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Luepke's 2 TDs help NDSU beat JMU 20-14 in FCS semis
FARGO, N.D. (AP) Hunter Luepke had touchdown receptions of 32 and 22 yards to bookend the scoring and added 106 yards rushing on 17 carries to help No. 2 seed North Dakota State beat James Madison 20-14 on Friday night in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs.
North Dakota State (13-1) plays the winner between No. 8 seed Montana State and unseeded South Dakota State - which handed the Bison their only loss this season, 27-19 on Nov. 6 in Brookings, South Dakota - for the national championship in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 8.
NDSU has won three straight, and four of its five all-time, meetings with the Dukes, all in the FCS playoffs, and is 31-1 at home in postseason - the lone loss coming against JMU, 27-17 in the 2016 semifinals. The Bison beat JMU for the 2017 and 2019 national titles, winning 17-13 and 28-20, respectively.
Miller scrambled for an 11-yard gain on third-and-12 and then lunged forward on a QB sneak to convert on fourth-and-short on a 15-play, 74-yard drive that took more than 6 minutes off the clock but ultimately ended when Jake Reinholz made a 20-yard field goal that made it 13-0 with 2 seconds left in the second quarter.
JMU's offense, which was limited to three first downs and just 71 yards in the first half, faced just one third down on an 13-play, 80-yard drive on the first possession after halftime that culminated with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Antwane Wells Jr. with 8:51 left in the third quarter. Cole Johnson hit Devin Ravenel for a 4-yard score and JMU, which went into the game 11-0 this season when leading at the end of the third quarter, took a 14-13 lead into the fourth.
Luepke had three consecutive touches - a 34-yard reception, a 4-yard run and then a 22-yard TD catch - to give the Bison a 20-14 lead with 13:44 to play.
Johnson was 25-of-34 passing for 210 yards. The sixth-year senior, who went into the game having thrown just two interceptions this season, was picked off in the end zone by Dawson Weber early in the second quarter and Destin Talbert snatched a leaping one-handed interception in the end zone with 3:05 to play.
The Dukes (12-2) begin their transition to the FBS.
Wide receiver Christian Watson did not play for NDSU. The 6-foot-5, 208-pound senior, a projected mid-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, missed the first two playoff games with a hamstring injury.
North Dakota State, which has won eight of the last 10 FCS national championships, limited the Dukes to their fewest points since West Virginia beat JMU 20-13 on August 31, 2019.
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C. Johnson
12 QB 210 PaYds, 2 PaTDs, 2 INTs, 11 RuYds |
|
H. Luepke
44 FB 2 TDs, 199 Yds |
Team Stats | ||
---|---|---|
1st Downs | 18 | 19 |
Rushing | 6 | 10 |
Passing | 11 | 8 |
Penalty | 1 | 1 |
3rd Down Conv | 6-11 | 5-14 |
4th Down Conv | 0-0 | 1-1 |
Total Net Yards | 305 | 339 |
Total Plays | 61 | 62 |
Avg Gain | 5.0 | 5.5 |
Net Yards Rushing | 95 | 174 |
Rush Attempts | 27 | 43 |
Avg Rush Yards | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Yards Passing | 210 | 165 |
Comp. - Att. | 25-34 | 10-19 |
Yards Per Pass | 5.2 | 7.4 |
Penalties - Yards | 5-25 | 3-25 |
Touchdowns | 2 | 2 |
Rushing TDs | 0 | 0 |
Passing TDs | 2 | 2 |
Other | 0 | 0 |
Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
Fumbles - Lost | 1-0 | 0-0 |
Int. Thrown | 2 | 0 |
Punts - Avg | 5-38.6 | 7-31.6 |
Return Yards | 27 | 0 |
Punts - Returns | 3-27 | 0-0 |
Kickoffs - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Int. - Returns | 0-0 | 2-0 |
Safeties | 0 | 0 |
|
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
C. Johnson
12 QB
|
C. Johnson | 25/34 | 210 | 2 | 2 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG |
L. Palmer
5 RB
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L. Palmer | 18 | 89 | 0 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Johnson
12 QB
|
C. Johnson | 7 | 11 | 0 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
L. Bryant Jr.
26 RB
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L. Bryant Jr. | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
A. Douglas
2 RB
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A. Douglas | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
S. Vanhorse
3 RB
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S. Vanhorse | 9 | 8 | 57 | 0 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A. Wells Jr.
