2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game

The 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game that determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision for the 2015 season. It was played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on January 9, 2016, with kickoff at 12:00 noon EST, and was the culminating game of the 2015 FCS Playoffs. With sponsorship from Northwestern Mutual, the game was officially known as the NCAA FCS Football Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual.[4]

2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship
FCS National Championship Game
1234 Total
Jacksonville State 00100 10
North Dakota State 321310 37
DateJanuary 9, 2016
Season2015
StadiumToyota Stadium
LocationFrisco, Texas
MVPCarson Wentz (QB, North Dakota State)[1]
FavoriteNorth Dakota State by 2.5[2]
RefereeTony Marcella (CAA)[3]
Attendance21,836
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN2[4]
AnnouncersAnish Shroff (play-by-play), Ahmad D. Brooks (color), Quint Kessenich (sideline)[4]
NCAA Division I Football Championship
 < 2015 2017

Teams

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The participants of the 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2015 FCS Playoffs, which began with a 24-team bracket. No. 1 seed Jacksonville State and No. 3 seed North Dakota State qualified for the final by winning their semifinal games.

Jacksonville State Gamecocks

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The Gamecocks, led by second-year head coach John Grass, finished the regular season 10–1, 8–0 in OVC play, to earn a conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the FCS Playoffs. Jacksonville State defeated unseeded Chattanooga, No. 8 seed Charleston Southern, and unseeded Sam Houston State to reach their first ever final.

North Dakota State Bison

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The Bison, led by second-year head coach Chris Klieman, finished the regular season 8–2, 7–1 in MVFC play, to earn a conference co-championship (shared with Illinois State) and the No. 3 seed in the FCS Playoffs. North Dakota State defeated unseeded Montana, unseeded Northern Iowa, and No. 7 seed Richmond to reach the final. The Bison entered the Championship game with a 4–0 record in previous FCS Championships, having won the last four straight.

Game summary

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Scoring summary

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Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score
Plays Yards TOP JVST NDSU
1 8:36 15 63 6:24 NDSU 29-yard field goal by Cam Pedersen 0 3
2 12:39 12 80 6:55 NDSU Andrew Bonnet 8-yard touchdown reception from Carson Wentz, Cam Pedersen kick good 0 10
2 11:13 4 28 1:15 NDSU Carson Wentz 11-yard touchdown run, Cam Pedersen kick good 0 17
2 6:12 6 48 2:56 NDSU King Frazier 1-yard touchdown run, Cam Pedersen kick good 0 24
3 11:04 8 73 3:56 JVST Eli Jenkins 6-yard touchdown run, Connor Rouleau kick good 7 24
3 3:41 4 4 1:30 JVST 26-yard field goal by Connor Rouleau 10 24
3 0:20 8 60 3:21 NDSU 31-yard field goal by Cam Pedersen 10 27
4 7:45 8 28 4:22 NDSU Carson Wentz 1-yard touchdown run, Cam Pedersen kick good 10 34
4 4:22 4 2 2:19 NDSU 38-yard field goal by Cam Pedersen 10 37
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 37

Game statistics

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1 2 3 4 Total
No. 1 Gamecocks 0 0 10 0 10
No. 3 Bison 3 21 3 10 37
 
Toyota Stadium during the championship game between North Dakota State and Jacksonville State
Statistics JVST NDSU
First downs 9 24
Plays–yards 51–204 82–379
Rushes–yards 31–147 51–182
Passing yards 57 197
Passing: compattint 7–20–2 16–31–3
Time of possession 19:09 40:51
Team Category Player Statistics
Jacksonville State Passing Eli Jenkins 7/20, 57 yds, 2 INT
Rushing Eli Jenkins 15 car, 88 yds, 1 TD
Receiving Josh Barge 2 rec, 32 yds
North Dakota State Passing Carson Wentz 16/29, 197 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Carson Wentz 9 car, 79 yds, 2 TD
Receiving Darrius Shepherd 4 rec, 71 yds

References

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  1. ^ "Outstanding players of FCS championship game". ESPN. AP. January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  2. ^ "Jacksonville State Gamecocks @ North Dakota State Bison". vegasinsider.com. January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  3. ^ "North Dakota State University Athletics - Boxscore for Football vs Jacksonville State on 1/9/2016". gobison.com. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "2016 FCS Championship Jacksonville State vs North Dakota State". January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2019 – via YouTube.

Further reading

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