Defending champ James Madison returning to FCS championship game

Marcus Marshall broke loose on a pair of long touchdown runs, Jimmy Moreland made three interceptions and defending FCS national champion James Madison returned to the title game with a 51-16 victory Saturday night over South Dakota State, which gave up 10 turnovers.

The top-seeded Dukes (14-0) won their FCS-tying 26th straight game to return to the championship game against No. 2 seed North Dakota State, a 55-13 winner over Sam Houston State on Friday night. James Madison beat the Bison in the semifinals last year, ending NDSU's run of five consecutive national championships. The championship game will be played in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 6.

Marshall, who helped set up a last-minute touchdown in the first half with a 38yard kickoff return, raced up the middle to score twice to begin a 30-point third period that broke the game open. First he went 65 yards to score, and on the Dukes' next possession he sprinted for a career-best 87 yard TD run and a 35-10 lead.

South Dakota State (11-3), the fifth seed, was making its sixth straight playoff appearance and first semifinal. The Jackrabbits came in averaging 38.8 points per game and boasting a regular-season win over Missouri Valley Football Conference rival and champion NDSU but went up against a Dukes team giving up only 10.3 points per game.

Jackrabbits quarterback Taryn Christion was intercepted six times, including a pick6, and lost three fumbles, two coming after the ball slipped from his hand. All five of the Jackrabbits' first-quarter possessions ended with turnovers but the only points the Dukes managed came on a 2-yard pass from Bryan Schor to Riley Stapleton that was set up when Christion dropped the ball and Brandon Herferd picked it up at the SDSU 15 and carried it to the 5.

The Jackrabbits turned their fortunes on their first possession of the second quarter, driving 74 yards on eight plays with Christion throwing 9 yards to Jake Wieneke. The TD catch was Wieneke's 59th of his career, snapping a tie for second in the FCS. He also broke a tie for first with former Eastern Washington University and current Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp for most consecutive games with a catch with 54.

James Madison responded on its next possession with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 15-yard TD catch by Stapleton.

— Associated Press