The start was promising before the Bison running game got going.
 
The Eastern Washington University football team opened early leads of 14-0 and 20-7 over North Dakota State, but the Bison scored 35 unanswered points for a 42-20 victory in a first-round game in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs Saturday (April 24) at the Fargodome in Fargo. N.D.
 
Eastern scored touchdowns the first three times they had the ball, only to have the Bison get their running game untracked and eventually lead 21-20 at halftime. North Dakota State outscored EWU 21-0 in the second half as it finished with 422 yards rushing on the ground.
 
"Unfortunately, the season ends for us in the round of 16," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best, whose team finished 5-2 and saw its five-game winning streak end. "We will continue to learn and battle along the way, but it's been an amazing season. We tip our hat to North Dakota State at their home venue."
 
The Bison (7-2) move on to play in the quarterfinals on May 1 or 2 versus unbeaten second-seeded and unbeaten Sam Houston State (7-0), which held off Monmouth 21-15 in Saturday's first round. That game will be played at Bowers Stadium in Hunstville, Texas.
 
Thanks to a fast start, Walter Payton Award finalist and Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP Eric Barriere went over the 10,000 yard mark in total offense in his career in the first half versus the Bison after needing just 157 to hit that mark. An 18-yard scramble put him over the top as he completed 10 of his first 11 passes for 178 yards and another 27 rushing.
 
He finished the game 17-of-28 for 246 yards passing, with another 32 on the ground. North Dakota State had the ball for 21:50 of the second half after EWU held it for 16:27 in the first half.
 
"Time of possession wasn't in our favor and we couldn't get off the field on defense in the second half after battling immensely in the first 30 minutes," said Best. "We were down just 21-20 at halftime and just couldn't continue the momentum in the second half."
 
Senior Andrew Boston was EWU's leading receiver with five catches for 88 yards, and senior Talolo Limu-Jones added four for 38 yards as his stretch of 100-yard receiving games ended at three. True freshman Efton Chism III had three for 56.
 
Defensively, linebacker Jack Sendelbach had 13 tackles for EWU to hit double figures for the 10th time of his career. Senior rover Kedrick Johnson added eight and sophomore safety Ely Doyle had six. Eastern's defense recorded no sacks while the Bison had five, plus recorded the lone takeaway of the game with an interception.
 
Eastern allowed North Dakota State to averaged just 2.3 yards on its first four rushes and 3.5 on its first nine. But the Bison finished the game with 422 on 57 rushes for an average of 7.4 per carry. North Dakota State finished with 472 yards overall and EWU had 307, including 246 through the air.
 
"Things didn't go our way today," added Best. "We played a good football team on the road in North Dakota State, and give great credit to a well-coached team. They dictated the tempo in the second half and did what they do best – and that's run the ball, move the sticks and stay on the field. They did what they intended to do and that was keep our No. 3 off the field. They did a great job of that in the second half."
 
The road game was Eastern's first road trip in the preliminary rounds of the playoffs since 2009. It snapped a string of 17-straight home playoff games at "The Inferno" in Cheney, Wash., not including a pair of title games in Frisco, Texas, to conclude the 2010 and 2018 seasons.
 
The NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs – just 16 teams this year with only six at-large berths (changed from five on 4/7/21) -- all take place on April 24 with first-round games, followed by the quarterfinals on May 1-2 and the semifinals on May 8. All rounds of the FCS playoffs will be broadcast on ESPN's family of networks, with the national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, taking place on Sunday, May 16, at 11 a.m. Pacific time on ABC.
 
Results/Pairings of First-Round Games on April 24 (all times Pacific)
April 24 at Brookings, South Dakota - #1 South Dakota St. 31 (6-1), Holy Cross 3 (3-1)
April 24 at Ogden, Utah - Southern Ill. 34, (6-3), Weber St. 31 (5-0)
April 24 at Newark, Delaware - Delaware 19 (6-0), Sacred Heart 10 (3-2)
April 24 at Jacksonville, Alabama –#4 Jacksonville St. 49 (10-2), Davidson 14 (4-3)
April 24 at Harrisonburg, Virginia –#3 James Madison 31 (6-0), VMI 24 (6-2)
April 24 at Grand Forks, North Dakota - North Dakota 44 (5-1), Missouri St. 10 (5-5)
April 24 at Fargo, North Dakota -- North Dakota St. 42 (7-2), Eastern Wash. 20 (5-2)
April 24 at Huntsville, Texas –#2 Sam Houston 21 (7-0), Monmouth 15 (3-1)
 
