FCS College Football

Maine used the momentum from its first home playoff win in the program's 126-year history to continue its FCS playoff run on Friday night.

The No. 7-seeded Black Bears took down No. 2 Weber State 23-18 to reach the semifinals for the first time in their history. They were also the first team to earn a spot in the semis this season, as the other three quarterfinal matchups take place on Saturday.

Last weekend, Maine beat Jacksonville State 55-27. The Black Bears didn't score nearly as many points against the tough Weber State defense, but they capitalized when they needed to.

With 2:56 to go in the fourth quarter, freshman running back Ramon Jefferson scored on a 45-yard touchdown run to push Maine's lead to 20-12. Sophomore kicker Kenny Doak sealed the win by booting a 46-yard field goal with 1:34 to go.

The Black Bears forced four turnovers, all of which were interceptions.

Maine became only the second road team to win in this year's FCS playoffs. Entering Friday, home teams were 15-1.

   

Updated Bracket

No. 1 North Dakota State/No. 8 Colgate winner vs. No. 4 Kennesaw State/No. 5 South Dakota State winner

No. 7 Maine vs. No. 3 Eastern Washington/No. 6 UC Davis winner

   

Defending Champs Aim for More Success

The reigning FCS champions will play in the first of three quarterfinal matchups on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. Top-seeded North Dakota State, which has won six of the last seven championships, hosts No. 8 Colgate.

North Dakota State opened its playoff run with a 52-10 win over Montana State last weekend. The Bison are 12-0 this season, and their offense has been on a roll. They have scored 48 or more points in four of their last five games.

Colgate (10-1) is seeking its first FCS championship in program history. The Raiders had a thrilling victory to reach the quarterfinals, as they beat James Madison 23-20 on a last-second field goal last weekend.

Although Colgate has never won an FCS title, it has reached the quarterfinals in two of the past four seasons. The Raiders reached the championship game in 2003 and own a 6-8 overall record in the FCS playoffs. But they will certainly face a challenge on Saturday.

   

Kennesaw State Seeks Deeper Run

Last year, Kennesaw State's playoff run ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to Sam Houston State. This season, the No. 4 Owls aim to go deeper when they face No. 5 South Dakota State on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.

Kennesaw State (11-1) advanced to the quarterfinals for the second straight season with a 13-10 win over Wofford last weekend, its 11th straight victory. The Owls took a three-point lead on a Justin Thompson field goal with 1:52 remaining and then held on for the win.

South Dakota State (9-2) beat Duquesne 51-6 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Jackrabbits have scored 49 or more points in each of their last four games, all wins.

   

Eastern Washington Hopes for Deja Vu

Eastern Washington beat UC Davis at home less than a month ago. Now, the two teams will play again in a quarterfinal matchup in Cheney, Washington, on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

When the schools played on Nov. 10, Eastern Washington earned a 59-20 win. The No. 3 Eagles, who are making their 10th appearance in the quarterfinals, beat Nicholls State 42-21 to advance to this game. They will look to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2016.

No. 6 UC Davis has won back-to-back games since its loss to Eastern Washington, which includes a 23-16 playoff victory over Northern Iowa. The Aggies enter the weekend with the seventh-ranked FCS scoring offense this season at 40.6 points per game.

Top-seeded North Dakota State took a major step forward in the FCS playoffs, as the Bison rolled to a 52-10 victory over Montana State in the second round.

The defending FCS champions were simply overpowering, using a relentless ground game to punish the Bobcats. The unbeaten Bison (12-0) ran for 407 yards on 44 attempts, and running back Lance Dunn was basically unstoppable. He carried the ball 11 times for 127 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Bruce Anderson also had a dominant game, as he gained 118 yards on 13 carries and scored a touchdown. Ty Brooks was the third Bison running back to exceed the 100-yard mark, as he gained 103 yards on six carries and also scored a touchdown.

Montana State quarterback Troy Andersen gained 129 on 24 carries and scored on a 51-yard touchdown run. The Bison hammered away at Montana State the rest of the game.

