When you are at a loss for words, you stammer. You try to come up with the right adjectives to describe what just happened. To answer a question you really have no answer for.
That is me. Stammering. Trying to put into words what just happened. The easy answer to that question is North Dakota State University won their fourth straight national title. They defeated Illinois State 29-27 after quarterback Carson Wentz scored the winning touchdown with :37 seconds remaining.
Those are the facts. But, there was so much more than that.
There was Illinois State quarterback, Tre Roberson, running 58 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter with 1:38 to go.
There was ISU being down 20-7 late in the third quarter only to have the momentum of the game swing their way on a 41-yard touchdown pass to tight end James O’Shaughnessy that included poor tackling from NDSU of all things.
There was NDSU true freshman receiver RJ Urzendowski making three catches during the game-winning drive. A freshman who just the previous year was watching the Bison win their third straight national title at home with his friends.
All of that is hard, incredibly hard, to put into words. Hence, the stammering.
It will be one of those games that when you talk to people about it, they will say do you remember Zach Vraa’s 42-yard catch or how about Wentz getting a first down on a second and twenty with a 23-yard rush on a broken play and remember when he fumbled on that same play because he decided to look for contact instead of avoiding it?!?!?!
Someone will say that O’Shaughnessy’s first touchdown catch was the turning point of the game but will get over ruled by someone else who will say that it was his second touchdown catch only to have both of those two arguments shot down because they felt it was the no offensive pass interference call on Urzendowski’s 33-yard reception.
They only thing that they will ever agree on in that conversation is they need another round of beers so they can talk about the game some more.
There might not be a person in Frisco, Fargo or the entire state of North Dakota that won't be talking about this game.
This game. What a game. I have seen thousands upon thousands of games. Basketball. Baseball. Football. You name it.
This game, more than any other game, had me saying wow.
Wow, by definition, is to express astonishment or admiration. Wow.
Even that word doesn't seem fit to define this game.
This game. What a game. What a national championship game.