 
Records
 
* Eastern is now 5-2 and had its five-game winning streak come to an end, after having earned an at-large berth out of the Big Sky Conference. The Bison are 7-2 and also received an at-large entry after losing to Missouri Valley Football Conference champion South Dakota State 27-17 on April 17 at the Fargodome. That loss snapped a 32-game home winning streak for NDSU.
 
* Eastern was ranked ninth in this past week's STATS Perform NCAA Football Championship Subdivision top 25 poll, while the Bison held down the No. 6 spot after ranking second behind James Madison prior to the SDSU loss. In the coaches poll, NDSU was eighth and EWU was ninth.
 
* Eastern is making its 14th appearance in the FCS Playoffs, and NDSU is making its 11th – all consecutive. They are two of just five schools nationally to have made at least 11 appearances since 2004. Since EWU won the title in 2010, North Dakota State has won eight of the last nine titles, with James Madison winning the other championship in 2016.
 
 
Game Details & Turning Point
 
Eastern scored on touchdown drives of 85 and 53 yards to open the game, with both capped by 3-yard touchdown runs by Tamarick Pierce then Barriere.
 
After a NDSU touchdown, Eastern scored on its third possession on a 12-play, 79-yard drive, capped by Barriere's 3-yard TD pass to Andrew Boston. It was during that drive that Barriere had his 18-yard run to put him over 10,000 yards of total offense in his career.
 
The Bison scored again in the second quarter, then Eastern drove again on its fourth drive of the game. Barriere was flushed out of the pocket on a third-and-13 play, but somehow found Talolo Limu Jones for a 26-yard gain. Another gain of 19 to Jakobie James put EWU at the NDSU 23-yard line, but a sack helped result in a missed 53-yard field goal attempt.
 
The Bison had a 42-yard on its first play after that, and turned it into a four-play, 64-yard drive to take a 21-20 lead. The Bison had 163 yards rushing at halftime, although EWU still led in total yards 243-212, with 178 through the air.
 
Eastern got a fourth-down stop to open the third quarter, only to give it right back on an interception by Barriere. The Bison pounced, and drove 41 yards on three plays to take a 28-20 advantage with 9:29 left in the quarter.
 
Eastern punted the next two times it had the ball, and the Bison put the game away with scoring drives of 86 and 72 yards.
 
 
Series Notes
 
* Eastern is now 1-4 all-time versus the Bison, losing 34-24 the last time they met on Jan. 5, 2019, in Frisco, Texas, for the title for the 2018 season. North Dakota State won its third-straight title in 2019 in a year the Eagles did not qualify for the playoffs.
 
* The first meeting with NDSU came in 2010, and EWU beat the Bison 38-31 in overtime in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The two teams met in regular season games in 2016 and 2017, with EWU falling 50-44 in overtime in the Fargodome in the first meeting, then losing the following season 40-13 in Cheney.
 
 
 
More Game Notes
 
* After losing the turnover battle versus NDSU 1-0, in the last 13 seasons (2008-20) the Eagles are now 67-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 24-9 when they've been tied and 25-35 when they've lost (total of 116-45). The last time EWU lost a game when it won the turnover battle came in the 2009 FCS Playoffs at Stephen F. Austin when EWU had two miscues and forced four in the 44-33 loss. Thus, EWU is 58-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 21-9 when they've been tied and 23-28 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 102-37 (73.4 percent).
 
* No Eagles made their starting debuts versus NDSU. Thus far in the 2020-21 season, 20 players have made the initial starts of their careers – 12 on defense and eight on offense.
 
Current Starts on Defense (149 starts by 21 players): Calin Criner 19, Tre Weed 18, Jack Sendelbach 18, Mitchell Johnson 17, Darrien Sampson 10, Kedrick Johnson 9, Joshua Jerome 7, Jacob Newsom 7, Darreon Moore 7, Ty Graham 6, Brock Harrison 6, Anthany Smith 6, Keshaun King 4, Marlon Jones Jr. 4, Ira Branch 3, Cale Lindsay 2, Caleb Davis 2, Ely Doyle 1, Jusstis Warren 1, Debore'ae McClain 1, Justin Patterson 1.
 