North Dakota State has served notice that any FCS team that is going to stop them is going to have to contend with this overwhelming running game.

THE BISON ROLL INTO THE QUARTERS!

North Dakota State dominates Montana State, 52-10. #FCSPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/KE4jcH71Lb

— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 1, 2018

The victory means North Dakota State moves into the quarterfinal round, where it will host eighth-seeded Colgate (10-1) next week. Colgate defeated James Madison 23-20 in a second-round game on Saturday.

North Dakota State has won six of the last seven FCS titles, and it has reached the quarterfinal round of the playoffs in nine consecutive seasons.

Second-seeded Weber State also won in impressive fashion, pounding Southeast Missouri State by a 48-23 margin.

Quarterback Jake Constantine was sharp throughout the game, and he propelled the Wildcats to the victory. Constantine completed 18 of 30 passes for 199 yards with four touchdowns, and he did not throw an interception. Isiah Jackson caught two passes for 56 yards, and both went for touchdowns, while Rashid Shaheed caught six passes for 62 yards and one touchdown.

"I thought we were great today," Constantine said, per Christopher Kamrani of the Salt Lake Tribune. "I think we came out with great intensity."

The Wildcats also received a strong effort from senior safety Jordan Preator, who had two interceptions in addition to his four tackles.

#FCSPlayoffs second-round recap: No. 2 seed Weber State eliminates Southeast Missouri.https://t.co/siCrkDOC5D

Weber State Athletics Photo pic.twitter.com/2m8ukxx4R2

— FCS Football (@OptaAnalystFCS) December 2, 2018

Weber State will host seventh-seeded Maine in Ogden, Utah, on Friday. The Black Bears punished Jacksonville State 55-27.

Chris Ferguson had quite an efficient game for the Black Bears, completing 14 of 26 passes for 159 yards, and five of those passes went for touchdowns. Earnest Edwards caught three passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Ramon Jefferson ran for 186 yards and two scores.

All eight of the seeded teams were victorious in the second round of the bracket. Third-seeded Eastern Washington defeated Nicholls State 42-21, while fourth-seeded Kennesaw State edged Wofford 13-10. No. 5 seed South Dakota State was too much for Duquesne in a 51-6 runaway, while sixth-seeded UC Davis got the best of Northern Iowa by a 23-16 margin.

FCS Playoffs: South Dakota State, Snow Overwhelm Duquesne 51-6 - The College Sports Journal https://t.co/mLBxi4LEkh pic.twitter.com/4FViOqsjGX

— CollegeSportsJournal (@CollegeSportsJ) December 2, 2018

     

Quarterfinal round matchups (all times ET)

No. 7 Maine at No. 2 Weber State; Dec. 7, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

No. 8 Colgate at No. 1 North Dakota State; Dec. 8, noon (ESPN)

No. 5 South Dakota State at No. 4 Kennesaw State; Dec. 8, 2 p.m. (ESPN3)

No. 6 UC Davis at No. 3 Eastern Washington; Dec. 8, 4 p.m. (ESPN3)

North Dakota State will hope to defend its championship in the FCS football playoffs after the bracket was released Sunday.

The Bison are 11-0 on the season and have won the title in six of the last seven years, but they will still have to navigate the 24-team field in a single-elimination tournament to take home another trophy.

It will take four wins to win a championship—five wins for the unseeded teams—so nothing is guaranteed heading into the postseason.

Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming tournament.

    

Bracket

THE BRACKET #FCSPlayoffs ➡️ https://t.co/riC5NlfTwn pic.twitter.com/Rq0bQyIDjf

— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) November 18, 2018

    

Schedule

First Round (Saturday, Nov. 24)

Duquesne at Towson; 2 p.m. ET

Elon at Wofford; 2 p.m. ET

Stony Brook at Southeast Missouri State; 2 p.m. ET

Incarnate Word at Montana State; 3 p.m. ET

Delaware at James Madison; 3 p.m. ET

San Diego at Nicholls State; 4 p.m. ET

Lamar at Northern Iowa; 5 p.m. ET

ETSU at Jacksonville State; 7:30 p.m. ET

    

