James Madison Football: Can Dukes regain FCS crown?

Last year, defending national champion James Madison lost in the FCS Championship Game against North Dakota State. Can the Dukes reclaim the title in 2018?

Two years ago, James Madison won all of its FCS tests en route to a national championship. The Dukes lost just one game in 2016, falling 56-28 to North Carolina. Before and after that loss to the Tar Heels, James Madison rolled through their schedule and claimed the FCS title with a 28-14 takedown of Youngstown State.

In their follow-up effort last year, James Madison entered the FCS playoffs as the top team in the country. They opened the season atop the polls, and they looked poised to go wire-to-wire as defending champs.

But a showdown with North Dakota State turned into a defensive effort. In the end, the Bison prevailed 17-13 in the low-scoring affair. The Dukes were unsuccessful in their effort to defend the national title, but it was still another highly memorable season in Harrisonburg.

What will 2018 hold in store for James Madison football? Can the Dukes get back to a third consecutive national championship game? Let’s dig in and take a look at their offense and defense. Then we can dive deeper into the schedule and see whether the Dukes have successfully retooled for another run at the national title.