Current Starts on Offense (182 starts by 18 players): Tristen Taylor 47, Eric Barriere 29, Andrew Boston 24, Johnny Edwards IV 12, Conner Crist 9, Talolo Limu-Jones 9, Freddie Roberson 8, Dylan Ingram 7, Wyatt Musser 7, Matt Shook 7, Tamarick Pierce 6, Wyatt Hansen 5, Anthony Stell Jr. 4, Dennis Merritt 2, Brad Godwin 2, Efton Chism III 2, Blake Gobel 1, Gunner Talkington 1.
 
 
* Consistency has been a cornerstone of EWU Football, and the Eagles have extended to 17 seasons a current run of winning the league title and/or advancing to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs at least every other year. Eastern has achieved that feat ever since its last back-to-back-empty seasons in 2002 and 2003.
 
* On the opposite side of the bracket is fellow Big Sky Conference member Weber State, a recent FCS powerhouse the Eagles have not faced since falling 14-6 in Ogden, Utah, on Oct. 13, 2018. The Wildcats received the league's automatic berth with a 5-0 record in league play and host Southern Illinois in their opener.
 
* Not including championship games in 2010 and 2018, Eastern's last 17 games in the playoffs have come at home at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles have won 13 of them, and their last road game in the playoffs was Nov. 28, 2009, in Nacogdoches, Texas, in a 44-33 loss to Stephen F. Austin. Eastern's last playoff road win was on Nov. 24, 2007, when Eastern upset second-seeded and No. 3 ranked McNeese State 44-15.
 
* Through six games this season, Eastern was averaging 558.7 yards of offense to move from second to rank first in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision after games played on April 17. Entering that day, UIW (Incarnate Word) led at 599.2 yards per game, but had only 318 in a 42-14 loss at Sam Houston State. Eastern also entered the playoffs third nationally in passing (386.8) and seventh in scoring offense (40.7). In addition, the Eagles were 26th in rushing (171.8) and 11th in passing efficiency (152.0).
 
* Quarterback Eric Barriere entered the postseason ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense (fourth, 387.3 per game), passing offense (fourth, 364.8), passing touchdowns (third, 18) and points responsible for (11th, 18.3 per game). Wide receiver Talolo Limu-Jones was leading FCS in receiving yards per game (120.2) and was fifth in receptions per game (7.3, total of 44).
 
* The Eagles were ranked 57th in total defense in the 2020-21 regular season, allowing an average of 367.2 yards per game and allowing 24,3 points per game to rank 49th. In third down conversion percentage, Eastern entered the playoffs 16th offensively (.468) and 38th defensively (.364), and on fourth down were 10th on offense (.706) and 16th on defense (.267).
 
* Prior to the NDSU contest, Eastern's 34-17 loss on Oct. 26, 2019, at Montana was the 63rd time and the previous occasion Eastern has faced a team ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (STATS), as well as the 131st against a ranked foe. Eastern is 19-44 in those 63 games all-time versus top 10 opponents, including 10-9 since 2010 (5-4 mark in the regular season and 5-5 in the playoffs). After EWU's game versus UC Davis on April 3, Eastern has now won 63 percent of its games (31-18) versus ranked teams since 2010. Eastern is 60-72 (.455) in 132 games overall against ranked teams since becoming a member of that classification in 1983 (then known as I-AA). The Eagles are 9-35 all-time versus top 5 opponents (4-7 since 2010), including 2-8 versus No. 1 (0-2 since 2010).
 
* The game March 13, 2021, versus Idaho State was Eastern's 62nd game inside a dome, where the temperatures are always at about 72 degrees and wind or humidity are not factors. After the 46-42 victory, Eastern is 32-30 all-time in domes, including 16-4 at Idaho State's Holt Arena, 4-10 record at the Kibbie Dome, 10-7 at NAU's Walkup Skydome, 2-0 at North Dakota, 0-1 at North Dakota State, 0-1 at South Dakota, 0-6 at Northern Iowa and 0-1 at the Houston Astrodome.
 
