SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 32,523
- Like
- 62,721
North Dakota State is the Alabama of FCS. They won the last two national championships and are going for a third straight. Unlike the Tide, they’ll get to play for it. One of my favorite statistics is that Georgia Southern played both Alabama and North Dakota State two years ago and ran for 303 yards vs. the Tide but only 136 yards against the Bison. NDS looked that good in dismantling Coastal Carolina, 48-14. The Bison stampeded the Chanticleers with 624 total yards to only 281. Brock Jensen passed for 187 yards and ran for 75 more, producing two touchdowns each way. Sam Ojuri ran for 162 yards and scored twice, including a 72 yarder that got things going in the first quarter. It was 17-0 after the first quarter and 34-7 at the half. It might be fun to see the Bison, who beat Kansas State this year matched against Alabama next year. If they win this, they will have been the first team to win three straight FCS titles since Appalachian State. And you know what they did.
Eastern Illinois was the nation’s highest scoring FCS team and looked it in the first quarter against Towson State, scoring easily on their first two possessions. People have compared them to Baylor because they run a similar offense. Towson, a power running team behind Terrence West, who had been the division’s second leading rusher, seemed out of its element. But the game was played in the elements, still another played in a snowstorm, and the power running game was the way to go. And go West did, running for an incredible 354 yards and 5 touchdowns on 39 carries. The Tigers scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter to take a lead they never surrendered. The Panther’s great quarterback Jimmy Garoppalo, tried his best to keep up, passing for 321 yards, an amazing 38 for 50- but mostly short passes) but only 2 touchdowns. Erik Lora caught 18 of those passes for 129 yards and a score. They got to within 32-35 and forced a punt in the fourth quarter. But Towson forced a punt and drove for a score and the forced a fumble on a sack and scored again to make it 32-49. Eastern scored again but it took 16 plays and 4:21. Towson was able to run out the clock on the 49-39 win.
Eastern Washington, playing on their blood red field, had their hands full with Jacksonville State but managed to subdue them, 35-24, clinching it with and Albert Havili 77 yard interception return in the fourth quarter. Vernon Adams threw for 324 yards and 2 touchdown passes and Quincy Forte ran for 190 yards and 2 scores. The game was tied at 21 at the half. The Eagles outgained the Gamecocks by only 545-528. Adams wound up with 4600 yards behind only Easter Illinois’ Garoppolo’s 5050. But Adams attempted only 444 passes, and completed 291, (.655) to Garoppolo’s 568, (375 completions.660. Both had 53 touchdown passes. Adams had 14 interceptions to 9 for Jimmy but he averaged 15.8 per completion to 13.5. And Adams is still playing.
Sean Goldrich passed for 276 yards for New Hampshire but no touchdowns. But he ran for 99 yards and 3 scores to lead the Wildcats over Southeastern Louisiana, 20-17. His counterpart, Bryan Bennett passed for 269 yards and a score and ran for 29 yards and a score. The Wildcats out-ran the Lions by 203-75. The Lions had a 71 yard kick-off return and a 41 yard punt return that just resulted in a turnover on downs and a missed field goal. Bennett passed to Marquis Fruge’ for a score from 5 yards out with 5:17 left. Goldrich responded with an 80 yard, 14 play drive ending with a 2 yard dive into the end zone with 47 seconds left to win it.
The Semi-Final match-ups:
NEW HAMPSHIRE 10-4 (448-275), #15, 8-14 (0)
At
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 13-0 (494-148) #1, 43-13 (10)
TOWSON 12-2 (543-317) #4, 5-5 (0)
At
EASTERN WASHINGTON 12-2 (561-379) #3, 14-9 (1)
Comment: Defense wins championships and North Dakota State has one. I’m not sure about the other teams.
Eastern Illinois was the nation’s highest scoring FCS team and looked it in the first quarter against Towson State, scoring easily on their first two possessions. People have compared them to Baylor because they run a similar offense. Towson, a power running team behind Terrence West, who had been the division’s second leading rusher, seemed out of its element. But the game was played in the elements, still another played in a snowstorm, and the power running game was the way to go. And go West did, running for an incredible 354 yards and 5 touchdowns on 39 carries. The Tigers scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter to take a lead they never surrendered. The Panther’s great quarterback Jimmy Garoppalo, tried his best to keep up, passing for 321 yards, an amazing 38 for 50- but mostly short passes) but only 2 touchdowns. Erik Lora caught 18 of those passes for 129 yards and a score. They got to within 32-35 and forced a punt in the fourth quarter. But Towson forced a punt and drove for a score and the forced a fumble on a sack and scored again to make it 32-49. Eastern scored again but it took 16 plays and 4:21. Towson was able to run out the clock on the 49-39 win.
Eastern Washington, playing on their blood red field, had their hands full with Jacksonville State but managed to subdue them, 35-24, clinching it with and Albert Havili 77 yard interception return in the fourth quarter. Vernon Adams threw for 324 yards and 2 touchdown passes and Quincy Forte ran for 190 yards and 2 scores. The game was tied at 21 at the half. The Eagles outgained the Gamecocks by only 545-528. Adams wound up with 4600 yards behind only Easter Illinois’ Garoppolo’s 5050. But Adams attempted only 444 passes, and completed 291, (.655) to Garoppolo’s 568, (375 completions.660. Both had 53 touchdown passes. Adams had 14 interceptions to 9 for Jimmy but he averaged 15.8 per completion to 13.5. And Adams is still playing.
Sean Goldrich passed for 276 yards for New Hampshire but no touchdowns. But he ran for 99 yards and 3 scores to lead the Wildcats over Southeastern Louisiana, 20-17. His counterpart, Bryan Bennett passed for 269 yards and a score and ran for 29 yards and a score. The Wildcats out-ran the Lions by 203-75. The Lions had a 71 yard kick-off return and a 41 yard punt return that just resulted in a turnover on downs and a missed field goal. Bennett passed to Marquis Fruge’ for a score from 5 yards out with 5:17 left. Goldrich responded with an 80 yard, 14 play drive ending with a 2 yard dive into the end zone with 47 seconds left to win it.
The Semi-Final match-ups:
NEW HAMPSHIRE 10-4 (448-275), #15, 8-14 (0)
At
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 13-0 (494-148) #1, 43-13 (10)
TOWSON 12-2 (543-317) #4, 5-5 (0)
At
EASTERN WASHINGTON 12-2 (561-379) #3, 14-9 (1)
Comment: Defense wins championships and North Dakota State has one. I’m not sure about the other teams.
Last edited: