2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game
Weekly Update, Dec. 27
Delaware and Eastern Washington will meet in the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game Friday, January 7, 2011, at 6 p.m. (CST) at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The game, which concludes a 20-team national playoff, is being hosted by the Southland Conference, the City of Frisco and Hunt Sports Group. Pizza Hut Park will also host the 2012 and 2013 national championship games.
Game Week Activities
During the week leading into the national championship game, there are several events the local organizing committee has planned for the participating teams:
Wednesday, Jan. 5
7-9 p.m. Great Texas Barbecue Bowl, Frisco Conference Center
Team Frisco, the local organizing committee, will honor Eastern Washington and Delaware for earning berths to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game in Frisco. Entertainment by Lone Star Attitude and great barbecue provided by Randy White’s Hall of Fame BBQ, all surrounded by a great western feel. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10.95 for children 12 and under, and include dinner and a complimentary team bandana. For tickets, go to www.friscochamber.com.
Thursday, Jan. 6
Noon-1:30 p.m. Champions Luncheon, Frisco Conference Center
Team Frisco will salute the two teams at the Champions Luncheon at the Frisco Conference Center. Attendees will hear comments from both head coaches about the national championship game, view exciting video highlights and enjoy a special luncheon guest speaker. Also, the NCAA Elite 88 Award for athletic and academic achievement will be presented to one of the national championship game’s participants. Tickets are $50 and a table of eight is $360. Tickets are available at www.friscochamber.com.
Friday, Jan. 7
Noon-6 p.m. Tailgate Town, Pizza Hut Park, Gold Parking Lot (Free Admission)
Tailgate Town will feature the Capital One Cup Tour and sport interactives, other NCAA Corporate Champion and Partner activities, a food and beverage area, live music and deejay's, team band performances, youth clinics, autograph sessions, football interactive games, a mechanical bull, children's inflatables, face painters, photo opportunities, tailgate games, live sports talk radio remotes, souvenir sales, contests, prizes and more.
6 p.m. 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, Pizza Hut Park
Delaware and Eastern Washington play for the national championship in the first college football game at Pizza Hut Park. Tickets for the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship game range from $30 to $40 and are available online at ncaa.com/championships/football/fcs or by calling (469) 365-0000.
About the Participating Teams
| Meet the Delaware Blue Hens |
Location: Newark, Del. |
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association |
Enrollment: 21,138 |
Colors: Royal Blue & Gold |
Head Coach: K.C. Keeler |
Alma mater: Delaware, 1981 |
Record at UD: 74-41, ninth season |
Career Record: 162-62-1, 18th season |
2010 Record: 12-2 overall and 6-2 in the CAA |
2010 Season Capsule: The Blue Hens find themselves back in the championship game for the first time since 2007 when it lost to Appalachian State, 49-21. Delaware won the 2003 national championship by beating Colgate, 40-0. It first reached the title game in 1982. The 2010 squad improved to 12-2 after beating Georgia Southern, 27-10, Dec. 18 in the semifinals. The Blue Hens tied for first in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 6-2 record. Head coach K.C. Keeler, is 74-41 in his ninth season at his alma mater and owns a 162-62-1 career record. Delaware reached the semifinals with wins over Lehigh (42-20) and New Hampshire (16-3).
Quarterback Pat Devlin has completed 239-of-350 passes for 2,812 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has thrown just two interceptions, has a completion percentage of 68.3 percent and his 155.37 rating ranks third in the Football Championship Subdivision. His primary targets are Nihja White, who has 55 receptions for 679 yards and six touchdowns, and Phillip Thaxton, who has 45 grabs for 503 yards and five scores. Four other receivers have caught multiple touchdown passes. On the ground, the Blue Hens’ work horse is Andrew Pierce, who has scored 13 touchdowns and is averaging 108.1 yards per game on 301 carries. Delaware has one of the nation’s stoutest defenses, leading the subdivision in scoring defense, allowing only 11.5 points per game. The Blue Hens also rank fifth in total defense (277.4), eighth in passing defense (98.6) and 15th in rushing defense (111.0).
 | Meet the Eastern Washington Eagles |
Location: Cheney, Wash. |
Conference: Big Sky Conference |
Enrollment: 11,504 |
Colors: Red & White |
Head Coach: Beau Baldwin |
Alma mater: Central Washington, 1996 |
Record at EWU: 26-11, third season |
Career Record: 36-14, fourth season |
2010 Record: 12-2 overall and 7-1 in the Big Sky |
2010 Season Capsule: The Eagles have advanced to the championship game for the first time in school history. They had reached the semifinals only once previously, falling to Youngstown State, 25-14, in 1997. The Eagles are 12-2 this season and tied for first in the Big Sky Conference with a 7-1 record. Eastern Washington is coached by Beau Baldwin, who is 26-11 in his third season with the school. He has a career record of 36-14 in his fourth season. The Eagles beat Villanova, the defending champion, Dec. 17 in the semifinals. They also have playoff victories against Southeast Missouri State (37-17) and North Dakota State (38-31 in overtime).
SMU transfer Bo Levi Mitchell returns to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex with his new team, the Eastern Washington Eagles. Mitchell has completed 271-of-462 passes for 3,194 yards and 34 touchdowns. The Katy, Texas, native (Katy HS), has a completion percentage of 58.7 and a pass rating of 134.96. When the Eagles take to the ground, they typically give the ball to Taiwan Jones, who averages 145.2 yards to rank second in the FCS. He has totaled 1,742 rushing yards and 221 carries for an average of 7.9 yards per carry. Jones, who has scored 14 rushing touchdowns, also ranks second in the subdivision with an average of 201.8 total yards per game. The Eagles are a top-10 team in both scoring offense, averaging 32.3 points per game to rank 12th, and in total offense, averaging 402.1 yards per game to rank 19th.
Television Coverage of Championship Game
The 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game will be televised by ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com. Dave Neal will handle play-by-play duties for the broadcast, while former Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware will serve as the color analyst. Jon Berger will offer anecdotes from the sideline. The telecast will begin at 6 p.m., CST.
About the Football Championship Subdivision
With 119 member universities and nearly 13,000 student-athletes taking the field each fall, the Division I Football Championship Subdivision embodies a tradition of excellence through a high level of competition, student-athlete character and sportsmanship throughout the regular season and the championship experience. Ten FCS conferences receive automatic berths to the NCAA Championship, including the Big Sky, Big South, Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Missouri Valley Football, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Southern and the Southland.
Former FCS football student-athletes include Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Kurt Warner and current NFL stars Tony Romo, Jared Allen, Miles Austin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Joe Flacco. Former coaches in the FCS, include Eddie Robinson, Jim Tressel, Mack Brown, Bobby Bowden, and Dennis Franchione. Current Dallas Cowboys interim head coach Jason Garrett attended Princeton, an Ivy League school and member of the FCS.
All-Time FCS Champions
Appalachian State (3 championships), Boise State, Delaware, Eastern Kentucky (2), Florida A&M, Furman, Georgia Southern (6), Idaho State, James Madison, Louisiana-Monroe, Massachusetts, Marshall (2), Montana (2), Montana State, Richmond, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky, Villanova, and Youngstown State (4).
For more information, contact
Todd Lamb, Assistant Commissioner/Communications
Southland Conference
Phone: 972-422-9500, ext. 107
Email: tlamb@southland.org
