JMU's Khalid Abdullah ran for 180 yards in the win over NDSU.
JMU Beats NDSU 27-17, Headed To Frisco
Kevin Warner
Box Score | Highlights
FARGO, N.D. - Senior running back
Khalid Abdullah ran for 180 yards on 23 carries on Friday night as No. 4 James Madison rolled to a 27-17 win over No. 1 North Dakota State to earn its first trip to the NCAA FCS National Championship since 2004.
The Dukes (13-1) racked up 445 yards of total offense against the Bison (12-2), who entered Friday's semifinal as the ninth-ranked defense in the country after surrendering just 310.2 yards per game up to this point.
Abdullah gouged NDSU for 7.8 yards per carry on the evening, rolling to a career-high 232 all-purpose yards. The senior pulled in a pair of catches for 51 yards, including a career-long 41-yard snag and a 10-yard touchdown with 6:51 left in the second quarter that put the Dukes up 17-0.
JMU continued its balanced offense, rushing for 203 yards and passing for 242 more, as junior quarterback
Bryan Schor went 11-18 for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Junior wide receiver
John Miller pulled in a pair of long catches that totaled 70 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown that sealed the contest at 27-17 with 6:59 to play.
The Dukes leaped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, with Schor finding junior tight end
Jonathan Kloosterman for a 14-yard score and Abdullah for a 10-yard strike, while sophomore kicker
Tyler Gray added a 24-yard field goal.
NDSU used a score just before halftime to seize the momentum, adding a field goal and a touchdown in the third quarter to tie things at 17-17 with 5:53 to play in the period. Gray drilled a career-long 45-yard field goal to put the Dukes ahead to stay with 11:46 to play, with Schor's 25-yard strike to Miller providing the dagger.
JMU will face the winner of No. 2 Eastern Washington and Youngstown State in the FCS National Championship on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 12 p.m. The Eagles and Penguins will face each other in the other FCS Semifinal on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m.
DETHRONING THE CHAMPION
North Dakota State had won five consecutive NCAA FCS National Championships prior to JMU's semifinal victory. The Bison fell to 18-1 all-time at home in the FCS playoffs and had a streak of 22 consecutive playoff victories snapped. JMU also snapped NDSU's string of 45 straight wins against non-conference opponents at home, a streak dating back to 2003. JMU also became just the fourth top-10 team to win in the FargoDome in 20 tries all-time.