Add this to the myriad of good reasons there should be a playoff at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
Thankfully, in the Football College Subdivision, they do it right.
No one is more appreciative of that today than fifth-seeded Eastern Washington, which captured its first national championship with a stunning late comeback, to shock third-seeded Delaware, 20-19, in the FCS national title game at Pizza Hut Park, in Frisco, Texas on Friday night.
Playing near his native Katy, Texas, junior quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw three touchdown passes in the final 17 minutes, as the Eagles (13-2) took advantage of a questionable fourth-down spot to rally from a 19-0 deficit against the FCS’ stingiest defense.
It’s often said that great defense will usually beat great offense in football.
Such was the case for the first 41 minutes on Friday night, when with former Delaware football player, vice president Joe Biden, in attendance, it seemed that the Blue Hens (12-3) were well on their way to their second national title, and first since 2003.
Despite entering the game with one of the FCS’ most prolific offenses (ranked 12th, with 32.3 points per game), Eastern Washington could do nothing on its first seven possessions against Delaware, which had allowed an FCS-low 11.5 points per game.
Five punts, an interception, a turnover on downs, and 78 total yards of offense were all the Eagles could muster after scoring over 30 points ten times this season and in each of their six previous games.
But, all of a sudden, Mitchell, who transferred to Eastern Washington from nearby SMU, kicked the Eagles’ offense into high gear and led scoring drives of 80, 89, and 63 yards on his team’s final three possessions.
Prior to that, it was the Blue Hens who couldn’t be stopped.
Delaware scored on its first three possessions and added a touchdown midway through the third quarter to grab what at the time, seemed to be an insurmountable lead, especially for a team which had allowed single-digit points in five games and 17 points or less ten times this year.
After forcing a punt to start the game, Delaware marched 80 yards on 14 plays in 6:09, to take a 6-0 lead (the PAT was blocked) on a two-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Andrew Pierce (28 carries for a game-high 142 yards, 1 TD) who led a Blue Hens’ ground attack that outgained the Eagles 197-25.
Eastern Washington then punted again, and Delaware went 76 yards on 13 plays, in 5:16, to lead, 9-0, on a 21-yard field goal by junior kicker Matt Perry, with 12:29 left in the first half.
An Eagles’ three-and-out then led to a ten-play, 49-yard Delaware drive that was capped with a 33-yard field goal from Perry with 6:46 remaining in the half, to give the Blue Hens a 12-0 lead, which they took into the locker room.
The second half started with a rarity. Delaware star senior quarterback, Penn State transfer Pat Devlin 22-34, 220 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT) who entered the game with 22 touchdown passes, was intercepted for just the third time this season on a short pass that should have been caught for a completion.
However, three plays later, Mitchell (29-43, 302 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) gave the ball right back on a deflected interception over the middle.
That led to another Delaware touchdown which seemed to have sealed the Eagles’ fate.
Staying primarily with the run, the Blue Hens went 60 yards on ten plays, in 4:43, to take what appeared to be a commanding 19-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown plunge by running back David Hayes (ten carries, 38 yards, 1 TD), with 7:12 left in the third quarter.
A good kickoff return set the Eagles up at their own 45 yard-line and Mitchell completed five straight passes, but he threw incomplete on 4th-and-6 from the Blue Hens’ 30 yard-line.
Then, came the turning point.
Delaware went three-and-out, and on the second play of Eastern Washington’s next possession, Mitchell completed a 35-yard pass to freshman running back Mario Brown, who since the Eagles’ semifinal win over Villanova, had been filling in for star junior running back Taiwan Jones, the FCS’ second leading rusher this season.
With Jones sidelined because of a broken foot, Brown rushed for 96 yards against Villanova, but he was held to just 23 yards on 13 carries by Delaware.
He caught five passes for 57 yards however, and his 35-yard reception, to the Blue Hen’s 45 yard-line, started to turn the momentum in the Eagles’ favor.
On the next play, Mitchell completed to sophomore wide receiver Brandon Kaufman (game highs of 9 receptions, 120 yards, and 2 touchdowns) for 24 yards to the Delaware 21 yard-line.
Two plays later, Mitchell and Kaufman connected on a 22-yard pass to get the Eagles on the board. Eastern Washington failed to convert an ensuing two-point conversion, but had pulled to within 19-6, with 1:48 left in the third quarter.
The Blue Hens then drove 32 yards on 9 plays, but punted, pinning the Eagles at their own 11 yard-line.
Going exclusively to the air, Mitchell completed 10 of 14 passes on Eastern Washington’s next drive, capping it with a 9-yard touchdown toss to sophomore wide receiver Nicholas Edwards (6 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD), to draw the Eagles’ to within 19-13, with 8:16 left in the game.
Eastern Washington then forced another three-and-out, setting the stage for Mitchell to lead the game-winning drive.
On the first play of the drive, Mitchell completed to Edwards for 31 yards, to the Delaware 32 yard-line.
The Blue Hens thought they held on the next series, stopping Brown on 4th-and-1 rush up the middle, with 3:45 left.
A replay review moved the ball back a few inches from its original spot, but the second measurement still gave the Eagles a first down to keep the drive going.
Three plays later, Mitchell found Kaufman again, on an 11-yard touchdown pass, to put Eastern Washington ahead to stay, 20-19, with 2:47 remaining.
On their final possession, the Blue Hens moved the ball 44 yards, to the Eastern Washington 30-yard line, but could get no further.
Devlin was sacked on 2nd-and-10 from the Eagles’ 39-yard line, setting up a 3rd-and-19, which became a desperation 4th-and-10 play.
Under pressure, Devlin was able to complete a dump-off pass over the middle to junior wide receiver Mark Schenauer (2 catches, 18 yards), who was stopped a yard short of the first down marker with 47 seconds left.
All that was left then, was for Mitchell to take a couple of knees, and Eastern Washington, which was ranked first in the final regular season FCS coaches’ poll, and which played in its first title game ever, became national champions after being shut out for more than two-thirds of the game by Delaware.
The Eagles’ victory broke a string of seven straight years in which the FCS championship was won by either the Southern conference’s Appalachian State (which three-peated from 2005 to 2007) or current Colonial Athletic Conference teams like Delaware.
The Blue Hens (who were making their fourth national title game appearance, seeking their second title) won a year before James Madison became champions in 2004. Richmond took home the title in 2008, and Villanova won the championship last year.
The Eagles became the first Big Sky conference team to win the FCS title since Montana won in 2001, and the victory is Eastern Washington’s first national title in any sport.
Original Story:
http://www.footballreportersonline.co...
