FCS Championship 2014: Date, Time, TV Info for North Dakota State vs. Towson
The North Dakota State Bison have dominated FCS football even more than the Alabama Crimson Tide have in the FBS. The Bison came into the season as two-time defending champions. Unlike the Crimson Tide, North Dakota State has reached the doorstep of a three-peat.
Only the Towson Tigers stand in their way, and Rob Ambrose’s team won’t go quietly.
Towson and North Dakota State will battle for the FCS national championship in a David vs. Goliath matchup. Can the Tigers slay the mighty Bison and win an improbable national championship?
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The champions figure to be an inspired bunch. Head coach Craig Bohl is leaving the program he helped steer to an elite level after the season. The FBS has come calling and Bohl has accepted the head-coaching position with Wyoming.
Chances are, his players will want to send their coach out on a high note.
Here’s how you can watch the action.
When: Saturday, January 4, 2 p.m. ET
Where: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
TV: ESPN 2
How Will Craig Bohl’s Departure Impact His Team’s Performance?
There could be some question as to whether Bohl will be totally plugged in for his final game, but that seems highly unlikely. The 55-year-old has shown himself to be a consummate professional and hard worker. It seems doubtful that he'd leave his kids hanging by giving less than 100 percent effort.
Bohl told Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun, he and his team are hungry for a third-straight title. Here he talks about the opportunity to make history and his motivation.
"Our coaches and players and myself are very hungry. It’s unique to have an opportunity to be in this three times in a row. But I can tell you this: each time you’re here, you just want to give it another time to return. So we’re really excited.
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Is the Moment Too Big For the Tigers?
While this is old hat for the Bison, it represents entirely new territory for Towson. The Tigers aren't just competing for the program's first championship; a win would also bring the school its first Division I title. To say this is a big deal in Baltimore is an understatement.
Per Gigi Barnett of CBS Baltimore, more than 3,000 fans will make the trip to greet the Tigers in Texas.
Even Ambrose can be caught absorbing the magnitude of the moment. He told Matthew Hamilton of the Towerlight: “Seriously, this is kind of cool. We’re practicing more than a [Division 1-A] bowl team. How weird is this; that it’s [the New Year] and we’re still playing football?”
The excitement is understandable as the Tigers came into the FCS 24-team playoff as just a seventh seed.
That said, by the time the ball is kicked off, they better be more than just happy to be there if they plan to win.
Paths to Title Game
Steamrolling the Competition
The Bison have lived up to their moniker as a juggernaut in the playoffs. They have annihilated Furman, Coastal Carolina and New Hampshire en route to the championship game.
They'll come into Friday's game 14-0, having smashed their playoff opponents by a combined score of 138-35.
The closest any team has been is 31 points.
Thrilling Wins and Clutch Play
Towson hasn't been nearly as dominant, but their games have been long on excitement. It beat Fordham by 20, Eastern Illinois by 10 and survived a four-point close call with Eastern Washington to reach the title game.
Impact Players
Sam Ojuri and John Crockett
The Bison run game is so dominant, either Ojuri or Crockett could prove to be the most effective rusher in any given game. In the semifinal game against New Hampshire, Crockett exploded for 195 yards on just 13 carries.
Ojuri was the man against Coastal Carolina in the quarterfinals. He had 162 yards and scored two touchdowns. Through the year, the rushing offense is ranked seventh in the FCS and these two men are a big reason why.
Terrance West
As good as Ojuri and Crockett are, no player in the FCS has rushed for more yards than West this season, as he has already tallied 2,421 yards and 40 touchdowns on the ground.
How good is West? The 5'11", 223-pound junior has already decided to turn pro after the season, per CampusSportsNet.com. Brian Shawn, the play-by-play announcer for the Tigers confirms West's intentions.
The Tigers star had an FCS-playoff-record 354 rushing yards and five touchdowns against Eastern Illinois in the quarterfinals. That game was on national television and really served to heighten the awareness of the NFL hopeful.
West followed that up with 115 yards and two scores against Eastern Washington. Shane Hallam of DraftTV is already tabbing West as a player to watch in the draft.
Can he make one more statement and guide his team to an improbable win?
Peter Athens
West is clearly the man for Towson, but if the Bison can slow him down, the Tigers must be able to depend on Athens to make plays in the passing game.
He left the semifinal game with a shoulder injury and didn't play in the second half. Despite the injury, Athens told Hamilton he'd be ready for the title game. When asked if he'd play against North Dakota State, Athens said:
"Absolutely, no doubt [the extra week] helped to be able to get more treatment with our trainers. You don’t get a lot of opportunities to play for a national championship and I don’t want to miss it. I expect to be full go.
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He'll have to be at his best.
Brock Jensen
Jensen feels AJ McCarron's pain. As the quarterback of a run-dominant team with superior athletes at many of the key positions, Jensen may not get all of the credit he deserves.
Even with the successful Bison rushing attack, Jensen has tossed 33 touchdown passes this season. The Tigers will be gunning to slow North Dakota's ground game on Friday. Like Athens, Jensen will need to step up if the team's Plan A doesn't produce immediate benefits.
Prediction
The Tigers' tale is a cool one to root for, but North Dakota's experience, desire to send Bohl out a winner and overall talent will be too much for Towson to overcome.
Barring a bevy of turnovers from the Bison and a sparkling day from Athens and West, North Dakota will win its third straight FCS title.
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