Second Round (Saturday, Dec. 1)

ETSU-JSU winner at No. 7 Maine; 12 p.m. ET

JMU-Delaware winner at No. 8 Colgate; 1 p.m. ET

Wofford-Elon winner at No. 4 Kennesaw State; 2 p.m. ET

Montana St.-Incarnate World winner at No. 1 North Dakota State; 3 p.m. ET

Towson-Duquesne winner at No. 5 South Dakota State; 3 p.m. ET

SEMO-Stony Brook winner at No. 2 Weber State; 4 p.m. ET

Nicholls-San Diego winner at No. 3 Eastern Washington; 5 p.m. ET

UNI-Lamar winner at No. 6 UC Davis, 7 p.m. ET

     

Later Rounds

Quarterfinals: At Campus Sites; Dec. 7/8

Semifinals: At Campus Sites; Dec. 14/15

National Championship: At Frisco, Texas; Jan. 5

      

North Dakota State comes into the playoffs as the top team thanks to a balanced offensive attack and a strong defense.

Easton Stick has turned heads at the national level with 22 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions, while he is also one of five quarterbacks who have rushed for more than 400 yards on the season. Meanwhile, the team ranks seventh in the country with just 287.9 total yards allowed per game.

The team's experience in past postseasons should help give the Bison an advantage over every opponent over the coming weeks.

However, winning a title is far from a sure thing.

Weber State is coming in with six straight wins and a Big Sky title behind running back Josh Davis, who has 1,288 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground this season.

Eastern Washington didn't earn the automatic bid out of the Big Sky but is still a top contender as the No. 3 seed.

San Diego could be a sleeper behind quarterback Anthony Lawrence and his FCS-best 35 passing touchdowns. James Madison also shouldn't be counted out after reaching the finals last year and winning it all two years ago.

Overall, this could be an exciting competition to be the best in the FCS.

   

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of team sites.

The North Dakota State Bison have rarely sought revenge on the gridiron in the past six years, but that's what they are looking for against the James Madison Dukes in the FCS Championship Saturday.

The Bison, who won five consecutive championships from 2011 to 2015, were denied the opportunity to chase a sixth straight title last year, as the Dukes knocked them off in the semifinals. 

Not only would a North Dakota State victory avenge last season's loss, but it would also end James Madison's 26-game winning streak, which dates back to September 2016. 

Much like the FBS National Championship between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, the FCS title game is a showdown of two elite programs with imposing defenses. 

              

Date: Saturday, January 6

Time: Noon ET 

TV: ESPN2

Live Stream: WatchESPN 

Site: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas 

             

How North Dakota State Will Win 

The Bison have the ability to shut down any high-powered offense, with the latest example of that coming in the semifinal round. Against Sam Houston State, who had the FCS' top-rated offense, the Bison conceded just 13 points while scoring 55 to advance to the championship game.

Not only do the Bison have the second-best defense in the FCS, but they possess the second-ranked offense as well.

Quarterback Easton Stick drives the Bison offense with his arm and legs. He's created 27 touchdowns through the air and 12 more on the ground. With a matchup against the top defense in the FCS Saturday, Stick needs to avoid pressure in the pocket and escape when the time calls for it in order to put the Bison in a rhythm.

One of Stick's top assets on offense is running back Bruce Anderson, who leads the Bison with 1,153 rushing yards and has scored on 11 occasions. 

If Stick gets smothered in the pocket, he will rely on Anderson to work his way past the James Madison pass rush and into the second layer of the Dukes defense.

Defensively, the Bison will count on linebackers Nick DeLuca and Jabril Cox to quell any threats the Dukes pose.

DeLuca didn't play against James Madison last season because of a season-ending injury, and he could be the real difference maker on Saturday since he's an NFL-level talent.

As long as the Bison are able to limit the big plays by the Dukes, they will be able to set up opportunities for Stick and the offense to thrive.

