FCS Championship preview: James Madison vs. North Dakota State

When it comes to FCS football, North Dakota State is what you would get if you merged Clemson and Alabama’s football programs together. The Bison have won national championships in seven of the last eight seasons, all under coach Chuck Klieman. When he left for Kansas State in the offseason, Matt Entz took over from his defensive coordinator role and picked up right where Klieman left off. The Bison are 15-0 on the season, and their defense is the main reason they're back in the FCS national title game.

James Madison vs. North Dakota State, Saturday, noon ET (ABC)

North Dakota State's defense is smothering

Through 15 games the Bison held six opponents to 10 points or fewer and allowed only two opponents to score more than 17 points. However, their offense has had issues in the red zone, and North Dakota State had to grind out a 9-3 win over Illinois State in the FCS quarterfinals.

Quarterback Trey Lance 25 touchdown passes and zero interceptions, however, and completes 67.1% of his throws.

FCS Semifinal Final:
North Dakota St: 42 Montana State: 14 Trey Lance (NDSU) 15/21, 223 passing yds, 3 TDs 11 carries, 64 rushing yds, 2 TDs NDSU will being trying to bring home their 8th FCS National Championship just this DECADE come January 11th! pic.twitter.com/vjk4M2HPaa — Boom, It’s Football! (@BoomItsFBALL) December 21, 2019

James Madison's defense isn't too shabby either

As good as the Bison defense has been, James Madison—the only team other than North Dakota State to win an FCS title over the past eight years—has a defense that may have been even better. While the Dukes have allowed more points, their rush defense has been among the best at any level of college football, allowing just 2.2 yards per carry on the season. According to ESPN, the Dukes had the best SP+ defensive numbers for any school in all of college football, and showed it when they held West Virginia to 20 points, in a game James Madison led 7-0 at halftime.

James Madison also has a terrific quarterback, Pittsburgh transfer Ben DiNucci, who completed more than 70% of his throws this year and has shown he can gain yardage with his legs, as well.

National passing efficiency leaders through this week’s games: 1. NDSU’s Trey Lance 2. Samford’s Chris Oladokun 3. JMU’s Ben DiNucci@B_DiNucci6 is also third nationally in completion percentage. pic.twitter.com/647LoNn9do
— JMU Sports News (@JMUSportsNews) September 16, 2019

Points will be at a premium

This should be an extremely competitive, entertaining game. For me, it comes down to the outstanding defense for James Madison and the struggles in the red zone for North Dakota State. There are concerns about the health of linebacker Dimitri Holloway, James Madison’s leading tackler, and if he is unable to return from an injury he suffered in the semifinals, it’s a huge loss for the Dukes.

If forced to pick a side, I would go with North Dakota State, but the total is the best value. The two teams scored a combined 26 points in the semifinals and allowed a three. Take the Under and enjoy one heck of a matchup.

NCAA free pick: Under 48.5

The FCS national title game sets the table for the big one, the CFP National Championship. Check out the Clemson-LSU sides, totals and props at BetAmerica!

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