FCS Second-Round Playoff
The Matchup – James Madison (9-3) at No. 8 seed Colgate (9-1) at Andy Kerr Stadium (10,221) in Hamilton, New York
Kickoff – 1 p.m. ET
Coverage – ESPN3
Series – Colgate leads 1-0 (last meeting: Colgate won 44-38 at JMU in a second-round game on Dec. 5, 2015)
3 Players to Watch – James Madison: QB Ben DiNucci (192 of 276, 2,083 yards, 16 TDs, 7 INTs; 357 rushing yards, 8 TDs), DE Ron’Dell Carter (48 tackles, 12 TFL, 7.5 sacks), CB Jimmy Moreland (50 tackles, 5 INTs, 10 PBU); Colgate: RB James Holland Jr. (171 carries, 1,065 yards, 12 TDs; 25 receptions, 2 TDs), LB T.J. Holl (94 tackles, 13 TFL, 3.5 sacks), DE Nick Wheeler (44 tackles, 14 TFL, 8 sacks)
The Skinny – Many of the seniors involved were freshmen when Colgate eliminated James Madison in the 2015 playoffs. Since then, JMU has been to back-to-back national championship games, including the 2016 win over Youngstown State. The host Raiders from the Patriot League have had one of the more impressive seasons in the FCS, losing only to FBS member Army on Nov. 17. They have posted five shutouts and outscored FCS opponents 287-29, including 67-0 in the first quarter and 195-9 in the first half. Their defense’s 21 takeaways have led to 100 points, including S Tyler Castillo with a pair of defensive scores. QB Grant Breneman has one more rushing TD (six) than passing (five), with Holland, who was a standout in the 2015 playoff game, doing much of the heavy lifting offensively, averaging over 136 rushing yards with seven TDs in his last five games. James Madison has won three straight games since two FCS losses in a four-game span. The defense was dominant in a 20-6 first-round win over fellow CAA Football squad Delaware, totaling five sacks, two interceptions and a safety while allowing no touchdowns and only 185 yards. Moreland has a school-record 18 interceptions in his career. The Dukes seek to control game clock (time of possession against Delaware was 37:04) with their deep stable of RBs: Trai Sharp, Cardon Johnson and Marcus Marshall. In a tight spot, it’s good to have a kicking game that is 21 of 25 on field goals (Ethan Ratke is 15 of 17).
Up Next – The winner will play either Montana State (8-4) or No. 1 seed North Dakota State (11-0) in the quarterfinals Dec. 7 or 8.
Prediction – First team to 20 points? Maybe 10? This showdown has low-scoring, grind-it-out written all over it. James Madison, 17-14.
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