 "Photo: Kerry Lentz")
Eastern Washington is not into moral victories, but if it was, the Eagles would be 1-0 on the season as far as they're concerned.
The Eagles may have taken a 49-24 loss to No. 12 Texas Tech, but if anything was proven, it was that the line between Football Championship and Bowl Subdivison teams is getting thinner by the minute.
"Really as you can guys can see, we can compete at this level," EWU quarterback Matt Nichols said. "I just think it takes a little bit too long to figure that out. After we spotted them 21 points, the rest of the half we were winning 17-7. Obviously you can see the talent that the I-AA level does have."
Numerous moments point toward parity in college football and FCS teams' competitive edge against FBS teams. In week 1, Delaware of the Colonial Athletic Association, took a 14-7 loss to Maryland. Also in week 1, McNeese State lost to North Carolina 35-27. One of the more recent victories for FCS teams include an Appalachian State win over Michigan to kickoff the 2007 season.
EWU coach Beau Baldwin said these and the Eagles' game against Tech are all examples of how college football is changing today.
"From I-AA playing up a level, I definitely think it's become a little closer than it used to be," he said. "But to me, this game especially, it wasn't just playing upper level. It was playing upper level against a team that I think is potentially a Top 10 team in the country."
Besides taking the second quarter 17-7, the Eagles tied Tech at seven in the third quarter.
With Nichols starting the game with an interception to Tech linebacker Brian Duncan, Eastern Washington found itself in a hole quickly. Nichols said all it took was some catching up to the Red Raiders' style of play.
He said once he and his teammates were used to that style, the game felt like something they already have experienced.
"I felt like for everybody else, you kind of catch up to that game speed they have," Nichols said. "Everything slows down. From the second quarter on, it just kind of felt like a Big Sky (Conference) game."
EWU receiver Tony Davis led his team with 13 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, the only one by an Eagle receiver for the game.
Facing a team like Tech can make a player nervous, but Davis said once a player loses that fear, he can become more comfortable and make more plays.
"I had jitters coming in," he said. "After that first drive, I settled down and just realized it's just another game. The whole time, we felt like we had something to prove. People outside of our team didn't think that we belong. We don't think there's a huge difference between our divisions."
The closest the Eagles were in the game was 28-17 going into halftime and 42-35 midway through the third quarter.
Davis said the mindset at halftime in the Eagle locker room was a winning one as they knew they had a chance to upset the No. 12 team in the nation. He said the plays that could have been in favor of Eastern Washington pushed his team back more than it should have.
The Eagles entered this season No. 7 in the nation among FCS teams and expecting to compete for a Big Sky and national title. Their tour against FBS teams is not over yet, as they face Colorado on Sept. 6.
With Colorado next on the schedule, Nichols said recent history proves no FCS team should be taken lightly.
"I'm sure a little bit was (Tech) coming in the game too, thinking they're playing a lower level team," he said. "As you can see with (Appalachian) State and some of the other teams lately, I-AA is kind of catching up a little bit."
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