                 

How James Madison Will Win 

James Madison was also dominant in its semifinal victory, as it blew out South Dakota State 51-16. 

The Dukes carry the best defense in the FCS into the National Championship. The national champion has given up 10.7 points per game, which is just better than the Bison's record (11.5). 

James Madison's defense is led by defensive lineman Andrew Ankrah, who will try to find a way into the North Dakota State backfield on every play.

If Ankrah is able to put Stick under duress, he may open the door for the secondary—led by Jimmy Moreland—to pick off the North Dakota State quarterback.

On the other side of the ball, the Dukes have a top combination in quarterback Bryan Schor and wide receiver Riley Stapleton.

Stapleton has become the main target of his quarterback during the playoffs after failing to make an impact throughout the regular season. In the postseason, Stapleton has five receiving touchdowns on 16 catches.

Schor, who is the leading passer in program history, will look for Stapleton throughout the contest as the Dukes attempt to open up the Bison defense and reduce the impact of DeLuca, Cox and others.

The JMU signal-caller will be the best playmaker on the field Saturday, and if he continues to produce through the air like he has throughout his career, the Dukes will take down North Dakota State for the second year in a row.

               

All statistics obtained from NCAA.com. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

North Dakota State is on a mission, and it looks like nothing is going to keep head coach Chris Klieman's team from entering the championship game in top form.

The Bison (13-1) hammered Sam Houston State 55-13 in the FCS semifinal, and that means North Dakota State will play in the championship game in Frisco, Texas, January 6 against undefeated James Madison (14-0).

That game will be played 12 noon ET and will be televised by ESPN.

The Dukes defeated North Dakota State in last year's playoffs, but the Bison had won the previous five FCS titles. James Madison defeated South Dakota State 51-16 in Saturday's semifinal.

Bison running back Bruce Anderson had a remarkable performance against the Bearkats with 17 carries for 183 yards and three touchdowns, and two receptions for 54 yards with two TDs.

North Dakota State had 642 total yards and the Bison limited Sam Houston State to one touchdown.

"We said the game was going to be won up front and we had to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and I thought we were able to do that," Klieman said, per the Associated Press. "We capitalized on some of their mistakes and we made some explosive plays. If you're going to play in a big-time environment, a big game like this, you have to be able to hit some of those explosives."

It wasn't all good news for North Dakota State as running back Ty Brooks suffered a shoulder injury, while cornerbacks Jaylaan Wimbush and Jalen Allison both suffered injuries.

Though the Dukes were able to run away from the Jackrabbits in the second half, the game was quite close in the first.

James Madison had a 14-10 lead with less than a minute to play in the first half before getting hot. Defensively, the Dukes forced the Jackrabbits to commit 10 turnovers, returning one interception for a touchdown.

Running back Marcus Marshall was sensational for the winners, carrying 15 times for 203 yards and scoring two touchdowns. While Marshall was getting the job done on the ground, quarterback Bryan Schor completed 18 of 25 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns.

Sophomore wideout Riley Stapleton pitched in with five catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

The Dukes and the Bison are the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the FCS playoffs, and the results have played out to put these two teams in the championship game.

Both teams will have three weeks to devise a game plan, but it seems unlikely that either defense will be able to stop the opponent's offense. 

It will most likely come down to turnovers, and the defense that can come up with one or two crucial stops when the game is on the line.

Eight days after the longest current winning streak in Division 1 football came close to ending, it's on the line again in the FCS Playoff semifinals. 

No. 1 seed and defending champion James Madison plays host to No. 5 South Dakota State on Saturday afternoon with the opportunity to extend its winning streak to 26 games. 

The Dukes' last defeat came to North Carolina on September 17, 2016, and they haven't fallen to an FCS opponent since December 5, 2015 against Colgate in the second round of the FCS playoffs. 

On the other hand, South Dakota State is making its first appearance in the semifinals of the FCS postseason. 

               

Game Information

TV Info: ESPNU

Start Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

Live Stream: Watch ESPN 

               

Preview

Despite being the top seed in the FCS bracket, the Dukes experienced the tougher road to the semifinal round than the Jackrabbits. 

