The cardiac kids from Cheney have done it again. The Eastern Washington Eagles, facing a 19-0 deficit with the third quarter winding down, mounted a furious comeback, scoring the final 20 points of the game to shock the Delaware Blue Hens and win the FCS Championship, 20-19. The Eagles had been unable to move the ball all day, but sprung to live using the arm of Bo Levi Mitchell, rallying for the lead. The defense made huge stops when they needed, including a fourth down stop on Delaware’s final drive to seal the game.
Mitchell played an incredible game after struggling in the first half. He finished with 302 yards, all three of Eastern’s touchdowns and one interception. Brandon Kaufman was the favorite target down the stretch, catching two touchdowns, including the game-winner. With little run game to speak of, it was all on Mitchell, and boy did he deliver.
Delaware quarterback Pat Devlin was as-advertised, throwing for 220 yards and an interception. Devlin had carved-up the Eastern defense early, but felt the pressure down the stretch as the Eagles’ defense turned up the heat and dialed-up the blitzes. Andrew Pierce had a standout game on the ground, rushing for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Congratulations to the Eastern Washington Eagles, national champions at the FCS level. If you missed it, you missed one hell of a ballgame and one hell of a comeback from the Eagles. Your final score: Eastern Washington: 20, Delaware: 19.