2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, Dec. 20 e-Newsletter
Weekly e-Newsletter, Dec. 20
2012
NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
Sam Houston State vs.
North Dakota State
January 7, 2012; Noon, Central;
ESPN2HD
Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas
Interactive
Bracket
| Printable Bracket
No.
1 seed Sam Houston State and No. 2 seed North Dakota State will meet in the
2012 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game that will be played at noon on
Saturday, January 7, 2012 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The championship game, which concludes a 20-team national
playoff, is hosted by the Southland Conference, the City of Frisco and Hunt
Sports Group. Last year, Eastern Washington beat Delaware, 20-19, in the first
college football game at Pizza Hut Park. The venue will host the championship
again in 2013.
Start
Championship Day at Tailgate Town
Where's the best
place to get ready for the NCAA Division I Football Championship game? It is
just outside of Pizza Hut Park in Tailgate Town! This fun-filled, interactive
area allows fans of any age a chance to experience the thrills, excitement and
spirit of college football. Whether you try your hand at quarterback, ride the
mechanical bull, cheer on your favorite team's band and cheerleaders, or just
kick back with some of Frisco's best food and drink... this is the place to be
before the big game! Admission is free. Tailgate Town opens at 9 a.m. on game
day, Saturday, January 7.
Home
and Away Designations
North Dakota State
will be the home team for the championship game and will wear dark jerseys (yellow
jersey on green pants). The Bison will occupy the west sideline at Pizza Hut
Park and their fans will sit behind them on the same side as the press box. Sam
Houston State will be the visiting team and will wear light jerseys (white tops
on white pants). The Bearkats will occupy the east sideline and their fans
will sit behind them. A coin flip determined the home team.
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Meet the Sam Houston State Bearkats
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Location: Huntsville, Texas
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Conference: Southland
Conference
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Enrollment: 17,612
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Colors: Orange and White
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Head
Coach:
Willie Fritz
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Alma
mater:
Pittsburg State, 1983
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Record
at SHSU: 20-5,
second season
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Career
Record: 156-57-1,
19th season
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2011
Record:
14-0 overall and 7-0 in the Southland
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NCAA
Division I Championship Appearances: 5 (1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011)
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NCAA
Division I Championship Game Appearances: 1 (2011)
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2011
Season Capsule:
Sam Houston State enters its first appearance in the Division I championship
game with a 14-0 record and will put its 16-game win streak on the line against
North Dakota State. The Bearkats have the longest win streak in either Division
I subdivision and join LSU as the only unbeaten teams in Division I. Making its
fifth appearance in the Division I playoffs, Sam Houston State followed a
first-round bye with wins over Stony Brook (34-27), Montana State (49-13) and Montana
(31-28). The Bearkats, who won their fourth overall and first outright
Southland Conference title with a 7-0 record, are coached by Willie Fritz, who
is 20-5 in his second season at Sam Houston.
Sam Houston State is
averaging 39.1 points and 421.6 yards of offense per game, while allowing only
14.8 points and 283.1 yards per game on defense. The Bearkats lead the Football
Championship Subdivision in scoring offense and rush defense (69.9) and rank
second in scoring defense and turnover margin (+2.0 per game). They also rank
fourth in rushing offense (267.43), pass efficiency defense (98.91), total
defense and fifth in pass efficiency (159.48) and fewest sacks allowed (0.64
per game). Sam Houston State, which is 5-0 against the top 25, is quarterbacked
by Brian Bell, who has completed 61.8 percent of his passes (131-212) for 1,954
yards and 20 touchdowns. He has thrown just five interceptions. The ground game
features a dual threat of Tim Flanders, who ran for a school record 287 yards
last week in the semifinal win over Montana, and Richard Sincere, who operates
mainly out of the wildcat formation. Flanders has scored 22 touchdowns and is
averaging 111.4 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry. Sincere averages 68.9
yards per game and 8.0 yards per run.
Notable
SHSU Alumni: Dan Rather (CBS
News); Walt Anderson (NFL referee); Richard Linklater (Academy Award nominated
director); Roger Creager (Country & Western recording artist); Katie Clarke
(Broadway Actress).
Notable
NFL Players from SHSU - Current: Josh McCown (Bears). Former: Michael Bankston (Cardinals, Bengals); Keith Davis
(Cowboys); Keith Heinrich (Panthers, Browns, Buccaneers).
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Meet the North Dakota State Bison
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Location: Fargo, N.D.
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Conference: Missouri Valley
Football Conference
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Enrollment: 14,399
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Colors: Yellow, Green and
Brown
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Head
Coach:
Craig Bohl
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Alma
mater:
Nebraska, 1982
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Record
at NDSU: 74-31,
ninth season
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Career
Record: 74-31,
ninth season
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2011
Record:
13-1 overall and 7-1 in the Missouri Valley Football
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NCAA
Division I Championship Appearances: 2 (2010, 2011)
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NCAA
Division I Championship Game Appearances: 1 (2011)
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2011
Season Capsule:
North Dakota State is in the Division I playoffs for the second consecutive
season after reaching the quarterfinals last year in its first playoff game at
the Division I level. North Dakota State, which is 13-1 overall and 7-1 in
conference play, shared the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship
with Northern Iowa, but earned the league's automatic bid after beating the
Panthers in October. NDSU won its first nine games of the season and brings a
four-game wins streak into the championship game. North Dakota State's playoff
wins have come against James Madison (26-14), Lehigh (24-0) and Georgia
Southern. The Bison are 6-0 against top-25 teams this season.
