Two teams who have never lost FCS title game tangle in Texas
Two of the most winning programs in Football Championship Subdivision knock helmets and pads Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas for the 2018 title.
In a battle of programs which have never lost in the title game, Eastern Washington faces defending champion North Dakota State on Saturday, Jan. 5 for the NCAA Division I Football Championship at sold out Toyota Stadium. Kickoff is at 9:04 a.m. in a game televised on ESPN2.
The Bison have won 120 of 133 games since 2010 and all six times they have advanced to the championship game, since then capturing titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
While it would appear to be a daunting task, head coach Aaron Best has confidence in all three phases of the EWU game: offense, defense and special teams, plus a little something else thrown in for good measure.
“We’ll bring everybody we’ve got, we’ll shoot everybody we can, and we’ll bring a rabbit’s foot to boot,” Best said in his best tongue-and-cheek. “(We’re) always packing a little bit of good luck on the plane as well.”
Eastern won in 2010 in its only title game appearance, 20-19 over Delaware and knocked off NDSU in the quarterfinals 38-31 in overtime, in the snow in Cheney. The Eagles are 90-29 since 2010, a percentage of .756 that trails only the Bison at .902 and the .778 percentage (70-30) of Ivy League member Harvard, which does not participate in the playoffs.
North Dakota State is unbeaten at 14-0 this season, the overall No. 1 seed in the playoffs and was the unanimous top-ranked team throughout the season in the STATS Top 25 and the American Football Coaches Association poll. No. 3 and 4 Eastern, which lost regular season games in 2016 to NDSU 50-44 in Fargo in overtime, and 2017 by a 40-13 count in Cheney is 12-2. The Eagles are 1-2 all-time against the Bison.
Both teams are playoff tested as well, highlighted by NDSU’s incredible run of 29 victories in its last 30 playoff games. They are 31-2 overall since 2010 with that other defeat at Roos. Eastern is 14-4 in that same time frame in the playoffs – with 17 games at home in Cheney and one in Frisco. But they lost in the semifinals in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
Eastern got over the hump on Dec. 15 by trouncing Maine 50-19, a night after NDSU advanced with a 44-21 romp over Missouri Valley Conference rival South Dakota State.
The Eagles wrapped up their 10th Big Sky Conference title and clinched a 13th berth in the FCS Playoffs with a 74-23 victory over Portland State Nov. 16 on the road. They shared the conference title with Weber State and UC-Davis, each with a 6-1 record.
Eagles vs. Bison
No. 4/3 ranked Eastern Washington University vs. 1/1 North Dakota State Bison, Saturday, Jan. 5, 11:04 a.m. Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas (20,500). TV: ESPN2. Radio: 700-AM ESPN and 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area. Larry Weir returns for his 28th season calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen for the 16th year. Broadcasts begin one hour prior to kickoff and include an expanded post-game show.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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