James Madison beat Youngstown State 28-14 to win the FCS Football Championship. Here are all the highlights.
James Madison University has won their second national title in football after beating Youngstown State 28-14 in the FCS Football Championship. It’s their first FCS championship, as their 2004 title was the Division I-AA title. They entered the game ranked fourth in the country while Youngstown was unranked. Thanks to some early big plays on special teams and offense, the Dukes dominated the Penguins.
JMU got great field position on their first drive after blocking a punt. Jonathan Kloosterman got his fifth touchdown of the postseason to give the Dukes an early 7-0 lead. After a bad punt gave them the ball at the 50-yard line, Rashard Davis made an epic catch in the end zone. Initially, it was ruled incomplete. However, under review, it was overruled and called a touchdown.
Several big plays led to Khalid Abdullah’s 44th rushing touchdown of his career, a JMU record, to give the Dukes a 21-0 lead. It was also Abdullah’s FCS high 21st touchdown of the season. Their defense made big plays all day, never letting Youngstown get much going on offense. The Penguins’ lone two touchdowns came via a touchdown pass to Shane Kuhn after a tipped punt gave them great field position and courtesy of a last-minute touchdown by Jeremiah Braswell.
Highlights
KLOOOOOOOOOOSTERMAN!!!
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 7, 2017
The Dukes strike first on the 14 yard TD from Schor to Kloosterman! #FCSChamp 🏆 pic.twitter.com/khYcEakux9
💯 TOE TAP 💯
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 7, 2017
Rashard Davis makes an INCREDIBLE snag for another JMU TD!
JMU 14, YSU 0#FCSChamp 🏆 pic.twitter.com/UQ0R4AsQLk
Abdullah = BEAST!
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 7, 2017
For a school-record 44th time in his career, Khalid Abdullah crosses the goal line.
JMU 21, YSU 0#FCSChamp 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XfO54ik5k4
— syd (@coffeekurls) January 7, 2017
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Three Stars
- Khalid Abdullah: All season long, JMU has gone to their star running back early and often. It’s easy to see why. The James Madison star got two touchdowns and got 101 rushing yards. He leads the FCS in rushing yards and touchdowns.
- Bryan Schor: Schor did a very good job, completing seven of his 12 pass attempts for 112 yards and two touchdowns. With 36 rushing yards, he accounted for a total of 148 yards.
- Rashard Davis: This was Davis’ last college game. And he went out with a huge bang. Usually known for his dynamic punt returns, Davis made a huge impact as a receiver. He was JMU’s top receiver with three receptions for 52 yards and even scored a touchdown.