Fourth-seeded James Madison scored early and often while eliminating the fifth-seeded Bearkats 65-7 in the national quarterfinals at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. James Madison (12-1), which won the CAA Football title under first-year coach Mike Houston, advances to the FCS semifinals for the third time in program history. While game temperatures were in the mid-20s, and not to the liking of the visitors from Texas, James Madison was red-hot in the teams' first-ever meeting, taking a 21-0 lead in just over 11 minutes of action and extending it to 35-0 within the first five minutes of the second quarter.