2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game - Dec. 17 Update
2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
January 5, 2013; Noon; ESPN2
FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Bracket (PDF) | Interactive Bracket
No. 1 seed North Dakota State and Sam Houston State will meet in the 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game that will be played at noon on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game is a rematch of last year’s Football Championship Subdivision title game won by the Bison 17-6. This year’s championship game, which concludes a 20-team playoff, is hosted by the Southland Conference, the City of Frisco and Hunt Sports Group. This is the third year Frisco has been the site of the game. In the 2011 championship game that followed the 2010 season, Eastern Washington beat Delaware, 20-19, in the first college football game at FC Dallas Stadium.
Coaches will Visit Dallas-Fort Worth on Wednesday
North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl and Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz will be in North Texas this Wednesday to visit with local media to promote the 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game. There will be a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in the River Club at FC Dallas Stadium followed by a press conference at noon.
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 FC Dallas Stadium 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 5.
Home and Away Designations
Sam Houston State will be the home team for the championship game and will wear dark jerseys (orange jersey on orange pants). The Bearkats will occupy the west sideline at FC Dallas Stadium and their fans will sit behind them on the same side as the press box. North Dakota State will be the visiting team and will wear light jerseys (white jersey on green pants). The Bison 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 North Dakota State Bison |
| Location: Fargo, N.D. |
| Conference: Missouri Valley Football Conference |
| Enrollment: 14,443 |
| Colors: Yellow, Green and Brown |
| Head Coach: Craig Bohl |
| Alma mater: Nebraska, 1982 |
| Record at NDSU: 88-32, 10th season |
| Career Record: 88-31, 10th season |
| 2012 Record: 13-1 overall and 7-1 in the Missouri Valley Football |
| NCAA Division I Championship Appearances: 3 (2010, 2011, 2012) |
| NCAA Division I Championship Game Appearances: 2 (2011, 2012) |
2012 Season Capsule: North Dakota State is in the Division I playoffs for the third consecutive season and won its first FCS championship last year, a season after reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Eastern Washington, the eventual national champion. North Dakota State is 13-1 overall and was 7-1 to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference one game ahead of South Dakota State, a team it beat during the regular season and again in the second round (28-3) of this year’s playoffs. The Bison followed with a 14-7 win against Wofford and defeated Georgia Southern (23-20) for the second consecutive season to reach the championship game. Craig Bohl is 88-32 in his 10th season as the head coach at North Dakota State. The Bison are the winningest program in both Division I subdivisions with a 26-2 record the last two years.
The Bison are averaging 32.6 points and 365.1 yards per game on offense and are limiting opponents to 11.4 points and 223.3 yards per game. North Dakota State has a balanced offense, averaging 196.6 yards on the ground and 168.6 yards passing. Quarterback Brock Jensen has completed 61.5 percent of his passes (198 of 322) for 2,216 yards and 17 touchdowns and has thrown only eight interceptions. He has added nine rushing touchdowns but the bulk of the team’s rushing yards come from running backs John Crockett and Sam Ojuri. In 14 games and only one as a starter, Crockett has 956 yards on 183 carries and nine touchdowns. He averages 68.3 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry. Ojuri has 955 yards and 10 touchdowns on 201 carries in 13 games. He averages 73.5 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry. The trio accounts for 28 of the team’s 35 rushing touchdowns. The team’s leading receiver is Ryan Smith, who has 47 receptions for 519 yards and three scores. Zach Vraa has 575 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 43 catches. Grant Olson is the team’s leading tackler with 96 stops to go with 11.5 tackles for loss. Cole Jirik leads the team with 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Marcus Williams leads the team with five interceptions.
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).
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Meet the Sam Houston State Bearkats |
| Location: Huntsville, Texas |
| Conference: Southland Conference |
| Enrollment: 17,618 |
| Colors: Orange and White |
| Head Coach: Willie Fritz |
| Alma mater: Pittsburg State, 1983 |
| Record at SHSU: 31-9, third season |
| Career Record: 167-61-1, 20th season |
| 2012 Record: 11-3 overall and 6-1 in the Southland |
| NCAA Division I Championship Appearances: 6 (1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2012) |
| NCAA Division I Championship Game Appearances: 2 (2011, 2012) |
2012 Season Capsule: Sam Houston State is back in the championship game for the second consecutive season after falling 17-6 to North Dakota State last year in Frisco. That was the first trip to the title game for the Bearkats, who are making their sixth playoff appearance this season. Sam Houston swept all three Big Sky Conference co-champions – Cal Poly (18-16), Montana State (34-16) and Eastern Washington (45-42) – to get back to the championship game. The Bearkats defeated Stony Brook, Montana State and Montana to reach the title game a season ago. Sam Houston, which is unseeded but ranked No. 5 in both FCS polls, is 11-3 overall and shared the Southland Conference championship with Central Arkansas at 6-1. Sam Houston, which is 25-4 in the last two years, is 31-9 under third-year head coach Willie Fritz.
