This season’s FCS national championship features two teams who mirror each other. North Dakota State and Montana State have similar playing styles and are built the same. It’s another example of the formula it takes to win a title in this subdivision.
While NDSU and MSU look similar on the field, how do they stack up on paper?
Here’s a tale of the tape breakdown of the teams statistically.
RELATED: FCS Championship Game Preview
| NDSU | Stat | MSU |
|---|---|---|
| 13-1 | Record | 12-2 |
| 19th | SOS | 29th |
| 0.461 (6th) | 3rd down Conv % | .412 (35th) |
| .263 (2nd) | 3rd down Conv % D | .333 (26th) |
| 5.29 (30th) | Fewest Penalties Per Game | 3.93 (4th) |
| 13 (25th) | Def. Interceptions | 18 (4th) |
| 152.6 (110th) | Passing Offense | 181.4 (86th) |
| 177.0 (11th) | Pass Defense | 187.6 (21st) |
| 14.25 (5th) | Yards Per Completion | 13.65 (15th) |
| .667 (5th) | Red Zone Defense | .700 (10th) |
| .825 (50th) | Red Zone Offense | .915 (7th) |
| 82.7 (3rd) | Rushing Defense | 107.9 (13th) |
| 273.6 (3rd) | Rushing Offense | 225.5 (7th) |
| 3.50 (4th) | Sacks Per Game | 3.14 (10th) |
| 1.21 (16th) | Sacks Allowed Per Game | 1.43 (26th) |
| 11.21 (1st) | Scoring Defense | 13.43 (2nd) |
| 33.8 (14th) | Scoring Offense | 30.0 (35th) |
| 5.9 (45th) | TFLs Per Game | 6.8 (22nd) |
| 259.7 (3rd) | Total Defense | 295.5 (13th) |
| 426.3 (20th) | Total Offense | 406.9 (32nd) |
| 20 (32nd) | Turnovers Gained | 23 (17th) |
| 12 (14th) | Turnovers Lost | 8 (1st) |
NEXT: FCS Championship Betting Odds
Check out the latest episode of the FCS Football Talk podcast, which is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Stitcher, and Spreaker.
SUBSCRIBE: FCS Football Talk
