FCS Playoffs 2016: Quarterfinals Results, Semifinals Schedule and Bracket Update
The quarterfinals of the 2016 FCS championship concluded Saturday, with three teams booking their places in the semifinals.
The James Madison Dukes were the first to qualify for the final four, beating the Sam Houston State Bearkats 65-7 on Friday.
The North Dakota State Bison were among those in action Saturday, with the defending national champions facing off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
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Below is a brief overview of the three games.
Quarterfinals Results
| Dec. 9 | No. 4 James Madison def. No. 5 Sam Houston State | 65-7 |
| Dec. 10 | No. 1 North Dakota State def. No. 8 South Dakota State | 36-10 |
| Dec. 10 | Youngstown State def. Wofford | 30-23 (2 OT) |
| Dec. 10 | No. 2 Eastern Washington def. Richmond | 38-0 |
Semifinals Schedule
| Dec. 16 | No. 1 North Dakota State vs. No. 4 James Madison | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Dec. 17 | No. 2 Eastern Washington vs. Youngstown State | 6:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
Saturday Recap
North Dakota State 36, South Dakota State 10
The Bison's bid for a sixth straight national championship remains on track after their 36-10 win over South Dakota State.
"Year in and year out, our teams continue to get better," North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman, according to the team's official Twitter account. "We have improved as the year has gone on."
The Jackrabbits had no answer for North Dakota State's running game. The trio of King Frazier, Lance Dunn and Easton Stick combined to rush for 275 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries.
On Stick's three-yard touchdown in the second quarter that put the Bison ahead 14-10, North Dakota State ate up 12 minutes, nine seconds of game clock, traveling 82 yards in 20 plays. The drive drew praise from alumnus and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz:
Stick also had a solid game through the air, throwing for 188 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-21 passing.
The Bison defense played the most instrumental role in the victory, though. North Dakota State allowed 192 yards of total offense to its opponent and held the Jackrabbits to 2-of-7 on third-down conversions.
North Dakota State was particularly dominant in the second half. South Dakota State ran a total of 19 plays and gained 48 yards in the final two quarters.
Between their productive ground attack and stout defense, the Bison remain the overwhelming favorites to bring home the 2016 FCS title.
Youngstown State 30, Wofford 23
Under Jim Tressel, Youngstown State was a Division I-AA dynasty. The Penguins won four national titles between 1991 and 1997.
Their fortunes subsequently dipped when Tressel left to coach Ohio State. In his second season in charge, Bo Pelini has Youngstown State two games away from being national champions once again. The Penguins toppled Wofford 30-23 in double overtime on Saturday.
Youngstown State shared a short clip of the postgame celebration:
The Terriers nearly pulled out the win despite failing to register a single passing yard. Joe Newman and Brandon Goodson were a combined 0-of-3 through the air.
David Marvin had a chance to put Wofford through to the semifinals at the end of regulation. His 53-yard field-goal attempt landed well short, though. FCS Football provided a replay of the miss:
Tevin McCaster delivered the decisive score, running the ball in from two yards out on the first possession of the second overtime. The Penguins defense subsequently denied Wofford on a 4th-and-13 from the 28-yard line to preserve the result.
FCS Football tweeted out the game's final moments:
Youngstown State quarterback Hunter Wells had a nice game, throwing for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-22 passing. He received ground support from Jody Webb, who ran for 213 yards on 34 carries, which was more than twice Wofford's season average against the run (91.2 YPG).
Eastern Washington 38, Richmond 0
Eastern Washington had little trouble brushing Richmond aside in the quarterfinals. The Eagles forced five turnovers and held the Spiders to 205 yards en route to a 38-0 win.
Eastern Washington provided a few stats behind the shutout:
Richmond had a difficult time dealing with the frigid conditions in Cheney, Washington. The Spiders fumbled the ball four times. FCS Football shared a replay of Deontez Thompson's turnover in the second quarter:
The Eagles, on the other hand, had little trouble with the weather. Gage Gubrud threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He and Cooper Kupp formed a lethal aerial duo, with the senior wideout catching six passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Eastern Washington noted Kupp made history during the victory:
The Eagles found success on the ground as well. They rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries as a team.
That kind of offensive balance will serve Eastern Washington well as it pursues its first national championship since 2010.
Note: The full bracket for the FCS playoffs is available at NCAA.com.
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