7 WR
|
A. Wells Jr. | 8 | 5 | 53 | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
K. Thornton
8 WR
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K. Thornton | 7 | 6 | 47 | 0 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
S. Bracey
1 WR
|
S. Bracey | 3 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
L. Bryant Jr.
26 RB
|
L. Bryant Jr. | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
L. Palmer
5 RB
|
L. Palmer | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Ravenel
19 WR
|
D. Ravenel | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
R. Brown
9 WR
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R. Brown | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
W. McCormick
5 CB
|
W. McCormick | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT |
D. Tucker-Dorsey
2 LB
|
D. Tucker-Dorsey | 7-3 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
S. Kidd
33 S
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S. Kidd | 5-3 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Azanama
7 LB
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K. Azanama | 4-3 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Q. Reid
1 S
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Q. Reid | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
B. Carter
15 DL
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B. Carter | 3-3 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. Greene
3 DL
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M. Greene | 3-3 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. Thurston
90 DL
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T. Thurston | 2-5 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
W. Davis
8 S
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W. Davis | 2-1 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. Jackson
51 LB
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M. Jackson | 2-1 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Chukwuneke
34 S
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C. Chukwuneke | 2-2 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Green
10 DL
|
J. Green | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
G. Ross
9 CB
|
G. Ross | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. Hampton
32 S
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M. Hampton | 1-2 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Swann
21 CB
|
J. Swann | 0-1 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. Carroll
27 CB
|
T. Carroll | 0-2 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Funk
55 DL
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J. Funk | 0-1 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
I. Ukwu
0 DL
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I. Ukwu | 0-1 | 0.0 | 0 |
Kicking | FG | LG | XP | PTS |
E. Ratke
91 K
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E. Ratke | 0/0 | 0 | 2/2 | 2 |
Punting | NO | AVG | IN20 | LG |
H. O'Kelly
98 P
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H. O'Kelly | 5 | 38.6 | 1 | 43 |
Kickoff Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
S. Vanhorse
3 RB
|
S. Vanhorse | 3 | 17.7 | 21 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
S. Malignaggi
23 CB
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S. Malignaggi | 2 | 14.5 | 17 | 0 |
Punt Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
J. Sroba 26 CB
|
J. Sroba | 2 | 6.0 | 7 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
M. Hampton 32 S
|
M. Hampton | 1 | 15.0 | 15 | 0 |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
C. Miller
7 QB
|
C. Miller | 10/19 | 165 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Q. Patterson
2 QB
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Q. Patterson | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG |
H. Luepke
44 FB
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H. Luepke | 19 | 110 | 0 | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Miller
7 QB
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C. Miller | 8 | 24 | 0 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. Williams
22 RB
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T. Williams | 8 | 19 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Q. Patterson
2 QB
|
Q. Patterson | 4 | 13 | 0 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Johnson
4 RB
|
K. Johnson | 4 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
H. Luepke
44 FB
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H. Luepke | 3 | 3 | 89 | 2 | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Hart
9 WR
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D. Hart | 1 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
P. Sproles
11 WR
|
P. Sproles | 4 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
R. Nelson
17 WR
|
R. Nelson | 5 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
J. Babicz
81 TE
|
J. Babicz | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
B. Henderson
12 WR
|
B. Henderson | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
K. Johnson
4 RB
|
K. Johnson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Weber
2 S
|
D. Weber | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT |
J. Hankey
52 LB
|
J. Hankey | 5-3 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Wisniewski
31 LB
|
C. Wisniewski | 4-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Kava
54 DE
|
J. Kava | 3-0 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
B. Thomas
98 DE
|
B. Thomas | 3-1 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Eubanks
18 CB
|