­­­­­­­University "Eagles" #3 Eastern Washington versus Montana State University "Bobcats" Saturday, Oct. 22 • 11:10 a.m. Pacific Bobcat Stadium (17,777) • Bozeman, Montana
TV:	Live regionally on ROOT Sports Northwest and DirecTV Audience Network (channel 239) . . . announcers are Tom Glasgow/Jason Stiles/Jen Mueller . . . the game will also be shown on a delayed basis on ROOT Rocky Mountain and ROOT Southwest.
­­­Webcast:	None
Radio:	700-AM ESPN in Spokane. Larry Weir returns for his 26th season calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen. Broadcasts begin one hour prior to kickoff and include an expanded post-game show.
Internet Radio:	http://www.700espn.com or http://www.tunein.com.
Radio iPhone App:	Search for "700 ESPN" and download app. An app is also available for tunein radio.
Live Stats:	http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=mtsu
Weekly Coaches Show:	Mondays at 6 p.m. at the "Impulse Club" at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, with video highlights and commentary by head coach Beau Baldwin at 5:30 p.m. (no live show at NQ on Oct. 17; plus no video or show on Nov. 21). . .  700-AM ESPN, http://www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app).
Watch Parties:	Consult EWU social media outlets for details the Friday before games. Those who may carry EWU games include "Epic" at Northern Quest Casino and Resort in Airway Heights, Borracho in downtown Spokane and the Swinging Doors in North Spokane.

 
 
After Bye Week, No. 3 Eagles Begin Stretch Run at MSU
 
The national leader in passing offense, Eastern seeks to continue offensive momentum from first six games of the season
 
Momentum is huge, but so is healing and resting up for the stretch run.
 
The third-ranked Eastern Washington University football team, featuring the top passing offense in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and the second-highest scoring team, returns to action at Montana State this Saturday (Oct. 22) following a welcome bye week.
 
Kickoff is 11:10 a.m. Pacific time at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Mont., in a game televised to a national audience via ROOT Sports and the DirecTV Audience Network. Fans can also listen to the game on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com, with pre-game coverage starting one hour prior to kickoff and the broadcasts featuring an expanded post-game show.
 
The last three meetings with the Bobcats – all Eastern victories – have included a total of five 50-point performances. Eastern beat the Bobcats 55-50 in Cheney in 2015 and 52-51 in 2014 in Bozeman in a pair of non-conference games. The last Big Sky game between the two teams was in Cheney in 2013, won by the Eagles 54-29.
 
In those previous three meetings, the two teams have amassed 3,608 yards of total offense, with each team going over the 500-yard mark in each game. In the 2015 meeting with MSU, Eastern had 667 yards on just 57 plays (11.7 yards per play), compared to 718 yards and 104 plays (6.9 per play) for the Bobcats. In 2014, the figures were 74-582-7.9 for the Eagles, and 82-546-6.7 for the Bobcats, and in 2013 it was 591-48-12.3 (Big Sky record) for EWU and 504-78-6.5 for the Bobcats. Thus, EWU has averaged 10.3 yards per play (179-1,840) while MSU has averaged 6.7 (264-1768). In six games this season, the Eagles are at 7.0 per play (482-3,391).
 
This will be the first meeting in seven meetings that both teams will not be nationally-ranked, but the seventh-straight year EWU has. The last time both teams did not enter the game ranked, neither squad was. Interestingly, that 35-24 victory on Oct. 24, 2009, started a current stretch in which EWU has won 46 of 55 Big Sky Conference games (84 percent).
 
The Eagles successfully reached the mid-point of the season with a 49-31 victory over Northern Colorado on Oct. 8, giving EWU a glossy 5-1 record heading into the final five games of the regular season. The Eagles lead FCS in passing yards (433.2 per game), and are second in scoring (47.5) and second in total offense (565.2).
 
Montana State, meanwhile, is winless in four Big Sky Conference games and is 2-5 overall under first-year head coach Jeff Choate. The Bobcats are coming off a 45-27 loss at Weber State in which the Wildcats scored three touchdowns in the first 10 1/2 minutes and scored on their first six possessions of the game. But in their previous four losses, the Bobcats lost by a combined 14 points – three at Idaho, three at Sacramento State, two at home to Big Sky unbeaten North Dakota and six in Bozeman to Northern Arizona.
 
"We know we'll have our hands full with Montana State in Bozeman," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "They'll provide challenges and their coaching staff does a great job. Even if some of the results aren't quite there yet, there is a fine line between a few more wins compared to a few more losses. When I evaluate opponents, I take the record out of it."
 
Montana, a perennial playoff participant and Big Sky title contender, will visit Cheney on Oct. 29 in a game that is already a sellout – EWU's 19th in a row in the regular season. After a road game at Cal Poly on Nov. 5, the Eagles will have Senior Day on Nov. 12 against Idaho State. Eastern closes the regular season Nov. 18 (Friday) at Portland State, which joined Montana as runner-up in the league last season and advanced to the playoffs.
 
The Eagles are 5-1 despite playing the toughest preseason schedule in school history. The Eagles opened the season by beating Washington State of the Pacific-12 Conference (45-42), falling in overtime to top-ranked and five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State (50-44) and beating 10th-ranked Northern Iowa (34-30). The Eagles then opened league play with a 50-35 victory against league favorite Northern Arizona.
 
Eastern jumped up a spot to third in this week's STATS FCS Top 25 poll after North Dakota State lost at home to South Dakota State. Eastern jumped two spots to third in the coaches poll, aided by the NDSU defeat and a loss by previously fourth-ranked Chattanooga. Sam Houston State is now No. 1 in both polls. In the Athlon Power Rankings, the Eagles remained No. 2, with North Dakota State retaining the top spot despite its loss.
 
 
 

Records/Milestone Watch

 
Kupp Set to Equal Another FCS Record, Plus Nine Yards From EWU All-Purpose Yardage Mark
 
Eastern senior Cooper Kupp has now broken 11 FCS records, eight Big Sky Conference all-time marks and 20 school records. He could equal a 12th FCS all-time mark and should break another school mark at Montana State on Oct. 22. He enters the MSU game with 44-straight games catching a pass, one behind the record of 45. Jacksonville State's Josh Barge also has a current total of 44 in a row, and he and Kupp could both tie the record on Oct. 22 and break it on Oct. 29. The record was originally set by Marcus Lee of Towson (2005-08), then tied by current EWU wide receivers coach Nicholas Edwards (2009-12) and Tyrone Walker from Illinois State from (2009-12). Current Eagle Kendrick Bourne has a current 31-game streak, and other long streaks by former Eagles include Eric Kimble (44 from 2002-05), Aaron Boyce (42 from 2006-09) and Ashton Clark (36 from 2011-13). Boyce could have owned the record at 46, but he tore his Achilles in 2009 with four regular season games left to play.
 
With 5,925 all-purpose yards, Kupp is only nine yards from the EWU record of 5,934 set by Eric Kimble from 2002-05, a mark which ranks seventh in Big Sky history. The league record is 7,112, and the top receiver on the list is Fred Amey from Sacramento State with 6,343 from 2001-04.
 
Kupp owns the FCS record with 63 career receiving TDs, and is second on the all-time FCS receptions list (357, 38 behind the record of 395 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09). At his current season pace of 9.2 receptions per game, he'll break the record at Portland State on Nov. 18. His 124.5 average reception yards per game is currently a FCS career record, while his other six FCS records were set during his freshman season.
 
With a 12-catch, 274-yard performance against UC Davis on Oct. 1, Kupp broke the FCS record for career receiving yards. His current total of 5,925 broke the record of 5,250 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09. Kupp's 274 yards were one away from the school record he set a year ago against Northern Colorado. His record-breaking performance earned him Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors for the fourth time in his career (three on offense, one on special teams). In addition, Kupp earned honorable mention for STATS FCS National Players of the Week accolades.
 
