FRISCO, Texas (AP) – Khalid Abdullah ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns as James Madison won its second Football Championship Subdivision title, beating Youngstown State 28-14 on Saturday.
It is the first time in six years a team other than North Dakota State raised the FCS championship trophy. James Madison (14-1) was the team that made it from Fargo to Frisco instead, winning its semifinal game on the road against the five-time defending champion Bison.
Bryan Schor threw two touchdown passes in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game, the first after James Madison blocked a punt and the other after a shanked kick set the Dukes up at midfield.
Abdullah finished the season with a school-record 1,809 yards rushing and an FBS-best 22 touchdowns.
The four-time champion Penguins (12-4), who finished their second season with Youngstown native Bo Pelini as their coach, made it to the title game for the first time since 1999. Their four titles came during the 1990s under Jim Tressel, now the school’s president after winning a national championship at Ohio State in 2002.