The University of North Dakota is going through a number of firsts in the FCS playoffs.
The Fighting Hawks won their first FCS postseason game in program history with a 44-10 drubbing over Missouri Valley Football Conference foe Missouri State.
UND (5-1 overall) is set to play their first-ever meeting against James Madison University on Sunday, which will be the Fighting Hawk’s first game outside of the MVFC this spring.
JMU (6-0 overall) is the No. 3 seed and possesses a good offensive line.
“Very mobile and physical on the offensive line. I’m really impressed by that group, work well together they have a lot of seniors on the team so this is an experienced group in the trenches,” said UND head coach Bubba Schweigert.
JMU’s starting offensive line stands at 6’3″ and weighs 306 pounds for a group average.
The Dukes are seeking their fourth trip to FCS semifinals in the last five years.
JMU HOME COOKING
Since the start of the 2016 season, JMU is 35-1 at Bridgeforth Stadium and 10-0 at home in the FCS playoffs.
JMU currently has a 16-game home winning streak, since losing to Elon 27-24 on October 6, 2018.
Last home playoff loss: 44-38 against Colgate on December 5, 2015.
UND ROAD WOES
43 days will have passed since UND was a visiting team on the scoreboard.
The Hawks have played away from the Alerus Center twice this spring, going 1-1 overall. UND beat Western Illinois on March 13 and lost 34-13 at NDSU on March 20.
UND is 6-14 overall on the road since the 2017 season, including a 24-6 loss against Nicholls in the opening round of the 2019 FCS playoffs.
STAT LEADERS
Passing
JMU – Cole Johnson has completed 64% of his passes for 1,111 yards, 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
UND – Tommy Schuster has completed 66% of his passes for 1,215 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Rushing
JMU – Percy Agyei-Obese has rushed for 491 yards, 6 touchdowns and is averaging 5.2 yards per rush.
UND – Otis Weah has rushed for 634 yards, 8 touchdowns and is averaging 7.1 yards per rush.
Receiving
JMU – Antwane, Wells Jr. has 19 receptions for 371 yards and 3 touchdowns.
UND – Garett Maag has 19 receptions for 436 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Defense
JMU – Linebacker Kelvin Azanama leads the team with 38 tackles.
Defensive line Mikail Kamara leads the team with 3 sacks.
Defensive backs Que Reid, Wesley McCormick and Taurus Carroll each have 2 interceptions.
UND – Linebacker Devon
Linebacker Jaxon Turner leads the team with 5 sacks.
Defensive backs Hayden Galvin and Jordan Canady each have 2 interceptions.
Special Teams
JMU – Ethan Ratke is 10-10 on field goals with a season-long 42 yard make against William & Mary.
UND – Adam Stage is 3-4 on field goals with a season-long 46 yard make against Western Illinois.
GAME TIME & OPENING LINE
Kickoff set for 5 p.m. on Sunday from Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Radio: 790 AM & 104.7 FM
Television: ESPN2
JMU opened as a 2.5 point favorite over UND.
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