(STATS) – Give North Dakota State extra time to prepare for the NCAA FCS Division I championship game and a national title has been a done deal down in Frisco, Texas.
The three-week break between this weekend’s semifinals and the title game on Jan. 5 might be the best thing going for Eastern Washington.
Something besides an opponent may have to help break unbeaten North Dakota State’s momentum for the Bison (14-0) not to repeat as national champions.
They’ve been peaking in the playoffs while pursuing what would be a record seventh FCS title – all since 2011.
In truth, there might be no stopping the FCS dynasty.
Just don’t tell that to Eastern Washington (12-2), the third-winningest program in the FCS in the 2010s – although its 90 wins are just three-quarters of NDSU’s 120. The Eagles are a true FCS blue-blood and should have reasonable confidence that they can pull a remarkable upset of NDSU.
The Eagles even beat the Bison in the 2010 national quarterfinals on the way to winning their only FCS title. Second-year coach Aaron Best was the Eagles’ offensive line coach that season.
Their 27-member senior class is slightly larger than NDSU’s 24. Plus, many of the key Eagles have faced the Bison in regular-season losses in 2016 (50-44 in overtime in Fargo) and 2017 (40-13 in Cheney). That experience, even in defeat, is invaluable.
But don’t overestimate Eastern Washington’s 50-19 rout of Maine in the semifinals. NDSU is a prohibitive favorite.
An EWU upset surely comes down to this factor: it will have to handle NDSU’s might at the line of scrimmage. It’s where the Bison overwhelm most opponents on both sides of the ball. Otherwise, the Bison will run for over 400 yards, as they’ve done twice in three playoff wins, and perhaps knock around red-hot Eagles quarterback Eric Barriere, as they did South Dakota State great Taryn Christion in the semifinals.
The Eagles must use their outstanding team speed to spread out the vaunted Bison defense as well be opportunistic when they’re on defense.
Leading to the championship game, the NDSU players and coaches have a huge advantage, knowing all the ins and outs of a three-week break that is so different from the regular routine. Come game day, everything will move fast, including nerves, and when they do, the Eagles can’t afford to play from behind.
In all likelihood, Jan. 5 is probably just coronation day for the Bison, Kansas State-bound coach Chris Klieman and their unbelievable senior class.
That will be the prevailing thought for the next three weeks. It’s up to Eastern Washington to change that during its next 60 minutes of game clock.
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Here’s a quick review of the semifinal-round games:
No. 1 seed North Dakota State (14-0) 44, No. 5 seed South Dakota State (10-3) 21
Story Line: Quarterback Easton Stick defined precision in totaling 316 yards of offense and four touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) and running back Bruce Anderson scored on three straight possessions when the Bison’s 14-7 halftime lead ballooned to 35-14.
Game Ball: Stick tied former NDSU standout Brock Jensen (2010-13) for the FCS wins record by a quarterback. The senior is 48-3 in his career.
Key Stat: When SDSU has three times as many punts (six) as NDSU (two), it’s giving the Bison offense too many opportunities. Credit the Bison defense, led by linebacker Dan Marlette’s eight tackles, for controlling the Jackrabbits’ explosive offense.
Up Next: The Bison will appear in the FCS championship game for the seventh time in eight seasons. With a win, Klieman will join former Youngstown State coach Jim Tressel as the second to win four FCS titles.
No. 3 seed Eastern Washington (12-2) 50, No. 7 seed Maine (10-4) 19
Story Line: Eric Barriere threw a whooping seven touchdown passes, including four to leading receiver Nsimba Webster, as the Eagles overwhelmed a Maine squad that was making its second straight cross-country trip Big Sky country.
Game Ball: Barriere, a redshirt sophomore, wouldn’t even be the Eagles’ quarterback if third-year starter Gage Gubrud hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury in late September. He tied the school’s single-game record for touchdown passes while completing 21 of 30 passes for 352 yards.
Key Stat: Seven – there was nothing bigger than Barriere’s TD haul.
Up Next: During its seven-game winning streak, the Eagles are averaging 49.3 points and 556.9 yards. They’ll face a North Dakota State defense that ranks in the top five nationally in both points (11.8) and yards (284.4) allowed per game.
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