Before Alabama and Clemson duke it out in the College Football Playoff championship game, Eastern Washington and North Dakota State will play for the FCS championship.
For the ninth consecutive season, Frisco, Texas’ Toyota Stadium will play host to the FCS title game on Saturday (Noon ET, ESPN2). Here’s a breakdown of the FCS championship game.
Players to watch: QB Eric Barriere (2,252 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 603 rushing yards), Soph.; RB Sam McPherson (1,352 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns), Sr.; WR Nsimba Webster (80 receptions, 1,287 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns), Sr.; DL Jay-Tee Tiuli (38 tackles, 4 sacks, 6 1/2 tackles for loss), Sr.
Photo by spokesman.com
Scouting the Eagles: Riding a seven-game winning streak, the Eagles are back in the FCS championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2010. However, the challenge is as difficult as it gets against the reigning national champs. Barriere has filled in nicely for injured star quarterback Gage Gubrud and McPherson is a big reason the Eagles are among the top rushing (263.0 yards per game) teams in the FCS. Tiuli was the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year, but his status for this game is uncertain following his assault arrest last month. EWU’s 32 forced turnovers are among the most in the FCS.
Players to watch: QB Easton Stick (2,554 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 14 rushing touchdowns), Sr.; RB Bruce Anderson (924 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns), Sr.; RB Lance Dunn (819 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns), Sr.; LB Jabril Cox (88 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 interceptions), Soph.; S Robbie Grimsley (78 tackles, 6 interceptions), Sr.
Photo by 247sports.com
Scouting the Bison: The methodical Bison machine keeps churning with a record seventh FCS national championship in its sight. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, NDSU is a remarkable 111-8 and has not lost since Nov. 4, 2017. It also can send coach Chris Klieman out a winner as he prepares to take over at Kansas State. Defensive coordinator Matt Entz will be the new head coach, and reportedly the situation in Fargo appears to be fine for the most part. Stick is headed to the Shrine Game while Anderson, who along with Dunn are expected to play despite injuries, earned a Senior Bowl invite. A win Saturday will give Stick a FCS-record 49 victories as a starting quarterback. Led by Cox, the Bison defense allows an average of 11.8 points and yielded more than 17 just twice.
Anybody who follows the FCS knows NDSU is the gold standard, and it’s really the Bison and everyone else. They’ve won six of the last seven FCS championship games and are heavy favorites to repeat this weekend. EWU is also among the top programs in the FCS, but does not have the talent to compete with an NDSU program that can challenge for a title in some FBS conferences.
North Dakota State 38, Eastern Washington 14
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