Kupp broke the FCS record for career TD catches with a three touchdown day at Washington State on Sept. 3, breaking the previous FCS record of 58 set by New Hampshire's David Ball from 2003-06. Now with 63 in his career, Kupp equaled and then exceeded the FBS record as well against North Dakota State on Sept. 10. He had his 60th early in the second quarter to tie the mark of 60 set by Jarett Dillard of Rice from 2005-08, then had his 61st later in the quarter. Kupp is well behind the NCAA Division II record is 78 set by Dallas Mall of Bentley from 2001-04 and the NCAA Division III record is 75 set by Scott Pingel of Westminster (Mo.) from 1996-99, but Kupp has also exceeded the NAIA record of 59 set by Alvin Ashley of Southwest State (Minn.) from 1990-93.
 
Kupp has also already exceeded the FBS record for reception yards, which is 5,005 set by Trevor Insley of Nevada from 1996-99. He has also surpassed the NCAA Division II record (4,983, Clarence Coleman, Ferris State, 1998-01), but is well behind the all-time marks in Division III (6,108, Scott Pingel, Westminster, 1996-99) and the NAIA (6,177, Chris George, Glenville State, 1991-94).
 
For catches, the FBS record is 387 held by Justin Hardy of East Carolina from 2011-14. Interestingly, Taylor Stubblefield and Kupp both graduated from Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., and Stubblefield once held the FBS record with 316 catches for Purdue from 2001-04. Additionally, Kupp is behind records at NCAA Division II (386, Justin Bernard, St. Anselm, 2010-14), Division III (463, Michael Zweifel, Wisconsin-River Falls/Dubuque, 2007-11) and NAIA (430, Chris George, Glenville State, 1991-94).
 
 
Gubrud's Six Starts Have Yielded Five of Top 10 Total Offense Performances All-Time at EWU
 
Sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud is already writing some Eastern history after just six career starts, with five of the top 10 single game total offense performances in school history. His most recent outing yielded the No. 4 performance with 514 yards against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8 with 435 passing and 79 rushing. One game earlier, he had the second-best performance in school history with 525 yards against UC Davis on Oct. 1, including 486 passing yards which also is No. 2 all-time.
 
Because of his performance against Northern Colorado, he was selected as the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Following both the UNC and UC Davis games, Gubrud earned honorable mention for STATS FCS National Player of the Week accolades, as well as honorable mention for FCS National Performer of the Week by College Football Performance Awards. Gubrud also earned honors as the College Sports Madness Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after equaling a pair of school records by accounting for 42 points and seven touchdowns (six passing, one rushing) against UC Davis.
 
The sophomore's first two starts of his career yielded a school-record 551 yards of offense against Washington State on Sept. 3 (474 passing, 77 rushing), and what is now the No. 5 mark with 499 against North Dakota State on Sept. 10 (450 passing, 49 rushing). He then had 487 against Northern Arizona on Sept. 24 to now rank 10th (392 passing, 95 rushing). The other performances in the top 10 are the previous record of 518 set by Vernon Adams at Oregon State on 8/31/13, 503 by teammate Jordan West on 9/26/15 at Sacramento State, 493 by Todd Bernett against Montana on 9/17/94, 492 by Adams versus Idaho State on 11/2/13 and 491 by Adams at Washington on 9/6/14. Gubrud's four 400-yard passing performances all rank in the top 17 in EWU history (2-5-12-17).
 
 
Chasing Their Receivers Coach, Bourne & Hill Climb EWU Receiving Charts
 
With 176 career receptions for 2,545 yards and 23 touchdowns, senior Kendrick Bourne now ranks in the top eight in all three categories in school history. His touchdowns ranks eighth and his receptions are seventh, with his wide receivers coach Nicholas Edwards the next player to catch (215 from 2009-12). Bourne is now eighth in yards, just 21 from seventh (2,566, Tony Davis, 2006-09) and 89 from the No. 6 total of 2,634 by Edwards.
 
Teammate Shaq Hill has 136 career catches for 2,183 yards and 23 touchdowns. After a school-record four touchdown day against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8, his TD total is tied with Bourne for eighth in school history. He is one catch from the No. 21 position and 55 yards from ranking 14th in yards. In all, the quartet of Hill, Bourne, Cooper Kupp and Nic Sblendorio (29 games, 55 catches, 775 yards, 4 TD) have a combined 166 games worth of experience (92 starts) with 728 catches for 11,029 yards (15.1 per catch) and 113 touchdowns.
 
 
Shaq Hill Sets Career Kickoff Return Yardage Record
 
Wide receiver/kickoff returner Shaq Hill has broken the school record for career kickoff return yards, with a current total of 2,217 yards to pass the 2,176 of Craig Richardson from 1983-86. With 91 career returns, Hill previously broke Richardson's record of 80. Hill's average of 24.4 yards per return is currently eighth in school history, as he has had returns of 99, 93, 90 and 80 yards in his career (two of them for touchdowns). His 4,508 all-purpose yards are currently fifth in school history, and he needs only 283 to move into fourth (4,791, Jesse Chatman, 1999-01).
 
 
Ebukam Moves Into 13th in School History With 17 Sacks
 
Senior defensive end Samson Ebukam had a pair of sacks in EWU's season opener against Washington State and a half-sack against Northern Iowa, giving him 17 in his career to rank 13th in school history. He needs two to move his way into the top 10 on EWU's all-time lists. A 30-game starter in his EWU career, Ebukam has 146 tackles in his 45-game career. One of six Eagle co-captains for the 2016 season, he received second-team All-Big Sky honors in both 2014 and 2015.
 
 
Now With 305 Career Tackles, Zamora Sets Sights on No. 9 Position on Leaders List
 
Senior Miquiyah Zamora became the 10th Eagle in school history to have 300 tackles in his career, with a current total of 305 to rank 10th all-time at EWU. The next player for him to catch is Dion Alexander with 313 from 1992-95. Zamora ranks 30th in FCS and third in the league with an average of 9.6 tackles per game, while teammate Zach Bruce has a 9.3 average to rank 40th and seventh, respectively,
 
Zamora had 14 tackles on Sept. 17 against Northern Iowa, and also had a sack, another tackle for loss, a pass broken up and a quarterback hurry to earn co-Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors. He was the first Eagle honored with that award since Ronnie Hamlin earned the honor twice in 2012. Zamora's 14 tackles against UNI was his seventh career double-figures tackle performance, and was two from his career high. Seven of his tackles came in the second half when EWU held UNI to a pair of field goals, 96 total yards (only nine in the third quarter) and forced five three-and-outs (including one ending with a missed field goal). Zamora's pass broken up was in the third quarter on third down and led to a punt, and his sack was on third down and forced UNI to kick a field goal to give them a short-lived 30-28 lead. The Panthers converted only one of their last 11 third downs, as the Eagles held Northern Iowa to 353 total yards of offense. It was Eastern's best defensive performance since it limited Montana to 347 in a 37-20 win over the Grizzlies in the FCS Playoffs on Dec. 6, 2014. The Eagles allowed three touchdowns in the first half, but held the Panthers to just a pair of field goals in their final eight possessions of the game. Although UNI quarterback Aaron Bailey had 101 yards rushing, the Eagles held Panther running back Tyvis Smith – and All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection a year ago -- to 53 yards on 24 carries (2.2 per carry).
 
 
Career Average for Dascalo is Third Among the Top Punters in School History
 
In his second year as an Eagle, junior Jordan Dascalo has ow punted 51 times as an Eagle for a 41.6 career average which currently ranks third in school history. He also is 4-of-6 in his EWU career kicking field goals, and has averaged 58.8 yards (4,586 total yards) in 78 career kickoffs with 31 touchbacks.
 
Dascalo, who punted as a freshman in 2014 for Washington State, earned Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance against his former team on Sept. 3. He averaged 55.3 yards on three punts, including one downed inside the Cougar 20-yard line. He also kicked a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the first half that started a decisive 17-0 scoring run by the Eagles in the 45-42 win. He also had seven kickoffs for a 57.0 average against WSU with one touchback. His 48-yarder equaled the 23rd-longest in school history and was the best in nearly seven years by an Eagle since Mike Jarrett booted a 49-yarder versus Idaho State on 10/3/09.  
 
