game Notes Championship Media Guide

HARRISONBURG, Va. – One game featuring the nation's top-two teams will decide it all in Frisco, Texas, as #2 JMU faces off with #1 North Dakota State in the NCAA Division I Championship Game on Saturday, Jan. 11.

Kickoff is set for noon ET (11 a.m. CT) at Toyota Stadium and will be televised nationally on ABC. It will also be streamed through ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app. The game can also be heard on the JMU Sprint Broadcast Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT). Additionally, an hour-long pregame show will be televised on ESPNews, leading right into kickoff.

JMU's run through the 2019 playoffs is presented by Excel Heating and Cooling.

FAN & PRESS LUNCHEON

JMU IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The Dukes are making their fourth appearance in the national championship game, seeking their third title. JMU is 2-1 in title games, winning it all in 2004 and 2016 while falling just short in 2017.

It defeated Montana 31-21 in the 2004 championship in Chattanooga and won its second crown in 2016 with a 28-14 triumph against Youngstown State in Frisco. The Dukes made a return trip to Frisco the following year, being edged 17-13 by North Dakota State.

JMU is midst its 16th playoff appearance in 2019, including a program-record, sixth-straight berth. The Dukes are 20-13 all-time in playoff games.

BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES
Saturday marks JMU's fourth meeting against North Dakota State, with the Bison holding a 2-1 record. Every meeting has occurred in the postseason.

NDSU won the inaugural meeting 26-14 in the 2011 FCS Second Round. JMU scored 10 straight in the fourth quarter to claim a 27-17 win in the 2016 Semifinals. NDSU recaptured the national title the next season with a 17-13 win in the championship game. NDSU averages 20 points per game in the series, while JMU scores 18 on average in the previous matchups.

It will also be the eighth meeting for JMU against a Missouri Valley Conference team, with JMU holding a 4-3 advantage.

DOMINANCE IN POSTSEASON
JMU advanced to the championship game after three convincing victories to move its win streak to 14 straight games. The Dukes have averaged wins by 26 points per game, outscoring Monmouth, UNI and Weber State 113 to 35.

JMU turned in playoff program records in its first two playoff wins with one being offensive based and the other defensive. The Dukes registered playoff records with 66 points scored and 623 yards of total offense. The following week, JMU recorded its first shutout in postseason history while limiting UNI to 114 yards and zero rushing.

ACTIVE STREAKS ENTERING TITLE GAME

14-game win streak - second longest active in FCS
27 straight games with foes under 50% on third down
Held opponents to under 100 rush yards in 9 straight
Held opponents to under 300 total yards in 8 straight
Out-rushed opponents in 19 straight games
Out-gained opponents in 8 straight games
Scored a rushing TD in 20 straight games
Converted on 12 straight 4th-down attempts

CARTER A CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN
Ron'Dell Carter earned First Team honors on all five major All-America teams to earn the recognition of Consensus All-American in 2019. He earned All-America laurels from FCS ADA, AFCA, Walter Camp, STATS FCS and HERO Sports.

The CAA Defensive Player of the Year has tallied 25.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 tackles, to go with 13 quarterback hurries. A top-three finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, he ranks sixth nationally with 1.7 TFL per game and 21st with 0.77 sacks per outing. Carter, the sixth top-three finalist in school history, looks to become the third winner of the Buchanan Award, joining Arthur Moats (2009) and Derrick Lloyd (2001).

A record 10 Dukes were named All-Americans this season. Joining Carter were Liam Fornadel, John Daka, Ben DiNucci, Dimitri Holloway, Adam Smith, D'Angelo Amos, Percy Agyei-Obese, Mac Patrick and Ethan Ratke. The 10 selections led all FCS teams. The Dukes had never produced more than seven on one team until 10 earned HERO Sports honors in December.

DUKES MATCH WINS RECORD
JMU's extended its win streak to 14 with its win versus Weber State, marking a historical achievement. JMU tied its program record for wins in a season, with 14, matching the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

The Dukes won its final 12 games of the 2016 season en route to a national championship and won the first 14 games the following season for a program-record, 26-game win streak - the third longest in FCS history. JMU also completed the CAA slate 8-0 this year for the fourth time in school history, as it also accomplished the feat in 2008, 2016 and 2017.

SCOUTING NDSU
The Bison enter Saturday's title game with a perfect 15-0 record and have won an FCS-record 36 straight games dating back to 2017. NDSU averages 37.9 points per game while conceding 11.8 to its foes, leading the nation in scoring defense.

On offense, NDSU gains 477.3 yards per game, which ranks sixth nationally. It averages 288 rushing yards per game, which is fourth-best in the FCS, and passes for 189.3 yards per contest. Jerry Rice Award winner and Walter Payton finalist Trey Lance has thrown for 2,714 yards and 28 touchdowns with no interceptions while rushing for 934 yards and 13 scores as a true freshman.

Adam Cofield has run for 789 yards and 11 scores, and Ty Brooks has 940 yards on the ground with five TDs. Christian Watson leads the team with 732 receiving yards, and four players have at least five receiving scores this season.

Defensively, the Bison are second to JMU in total defense, allowing 269.9 yards per game. They're first nationally in passing defense, at 134.3, and are top 30 in the FCS against the run, at 135.6. MVFC Defensive Player of the Year Derrek Tuszka is top 10 in the FCS with 12.5 sacks and top 20 with 18.0 tackles for loss. NDSU produced eight All-Americans across the five All-America teams.

Matt Entz is in his first season at the helm of the Bison program, finishing as the Eddie Robinson Award runner-up after leading his team to a 15-0 record and to the national title game. He was previously defensive coordinator from 2014-18 and has been in the Missouri Valley since 2010.

REMATCH OF TITLE GAME TWO SEASONS AGO
JMU and NDSU last met in the national title game on Jan. 6, 2018, with the Bison edging the Dukes, 17-13.

JMU shut out NDSU in the second half but only scored once and had its final drive stall in the red zone, giving the Bison the win. Riley Stapleton had seven catches for 107 yards, Marcus Marshall scored a rushing touchdown and Simeyon Robinson had two sacks. The loss ended JMU's record 26-game win streak.

WATCH ON ABC
The Dukes and Bison can be seen live nationally on ABC or by streaming through ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app. Digital options include Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Mark Jones will be on the call for play-by-play and will be joined by Dusty Dvoracek on color commentary and Olivia Dekker down on the sideline.

JMU SPRINT BROADCAST NETWORK
Saturday's game can be heard online on the JMU Sprint Broadcast Network or on airwaves at WSVA 550AM and 92.1 FM. Online listening options include MadiZONE free audio and the TuneIn app.

Dave Thomas is in his fifth season as the play-by-play man for the Dukes and is joined by Clint Estes on color commentary and JMU student Allie Barefoot down on the sidelines. The pregame show begins this Saturday at 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT) leading up to kickoff. Hear interviews with Head Coach Curt Cignetti, coordinators Shane Montgomery and Corey Hetherman coordinators and players plus much more.