Sam Houston State is averaging 41.9 points and 463.4 yards of offense per game, while allowing 20.2 points and 325.8 yards per game on defense. The Bearkats average 279.2 rushing yards and 184.1 passing yards per game. Running back Timothy Flanders, the two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year and a two-time All-American, has 1,589 yards on 269 carries. He averages 5.9 yards per run and 113.5 yards per game. He is coming off his 25th career 100-yard game, a 231-yard performance at Eastern Washington. It was his second-best rushing effort of his career. He ran for 287 yards in the last year’s semifinal win against Montana. Quarterback Brian Bell is completing 61.6 percent of his passes (178 of 289) for 2,460 yards and 24 touchdowns and has thrown only seven interceptions. Bell ran for two of his six rushing touchdowns and threw for another against Eastern Washington. Trey Diller is the team’s top receiver with 881 yards and four touchdowns on 58 receptions. Chance Nelson paces the Bearkats with nine touchdown receptions to go with 662 yards on 33 catches. Darnell Taylor has 100 tackles to lead Sam Houston. His twin brother Darius Taylor is the team leader with 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Three different players have four interceptions, including Bookie Sneed who has returned two for touchdowns.
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).
Fourth Rematch in Championship History
When North Dakota State and Sam Houston State meet Jan. 5 in Frisco it will be a rematch of last year’s championship game. There have been three previous rematches in the FCS championship game since it started in 1978. Youngstown State and Marshall played three consecutive season from 1991 through 1993, making the 1992 and 1993 games rematches. Montana and Marshall played in the 1995 and 1996 games.
1991 Youngstown State 25, Marshall 17
1992 Marshall 31, Youngstown State 28
1993 Youngstown State 17, Marshall 5
1995 Montana 22, Marshall 20
1996 Marshall 49, Montana 29
2011 North Dakota State 17, Sam Houston State 6
2012 North Dakota State vs. Sam Houston State
More Elite Company
North Dakota State and Sam Houston State are the seventh and eighth teams in NCAA Division I FCS history to earn a berth into the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game in consecutive seasons. The other teams are Eastern Kentucky (1979-1982), Georgia Southern (1985-86, 1988-90; 1998-2000), Marshall (1991-93), Youngstown State (1991-94), Montana (1995-96, 2000-01, 2008-09) and Appalachian State (2005-07).
Playoff Results
Semifinal Games (Dec. 14-15)
at No. 1 North Dakota State 23, No. 5 Georgia Southern 20
Sam Houston St. 45, at No. 2 Eastern Washington 42
Quarterfinal Games (Dec. 7-8)
Sam Houston St. 34, at Montana St. 16
Georgia Southern 49, at Old Dominion 35
at North Dakota St. 14, Wofford 7
at Eastern Washington 51, Illinois St. 35
Second-Round Results (Saturday, Dec. 1)
at North Dakota State 28, South Dakota State 3
at Wofford 23, New Hampshire 7
at Georgia Southern 24, Central Arkansas 16
at Old Dominion 63, Coastal Carolina 35
at Montana State 16, Stony Brook 10
at Sam Houston State 18, Cal Poly 16
Illinois State 38, at Appalachian State 37 (OT)
at Eastern Washington 29, Wagner 19
First-Round Results (Saturday, Nov. 24)
at Wagner 31, Colgate 20
Coastal Carolina 24, at Bethune-Cookman 14
at South Dakota State 58, Eastern Illinois 10
at Stony Brook 20, Villanova 10
Television and Radio Coverage of Championship Game
The 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game will be televised by ESPN2 HD and WatchESPN. Dave Neal will handle play-by-play duties for the broadcast and Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware will serve as the color analyst, while Cara Capuano will report from the sidelines. Dial Global Sports 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.
Frisco has Produced First-Time Winners
In the two times the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game has been played in Frisco, a first-time winner has emerged. Following the 2010 season, Eastern Washington claimed the school’s first championship, coming from 16 points down to win 20-19. Last year, North Dakota State claimed its first title in a 17-6 win. Each of the last four winners have been first time champions, including Richmond in 2008 and Villanova in 2009. If that trend continues, that is good news for Sam Houston State. There has not been a repeat winner since Appalachian State won three in a row from 2005-07.
Last Five Champions
2011: North Dakota State*
2010: Eastern Washington*
2009: Villanova
2008: Richmond
2007: Appalachian State
* in Frisco, Texas
All-Time NCAA Division I National Champions
Appalachian State (3 championships), Boise State, Delaware, Eastern Kentucky (2), Eastern Washington, Florida A&M, Furman, Georgia Southern (6), Idaho State, James Madison, Louisiana-Monroe, Massachusetts, Marshall (2), Montana (2), Montana State, North Dakota State, Richmond, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Villanova, and Youngstown State (4).
FCS History
The 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game will be the 35th 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. The FCS was formerly named Division I-AA from 1978-2005. 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. Georgia Southern has won the most championships with six.
Road to the Championship
There are 122 teams within 13 conferences competing in FCS football. The championship bracket consists of 20 teams, 10 of which are selected via automatic qualification. The remaining at-large teams are selected by the Division I Football Championship Committee, assisted by four regional advisory committees that serve in an advisory capacity only. At-large selections are based on multiple factors including overall record and strength of schedule. The championship bracket consists of 20 teams, 10 of which are selected via automatic qualification. The championship is conducted via single elimination format. All preliminary-round games (first round, second round, quarterfinals and semifinals) are hosted on campus sites. Sites are selected and announced during the selection show and as teams advance throughout the championship. The championship game is hosted at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas. For the 2013 season the championship bracket will expand from 20 to 24 teams, increasing the number of AQ conferences from 10 to 11. The remaining teams will be selected on an at-large basis. The top-eight teams in the bracket will be seeded and receive first-round byes.