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James Madison comes up short in quest for back-to-back FCS Championships, falling to NDSU 17-13

Posted at 3:21 PM, Jan 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-06 20:00:15-05

FRISCO, Texas – A perfectly executed fake punt on 4th and 9 put James Madison in prime position to complete a comeback in the fourth quarter against North Dakota State.

James Madison quarterback Bryan Schor.

The Bison defense bent, but never broke as they stood tall inside their 30-yard line to turn the Dukes over on downs with just over a minute left in the game. North Dakota State was able to run the clock out, and secure their sixth FCS Championship in the last seven seasons.

North Dakota State came into the game looking for revenge after last season’s disappointing end. The Dukes beat the Bison in 2016 in the semifinals en route to winning their first title since 2004.

The loss snapped James Madison’s FCS-best 26-game winning streak dating back to September 2016.