Eastern Washington’s 2010 football season felt like a magic carpet ride.
The Eagles stepped on to the new, unique red turf at Roos Field in the fall of 2010, and took off. Oh, there was turbulence. Many times that autumn and winter, it looked like the ride would come to a premature end. Each time Beau Baldwin’s team faced adversity, the Eagles did some tinkering under the hood, or simply slammed on the accelerator behind a fearless, gun-slinging quarterback, the most electrifying running back in the league, and an opportunistic defense led by a Buck Buchanan Award winner.
The journey ended in Frisco, Texas, with the program’s first FCS National Championship. The Eagles’ incREDible season ranks fifth on the Big Sky Conference’s list of “50 Greatest Men’s Moments.’’
“I think every year, it’s going to mean more and more as you reflect back,’’ said Baldwin, in his seventh season at EWU. “The further you get away from it, the more you appreciate that championship, the hard work that went into it and the way it happened.’’
The groundwork for a memorable season was laid in the summer of the 2010 when the red turf was installed, bringing instant identity to Eastern Washington University and Cheney, Wash. Former Eastern Washington All-American and current NFL standout offensive lineman Michael Roos and his wife Katherine donated $500,000 to the red turf project. The stadium name changed from Woodward Field to Roos Field, and was nicknamed “The Inferno.’’
Not only did the surface provide a great field for games, but was also important for late-season practices. That proved large in 2010, as the Eagles played three home playoff games in December.
“Back in 2003 and 2004, we had to figure out where we were going to practice,’’ Baldwin said. “This has allowed us to have a quality practice field so we can perform well in playoff games.’’
The turf also showed the student-athletes that the fans and alumni cared about the program.
“We saw all these people investing in us and supporting us,’’ said linebacker J.C. Sherritt, who was named the nation’s top defensive player in 2010. “Obviously hundreds of people made it possible, and some of them took a lot of flak for it. It was great for those people who stuck it out. We proved they made a good investment. It was something we took pride in. It created an identity.’’
After four games, the Eagles were just 2-2. Bo Levi Mitchell, a transfer from SMU, was still learning the system and settling into his role as the starting quarterback.
Eastern Washington opened the season with a loss at Nevada, and also fell at Montana State. A 36-27 win over Montana in the first game on the red turf highlighted the first four weeks. Mike Jarrett hit a 31-yard field goal with four seconds left, and defensive tackle Renard Williams recovered a fumble and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown, as the EWU students stormed the field.
Following a 30-7 loss in Bozeman, the Eagles won their final seven regular-season games. In four of the games, Eastern Washington either trailed or was tied in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles finished the regular season 7-1 in conference and 9-2 overall, tying Montana State for the league title. Eastern Washington earned the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, a first-round bye, and a home game against Southeast Missouri State of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Junior running back Taiwan Jones, one of the fastest players to wear a football uniform in the Big Sky, rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagle defense forced four turnovers, held Southeast Missouri State to eight first downs, and just eight first downs in a 37-17 win where the Eagles scored the games’ final 23 points.
A date with rising FCS power North Dakota State was next. The Bison beat No. 4 seed Montana State in the second round, paving the way for the Eagles to once again play at home. Jones broke free for a 63-yard gain on his first carry to set up a short TD run, and on his fourth carry scored on a 69-yard run.
Jones, who now plays for the Oakland Raiders, carried the ball 20 times for 230 yards, but rushed for the final time as an Eagle early in the fourth quarter. Jones, who finished the season with 1,742 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns, and averaged an eye-popping 7.9 yards per carry, suffered a broken foot. It was an injury that appeared to put an end to the Eagles’ run.
With the offense floundering without Jones, North Dakota State took a 31-24 lead with 5:51 to play. The Eagles forced a short North Dakota State punt with 2:29 remaining, but needed to go 90 yards in a snow storm to force overtime. Twice, Mitchell completed fourth-down passes to keep hopes alive. Then, he connected with Nicolas Edwards for a 40-yard gain, and capped the drive with a 4-yard TD pass to Edwards with just 23 seconds to play.
“All year they’ve kind of found a way to do that,’’ Baldwin said after the game. “In the fourth quarter, no matter how things have gone, they find a way to compete late in the game. “They did it again. To find a way to go 90 yards in those conditions is incredible.’’
Mitchell connected with Tyler Hart for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play in overtime. The game ended when Sherritt forced Bison QB Brock Jensen to fumble at the goal line. Zach Johnson recovered in the end zone. The play was reviewed, but upheld.
Defending national champion Villanova earned a trip to Cheney for the semifinals by upsetting No. 1 seed Appalachian State in the quarterfinals. Without Jones, few pundits gave the Eagles a chance to take down the Wildcats. The Eagles were making their first semifinal appearance since 1997.
On a Friday night in a nationally-televised game on ESPN2, the Eagle defense forced six turnovers. Mitchell threw for 292 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. True freshman Mario Brown rushed for 104 yards as the Eagles secured a trip to the national championship game with a 41-31 win. EWU won all eight games it played on its red turf.
For the first time, the FCS national championship game was being played in Frisco, and it wasn’t being played until after the New Year. The Eagles had plenty of time to prepare for the trip, and for the challenges of facing Delaware and its vaunted defense. It was a homecoming of sorts for Mitchell, who played high school ball in Katy, Texas, before starting his career at Southern Methodist in nearby Dallas.
“For me, that was what it was all about,’’ said Mitchell, now a rising star in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders. “I made the transfer and found out the national championship game was in Frisco, just a couple of hours from my home. I had more than 40 family members there. Even some of my old SMU coaches showed up. It was a very gratifying feeling.’’