James Madison survived an upset bid from No. 8 Weber State on Friday thanks to a 46-yard field goal by Ethan Ratke that completed an 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter. 

The Dukes are led by Bryan Schor, who is the owner of the most career passing yards in program history. The senior threw for a season-high 359 yards to help the Dukes move one step away from defending their championship. 

Schor has a wide variety of options to pick out in the passing game, as four of his receivers have recorded 400 or more receiving yards this season. The group is led by Terrence Alls, who has 652 receiving yards. 

The Dukes have an impressive ground game as well with Trai Sharp and Marcus Marshall leading the charge. The duo has combined for 1,381 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. 

The top team in the FCS bracket also boasts a formidable defense that before the quarterfinals gave up 26 points over five games. Three of those five games were against ranked opponents. 

James Madison's defense is led by redshirt senior Kyre Hawkins, who has 98 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Defensive backs Jordan Brown and Rashad Robinson will also be factors on Saturday, as both players have seven interceptions. 

South Dakota State breezed into the semifinals with a 56-14 win over New Hampshire led by quarterback Taryn Christion, who had 190 passing yards and 55 more on the ground. 

Christion's main target a week ago was Jake Wieneke, who hauled in nine passes for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wieneke is one of two big targets for Christion with leading receiver Dallas Goedert being the other. 

Just like the Dukes, the Jackrabbits don't have a 1,000-yard rusher, but they do have a conglomerate of impressive athletes that make the run game what it is. Brady Mengarelli is the top South Dakota State rusher with 783 yards with Christion second on the list with 515. 

The visiting Jackrabbits will have to improve on defense if they want to find a way past the favored Dukes. The fewest amount of points the South Dakota State defense has conceded this year is 13 against Duquesne. The Jackrabbits also limited New Hampshire and Southern Illinois to 14 points each. 

If the Jackrabbits are able to get in front early, it will be because of the play of linebacker Christian Rozeboom, who has 118 tackles and seven tackles for loss to his name. If Rozeboom and his teammates can get pressure on Schor early, they'll have a chance to pull off the upset in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 

      

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

All statistics obtained from NCAA.com. 

Take any cliche that describes a big game in college football and it applies to Friday night's FCS Playoff semifinal at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. 

The No. 2 North Dakota State Bison have made seven consecutive semifinals, and from 2011-2015 they won five straight championships. The Bison are taking on a familiar opponent in the No. 6 Sam Houston State Bearkats. 

North Dakota State defeated Sam Houston State in the 2011 and 2012 national championship games and took down the Bearkats in the 2014 semifinals. 

In addition to having a David versus Goliath feel, Friday's showdown presents us with a clash of styles, as Sam Houston State has the top-ranked offense in the FCS and North Dakota State has one of the top-ranked defenses. 

             

Game Information

TV: ESPN2

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

Live Stream: Watch ESPN 

             

Preview

North Dakota State has cruised into the semifinals by outscoring San Diego and Wofford 80-13 in its first two playoff games. 

Quarterback Easton Stick is the leader of the offense that also contains tight end Connor Wentz, the cousin of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. 

Stick has thrown for 2,176 yards and thrown 23 touchdowns for the second-seeded Bison. The junior quarterback has also hooked up with 10 different receivers for a score, with R.J. Urzendowski leading the group with eight. 

As much as the play of Stick and the offense matters on Friday, the biggest asset for the Bison will be their defense, which is ranked first in the FCS in passing yards and total yards allowed. The Bison are also second in points allowed per game at 11.4. 

Linebacker Nick DeLuca, who has been invited to the Senior Bowl, is in charge of the North Dakota State defense. DeLuca had seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble against Wofford as well as an interception and two sacks in the win over San Diego. 

The Bison defense hasn't faced anyone like Sam Houston State quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe this season. Briscoe leads the FCS with 4,714 passing yards and wide receiver Nathan Stewart is first in the FCS with 1,568 receiving yards. 

