The headline game of the FCS Playoff semifinals kicks off Friday night, when the top-overall seed North Dakota State hosts No. 4-seed James Madison. The five-time defending champion Bison are coming off a big win over South Dakota State, and can place themselves only one win away from an unprecedented sixth-straight title with a win here against the Dukes.
James Madison vs. North Dakota State, FCS playoffs 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
This could be the best game of the FCS playoffs.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
South Dakota State was the only team to defeat North Dakota State this season, pulling off a 19-17 upset earlier in the year. But after a promising start last week, the Jackrabbits were choked out by the North Dakota State defense, and the Bison ran all over them to the tune of 302 yards as a team. King Frazier, Lance Dunn, and Easton Stick are a potent rushing combination, but James Madison has a strong running game of their own.
The Dukes smashed Sam Houston State, 65-7, last week, with both Trai Sharp and Khalid Abdullah rushing for over 140 yards each, and combining for five touchdowns. James Madison was able to build a 35-0 lead within 20 minutes, and scored 65 unanswered before giving up a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Radio: North Dakota State | James Madison
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Three big things to know
- North Dakota State’s quarterfinal romp over South Dakota State didn’t have many blemishes, but the Bison did give up quite a bit of yardage early in the game, especially on the ground. James Madison is one of the best rushing offenses in the country, and maybe they saw something in the film that will allow them to break through the tough Bison defense.
- On the other hand, after getting gashed early, North Dakota State only allowed 30 yards of total offense over the final three quarters. Combine this suffocating defense with an efficient offense that went 10-13 on third downs last week, and you see just how thin the margins are if you want to beat the Bison.
- James Madison can write themselves into the sport’s history books if they can knock off the five-time defending champions in their own house.
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