"If I were to say there were five or six plays that were the biggest plays of the games, that field goal before halftime was one of the biggest plays of the game," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "For him to hit that was huge. He hit some good kickoffs and he had three good punts. He's become a player you can count on to do all three aspects of our kicking game – that's rare," Baldwin added. "You don't see many kickers/punters these days and it's usually more specialized. Granted, he's not our normal field goal kicker, but he has the strongest leg. So if we get outside a 40-yard field goal we start thinking about if this is Dascalo range."
 
 
 

Team Game Notes

 
With No Career Starts From OL or QB Entering 2016 Season, Eagles Still Record Two 600-Yard Performances
 
Eastern's last two outings have yielded the No. 5 and No. 10 performances in school history for total offense. Eastern had 659 against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8 to rank fifth, and one game earlier had a 627-yard outburst against UC Davis on Oct. 1 to now rank 10th. The Eagles also had a 606-yard performance versus Washington State which now ranks 19th.
 
Amazingly, Eastern has accomplished that behind a sophomore quarterback, Gage Gubrud, with no starts entering the 2016 season. And in the last two games, the starting offensive line has included three sophomores and two redshirt freshmen, also with no starts entering this year's campaign. The Eagles graduated five senior starters plus two backups from last year's line, and the only two players returning with starting experience were senior center Jerrod Jones and tackle Nick Ellison (both have been out recently with injuries). As a result, the starters against UCD and UNC included sophomores Spencer Blackburn, Matt Meyer and Jack Hunter, as well as redshirt freshmen Tristen Taylor and Chris Schlichting.
 
 
Led by McPherson, Eastern Has Best Rushing Outing in 14 Games in Win over UNC
 
Sophomore running back Sam McPherson easily had his biggest day as an Eagle, and in the process helped Eastern have its best rushing total of the season and best in the last 14 games with 224 yards against Northern Colorado. McPherson carried 10 times for 46 yards and a touchdown, and also caught eight passes for 68 yards. His previous career highs were 20 yards rushing against UNC last season, and two catches for 29 yards. He entered the 2016 UNC game with just 40 yards rushing and five catches for 38 yards in 11 career games. Eastern had four players with at least 41 rushing yards, including 46 by senior Jabari Wilson, 41 by wide receiver Shaq Hill and 79 by quarterback Gage Gubrud. They helped fill the void left by the absence of true freshman Antoine Custer Jr. (concussion), who started three of EWU's first five games this season. heHe"We made a huge step with our running game – there's no doubt about that," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "When a team dares us to do it, we'll show that we will and do it with success like we did today."
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive 35-6 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 35 of their last 41 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. Eastern has won 25 of its last 29 league games, with the lone losses coming against Montana and Portland State in 2015 and Northern Arizona in both 2015 and 2014. An Oct. 25, 2014, loss at Northern Arizona snapped EWU's 14-game conference winning streak and a home loss against the Lumberjacks on Nov. 7, 2015, ended a streak of eight Big Sky wins in a row. Including non-conference victories (two versus MSU and one against Cal Poly) and a playoff win (Montana), the Eagles have won 29 of their last 33 versus conference foes, and are 40-6 since the 0-2 start in 2011. As a result, head coach Beau Baldwin has a 53-14 Big Sky record for a winning percentage of .791 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His .716 winning percentage overall (78-31) is seventh all-time in the 53-year history of the Big Sky.
 
 
Eastern is 21-11 (66 percent) Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents
 
The Eagles have played 115 games against ranked teams in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision since becoming a member of that classification in 1983 (then known as I-AA). Eastern is 50-65 (.435) in those games, including a 17-41 mark (.293) versus top 10 foes. Since 2010, though, the Eagles are 21-11 overall (.656) and 8-6 (.571) versus top 10 teams. Thus far this year, EWU is 2-1, with the lone loss coming to top-ranked North Dakota State by a 50-44 score in overtime.  Eastern defeated Northern Iowa, ranked 10th at the time, by a 34-30 score on Sept. 17. Overall, EWU has faced the No. 1 team in FCS nine times, winning twice (35-31 in 2004 over Southern Illinois in the FCS Playoffs and 30-21 in 2002 over Montana at Albi Stadium in Spokane, Wash.
 
 
Eagles Record 52nd 50-Point Performance, With 12 Since 2012
 
The Eagles hit the 50-point mark for the 52nd time in school history when they beat UC Davis 63-30 on Oct. 1 – equaling EWU's best against a member of FCS and in a Big Sky game, and ranking eighth overall in 108 seasons of football at Eastern. Eastern also hit that mark versus Northern Arizona one game earlier in a 50-35 win on Sept. 24, coming a year after their last (55-50 win over Montana State on 9/19/15). Eastern has had 12 50-point games in the last five seasons (including 2016), with one in 2015, six in 2014 and two each in 2013 and 2012. Eastern is now 49-3 in the 52 games they have scored at least 50 in school history. The lone losses were to Washington (59-52 in 2014), Idaho State (55-52 in 2003 in double overtime) and Weber State (63-59 in 1991, which at the time was the highest-scoring game in FCS/I-AA history). Eastern has a program high of four 50+ scoring games versus MSU, including meetings in 2004, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Eastern has scored 50 or more against Weber State and Idaho State on three occasions.
 
 
Eastern Now Second in Total Offense and Maintains Lead in Passing Offense
 
Eastern ranks second in FCS in total offense with an average of 565.2 yards per game, trailing only Sam Houston State at 608.2 per outing. After six games, Eastern is the FCS leader in passing offense (433.2 yards per game), second in scoring offense (47.5 behind SHSU at 54.8), third in third down conversions (52.9 percent), third in completion percentage (.709) and fourth in passing efficiency (175.94). Eastern's school records for a single season for total offense is 533.5 set in 2013 when EWU finished with a total of 8,002, and the record for passing offense is 368.4 set in 2011.
 
 
Eastern Now 34-0 Since 2010 When Winning the Turnover Battle
 
After going six games without winning the turnover battle, Eastern had turnover advantages in back-to-back outings in wins over Northern Arizona and UC Davis. Eastern won the battle against UC Davis 3-1, including a fumble forced by Victor Gamboa and recovered by Samson Ebukam, and interceptions by D'londo Tucker and Mitch Fettig. Tucker, making his first start of the season, returned his 27 yards for a touchdown. One game earlier, EWU won the turnover battle 3-0 versus a Northern Arizona team which had just one fumble lost and no interceptions through three games this season. Eastern had a trio of interceptions by Zach Bruce, Tucker and Nzuzi Webster in winning its first turnover battle since winning 1-0 in a 14-13 win over Weber State on Oct. 31, 2015. The Eagles lost the turnover battle 3-1 to North Dakota State and 2-1 to UNI after tying 1-1 versus Washington State. Eastern tied Northern Colorado 1-1 in its last outing.
 
In eight-plus seasons (­2008-present) under head coach Beau Baldwin, the Eagles are 43-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 19-5 when they've been tied and 16-25 when they've lost (total of 78-31). The last time EWU lost when it won the turnover battle came in the 2009 FCS Playoffs at Stephen F. Austin when EWU had two miscues and forced four in the 44-33 loss. Thus, EWU is 34-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 16-4 when they've been tied and 14-18 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 64-22 (74 percent), with 18 of those 22 losses (82 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 53 percent of EWU's wins coming when they've won the turnover battle (78 percent when including ties).
 