Sam Houston State is no stranger to being involved in shootouts, as it has scored 45.6 points per game and conceded 29.3 points per contest. 

With Briscoe at the helm, it's hard for the Bearkats to be stopped by any opposing defense. Even in the team's one loss this season to Central Arkansas, Briscoe tossed for 303 yards and three scores. 

The Bearkats even have a standout running back in Corey Avery, who has 1,079 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 82.2 yards per game. 

In contrast, the Bison have given up 20 or more points on just two occasions, once in their only loss of the year to South Dakota State and the other occurrence was an overtime victory over Youngstown State. 

Against ranked opposition, the Bison have given up 15 points per game, and they are 8-0 inside the Fargodome overall. 

Something has to give in this clash of FCS titans, and it seems like that one thing is the production of the Sam Houston State offense. North Dakota State has one of the most daunting home-field advantages in any level of the sport, and it has a ton of motivation to get back to the national championship after seeing its title streak end in 2016. 

          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

All statistics obtained from NCAA.com. 

The second round of the FCS playoffs proved to be a positive development for the top-seeded James Madison and second-seeded North Dakota State.

While form held for those two programs, it did not for the third and fourth seeds. Unseeded Kennesaw State took down No. 3 Jacksonville State 17-7, while New Hampshire got the best of No. 4 Central Arkansas by a 21-15 margin

The undefeated James Madison Dukes (12-0) jumped out to a 19-0 lead before they defeated Stony Brook 26-7. Quarterback Bryan Schor completed 26 of 35 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns for James Madison, which has reeled off 24 consecutive victories.

James Madison won the 2016 FCS championship, and Dukes head coach Mike Houston says his team is focused on winning back-to-back titles.

"I think our kids understand that last year was last year and this year is this year," Houston said, per John O'Connor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (h/t Roanoke Times). "The one thing that they know is how they have to play, what style they have to play, the level they’ve got to execute at."

The second-seeded North Dakota State Bison rolled over San Diego 38-3. The Toreros had won nine consecutive games, but they could not contain North Dakota State's explosive offense.

Easton Stick doin’ his thang. pic.twitter.com/tkypjNuBxc

— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) December 2, 2017

Quarterback Easton Stick keyed the Bison offense, as he threw three TD passes and ran for another. North Dakota State is a perennial FCS power, and it is looking for a confrontation with James Madison in the championship round since the Dukes eliminated the Bison a year ago.

Kennesaw State unleashed a powerful running attack to get past Jacksonville State. The Owls gained 213 yards on the ground and allowed just 99.

While the third-seeded Gamecocks were outplayed by the Owls, the Central Arkansas Bears were beaten in a more fluky manner.

The Bears outgained the Wildcats 434-216, and they could have run away with the game. However, New Hampshire intercepted Haywood Hildebrand twice. Those takeaways helped the Wildcats hang on after building a 21-9 lead.

The other second-round results included No. 5 South Dakota State defeating Northern Iowa 37-22, No. 6 Sam Houston State outscoring South Dakota 54-42, No. 7 Wofford punishing Furman 28-10 and unseeded Weber State getting the better of No. 8 Southern Utah 30-13.

In the quarterfinals, No. 1 James Madison will host Weber State Friday night, while No. 2 North Dakota State will meet Wofford Saturday.

New Hampshire will travel to play No. 5 South Dakota State Saturday at 3 p.m., and No. 6 Sam Houston State will host Kennesaw State later that day.

The James Madison Dukes rolled to a remarkable 11-0 record this season, and that was good enough to earn them the top seed in the FCS playoffs.

It's not a surprise that North Dakota State (10-1) is the second seed in the tournament. The two have combined to win the last six FCS championships.

North Dakota State should be a team on a mission since the Bison were eliminated from title contention a year ago by JMU in the semifinals. North Dakota State had won every title from 2011 through 2015.

The Dukes are making their fourth straight playoff appearance, and they have a powerful defense that leads the country in scoring average (9.0 points per game) and yards allowed (228.2).

