The goal line pass play in a must-score spot got another team in a championship game.
The James Madison Dukes had a 1st and goal at the two-yard line in the FCS title game against undefeated North Dakota State. With eight seconds to go and in need of a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game, quarterback Ben DiNucci dropped back to throw, but either a misread or a miscommunication led to him tossing a game-ending interception.
Just incredible doofinity. pic.twitter.com/zUXR4BUJ2L
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 11, 2020
The final moments on a Bison Victory!!#FCSChampionship pic.twitter.com/9MzzyvumUq
— FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) January 11, 2020
This is a call made all the more brutal by the fact that James Madison had one timeout left, so they could have run the ball and stopped the clock if they failed to score. The design of the pass play didn’t look all that great either.
The play means North Dakota State finished off an undefeated 16-0 FCS season with a national championship. It also means that James Madison’s coaching staff now know how Pete Carroll felt.