Sherritt, considered by many to be too small to play collegiate football because of his 5-foot-9 frame, also had a memorable experience prior to the game. On the eve of the national championship, Sherritt accepted the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation’s top defensive player. He tallied 176 total tackles – 14 for loss – with three interceptions and three forced fumbles. Eastern’s defense led the nation in takeaways, with 26 interceptions and 21 fumble recoveries.
“It was one of the most fun times I had on defense,’’ Sherritt said of the unit. “It was full of guys who weren’t afraid of the moment, and wanted to make a play. That’s how we wanted to feel on defense. If we kept playing, sooner or later, we were going to make a play. We had guys who could do it in crunch time. You could point to any guy on defense and it was a guy who was ready and not afraid of the moment.’’
That mentality was proved large in Saturday’s national championship game. With Vice President Joe Biden - a Delaware alum - in attendance, the Blue Hens stifled the Eagle offense, jumping out to a 12-0 halftime lead. Delaware, which led the nation in scoring defense at 11.5 points per game, made it 19-0 midway through the third quarter.
“It was a draining feeling at first looking at the scoreboard,’’ said Mitchell. “I was sitting on the sideline with my helmet in my hand and my arm on the bench looking at the scoreboard in disbelief. We had come this far, and we were down 19-0. I couldn’t believe it. I got the guys together, and reminded them we’d been in this position before, and we’d done it all season.’’
The spark the Eagles needed on offense finally came when Brown made a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch for a 36-yard gain. On the next play, Mitchell and Brandon Kaufman connected for 24 yards. Two plays later, Kaufman scored on a 22-yard reception.
On EWU’s next possession, Mitchell engineered a 14-play, 89-yard drive culminating with a 9-yard scoring strike to Edwards. Just like that, the Eagles had cut a 19-0 deficit to 19-13.
The Eagle defense forced and three-and-out, and the Eagle offense went back on the field with 6:18 to play. On the drive’s first play, Mitchell and Edwards linked for 31 yards. The next three plays resulted in a gain of nine yards leaving the Eagles with a fourth-and-1 at the Delaware 23-yard line.
Baldwin opted for a conservative call, handing the ball off to Brown, the 5-9, 175-pounder who was playing high school ball a year earlier. Brown went left and picked up a tough yard for the first down. Or did he? After the tackle, the game came to a 15-minute stop.
The officials reviewed the spot, and moved the ball back a few inches. The officials measured again, and this time instead of getting the first down by the length of a football, it was by less than an inch. Delaware coach K.C. Keeler argued with the officials that the chains had not been returned to its proper position for the second measurement. The officials reviewed the play again, but the Eagles were awarded the first down.
“When they did the second review, I got nervous,’’ Sherritt said. “They spotted it, reviewed it, spotted it again, and reviewed it. I just thought it can’t be good they are checking it twice. Once again, it worked out our way. People were not panicking. Coach was ready to call the next play.’’
The spot and subsequent reviews were dissected for months by FCS fans.
“I knew where I was at, and it was a first down,’’ Brown said in the postgame interview. “I knew I poked through there. So I didn’t have no doubt in my mind it was a first. It was a matter of the refs placing the ball in the right spot and just keeping it honest.’’
Keeler publicly complained after the game, and in the following weeks.
“The way the ball was spotted originally, it was a first down,’’ Keeler said in the postgame press conference. “But the chain was not on the 22 – the chain was past the 22. That’s why as soon as (the replay official) said the ball’s put back on the 22, we knew we had stopped them and not game over, but close to over. They had no idea where to put the chains back from the previous play. So they guessed.’’
“I’m 100 percent certain the right call was made the right team has a ring on the finger,’’ said Sherritt, now a star in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos.
Three plays later, Mitchell hit Kaufman in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. Jarrett gave the Eagles a 20-19 lead with an extra point. The Eagle faithful went crazy.
Delaware still had plenty of time, 2 minutes and 38 seconds in fact, to drive and kick a game-winning field goal. The Blue Hens, behind quarterback Pat Devlin, drove to the Eagles’ 39-yard line. Zach Johnson sacked Devlin for a 9-yard loss. Facing a fourth down, the Blue Hens completed a pass. Devlin faced heavy pressure. He completed the pass, but the receiver stumbled and fell, picking up 9 yards. The Blue Hens needed 10.
Eastern Washington lineup up for two snaps in the “Victory Formation” before fans stormed the field, celebrating the program’s first national title, and the Big Sky’s first since 2001.
The Eagles were celebrated in Cheney and Spokane upon their return. Baldwin threw out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game. The Eagles were honored as the “Sports Story of the Year” at the 77th Annual Sports Star of the Year awards show in Seattle, Wash., and the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters selected the Eagles as its team of the Year.
The championship also paved the way for serious discussion about a major expansion at Roos Field, called “The Gateway Project.’’ Eastern Washington advanced to the national semifinals in 2012 and 2013, but fell short of a return trip to Frisco. The Eagles figure to enter the 2014 season ranked in the top five in the preseason polls.
“Four years removed from it, we are able to see the things that the 2010 championship season was able to launch,’’ Baldwin said. “Whether it was ticket sales, the game-day atmosphere, the new scoreboard, or an increase in alumni and fan support, it provided the energy about the program. There are a lot of factors that go into it, but that 2010 season definitely had an impact.’’
“In addition, it benefitted the University as a whole through admissions and former alums who had nothing to do with athletics to that point,’’ Baldwin added. “They felt an appreciation for what was accomplished and walk around with a proud feeling. I know it’s always there, but it was intensified by the kind of run we were so fortunate to be a part of in 2010.’’