The remaining top eight seeds are No. 3 Jacksonville State (10-1), No. 4 Central Arkansas (10-1), No. 5 South Dakota State (9-2), No. 6 Sam Houston State (10-1), No. 7 Wofford (9-2) and No. 8 Southern Utah (9-2).

James Madison has a bye until the second round, and the Dukes could have a challenging matchup. They will play either Southern Utah or the winner of the Weber State-Western Illinois matchup. Weber and Western have both been climbing in the rankings recently.

Weber State finished with the same record as Southern Utah, but the Wildcats lost a head-to-head matchup with the Thunderbirds to account for why they are the lower seed.

Western Illinois finished in the Missouri Valley Conference, but that's not a reason to downgrade the Leathernecks since that conference is likely the strongest in the FCS by a wide margin.

The FCS championship game will be played January 6 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Here's a look at the first- and second-round matchups in the FCS bracket (all times ET):

Saturday, November 25

Stony Brook at Lehigh, 2 p.m.

Weber State at Western Illinois, 4 p.m.

Kennesaw State at Samford, 2 p.m.

Nicholls State at South Dakota, 4 p.m. 

Saturday, Dec. 2

Stony Brook-Lehigh winner at James Madison, 2 p.m.

Weber State-Illinois winner at Southern Utah, 8 p.m.

Kennesaw State-Samford winner at Jacksonville State, 2 p.m.

Nicholls State-South Dakota winner at Sam Houston State, 3 p.m.

James Madison and Youngstown State will meet in the Football Championship Subdivision championship game January 7 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

James Madison (13-1) earned its way into the title game as a result of a 27-17 victory Friday night over North Dakota State (12-2). Youngstown State (12-3) rallied late to beat Eastern Washington (12-2) in its semifinal by a 40-38 margin Saturday night.

James Madison and Youngstown State were both able to gain their semifinal victories on the road, making their achievements in reaching the FCS title game even more impressive.

Team	Team	Date	Location	Time
James Madison (13-1)	Youngstown State (12-3)	January 7	Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas	Noon (ET)

The Dukes ended the Bison's 22-game winning streak, and they have a chance to earn the school's second FCS championship. James Madison also won the title in 2004.

James Madison's most important players came through with big games. Quarterback Bryan Schor threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Khalid Abdullah gained 180 yards on 23 carries. Abdullah used his speed and cutting ability to gash North Dakota State.

On the defensive side, Dimitri Holloway had a huge game with 16 tackles and helped limit the Bison rushing attack. That unit was held to 132 yards on the ground and never was able to dominate, something that has been a regular occurrence during their winning streak.

The Dukes took charge of the game in the fourth quarter, as they broke the 17-17 tie on a 45-yard field goal by Tyler Gray. Schor pushed the advantage to 10 points when the quarterback connected with wideout John Miller on a 25-yard TD reception.

"I came in and I've got a bunch of kids that bought in to what we were teaching and believed in the culture we were trying to create, and I've got a great coaching staff," James Madison coach Mike Houston told STATS (h/t ESPN).

"It's play as hard as you can every snap, doing things right, it's really a special bunch in there. I could not be more proud of the effort."

Quarterback Hunter Wells of Youngstown State connected with Kevin Rader on a five-yard touchdown pass as time expired to give the Penguins their narrow win over Eastern Washington. 

"I knew if he (Wells) threw me the ball, I had to come down with it," Rader told STATS (h/t ESPN).

The greatest catch in FCS history sends @YoungstownStFB to Frisco!!#GoGuins @SportsCenter #TopTen 🆒 pic.twitter.com/Rx3uFhLgoP

— Ron Jaworski (@JawsCEOQB) December 18, 2016

Youngstown State was trailing 31-20 after three quarters, but the Penguins outscored the Eagles 20-7 in the final quarter. Wells, who threw for 244 yards in the game, threw both of his TD passes in the fourth quarter.

Youngstown State overcame a strong performance from Eastern Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud, who threw for 353 yards and three scores. Cooper Kupp caught 10 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles.