FCS Quarterfinal-Round Playoff
The Matchup – No. 8 seed Colgate (10-1) at No. 1 seed North Dakota State (12-0)
Kickoff – Noon ET at the Fargodome (19,000) in Fargo, North Dakota
Coverage – ESPN
Series – First meeting
Coaches – Colgate: Dan Hunt (36-22, five seasons); North Dakota State: Chris Klieman (66-6, five seasons)
3 Players to Watch – Maine: RB James Holland Jr. (196 carries, 1,154 yards, 12 TDs; 30 receptions, 199 yards, 2 TDs), DE Nick Wheeler (48 tackles, 16 TFL, 8 sacks), LB T.J. Holl (105 tackles, 14 TFL, 3.5 sacks); North Dakota State: QB Easton Stick (136 of 228 yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs; 405 rushing yards, 11 TDs), RB Lance Dunn (806 rushing yards, 15 total TDs), LB Jabril Cox (78 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4 INTs)
The Skinny – Ouch! It hurts just to think about these defenses. Colgate enters this first-time meeting ranked first in the FCS in scoring defense (7 ppg) and total defense (219 ypg), but North Dakota State’s vaunted unit has fueled six national titles in the last seven years. Colgate also ranks third in turnover margin, while the Bison are sixth. The visiting Raiders only start juniors and seniors in their 3-4 unit. Wheeler and Holl get into the opposing backfield and S Tyler Castillo (6 INTs, 7 PBU) plays a terrific center field. It’s key for DT Chuck Moore to plug the middle to help slow NDSU’s high-powered running game. While QB Grant Breneman is mobile, the offensive line has allowed 26 sacks, so he will be pressured by the Bison. WR Owen Rockett is averaging over 20 yards per catch and Holland – the Patriot League offensive player of the year – often slips around tacklers. PK Chris Puzzi is coming off a game-ending 38-yard field goal to beat James Madison 23-20 in the second round. NDSU boasts the Missouri Valley Football Conference offensive player of the year in Stick, but he basically only had to hand off the ball in a 52-10 second-round rout of Montana State. The Bison averaged over nine yards per carry in a 407-yard ground assault, and Dunn (127), Bruce Anderson (118) and Ty Brooks (103) went over the century mark. While the Raiders enter the game third in the FCS in time of possession (33:48), the Bison usually win that statistic, converting 50 percent of third downs and putting teams away with their power in the trenches. On defense, there’s a dominating standout in each unit with pass-rushing DE Greg Menard, LB Cox and SS Robbie Grimsley. Garrett Wegner is averaging 43.7 yards on punts, placing 22 of 49 inside the 20-yard line.
Up Next – The winner will play either No. 5 seed South Dakota State (9-2) or No. 4 seed Kennesaw State (11-1) in the semifinals Dec. 14 or 15.
Prediction – After posting five shutouts in its first nine games, Colgate defense is showing some cracks against higher-level opponents. They don’t come much better than the defending FCS champion, whose 18-game winning streak is the longest in the FCS. North Dakota State, 38-17.
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