FCS Championship Prediction Contest: JMU vs. NDSU
And here we are. The Dukes and Bison have been on a collision course all season. If the season has taught us anything, it’s that JMU and NDSU are the class of the FCS. And now the two teams are ready for the talk to stop and the game to begin. There’s really nothing more to say. So let’s just make some predictions.
Leave a comment below letting us know which team you think is going to win on Saturday. The person who comes closest to nailing it (winner & score), will get to write a guest post. That’s it. Easy as we could make it. Now give us your prediction for Saturday’s championship and Go Dukes!
Dukes 17 NDSU 14
Another tough game to predict. I honestly don’t know who will win or how it will look. I’ll go with 27-17, same as last year.
No matter what happens, I won’t be upset. Sure, I’d be bummed if we didn’t win, but these last two years have been the best in program history and an amazing thing to watch every week.
24-20 – Dukes
I totally agree with Drake…..the last 2 seasons have been undesribable!
However I predict we will prevail.
JMU 21- NDSU 16. Field goals win games!
21-20 Dukes
JMU 24
NDSU 14
Go Dukes! Win another one!
This is toughest game for me to pick. I was scared to death of SDSU but we smoked them. NDSU is much better team because of their run game and defense. In playoffs we have played, in my opinion, tougher teams than they have. Even with the revenge factor for NDSU I am going with Dukes 34 Bison 31. I have tickets for the game, but 8-10 inches of snow here last night and nothing flying out of Norfolk. Might not be able to get there. 2 flights already cancelled.
This is toughest game for me to pick. I was scared to death of SDSU but we smoked them. NDSU is much better team because of their run game and defense. In playoffs we have played, in my opinion, tougher teams than they have. Even with the revenge factor for NDSU I am going with Dukes 34 Bison 31. I have tickets for the game, but 8-10 inches of snow here last night and nothing flying out of Norfolk. Might not be able to get there. 2 flights already cancelled. Doesn’t look promising.
17 to 10 Dukes. Low scoring and hard fought.
Looking forward to seeing all you fellow Dukes fans in Frisco!
JMU – 23
Buffalo Chips – 17
21-10 Duuuuuukes
23-14 Bison get revenge
I have picked us to lose since Weber St. so I might as well not deviate now. I do have a bad feeling about this game though. Its all going to come down to penalties and turnovers. We cannot leave any points on the field when in the redzone and we MUST capitalize off turnovers if we create some. The first quarter of the SDSU game was atrocious when it came to capitalizing off turnovers. We also can’t give them cheap first downs and kill our own drives with penalties. We can’t rely on our defense to bail us out on this one.
If we can play a clean game and capitalize on turnovers we can win it.
We have done it once in the Fargo dome, we can do it again!
Dukes:34
NDSU: 28
31-27 DUKES BABY
35-7 DUKKKKKEESSSSS with 2 defensive touchdowns, 1 special teams TD and 2 for kloo. Let’s do this!
JMU – 31
NDSU – 20
Prior to JMU’s 2016 semi game in the Fargo dome, a writer for BisonReport.com wrote: ” Every season a different “hot” team rolls into the Fargodome for the semifinals. Most seasons, those teams have been put down without much of a fight. ” blah , blah , blah…. That didn’t end well for them.
I am flipping the prediction he made: Now it is Madison 38, NDSU 17.
And, Tidewater’s Duke: there are plenty of direct flights out of both Washington airports. See if you can change your departure and hop in the car. Weather is not as bad here , especially at Dulles.
Tough game to predict. Both teams are fully capable of beating the other. Based on my observations of both teams, I think it will take a quarter or two for them to figure each other out and make the necessary adjustments, and then one team will grab the momentum and cruise to a win by at least two scores.
I saw a lot of vulnerabilities with Madison in the Stony Brook and Weber St games, which led me to predict that they were on a path to lose handily to SDSU. And into about the middle of the 2nd quarter of the SDSU game, the game was very much up for grabs. Our offense got off to a slow start, but what saved us was our defense repeatedly denying a very potent SDSU offense from seizing any momentum. Once our offense finally found their rhythm, there was no looking back.
In the second half of the SDSU game, the Dukes finally (for the first time in these playoffs) looked like the championship team they were last year. It seems like they often play to the level of their competition, but when they face a quality team they meet the challenge. If they come out against the Bison like they did in that 2nd half, I’m giving it to the Dukes, 34-14.
Win or lose, another year to be proud of…I’m already looking forward to seeing what they do next year!
It’s going to be a close game (say tied at 17) until the 4th quarter, when the Dukes blow it open despite a BS “streamer” personal foul call on the fans.
Marshall, Stapleton and Moreland continue their post-season magic, each scoring TDs — Moreland of the pick-six variety to seal it. A late NDSU score is not enough …
Dukes: 38
NDSU: 24
Streamers: -15
I won the championship pick ’em last year, so I have to come back and make it twice in a row. I am hoping for a quick lead and make the Bison start to press.
Dukes: 34
Bison: 20
41-16 DUKES. Dukes capitalize on a couple turnovers, a big special teams play, and by the end of the first half, it is out of reach for the Bison.
JMU – 31
NDSU – 21
I’m looking for a close, penalty-free contest with good sportsmanship on both sides of the ball … in other words, a class act to highlight FCS Football.
As for a final score, NDS is looking for revenge. With a last-minute field goal, JMU wins 24-21.
GO DUUKKKEEEESSSSS!
23-14 dukes