 
On the Horizon
 
* Eastern's 2020-21 winter/spring  schedule has concluded, and the Eagles are scheduled to next play at UNLV on Thursday, Sept. 2 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
 
* The NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs – just 16 teams this year with only six at-large berths (changed from five on 4/7/21) -- began on April 24 and conclude on May 16. All rounds of the FCS playoffs will be broadcast on ESPN's family of networks, with the national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, taking place on Sunday, May 16, at 11 a.m. Pacific time on ABC.
 
Quarterfinals - Sunday, May 2 – Times Pacific
Southern Illinois (6-3) at South Dakota State (6-1) - 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Delaware (6-0) at Jacksonville State (10-2) - Noon (ESPN3)
North Dakota (5-1) at James Madison (6-0) – 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
North Dakota State (7-2) at Sam Houston State (7-0) – Noon (ESPN)
 
Semifinals - Saturday, May 8 – Times Pacific
11:30 a.m. (ABC)
9 a.m. (ESPN) or 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
 
Championship - Sunday, May 16 - Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
11 a.m. Pacific Time (ABC)
 
 
More Comments from EWU Head Coach Aaron Best
 
On Outcome: "We couldn't get untracked in the second half. We jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but it's not how you start but how you finish. We just couldn't grasp that momentum again. Give credit to the team in green on offense – they kept the best player in America off the field in the second half, and we just couldn't get into a rhythm like we did in the first half."
 
On Fast Start in First Half Changing After Halftime: "We were clicking in the first half and found a few third downs to get new sets of chains. Coach (Ian) Shoemaker did a great job keeping them off-balance – run situations when they thought pass was coming, and pass when they thought a run was coming. We mixed in the screen game and we were efficient in the red zone. We just never got there in the second half. Their cornerback made a great play in a pass situation on our first possession of the second half after the defense got a stop. They quickly kind of grabbed hold of the momentum in the second half. From there it seemed like there were two or three 6-8 minute possessions for their offense."
 
On Makeup of Team and Defense For The Playoffs: "The 64 players we traveled to this game did a fabulous job. There were probably 10-15 players who played in this game who probably wouldn't have probably played in a normal 2020 fall campaign due to various reasons. Our two-deep at the inside tackle position on offense were all freshmen and sophomores. We use what we have, do what we can and go as far as we can. We went against a team that liked to load it up and we knew it was going to be tough. We got them in some third-and-medium and third-and-long situations, but they kept us on our toes defensively. They did what they needed to do. They used their tandem of tailbacks effectively and it just wasn't our day. We prepared well and knew what was going to come. We played against a very good offensive line and didn't have our best day."
 
"It's never easy and one of the most difficult things to do. With any team when the season ends, those same heartbeats won't be together in the same locker room. There are players who go separate ways and different things happen, so it's tough.
 
But it's even tougher this time around because of all the obstacles and challenges Covid presented us. The pushback to the spring season ended in the playoffs, and you don't know when it's going to end. But you know it could end at any moment, so it makes it kind of doubly tough. It's even tougher when you love your kids you coach – day-in and day-out they've put a lot on the line.
 
They've adjusted their schedules, whether it be athletic, academic, in the athletic training room, with the equipment room or in the strength and conditioning room. There are so many things that every football team in every sport has been thrown challenges with this past year. Our team has done an amazing job to get to this point. So it's even harder this time than any time you tell your team you are proud of them at the end of a campaign."
 
"We need some time off physically and mentally. This has been such an abnormal season in a lot of different ways – in a lot of good ways but a lot of weird, odd and challenging ways too. We'll give them some time off from football because this is draining. And now we end it and turnaround in three months and do it again.
 
We kind of have to go back to the drawing board to determine what is best for us. We'll look and see what we have injury-wise and see how the next few calendar months go. It's far enough away, and these guys have earned the right to hug each other and be proud of each other for the run that they've had. They won five games in a row and then had the ability to get into the playoffs."
 
"We'll take a deep breath and look back on all the things we conquered along this journey."
 
"We'll get to those decisions once the dust clears in a week or two. In the meantime we are going to do our thing and enjoy our time together as the 2020-21 spring season concludes."