 
Eagles Have Trailed in Every Game, But Have 108-28 Advantage in Third Quarter
 
Despite trailing in the last 31 minutes of every game this season, a big part of EWU's 5-1 record is the team's third-quarter production, having outscored opponents 108-28 in that period. The Eagles have trailed at halftime in five games, and the only game they didn't was at Northern Arizona when the Eagles kicked a 44-yard field goal with 23 seconds left in the second quarter to take a 22-21 halftime advantage. Eastern has had a third quarter advantage in every game, including 14-0 versus Washington State, 10-7 against North Dakota State, 14-0 versus Northern Iowa, 14-7 against Northern Arizona, 35-7 against UC Davis and 21-7 in EWU's last outing versus Northern Colorado. Eastern has had a fourth quarter advantage in the last five games, and owns an 82-50 advantage for the season. Eastern has a 190-78 advantage in the second half, but a 95-134 disadvantage in the first half (36-45 in first quarter, 59-89 in second). Its second quarter woes were punctuated by a 23-0 advantage for UC Davis on Oct. 1. Eastern's only loss this season was a six-point setback in overtime at North Dakota State, which scored a touchdown after EWU went scoreless on its first possession. EWU missed a 49-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have won it.
 
 
After Rally Versus UNI, Eagles Have Now Won 17 Games Since 2010 When Trailing or Tied in the Final Quarter
 
Eastern has now won 17 games since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, including one this season, two in the 2015 season and six during EWU's national championship season in 2010. Facing deficits of 24-7 at halftime and 24-21 entering the final quarter, Eastern rallied for a 34-30 win over Northern Iowa on Sept. 17. After a 21-0 scoring run overcame the deficit and gave Eastern the lead early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles actually trailed 30-28 with 4:13 left. But the Eagles rallied behind the relief quarterbacking of Reilly Hennessey, and his 23-yard touchdown pass to Beau Byus with 43 seconds remaining capped an 11-play, 75 yard drive. That TD came on a fake when EWU elected against a 40-yard field goal attempt against the wind. Hennessey was 8-of-10 for 82 yards on the drive (there was one rush for two and two penalties against EWU for 10 yards). It was the first catch in the career for Byus, a fourth-string sophomore tight end and emergency offensive tackle who graduated in 2014 from nearby Central Valley High School in Spokane.
 
 
50th Season at Roos/Woodward Field Begins 3-0
 
The 50th season of football at EWU's current stadium location featured a come-from-behind 34-30 win against Northern Iowa, a 63-35 outburst against UC Davis and a 49-31 triumph over Northern Colorado. Eastern's five-game home schedule is highlighted by Eastern's annual showdown with Montana on Oct. 29 in Fan Black Out/Ag Day. The Eagles close the regular season home schedule against Idaho State (Nov. 12) for Senior Day. Eastern has a current streak of 18 consecutive regular season sellouts and a total of 28 (crowds of 8,600 or more). The Montana game on Oct. 29 is also a sellout and will up those marks by one more game.
 
The 2016 football season at Eastern Washington University marks the 50th season Eastern has played its football games at its current site in Cheney, Wash. But this is the seventh as "Roos Field," as a new red synthetic Sprinturf surface made its debut in 2010. Eastern finished a perfect 8-0 in its debut season at "The Inferno," including three playoff victories, and is 37-7 overall (84 percent) since the turf was installed. Eastern has a 151-62 record (70.9 percent) in 213 games at Roos Field since 1967, with the Eagles utilizing Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane as the school's main home field from 1983-89.
 
 
 

Player Game Notes

 
Hill Honored for Record-Breaking Day Against Northern Colorado
 
In a perfect "pick your poison" scenario, senior Shaq Hill had the second-best game of his 47-game career against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8 with seven catches for 153 yards and four touchdowns, tying a school record in the process. He also rushed four times for 41 yards, finishing with 194 all-purpose yards to earn Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors from College Sports Madness.
 
Giving him 23 touchdown receptions in his career, Hill tied the record of four touchdowns originally set by Jamie Buenzli in 1987 against Nevada and equaled by Joe Pierce in 2003 versus Central Washington. Cooper Kupp, the reigning FCS Offensive Player of the Year, had only 59 yards on five receptions, and rushed three times for 13 yards, a year after having school records with 20 catches for 275 yards versus the Bears.
 
Hill injured his knee in EWU's 2015 opener versus Oregon and missed the rest of the season after two surgeries. Thus far this year he has 35 catches for 522 yards and eight touchdowns, which are the second-most in FCS. He had career highs of 278 yards of all-purpose yards and 172 yards receiving (on four catches) versus Montana State on Oct. 26, 2013, when he scored on passes of 17, 68 and 76 yards versus the Bobcats.
 
 
Now on STATS Watch List, Gage Gubrud Remains NCAA Statistical Leader in Passing and Total Offense
 
A year after leading FCS in passing offense, the EWU offense led by first-year starting quarterback Gage Gubrud hasn't missed a beat. The 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School has passed for 2,351 yards, 23 touchdowns and a .706 completion percentage, and has also rushed for a team-leading 354 yards (5.1 per carry) and five more scores. As a result, on Oct. 4 he was named to the mid-season "Watch List" for the STATS NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Year Award, joining Eagle senior wide receiver and last year's recipient of the award, Cooper Kupp.
Gubrud was one of four players added to the 22 players already on the watch list.
 
Gubrud is coming off the fourth-best performance in school history with 514 yards of total offense against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8, including a 435-yard passing performance with five touchdowns and a team-leading 79 on the ground. He completed 85 percent of his passes (33-of-39) for an efficiency rating of 220.6, which was just .2 off the career best he had in EWU's season-opening 45-42 victory over Washington State with a 220.8 rating.
 
As a result, Gubrud is the FCS leader in total offense at 450.8 per game, passing yards (2,351), passing yards per game (391.8), points responsible per game (27.7) and total points responsible for (164), and is second in passing touchdowns (23), third in passing efficiency (176.0) and third in completion percentage (.706).
 
Teammate Cooper Kupp missed 1 1/2 games with a shoulder injury, but leads in receiving yards per game (142.4) and is second in receptions per game (9.2) and seventh in receiving touchdowns (7). Senior Kendrick Bourne is 10th in receptions per game (7.3) and 16th in receiving yards per game (102.7), while senior Shaq Hill is fourth in receiving touchdowns with eight.
 
 
 
Antoine Custer Jr. Honored Again After Another Big Return, Helping EWU Now Rank Third Nationally
 
True freshman Antoine Custer Jr. is proof that lightning can strike twice in the same spot, and he has another Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honor to show for it.
 
Just like he did against Northern Iowa on Sept. 17 when he had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half against Northern Iowa, Custer provided a third quarter spark for the Eagles in EWU's 63-30 win over UC Davis on Oct. 1. He opened the third quarter with a 55-yard return this time, leading to a short touchdown drive as part of EWU's 35-point onslaught in that period. The resulting TD pulled EWU within 23-21, and the lead quickly changed hands twice before the Eagles scored the final 35 points of the game.
 
His 55-yarder was just his second return as an Eagle, and then he followed that with a 16-yard return versus the Aggies. He now has a 54.7 average on three returns. Teammate Nsimba Webster had an earlier 65-yard return against UC Davis, but broke his clavicle in the process. Webster has a 29.8 average per return, and EWU's 25.85 average as a team ranks first in the Big Sky and seventh nationally.
 
 "He's done a great job, but Nsimba has done a great job too on that unit and I have all the confidence in the world that Shaq Hill can hit one too," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "That whole unit has been fantastic. Coach Kiel McDonald works with that group and has done an amazing job of getting them in the right positions for success. He makes a great plan and makes sure everybody is dialed – that's what it takes."
 
Trailing Northern Iowa by 17 at halftime on Sept. 17, Custer's TD in EWU's come-from-behind 34-30 win over Northern Iowa helped earn him his first Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honor. His TD return was the first by an Eagle since Hill had a 90-yarder against Portland State on Nov. 21, 2014. Hill, EWU's all-time leader in kickoff returns and yards, actually provided three blocks down the sideline during Custer's TD return.
 
