The 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game that determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision for the 2014 season. It was played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on January 10, 2015, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m. EST, and was the culminating game of the 2014 FCS Playoffs. With sponsorship by Northwestern Mutual, the game was officially known as the NCAA FCS Championship presented by Northwestern Mutual.[5]
Teams
The participants of the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2014 FCS Playoffs, which began with a 24-team bracket. No. 2 seed North Dakota State and No. 5 seed Illinois State qualified for the final by winning their semifinal games.
North Dakota State Bison
Led by first-year head coach Chris Klieman, the Bison finished the regular season 11–1, 7–1 in MVFC play, to earn a conference co-championship (shared with Illinois State) and the No. 2 seed in the FCS Playoffs. North Dakota State defeated unseeded South Dakota State, No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina, and unseeded Sam Houston State to reach the final. The Bison entered the Championship game with a 3–0 record in previous FCS Championships, having won the last three straight.
Illinois State Redbirds
Led by sixth-year head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds finished the regular season 10–1, 7–1 in MVFC play, to earn a conference co-championship (shared with North Dakota State) and the No. 5 seed in the FCS Playoffs. Illinois State defeated unseeded Northern Iowa, No. 4 seed Eastern Washington, and No. 1 seed New Hampshire to reach their first-ever final.
Game summary
Scoring summary
Scoring summary
|
Quarter
|
Time
|
Drive
|
Team
|
Scoring information
|
Score
|
Plays
|
Yards
|
TOP
|
NDSU
|
ILST
|
1
|
5:28
|
5
|
38
|
2:33
|
ILST
|
Jon-Marc Anderson 13-yard touchdown reception from Tre Roberson, Nick Aussieker kick good
|
0
|
7
|
1
|
1:06
|
8
|
42
|
4:22
|
NDSU
|
41-yard field goal by Adam Keller
|
3
|
7
|
2
|
8:43
|
11
|
84
|
5:30
|
NDSU
|
Luke Albers 6-yard touchdown reception from Carson Wentz, Adam Keller kick good
|
10
|
7
|
3
|
12:55
|
4
|
–5
|
2:05
|
NDSU
|
41-yard field goal by Adam Keller
|
13
|
7
|
3
|
7:28
|
8
|
76
|
3:48
|
NDSU
|
John Crockett 7-yard touchdown run, Adam Keller kick good
|
20
|
7
|
3
|
2:11
|
8
|
66
|
5:17
|
ILST
|
James O'Shaughnessy 41-yard touchdown reception from Tre Roberson, Nick Aussieker kick good
|
20
|
14
|
4
|
11:20
|
12
|
62
|
5:51
|
NDSU
|
24-yard field goal by Adam Keller
|
23
|
14
|
4
|
8:05
|
6
|
84
|
3:15
|
ILST
|
James O'Shaughnessy 3-yard touchdown reception from Tre Roberson, Nick Aussieker kick good
|
23
|
21
|
4
|
1:38
|
5
|
80
|
0:44
|
ILST
|
Tre Roberson 58-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed
|
23
|
27
|
4
|
0:37
|
6
|
78
|
1:01
|
NDSU
|
Carson Wentz 5-yard touchdown run, Adam Keller kick blocked
|
29
|
27
|
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
|
29
|
27
|
|
Game statistics
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
No. 2 Bison
|
3
|
7
|
10
|
9 |
29 |
No. 5 Redbirds
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
13 |
27 |
Statistics
|
NDSU
|
ILST
|
First downs |
22 |
16
|
Plays–yards |
72–452 |
50–424
|
Rushes–yards |
50–215 |
27–267
|
Passing yards |
237 |
157
|
Passing: comp–att–int |
15–22–0 |
11–23–1
|
Time of possession |
37:15 |
22:45
|
Team |
Category |
Player |
Statistics
|
North Dakota State
|
Passing |
Carson Wentz |
15/22, 237 yds, 1 TD
|
Rushing |
Carson Wentz |
16 car, 87 yds, 1 TD
|
Receiving |
R. J. Urzendowski |
5 rec, 100 yds
|
Illinois State
|
Passing |
Tre Roberson |
11/23, 157 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
|
Rushing |
Tre Roberson |
11 car, 161 yds, 1 TD
|
Receiving |
James O'Shaughnessy |
2 rec, 44 yds, 2 TD
|
References
- ^ a b c "North Dakota State University Athletics - Boxscore for Football vs Illinois State on 1/10/2015". gobison.com. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ "Outstanding players of FCS championship game". ESPN. AP. January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ "Illinois State Redbirds @ North Dakota State Bison". vegasinsider.com. January 10, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ "On The Air". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 10, 2015. p. C2. Retrieved January 13, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "2014 FCS Championship North Dakota State vs Illinois State". January 10, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2019 – via YouTube.
External links
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Games through 2009 were played in December. Subsequent games have been played in January (*) or May (†). |
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National championship seasons in bold |
2014–15 NCAA Division I championships |
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- † Not an officially sanctioned NCAA championship
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