If ESPN was going hard to the hyperbole hoop in Week One with “Best Weekend Ever,” a slate of games featuring now AP Top 25 FBS teams in Week 2 should be dubbed “Best Weekend Ever … to do Yard Work.”
But fear not, Pigskin heads, if you’re looking for at least one elite matchup that will reverberate long into November and December. You just might need to get yourself acquainted with a few non-FBS schools.
Without question, the most impactful game will be North Dakota State and Eastern Washington from the ol’ Fargodome, which sits a shade below 19,000. NDSU and EWU make up the last SIX FCS champions, albeit five straight from NDSU.
Here’s why you should go ahead and find it in lieu of more competitive games, and here’s what you should look for if you want to get acclimated.
When: 3:30 EST
Where: ESPN3 or WatchESPN (update: DirecTV users can now find the game on channel 791, h/t @BISONATION)
ESPN really needs to get this one of their metric ton of channel options, if it can. Lord knows it can swing that sword however it wants and get it one where normal people can see it easier. Hold out hope.
Why it’s a big deal
If the “last six FCS champions” comment wasn’t enough, both are elite and as good as ever this year. NDSU took out top 10 foe Charleston Southern in week one, while EWU went into Pullman and forked Wazzu grandly (see what I did there? Geography is great!) and that’s a 2015 9-win team in the Pac-12. Both figure to make the playoffs, and this could be a preview of a title game.
What EWU does well
EWU throws it far(go) and well. They amassed 474 passing yards against the FBS Cougars in Week One behind first-time starter Gage Gubrud. Their receivers could be the FCS’ best, All-American Cooper Kupp and Shaq Hill, returning from an ACL injury that took him out of most of last season. But they always do it well. Even in last season’s 6-5 campaign that was the first since 2011 that saw them not make the playoffs, they still led FCS in passing yards with 353.3. They’ll swing their sword, so to speak, mostly by throwing it and sink or swim either way.
What EWU doesn’t do as well
Penalties were a bit of a bugaboo against WSU. That rhymes, by the way. They took 12 for over 100 yards. You can’t consistently win that way, typically. Defense could be a recurring issue as well. EWU was 116th in the nation in scoring defense last season, giving up over 39 points per game on average. Last year, they were 49th in the nation in Red Zone defense, which is respectable. The odd thing is, they aren’t sub-100 in any major defensive categories in 2015-16 other than scoring, which means you can stick it in the end zone on them.
What NDSU does well
The polar opposite of EWU, they defend the pass well (see: 8-20 outing by Charleston Southern quarterback Kyle Copeland in Week One) and prefer to run the ball, tromping for a top 13, 236 yards per game in 2015, and they spread it out, going for 230 against the Buccaneers with four players getting seven carries or more. They’ll try to control it on the ground to keep EWU and their pesky passing game off the field.
What NDSU doesn’t do as well
Well, when you win five straight championships, there’s not much you don’t do at an elite level. The kicker is that if you can mount a drive against them, you might score. NDSU was 109th in the country in Red Zone defense, though they only let teams in 29 times in 2015. Also, obviously the jury is still out, but Charleston Southern kicked out 169 yards rushing, including 12.6 per carry by Buccaneer Mike Holloway.
What will happen
EWU will throw no matter what. NDSU will run no matter what. It should be a pretty close affair of wildly contrasting styles and teams that aren’t used to losing much. Adding interest is the fact that both quarterbacks are new starters (Easton Stick for NDSU) who’ve already performed in high-pressure environments. If you can find it on whatever you want to watch games on, you won’t be disappointed. I can firmly predict that.
