(STATS) – It was a Monday morning and by 7:15, North Dakota State coach Chris Klieman saw Easton Stick in the team’s film room. Around 9, Klieman met with his quarterback for about an hour. Around noon, Klieman swung back around and there was Stick still watching film and dissecting the game plan.
“I so appreciate watching him prepare starting Monday and going all the way through the week,” Klieman said, “and then watching him execute his preparation so flawlessly.”
The payoff for the Bison is extraordinary. Stick, the Missouri Valley Football Conference offensive player of the year, has led them to an eighth straight conference title and a 14-0 record and into the national championship game, where they seek a record seventh FCS title in eight years. The Most Outstanding Player in last year’s final has accounted for 40 touchdowns and leads the FCS in passing efficiency (172.6) as a senior.
Stick is one of three players who have been invited to the announcement of the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award at the national banquet Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. The others up for national offensive player of the year are senior quarterbacks Chandler Burks of Kennesaw State and Devlin Hodges of Samford.
The statistic that epitomizes the 6-foot-2, 221-pound Stick is his 48 career wins, which is tied for the most ever by an FCS quarterback. A victory in the national final against Eastern Washington would break Stick’s tie with former NDSU quarterback Brock Jensen.
In between those two signal callers, Carson Wentz directed the NDSU offense, and Stick learned a great deal from him about preparation. Stick has gone on to set the school’s career records for total offense (11,213), touchdown passes (86) and total touchdowns (124). He’s also set MVFC marks for quarterback rushing yards (2,402) and TDs (38).
“I think the key is making people around you so much better,” Klieman said, “and that’s what our guy does.”
Add A Comment