Custer has started at running back in three games, including Eastern's opener against Washington State, and scored the first touchdown of the season for the Eagles on a pass from Gage Gubrud. So far this season he has rushed 34 times for a net of 58 yards and two touchdowns, and has caught 11 passes for 78 yards and a score. He missed the Northern Colorado game on Oct. 8 with a concussion.
 
"Antoine has stepped in and done well as a freshman," added Baldwin. "He's a mature young man, and for being a freshman he is well above his years in terms of physical and mental toughness. He's not afraid of those big moments and he's come up with some huge ones for us right after halftime. It's been impressive."
 
In the last 20+ seasons (1996-2016), Eastern has returned 36 total kicks for touchdowns while allowing just 17. Until North Dakota State had one in the FCS Playoffs in 2010, Eastern had not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown in more than 10 years (599 total returns).
 
 
Bruce Has Interceptions in Games Versus UNC and NAU
 
Senior safety Zach Bruce has had interceptions in two of his last three games, including a fourth-quarter pick against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8 that helped preserve EWU's 49-31 victory. He also had seven tackles, including a forced fumble that UNC was able to recover just three plays prior to his interception.
 
He is currently third in the Big Sky Conference and 31st nationally with an average of 9.3 tackles per game (team-leading 56 total). A former walk-on, Bruce now has 168 tackles, four interceptions and five passes broken up in his 42-game career (16 as a starter).
 
He had a key first-half interception he returned 50 yards to get the Eagle defense on track for another impressive day in a 50-35 win at Northern Arizona. He finished with a team-high 14 tackles, equaling his career high in the process. His interception -- Northern Arizona's first of the season – came on a fourth down play from the EWU 1-yard line. He returned his third career interception 50 yards to midfield, and the Eagles followed with a 50-yard drive to take a 19-7 lead. Eastern's defense allowed 491 total yards, but registered a trio of three-and-outs and intercepted three passes against one of the top offenses in FCS. One week earlier, the Eagle defense had six total three-and-outs (one on a missed field goal attempt) and allowed Northern Iowa to convert just one of its last 11 third down conversion attempts in a 34-30 Eagle win. The Eagles held NAU to 6-of-17 on third down, a year after the Lumberjacks converted 13-of-19 in a 52-30 triumph over EWU.
 
 
With Eight Catches for 169 Yards and a TD, Stu Steals the Show With Kupp Out
 
Sophomore Stu Stiles easily had his best game as an Eagle, finishing with eight catches for 169 yards and a touchdown in Eastern's 50-44 overtime loss to North Dakota Sate on Sept. 10. He eclipsed his previous highs of three catches for 30 yards last season against Sacramento State. In fact, the 2014 graduate of Mt. Spokane (Wash.) High School entered the NDSU game with no catches on the season and just seven for 70 yards in his career.
 
He saw more action than usual when senior Cooper Kupp was lost for the second half with a shoulder injury. His breakthrough performance was similar to that of Nic Sblendorio a year before when he had 10 catches for 158 yards against Northern Iowa when Kupp missed the second half with a hip pointer. Stiles made his first career start in place of Kupp against Northern Iowa on Sept. 17 and had seven catches for 54 yards and a TD. He injured his shoulder one game later versus Northern Arizona and missed the UC Davis game. He returned to play versus Northern Colorado and had a catch for 26 yards.
 
 
Starting Debuts for Ketner Kupp and Kurt Calhoun Come Versus Five-Time Defending Champions
 
They came into the game with a combined 43 tackles in their careers and played high school football 21 miles apart, but Ketner Kupp and Kurt Calhoun came out of it with a great deal of admiration and respect. The sophomore linebackers were forced to start their first games of their careers against top-ranked and five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State on Oct. 10 because of a pair of injuries to EWU's starters. Senior middle linebacker Miquiyah Zamora missed the game because of a hamstring injury suffered in practice during the week, while strong-side linebacker Alek Kacmarcik was held out because of a concussion suffered versus Washington State.
 
Kupp, brother of Eastern senior receiver Cooper Kupp, finished with eight tackles, having entered the game with just 20 after playing as a true freshman in 2015. Calhoun, a walk-on whose brother Tim was a tight end for the Eagles (2002-06), had 13 against the Bison. He entered the game with just 23 in his career, with five in EWU's opener against Washington State. Ketner Kupp is a 2015 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., and Calhoun graduated the year before from Zillah (Wash.) HS.
 
 
 
Kupp Adds National Player of the Week Accolades from STATS to Heisman Candidate Recognition by Fox Sports
 
With a record-breaking performance and stirring victory over Washington State in his first game since deciding to return to Eastern Washington University for his senior football season, Cooper Kupp was selected as the STATS National Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 5. He earned the same honor from College Sports Madness, which also selected him as its Big Sky Conference player of the week as well.
 
Judging from the damage he's inflicted on Pacific-12 Conference defenses in four seasons now, it's no secret that the senior wide receiver is among the best receivers in college football at any level. In a column by Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports on Sept. 4, Kupp was regarded as one of five Heisman candidates after the first full week of the college football season. He joined Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, Houston quarterback Greg Ward, Stanford running back/returner Christian McCaffrey and Georgia running back Nick Chubb on his list.
 
Even Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin is at a loss for words over the accomplishments of Kupp, who has been dubbed by the media as All-Galaxy and Superman. "Twelve catches, 206, three touchdowns versus a Pac-12 team – Cooper Kupp, that's what he did. Enough said."
 
All Kupp has done to warrant the success is score 11 touchdowns receiving in four games versus the Pac-12 on a total of 40 catches for 716 yards. That's an average of 17.9 yards per catch and a TD every 3.6 grabs against the four Pac-12 schools in the Pacific Northwest – Washington State, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State.
 
In EWU's 45-42 win over WSU on Sept. 3, Kupp had 12 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns, as the three-time All-America receiver broke the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record, leaving the game with 59. He also completed a pass for 22 yards against the Cougars, and rushed twice for 29 yards.
 
"Today, the best player on the field was Cooper Kupp," said Washington State head coach Mike Leach, whose team had nine victories and won a bowl game in 2015.

Last season, Kupp set Autzen Stadium records of 15 catches for 246 yards against Oregon, including three TD grabs. The year before that he caught eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns against Washington -- the former team his grandfather, Jake Kupp, played for before becoming a Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints. As a redshirt freshman in 2013, in his first collegiate game, Kupp caught five passes for 119 yards and two scores against OSU. The Eagles upset the 25th-ranked Beavers 49-46, becoming just the fourth FCS team to beat a ranked squad from the NCAA Football Bowl Championship Subdivision.
 
 
Gage Gubrud Also Honored Nationally and as Big Sky Player of the Week After Sensational Starting Debut
 
It takes a heady player to knock Vernon Adams Jr. out of the Eastern Washington University football record book. And in his first start to boot.
 
Sophomore Gage Gubrud was selected as the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 5 after accounting for six touchdowns in a 45-42 victory Sept. 3 over Washington State of the Pacific-12 Conference. On Sept. 6, he received honors from College Football Performance Awards as its FCS National Performer of the Week.
 
Gubrud (pronounced "Goo-Brood") was one of six Eagles – five on offense – making the first starts of their careers, and he completed 34-of-40 passes for 474 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 77 yards and another score. His 551 yards of total offense broke the previous school record of 518 set by Vernon Adams Jr. against Oregon State in 2013 when he passed for 411 and rushed for 107.
 
Gubrud's passing total at the time was the fourth-best in school history, ranking only behind Adams (475 vs. Washington on 9/6/14), Todd Bernett (486 versus Montana on 9/17/94) and teammate Jordan West (school-record 491 versus Sacramento State on 9/26/15). Gubrud had a passing efficiency rating in the game of 220.79, with West owning that record of 313.5 versus Montana State on 9/19/15 when he was 21-of-24 for 410 yards and six touchdowns.
 
As a redshirt freshman in 2015, Gubrud held for kicks all season, then made his Eagle debut as a quarterback at Montana (11/14/15). He completed 7-of-13 passes for 66 yards and an interception, and also had 18 net rushing yards and a touchdown. He was also called on as EWU's rugby-style punter during the year.
 
