News/Commentary

FCS Recap - NC Central Wins Celebration Bowl; MVFC Rivals Will Clash In FCS Championship

December 17, 2022 by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

North Carolina Central on Saturday upset Jackson State 41-34 in overtime to claim the HBCU National Championship in the Celebration Bowl. In doing so, the Eagles close out a 10-2 campaign and stopped the Tigers from completing a perfect season as they finish 12-1. 

The game had 7 lead changes, but was only tied at the start of the game and the end of regulation. The game was forced into an extra period when Jackson State's Shedeur Sanders hit Travis Hunter with a 19-yard strike in the end zone with no time left on the clock. NC Central got the ball first in overtime and needed just 4 plays to take the 41-34 lead on QB Davius Richard's 1-yard run. The game ended when the Tigers couldn't answer and a 4th-down pass in the end zone was incomplete.

It was the final game for Deion Sanders as head coach at Jackson State as he now moves on to give 100% of his focus and energy to Colorado which lured him away to rescue that FBS program. He leaves with a 27-6 record that includes a 19-2 mark in SWAC games, and back-to-back SWAC titles. The only thing he didn't do was win a national title, having also lost 31-10 to South Carolina State in last year's Celebration Bowl.

Coach Prime rekindled enthusiasm for HBCU football and his teams' games, in particular, drew sold out crowds. Last year's Celebration Bowl was a technical sell-out with 48,000 fans and this year's game reportedly sold out 50,000 tickets three weeks before kick-off.

One half of the FCS National Championship game was determined on Friday night when North Dakota State downed UIW 35-32 in the FargoDome.

The 7-seed Cardinals jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first 7:27, but were held scoreless until the 7:05 mark of the 3rd quarter while 3-seed North Dakota State clawed back and took a 24-16 lead. UIW got consecutive TD's to take a 29-24 advantage into the final period. After exchanging field goals, the Bison tallied what proved to be the game's final points on Kobe John's 31-yard TD run with 8:11 still to play. The Cardinals turned the ball over on downs at the NDSU 22, and a final possession ended with the interception of an attempted 50-yard pass at the Bison 18.

North Dakota State won the turnover battle 4-0 as The Word lost two fumbles and had two passes picked off.

It was the final game for UIW head coach G.J. Kinne who now slides into his position as the head coach of FBS member Texas State in nearby San Marcos. Clint Killough, who served as Kinne's AHC, takes the reins at UIW.

North Dakota State's opponent was determined on Saturday when 1-seed South Dakota State dropped 4-seed Montana State with relative ease 39-18. The victory for the Jackrabbits avenged last year's 31-17 semifinal loss to the Bobcats in Bozeman as Montana State went on to face the Bison and lose 38-10. Eight months earlier, in May of 2021, South Dakota State fell 23-21 in the championship game to Sam Houston State.

The championship game will be played at 2 p.m. ET on January 8 in Frisco, Texas and televised on ABC.

North Dakota State is 9-0 in previous championship game appearances.

SEE: Schedule Picks and Scores

NCAA Playoffs Semifinals

Friday, December 16
Home team in CAPS
(3) NORTH DAKOTA STATE 35, (7) Incarnate Word 32

Saturday, December 17
(1) SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 39, (4) Montana State 18

First Round (Non-seeded Teams)

All games played November 26. Home team in CAPS
DELAWARE 56, St. Francis (Pa.) 17
NEW HAMPSHIRE 52, Fordham 42
Gardner-Webb 52, EASTERN KENTUCKY 41
WEBER STATE 38, North Dakota 21
MONTANA 34, Southeast Missouri 24
SE LOUISIANA 45, Idaho 42
FURMAN 31, Elon 6
RICHMOND 41, Davidson 0

Bracket

Home team on bottom.

12/3 12/9-10 12/16-17 C'ship (Frisco)
(1/8, 2 PM)
Delaware 6
1 SDSU 42		      
  8 Holy Cross 21
1 SDSU 42		    
New Hampshire 19
8 Holy Cross 35		      
    4 Montana St 18
1 SDSU 39		  
Gardner-Webb 14
5 Wm. & Mary 54		      
  5 Wm. & Mary 7
4 Montana St 55		    
Weber State 25
4 Montana St 33		      
      3 NDSU
1 SDSU
Montana 26
3 NDSU 49		      
  6 Samford 9
3 NDSU 27		    
SE Louisiana 42
6 Samford 48 (OT)		      
    7 UIW 32
3 NDSU 35		  
Furman 38
7 UIW 41		      
  7 UIW 66
2 Sacramento 63		    
Richmond 31
2 Sacramento 38		      

FCS vs. FBS

The FBS was 112-8 (.933) vs. the FCS this year, and is now 1,686-148 (.919) since we began tracking this in 2003.

116 of the 131 FBS schools played at least one such game while Appalachian State, Army, Marshall and New Mexico State each played two.

Here are the FCS wins in 2022:
September 2: William & Mary 41, Charlotte 24
September 3: Delaware14, Navy 7
September 10: Weber State 35, Utah State 7
September 10: Incarnate Word 55, Nevada 41
September 10: Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31
September 10: Eastern Kentucky 59, Bowling Green 57 (7 OT's)
September 17: Southern Illinois 31, Northwestern 24
September 24: Sacramento State 41, Colorado State 10

Streaks - Current FCS Longest

HOLY CROSS - Had won 12 straight over-all.
Last: FCS Playoff 8-seed lost 42-21 at 1-seed South Dakota State on Saturday, December 10.
Next: Season complete.

JACKSON STATE - Had won 12 straight over-all.
Last: Lost 41-34 in OT to MEAC Champion North Carolina Central in Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Saturday, December 17.
Next: Season complete.

SACRAMENTO STATE  - Had won 12 straight over-all. Won 19 straight conference games. Won 10 straight road games.
Last: FCS Playoff 2-seed lost 66-63 at home to 7-seed UIW on Friday, December 9.
Next: Season complete.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE - Won 12 straight over-all
Last: FCS Playoff 1-seed won 39-18 at home over 4-seed Montana State on Saturday, December 17.
Next: Plays North Dakota State in FCS Championship game on Sunday, January 8 at 2 p.m.

MONTANA STATE - Won 20 straight home games.
Last: FCS Playoff 4-seed lost 39-18 at 1-seed South Dakota State on Saturday, December 17.
Next: Season complete.

WESTERN ILLINOIS - Lost 13 straight over-all.
Last: Lost 20-13 in OT at Illinois State on Saturday, November 19.
Next: Season complete.

WAGNER - Lost 19 straight road games.
Last: Lost 33-0 at Duquesne on Saturday, November 19.
Next: Season complete.

PRESBYTERIAN - Lost 16 straight conference games.
Last: Lost 42-21at Stetson on Saturday, November 19.
Next: Season complete.

HOUSTON CHRISTIAN - Lost 11 straight home games.
Last: Lost 49-7 at Tarleton on Saturday, November 19.
Next: Season complete.

GEORGETOWN - Lost 11 straight home games.
Last: Lost 47-10 at home to Holy Cross on Saturday, November 19.
Next: Season complete.