Digging into the numbers from Fargo

There's a temptation to look at the finish of last Saturday's epic heavyweight boxing match that took place in the Fargodome between Eastern Washington and North Dakota State University and say it was decided, in order, by a missed Jordan Dascalo 49-yard field goal or an interception delivered by the Eagles' quarterback, Gage Gubrud.

The field goal came as regulation time ticked away and the pick on the second snap in overtime.

But as Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin is always quick to point out when dissecting a game - win or lose - what's most important is to look at the entire body of the work.

So in that case, when the Eagles watched as Lance Dunn sprinted around the left side of his line for a 25-yard score on the Bison's first play of overtime that completed the rally by the Bison for a 50-44 nonconference win, there were plenty of plays for either team to seal away a victory long before the Kansas Tiebreaker OT.

It was a choppy game that was interrupted nine times by lengthy officials' replay reviews, and lasted the better part of four hours. But unlike the last, and only time these two teams met, the replay official did not have the last word.

Many will recall a blinding snowstorm on Dec. 11, 2010 in Cheney, when on a second-and-goal play by NDSU quarterback Brock Jensen from the 4, the ball was stripped by the Eagles' J.C. Sherritt, fumbled into the end zone where it was recovered by Zach Johnson, preserving a 38-31 EWU win - in overtime.

Review of the replay by NCAA officials found no evidence Jensen stuck the ball across the goal line before the fumble. Eastern went on to win the Football Championship Subdivision title and NDSU departed disappointed.

Fast forward to Saturday, where the Bison won for the 44th consecutive time in the relative comfort of the 70-degree dome, and Baldwin delivered a lesson in math - and reality - both to the radio audience, and those who were live at his weekly coach's show at Northern Quest Casino and Resort.

"There were 194 plays that we graded before overtime," Baldwin explained. "Well 193 of those happened and we miss a field goal on the 194th play."

If the Eagles made the field goal it doesn't make any one of those 193 plays any different in terms of how he would grade all the various aspects of the game, Baldwin told the audience.

Speaking of grades, there were players who might not have been in the spotlight before, especially one this bright, who received very high marks.

Touchdowns came from three different young players who never had scored in a college game, Baldwin said. Usually those come in mop-up roles or in blowout games, but not against the Bison.

"No, it was some of the most critical times, whether it was Nsimba (Webster), whether it was Stu (Stiles) or (Tamarick) Pierce," Baldwin said. Mt. Spokane HS grad Stiles ended up leading the team in receptions (8) - many of them in no-man's land down the middle of the field - and yards (169).

The rule for Eastern is "next man up."

Like quarterback Gage Gubrud, whose story as a tenacious walk-on is quickly turning storybook. His stats through two starts are nothing short of phenomenal. The McMinville, Ore. product has connected on 60 of 80 passing for over 900 yards in the air and 125 yards rushing and responsible for 11 touchdowns.

"I don't know (if) I've ever had a QB go on a two-game stretch like that, let alone your first two career starts," Baldwin said.

Gubrud and the rest of the Eagles took a lot of the mystique out of playing in the Fargodome where nearly 20,000 fans were constantly yelling their lungs out.

"That's a credit to their mental toughness and moxie, and to not worry about their surroundings," Baldwin added.

If the teams were to play again, Baldwin said, "We need to attack it very similarly."

That rubber-match is set for next Sept. 16 at Roos Field, but wouldn't it be fun if it came sooner? Like in Frisco, Texas on Jan. 7, 2017, ironically the same day Eastern won the 2010 title.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].