 
Bruce, Ebukam, Wimberly and Hill Join Kupp and Zamora as co-Captains
 
Six players are serving as co-captains for the 2016 season, including a pair of returning captains in wide receiver Cooper Kupp and linebacker Miquiyah Zamora. The four new captains are safety Zach Bruce, defensive end Samson Ebukam, tight end Zach Wimberly and wide receiver Shaq Hill. Four of Eastern's six co-captains are from the state of Washington, including Bruce, a strong safety out of Spokane's University High School. Wimberly is from Tumwater High School, Kupp is from Davis High School in Yakima and Zamora is a graduate of Chiawana High School in Pasco. All four graduated in 2012. Ebukam is from Portland, Ore., and graduated in 2013 from David Douglas High School. Hill, who redshirted in 2015 because of a knee injury, is a 2011 graduate of Brookside Christian High School in Stockton, Calif. All six of the team's co-captains have previously earned All-Big Sky Conference accolades, including four for Kupp and three for Hill. Ebukam has been honored twice, and Zamora, Bruce and Wimberly have been honored once each. That sextet has also combined for eight Big Sky All-Academic honors, with Kupp earning Academic All-America accolades each of the last two seasons.
 
 
 Incoming Freshman Class for Eagles Includes Running Back Duo Seeing Significant Action
 
A pair of running backs from Eastern's talented recruiting class played in the opener against Washington State on Sept. 3 when Antoine Custer Jr. and Tamarick Pierce received carries at running back. Custer started and had the first EWU touchdown of the season on a 14-yard reception, and rushed once for no gain. Pierce did not get a carry, but carried four times for 18 yards the next week at North Dakota State. Custer was a California two-time All-State selection out of powerhouse De La Salle High School, and Pierce was an All-State selection from Oakland, Calif., and Saint Mary's High School. Custer rushed for 4,429 yards (103.0 per game and 10.3 per carry) and scored 66 total touchdowns while helping his team compile a 41-2 record in three seasons, with a pair of state titles and a runner-up finish. He finished with 5,965 all-purpose yards in his career, and scored 53 touchdowns rushing, four receiving and nine on returns and recoveries. Pierce rushed for 3,342 yards (8.8 per carry) in his career with 35 rushing touchdowns, caught 44 passes for 424 yards and eight more scores, and scored 47 total TDs in three seasons.
 
Offensive lineman D.J. Dyer made his Eagle debut against Northern Arizona on Sept. 24 when injuries to Eagle offensive linemen forced him to burn his redshirt. The other 15 true freshman on the roster are pegged for redshirts and duty on scout teams, including highly-touted quarterback Eric Barriere from La Habra (Calif.) High School. He accounted for 130 career touchdowns with 9,304 passing yards and 1,718 rushing yards in high school, and led the Highlanders to a collective 30-8 record and a perfect league record in three championship seasons.
 
 
 

More Cooper Kupp Notes

 
Cooper Kupp Continues to Collect Accolades as One to "Watch"
 
Not surprisingly, Cooper Kupp's name found its way onto every NCAA Football Championship Subdivision preseason honor that exists. Further establishing himself as one of the most dominant players of all-time in the FCS, the senior wide receiver was one of 25 players named Aug. 3 to the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year Watch List. Kupp had an incredible junior season with the Eagles to win that honor in a close outcome with a pair of running backs. Three other offensive players from the Big Sky Conference made this year's watch list, including Northern Arizona quarterback Case Cookus and Lumberjack wide receiver Emmanuel Butler. North Dakota's John Santiago also made the squad.
 
* In 2016, Kupp could be the first wide receiver and just the fourth player overall in what will be the 54-year history of the Big Sky Conference to earn first team All-Big Sky honors four seasons. The others are Weber State's Trevyn Smith (RB 2006-09), Weber State's Scott Shields (Kicker 1995-97, Punter 1996, Strong Safety 1998) and Charvez Foger (RB 1985-88).
 
* In 2015, Kupp became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP Award, and continued a long legacy of Eagles to win the award. Eastern players have now won the honor 11 times in the last 15 seasons, and 12 times overall.
 
* Kupp capped his 2015 season by being selected as the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by both STATS and the FCS Athletic Director's Association, and he was also presented the 2015 Walter Payton Award as selected by Mickey Charles LLC.  Kupp became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP Award, and only the second receiver to ever win the Payton Award.
 
* Kupp was selected as Amateur Athlete of the Year by the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters (SWABS), continuing the tradition established since the Eastern Washington University football program won a national championship in 2010. In being honored by SWABS, Kupp won an award that has been selected since 1948, but won by only six Eastern athletes in the last 68 years. Four of them have come since 2010, and a total of 12 SWABS honors have been garnered by the Eagles in the last six seasons.
 
* He caught a league-record 114 passes in 2015, and announced on Nov. 30, 2016, his intention to return for his senior year rather than pursue professional opportunities a year early.
 
* But the numbers don't tell the whole story about the amazing abilities of the 2012 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash. He'll be the first to say that what he has already accomplished doesn't mean anything heading into the 2016 season in which he is picked to repeat as the best player in FCS. "You have to prove it, and I'll try to do the best I can day-in and day-out," said Kupp. "More importantly, as a team we want to win the league championship and compete for the national championship. I want to contribute to that."
 
* His average of 10.4 catches per game in 2015 was also a Big Sky record (sixth all-time in FCS), to go along with five career marks he set in just three seasons – all ending with first team All-Big Sky accolades. Kupp even passed for a pair of touchdowns in the 2015 season and had another via punt return. Including his 2016 totals, he has scored 65 total touchdowns and has accounted for 67 in his 44-game career (all as a starter).
 
* His career catches, yards and TDs are all Big Sky records, and he also established a new league record for average catches per game (8.11), which also ranks second in FCS history. Kupp has averaged a TD reception for every 5.7 catches so far in his career. He has scored at least once in 36 of 44 games he has played, with 25 performances of at least eight catches (12 with 10 or more) and 26 with at least 100 receiving yards.
 
* In June 2012, he concluded his fourth year working at the Manning Passing Academy as a college counselor/coach. While in high school he previously attended the camp, which is run by Archie Manning, the father of NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning. Archie is a former New Orleans Saints teammate of Cooper's grandfather, Jake Kupp.
 
* Kupp has helped Eastern win 34 games overall and 23 in the Big Sky Conference in the past three-plus seasons, with two outright Big Sky Conference championships and NCAA Football Championship Playoff berths his freshman and sophomore seasons. Eastern had a six-game winning streak in 2015, but finished the year with a three-game losing streak and final records of 6-5 and 5-3.
 
* Kupp's younger brother, Ketner, is a sophomore linebacker for the Eagles this year. Ketner played in all 11 Eastern games as a true freshman in 2015, finishing with 19 tackles and an interception. He made his starting debut against top-ranked and five-time defending champion North Dakota State on Sept. 10, 2016, and finished with eight tackles.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
This will be the first time in seven seasons the Eagles and Bobcats will not enter their meeting both ranked nationally. The last time both teams did not enter the game ranked, neither squad was. Interestingly, that 35-24 victory on Oct. 24, 2009, started a current stretch in which EWU has won 46 of 55 Big Sky Conference games (84 percent). It also marked the date when EWU retired the No. 71 jersey of NFL standout offensive tackle Michael Roos (Tennessee Titans). Here are the rankings and results of the last six matchups:
2015 (Cheney) - #14 EWU 55, #11 MSU 50
2014 (Bozeman) - #2 EWU 52, #14 MSU 51
2013 (Cheney) - #3 EWU 54, #4 MSU 29
2012 (Bozeman) - #6 EWU 27, #2 MSU 24
2011 (Cheney) - #4 MSU 36, #21 EWU 21
2010 (Bozeman) - #17 MSU 30, #9 EWU 7
* The Eagles have won 11 of the last 13 meetings against the Bobcats, and are 29-10 overall in the 39-game series dating back to 1948. Eastern has won six of the last seven meetings at home (including a 2003 win in Spokane) as well as five of the last six in Bozeman. Overall, Eastern is 15-6 in Bozeman, 13-4 in home games and 1-0 on neutral fields.
 