The Bison are
averaging 32.4 points and 353.9 yards on offense per game and limiting
opponents to an FCS-best 13.2 points and 323.5 yards a game. North Dakota State
has a balanced offense, averaging 177.4 rushing yards and 176.4 passing yards
per game. Quarterback Brock Jensen has completed 68.3 percent of his passes for
2,404 yards and 13 touchdowns and has thrown only three interceptions. He has
added eight rushing touchdowns but a bulk of the team's yards come from backs
Sam Ojuri and D.J. McNorton, a senior from Channelview, Texas near Houston,
account for 152.5 of the team's rushing offense per game. The trio has combined
to score 32 of the team's 37 rushing touchdowns. The team's leading receiver is
also a Texan. Warren Holloway, who played at Galena Park High School near
Houston, has caught 75 passes for 988 yards and eight scores. NDSU ranks fifth
in turnover margin (+1.29 per game) and seventh in kickoff returns, averaging
24.09 per return.
Notable
NDSU Alumni: Doug Burgum (senior
vice president, Mircrosoft Business Solutions); David Bernauer (former CEO of
Walgreens pharmacy); Charles F. "Chuck" Wald (General, United States Air
Force).
Notable
NFL Players from NDSU - Current: Craig Dahl (Rams); Ramon Humber (Saints);
Joe Mays (Broncos). Former: Phil
Hansen (Bills); Tyrone Braxton (Broncos, Dolphins); Steve Nelson (Patriots).
Television
and Radio Coverage of Championship Game
The 2012 NCAA
Division I Football Championship Game will be televised by ESPN2 HD and
ESPN3.com. Dave Neal will handle play-by-play duties for the broadcast, while
Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware will serve as the color analyst. Westwood One
will provide the national radio broadcast for this year's championship. John
Tautges will handle play-by-play duties and former UCLA coach Terry Donahue
will serve as the color analyst.
Playoff Results
Semifinal Games, Dec. 16-17
at No.
1 Sam Houston State 31, Montana 28
at No.
2 North Dakota State 35, Georgia Southern 7
Quarterfinal Games, Dec. 9-10
at No.
1 Sam Houston State 49, Montana State 13
at
No. 2 North Dakota State 24, Lehigh 0
at No. 3 Georgia Southern 35,
Maine 23
at No. 4 Montana 48, No. 5
Northern Iowa 10
Second-Round Games, Dec. 3
at No.
1 Sam Houston State 34, Stony Brook 27
at No. 2 North Dakota State 26,
James Madison 14
at No. 3 Georgia Southern 55, Old
Dominion 48
at No.
4 Montana 41, Central Arkansas 14
at No. 5 Northern Iowa 28,
Wofford 21
Maine 34, at Appalachian State 12
at Montana State 26, New
Hampshire 25
Lehigh 40, at Towson 38
First-Round Results,
Nov. 26
James Madison 20, at Eastern
Kentucky 17
at Old Dominion 35, Norfolk
State 18
at Stony Brook 31, Albany 28
Central Arkansas 34, at
Tennessee Tech 14
All-Time
NCAA Division I National Champions
Georgia Southern (6
championships), Youngstown State (4), Appalachian State (3), Eastern Kentucky
(2), Marshall (2), Montana (2), Boise State, Delaware, Eastern Washington,
Florida A&M, Furman, Idaho State, James Madison, Louisiana-Monroe,
Massachusetts, Montana State, Richmond, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and
Villanova.
FCS
History
The 2012 NCAA
Division I Football Championship Game will be the 34th edition. The first
championship took place in 1978 when Florida A&M beat Massachusetts 35-28
in Wichita Falls, Texas. Chattanooga, Tenn., has hosted the championship game
more than any other city with 13 games between 1997-2009. Since the NCAA does
not sponsor a championship for the FBS, the tournament to determine the FCS
winner was changed to be called the Division I Football Championship in 2006.
About the Football
Championship Subdivision
The
Football Championship Subdivision, formerly named Division I-AA from 1978-2005,
is made up of 124 football playing institutions, though only 118 are eligible
for the championship. The FCS includes the conferences and institutions that
compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship - Big Sky, Big South,
Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Missouri Valley Football,
Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Pioneer Football, Southern and the
Southland - in addition to two other conferences, the Ivy League and the
Southwestern Athletic Conference. The FCS experience provides more than 12,000
NCAA student-athletes with an opportunity to compete while also working toward
an academic degree and ultimately graduation. The FCS embodies a tradition of
excellence through high level competition, student-athlete character and
sportsmanship throughout the regular season and the championship experience.
