NDSU Escapes James Madison for 6th FCS National Championship in 7 Years

The North Dakota State Bison held off the James Madison Dukes 17-13 on Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, to win their sixth FCS National Championship in the past seven seasons.

NDSU led from wire to wire and used its dominant defense to return to the top of FCS college football, as it held James Madison to 241 total yards and forced three turnovers.

Bison quarterback Easton Stick played a mistake-free game with 130 yards and one touchdown through the air, while running back Bruce Anderson ground out 63 rushing yards and a score.

The Dukes couldn't get anything going offensively throughout the day, and that manifested itself in quarterback Bryan Schor's numbers, as he finished with 148 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

There was a clear championship atmosphere for Saturday's game at Toyota Stadium, and NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler was among those who took notice:

While both teams were well-represented in Frisco, the NDSU faithful were energized early on when the Bison scored on their first drive of the game.

North Dakota State marched 66 yards on 11 plays, and Anderson finished things off by punching the ball into the end zone from three yards out, as seen in this video courtesy of FCS Football:

James Madison closed the gap with a field goal, but the Bison took an even more commanding lead with just over four minutes remaining in the half.

On what was undoubtedly the most explosive offensive play of the game for either team, Stick found wide receiver Darrius Shepherd on a perfectly thrown deep ball for a 50-yard touchdown:

Shepherd was an unlikely candidate to put NDSU ahead 14-3 since he hadn't scored a touchdown all season entering the contest.

NDSU added a field goal after a JMU fumble, which put the Dukes in a precarious position ahead of halftime.

James Madison got the ball with just 39 seconds remaining in the half, but it managed to drive 69 yards and cancel out the North Dakota State field goal with a field goal of its own to make it 17-6.

The pivotal play on that drive was a remarkable 28-yard catch by wideout Riley Stapleton:

Stapleton was JMU's lone standout on offense, finishing the game with seven grabs for 107 yards.

The momentum gained from the late field goal carried over to the second half when James Madison forced North Dakota State to punt on its first drive of the third quarter.

D'Angelo Amos set up shop with a 33-yard punt return, and running back Marcus Marshall finished the drive shortly thereafter with a one-yard scoring plunge:

The Dukes created some nervous moments in shrinking the deficit to 17-13, but the remainder of the game was a defensive struggle in which neither team could find an offensive rhythm.

With roughly three minutes remaining in the game, JMU feigned punting on a 4th-and-9 from its own territory, but it pulled off a gutsy fake with punter Harry O'Kelly running 24 yards for a first down:

James Madison quickly got itself in prime position to take the lead with a first down at the NDSU 19-yard line.

Just as the Bison defense had done all game long, however, it stiffened and forced a turnover on downs that effectively ended the game.

North Dakota State was once again the king of FCS after losing to James Madison in last season's semifinals, and ESPN's Anish Shroff put what the Bison have accomplished into perspective:

There was some thought that last season's win over North Dakota State and eventual national title win signaled a changing of the guard in favor of James Madison, but the Bison proved Saturday that they are a true dynasty.

No team in FCS history has ever enjoyed the run of success NDSU is in the midst of, and the victory over James Madison suggests there is no end in sight.