 
Looking Back
* In last year's meeting in Cheney, Jordan West was 21-of-24 (88 percent) for 410 yards and six touchdown passes, for a school-record passing efficiency rating of 313.5 in EWU's 55-50 win. Cooper Kupp caught 12 passes for 201 yards and TD grabs of 5, 38 and 34 yards. Nic Sblendorio added three catches for 120 yards, including a 78-yard TD. Kendrick Bourne and Zach Wimberly were the only other Eagles to catch passes and both caught a touchdown pass from West. Jabari Wilson rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game in the fourth quarter after a hard hit. He averaged 11.1 yards per carry with a long of 62 to eclipse his former career high of 132 yards. Linebacker Alek Kacmarcik, linebacker Miquiyah Zamora and safety Zach Bruce combined for 38 tackles. Kacmarcik had 18 and Zamora and Bruce were both in double figures with 10. The Bobcats were led by MSU junior quarterback Dakota Prukop – now at Oregon -- who accounted for 549 yards of total offense and five touchdowns. He rushed for 196 yards and a score and was 29-of-46 passing with four TDs. The Eagles averaged 11.7 yards per play, even flirting for a short time with the school and Big Sky record of 12.3 yards per play set in the 2013 meeting against the Bobcats, won by the Eagles 54-29. In the 2015 meeting with MSU, Eastern had 667 yards on just 57 plays (11.7 yards per play), compared to 718 yards and 104 plays (6.9 per play) for the Bobcats. Facing a third-and-10 at the MSU 41-yard-line with 2:30 to play, Jordan West found Cooper Kupp for a 30-yard gain to help Eastern drain the clock. After Eastern missed a field goal – its first red zone miss of the season and first field goal miss the EWU career for Tyler McNannay – MSU had just 33 seconds to work with, and Nzuzi Webster clinched the Eagle win with his first career interception and the first interception of the season by the Eagles.
* In a 2014 non-conference game the last time the teams faced off in Bozeman, the end result was a heart-stopping 52-51 victory by the second-ranked Eagles against the No. 14 Bobcats on Sept. 20 at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Mont. Eastern quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. led Eastern to a 75-yard drive in the final two minutes, then scored on a two-point conversion to provide the game-winning points. Eagle senior running back Quincy Forte rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns, as the Eagles finished with 582 yards of total offense. Montana State had 547 yards, but the Eagle defense did its part by holding MSU to 0-of-3 on fourth down and forcing a pair of turnovers.
* In 2013 in Cheney, third-ranked Eastern finished with 591 yards of total offense and scored on all eight of its possessions in the 54-29 romp past No. 4 Montana State. The Eagles broke a Big Sky record by averaging 12.3 yards per play (591 yards, 48 plays), eclipsing the old record of 11.1 by more than a yard. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. had 300 yards passing (four touchdowns) and 76 yards on the ground (1 TD) for the Eagles, and Quincy Forte rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Mario Brown rushed twice for 47 yards, including a 40-yard run on EWU first offensive play. Shaq Hill had a career-best 172 receiving yards on four catches, and scored on TD plays of 76, 68 and 17 yards. Cooper Kupp finished with eight catches for 110 yards. T.J. Lee III had 14 tackles and an interception for the defense, and linebacker Cody McCarthy added 12 tackles.
* In the 2012 meeting in Bozeman, the Eagles scored only one offensive touchdown and kicked two field goals in a 27-24 victory over the second-ranked Bobcats. Eastern, ranked sixth at the time, scored on a blocked punt by Dylan Zylstra that was recovered for a touchdown by Evan Day, and then Jordan Tonani returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown to rally EWU from a 17-13 deficit entering the fourth quarter. That victory, coupled with losses by three teams ahead of the Eagles, catapulted the Eagles to a No. 1 ranking in The Sports Network FCS poll.
* In the 2011 meeting, fourth-ranked Montana State out-gained No. 21 Eastern Washington University 129-56 in the fourth quarter and defeated the Eagles 36-21 at sold-out Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Eastern was behind by just five points early in the fourth quarter, but the Bobcats put together a pair of time-consuming drives to spoil Eastern's comeback hopes. Jordan Talley rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns versus the Bobcats in the first start of his Eastern career. Eastern was just 3-of-10 on third downs while the Bobcats were 11-of-18.
* In the 2010 meeting, Montana State redshirt freshman quarterback Denarius McGhee passed for 283 yards and the No. 17 Bobcats used big plays to hand the ninth-ranked Eagles a 30-7 loss Sept. 25, 2010, at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Mont. Montana State had a 439-382 advantage in total offense, but also scored touchdowns on an interception return and a fake field goal. The Eagles would go on to win the NCAA Division I title that season.
 
 
 

Injury Report

 
* Eastern played the Northern Colorado game without a trio of offensive linemen, including senior starting center Jerrod Jones (knee), starting tackle Nick Ellison (rib) and backup Will Gram (concussion). With Jones and Gram missing their third-straight games, and Ellison his second, Eastern's starting lineup for the second-straight week consisted of three sophomores and two redshirt freshmen, with none of them having started an EWU game entering the season. Running back Antoine Custer Jr. (concussion) also missed the UNC game, and backup defensive back Asan Neil-Evergin (groin) missed his second-straight game.
* Previously, wide receiver Nsimba Webster broke his clavicle on a 61-yard kickoff return against UC Davis on Oct. 1 and is out indefinitely, as is Jones who was injured against Northern Iowa. Backup wide receiver Stu Stiles (shoulder) missed the UC Davis game, while defensive end Keenan Williams (ankle) missed his third-straight game versus UC Davis. Cornerback Victor Gamboa (concussion) missed the Northern Arizona game, and wide receiver Cooper Kupp (shoulder), nose tackle Matthew Sommer (knee) and linebacker Alek Kacmarcik (concussion) were out versus Northern Iowa. Kupp missed 1 1/2 games, Kacmarcik missed two and Sommer saw his first action of the season versus NAU. Against the Bison, Eastern played without its two starting linebackers, senior Miquiyah Zamora (hamstring) and Kacmarcik. Kupp and sophomore rover Cole Karstetter (ruptured Achilles) were lost in the second half with injuries, as was starting offensive guard Chris Schlichting (shoulder). Karstetter, a 2014 graduate of Spokane's Ferris High School, was lost for the season and underwent surgery after making the fifth start of his career against the Bison. Schlichting returned to start versus Northern Iowa. Defensive end Nick Foerstel (knee) is out for the year because of an injury suffered the first week of spring practices, and defensive end Conner Baumann (foot) is still recovering from an injury he suffered in the spring.
 
 
 

Quoting Beau Baldwin

 
On 5-1 Start: "We still have some meaty games on our schedule and the potential of playing the best in the country in the playoffs. But we have never started at this level with this type of schedule. We have to play it out and you have to earn it in the tough months of October and November, and we weren't where we wanted to be last November. This team still has to earn that, and if we're fortunate to play in December you have to earn it then too. We've never been at this point six games in -- especially with our schedule -- in certain aspects of our offensive production. But there are still some aspects that aren't maybe as good as our other teams. I don't get caught up in exact balance, but we want to understand that whatever a defense is doing against us, that we can find ways to move the ball. Some games we may throw it more and others we may mix more of the run in like we did last week. We took a huge step against Northern Colorado."
 
On UNC Defense on Cooper Kupp: "Coop makes it tough on a defense. Ultimately, when you do decide to do that to him the rest of our offense can make it really tough on another team. You just have to stay patient. We've seen both sides of it where an opponent is not going to let No. 10 beat them, and then others who know there are too many other guys. We are ready to adjust to either game plan, and our team did a really good job of adjusting to that, especially in the second half."
 
