# 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game

The 2016 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 2015 season. It was played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on January 9, 2016, with kickoff at 12:00 noon EST, and was the culminating game of the 2015 FCS Playoffs. With sponsorship from Northwestern Mutual, the game was officially known as the NCAA FCS Football Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual.

## Teams

The participants of the 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2015 FCS Playoffs, which began with a 24-team bracket. No. 1 seed Jacksonville State and No. 3 seed North Dakota State qualified for the final by winning their semifinal games.

### Jacksonville State Gamecocks

The Gamecocks, led by second-year head coach John Grass, finished the regular season 10–1, 8–0 in OVC play, to earn a conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the FCS Playoffs. Jacksonville State defeated unseeded Chattanooga, No. 8 seed Charleston Southern, and unseeded Sam Houston State to reach their first ever final.

### North Dakota State Bison

The Bison, led by second-year head coach Chris Klieman, finished the regular season 8–2, 7–1 in MVFC play, to earn a conference co-championship (shared with Illinois State) and the No. 3 seed in the FCS Playoffs. North Dakota State defeated unseeded Montana, unseeded Northern Iowa, and No. 7 seed Richmond to reach the final. The Bison entered the Championship game with a 4–0 record in previous FCS Championships, having won the last four straight.

## Game summary
### Scoring summary

Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | JVST | NDSU |
| 1 | 8:36 | 15 | 63 | 6:24 | NDSU | 29-yard field goal by Cam Pedersen | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | 12:39 | 12 | 80 | 6:55 | NDSU | Andrew Bonnet 8-yard touchdown reception from Carson Wentz, Cam Pedersen kick good | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | 11:13 | 4 | 28 | 1:15 | NDSU | Carson Wentz 11-yard touchdown run, Cam Pedersen kick good | 0 | 17 |
| 2 | 6:12 | 6 | 48 | 2:56 | NDSU | King Frazier 1-yard touchdown run, Cam Pedersen kick good | 0 | 24 |
| 3 | 11:04 | 8 | 73 | 3:56 | JVST | Eli Jenkins 6-yard touchdown run, Connor Rouleau kick good | 7 | 24 |
| 3 | 3:41 | 4 | 4 | 1:30 | JVST | 26-yard field goal by Connor Rouleau | 10 | 24 |
| 3 | 0:20 | 8 | 60 | 3:21 | NDSU | 31-yard field goal by Cam Pedersen | 10 | 27 |
| 4 | 7:45 | 8 | 28 | 4:22 | NDSU | Carson Wentz 1-yard touchdown run, Cam Pedersen kick good | 10 | 34 |
| 4 | 4:22 | 4 | 2 | 2:19 | NDSU | 38-yard field goal by Cam Pedersen | 10 | 37 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 10 | 37 |

### Game statistics

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 1 Gamecocks | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 3 Bison | 3 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 37 |
| Statistics | JVST | NDSU |
| First downs | 9 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 51–204 | 82–379 |
| Rushes–yards | 31–147 | 51–182 |
| Passing yards | 57 | 197 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7–20–2 | 16–31–3 |
| Time of possession | 19:09 | 40:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Jacksonville State | Passing | Eli Jenkins | 7/20, 57 yds, 2 INT |
| Jacksonville State | Rushing | Eli Jenkins | 15 car, 88 yds, 1 TD |
| Jacksonville State | Receiving | Josh Barge | 2 rec, 32 yds |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Carson Wentz | 16/29, 197 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Carson Wentz | 9 car, 79 yds, 2 TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Darrius Shepherd | 4 rec, 71 yds |