On Defense: "I thought we played really well in the second half. There were times where we gave up some things and there are some correctable moments. There is one thing you can see about our team in general, but definitely our defense, is that they have a grit about them. I think we're mentally in a better spot than our opponents in the second half, and shape-wise our wind is better in the second half. In every game you've seen us finish and finish and finish. There is something to that with our strength coaches and everything we did in the offseason. It's not by accident that our defense is continuing to do things late in games against people. They are grinding and put themselves in a better spot 35, 40, 45 and 50 minutes into the game than the opponents we've been up against this year."
 
On Progress of Team: "I think we're in a good spot. If I compare it other teams from our past, I think in a lot of areas we're as good as we've been. There are other areas we have to still catch up – you have to strive after perfection even though no one can achieve that. But comparing us with some of our past teams that have had some success, we're in a similar or even better spot in some areas."
 
On Cooper Kupp: "What he is doing is phenomenal, especially considering how productive he can be when everybody knows he's going to get balls thrown his way. But he'll be the first to say it's hard to focus on just him in our offense with the players we have around him at wide receiver, running back and Gage at quarterback having the ability to take off and run. It's fun and I'm just enjoying every minute of this season of being around him and watching him continue to grow as a leader and person. We're going to ride it as long as we can. He has a competiveness, will and desire to chase perfection. He looks for things he can do better, and it started in the offseason. He wants to understand the whole game of football better and he wants to continue to grow in everything he is doing. That's just how he is wired."
 
On Narrow Loss at North Dakota State: "I'm just proud of our players, and I'm not caught up in the end result with how I feel about how these guys came in here and battled. It was a game either team could have won and came down to the wire. Give them credit, they found a way to win. From a broad perspective in how we competed, our attitude and our effort, I loved how it felt the entire game. I know we got down 10, but we never rolled over. We kept fighting and threw punches on both sides of the ball. We got some key stops late and made some big plays to score some key points."
 
On Five New Starters on Offensive Line Versus WSU: "Based on offensive numbers and what people saw, I thought they answered a lot of questions. It's especially tough on an offensive line on the road when it's tougher to hear and you have to go with silent counts. They did their work humbly and they were hungry. They respected the crew that was here last year, but they want to start something and grow together as an offense line. They are going to have to continue to grow because there are going to be plenty of mistakes to correct. Whether we won that game by three or lost that game by seven, all the plays you study are all the same. Sometimes we get caught up with end result, but sometimes he comes down to one play here or there in the result. Yet the other 100-plus plays have to be evaluated. But I really believe, like I said about Gage, they didn't come in worried or nervous. They had the mindset that we belong, and they took that approach and attitude."
 
On Readiness of Freshman Running Backs: "We feel like they have come in here ready to go. And part of that is they got here in the summer and they did work. Had they just showed up in August they wouldn't be where they are now. So that was a mindset by them too, to do some things early to just get around the guys even when we weren't around as coaches. On top of that, coach Mac (Kiel McDonald) has done a great job of getting them ready. That's not easy and this offense is not necessarily easy for running backs in terms of being ready mentally. It's a challenge for those guys because they are in lot of spots -- they are not just back there behind the quarterback – they are all over the place. To me that says a lot about what coach Mac has done with those guys. And it says a lot about them and their desire to learn it and to be ready so that they can play fast. Because once you're thinking, you can't play at the speed you need to. But we've seen those guys play at that speed, which means they're not thinking that much. I'm just happy about that group in general, including our three returning backs and newcomer Dennis Merritt. We're a lot better right now, so that says a lot about where we've come in one year at that position."
 
On Receivers: "I like the fact that we have a core of guys -- seven or eight receivers – who are all contributing at a high level. It's not like the burden is all going to be put on the shoulders of one or two guys. It may seem like that when people talk about Coop and K.B., but realistically we have a lot of guys spread out that can make a lot of plays. And that includes our tight ends. So you don't feel that burden on one or two guys."
 
On Return of Cooper Kupp: "We're excited to not only get such an outstanding student-athlete like Cooper back for another year, but we are grateful to have such an amazing leader and presence in our locker room return for his senior season. He is one of the smartest and most mature student-athletes I've been around, and the best football player I've ever coached. And that's saying a lot. But it's true. He's hands-down the best all-around football player I've been lucky enough to be around."

On Challenging Schedule: "It's exciting to play a tough schedule and put ourselves in some challenging situations. That's what our coaches and players love to do. I always wonder if it can get any more challenging than whatever we did last year or the year before, but this one might be the topper. But it's exciting at the same time. When I sit down with (athletic director) Bill Chaves and talk about the games we have the opportunity to play, we get excited about putting ourselves on that stage and in that challenging moment. It's a chance to do special things. To play a home-and-home with North Dakota State is huge, on top of playing Washington State and Northern Iowa again. It's going to be a challenge, but our program relishes that and will embrace it."
 
 
 

Career Starts

 
Six Eagles Make Starting Debuts in Opener Versus Washington State
 
Six Eastern players made their starting debuts against Washington State. The lone starting debut on defense was made by sophomore cornerback Josh Lewis. On offense, three of the four new starters are along the offensive line where all five starters and two senior backups were lost from the 2015 team. Freshman redshirts Tristen Taylor (tackle) and Chris Schlichting (guard) made their debuts on the left side of Eastern's line, and sophomore Matt Meyer made his debut at right guard. The other new starter was sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud, who attempted just 13 passes as a redshirt freshman in 2015. True freshman Antoine Custer Jr. started for the first time in his career, and he and Gubrud hooked up on a 14-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter that was the initial TD of the 2016 season and of their careers. Junior Albert Havili made his first career start as a defensive end and finished with six tackles versus the Cougars. He started twice in 2014 as a linebacker before a knee injury forced him to redshirt in the 2015 season. His injury occurred in the first padded practice in spring of 2015 right after he moved from linebacker to defensive end. He set an EWU true freshman record with 61 tackles in 2013.
Since then, seven Eagles have made starting debuts. Sophomore Jack Hunter started at guard against UC Davis and Spencer Blackburn made his starting debut versus Northern Arizona because of injuries along the offensive line. Freshman redshirt Jayce Gilder made his starting debut against Northern Arizona when EWU started the game in a two tight end formation. Sophomore wide receiver Stu Stiles made his against Northern Iowa as an injury replacement for Cooper Kupp. Defensively, sophomores Kurt Calhoun and Ketner Kupp made their starting debuts as injury replacements against top-ranked and five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State. Senior J.J. Njoku made his debut one game later versus Northern Iowa, also as an injury replacement.
 
 
Defense (231 starts by 21 players): Miquiyah Zamora 38, Samson Ebukam 30, Matthew Sommer 24, Victor Gamboa 21, Zach Bruce 16, Nzuzi Webster 15, Andre Lino 14, Mitch Fettig 14, Keenan Williams 9, Jay-Tee Tiuli 8, Albert Havili 8, Alek Kacmarcik 6, Josh Lewis 5, Cole Karstetter 5, Jake Hoffman 5, J.J. Njoku 4, D'londo Tucker 3, Ketner Kupp 2, Kurt Calhoun 1, Jonah Jordan 1, Conner Baumann 2 (one as a fullback).
 
Offense (189 starts by 22 players): Cooper Kupp 44, Kendrick Bourne 25, Zach Wimberly 18, Shaq Hill 17, Jordan West 13, Jabari Wilson 13, Nick Ellison 8, Nic Sblendorio 6, Jerrod Jones 5, Gage Gubrud 6, Tristen Taylor 6, Chris Schlichting 6, Matt Meyer 6, Antoine Custer Jr. 3, Spencer Blackburn 3, Jack Hunter 2, Terence Grady 2, Reilly Hennessey 2, Stu Stiles 1, Jayce Gilder 1, Nsimba Webster 1, Kaleb Levao 1 (as defensive lineman).