­­­­­­­#3 Eastern Washington University "Eagles" versus #16 University of Montana "Grizzlies" Saturday, Oct. 29 • 12:42 p.m. Pacific Roos Field (8,600) • Cheney, Washington
TV:	Live regionally on ROOT Sports Northwest and DirecTV Audience Network (channel 239) . . . announcers are Tom Glasgow/Jason Stiles/Brad Adam.
­­­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://ewu.stats.com
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 video or show on Nov. 14 and 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.

 What's hungrier, bears or birds?
 
The third-ranked Eastern Washington University football team is out for retribution when its hosts equally hungry 16th-ranked Montana in a Big Sky Conference showdown this Saturday (Oct. 29) at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. It will be Ag Day/Black Out Day, with Eagle fans asked to wear black to the game.
 
Kickoff is 12:42 p.m. Pacific time at the sold-out "Inferno," 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 Eagles lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in passing offense (445.6 yards per game) and are second in scoring (46.6) and total offense (569.6), but the Grizzlies are nearly as productive. Montana is third in scoring (44.9), fourth in passing (348.7) and fifth in total offense (495.3).
 
The Griz also have a defense which has held opponents to 25.5 percent on third down to rank second in FCS, while EWU is fourth in converting them at 52.9 percent. Montana's defense is 21st overall in FCS (319.3 yards per game), and is No. 3 in red zone defense and No. 4 in red zone offense.
 
 "We have always respected that program so much and what they have done over the years," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "And more than anything, let's just focus on 2016 and what they've accomplished. They are an incredibly good football team. We've seen the numbers they have put up and what they have done both at home and on the road. We know we have our hands full, regardless whether it's Montana or any team playing incredibly well overall."
 
Eastern receiver Cooper Kupp has career totals of 37 catches for 520 yards and three touchdowns in four games against the Griz, as well as a punt return for a TD and a passing score. But six turnovers spelled doom for Eastern in last year's 57-16 trouncing in Missoula. That game marked the quarterbacking debut of Gage Gubrud, who completed 7-of-13 passes for 66 yards and an interception, and also had 18 net rushing yards and a touchdown. As sophomore, he already has 3,243 yards of total offense, and enters the rematch with UM with a string of 140 passes without an interception -- EWU's streak as a team is at 169.
 
"I feel like our players handle things in such a mature way, and have a mindset to prepare to be better each week," Baldwin said of the emotion factors to this week's game. "We respect the heck out of our opponents, but it becomes about how we prepare and what we are doing. I won't talk about the revenge factor, but we're human – we want a chance to come back after the way they got after us last year.
 
"The bottom line is it's the 2016 season for both teams," he added. "I think we'll have the perfect level of having that chip on our shoulder and a little bit of grit from what happened last year, but ultimately, we're focused on what we are doing right now."
 
Coming off a bye, the Eagles scored 27 unanswered points to roll past Montana State 41-17 in Bozeman last week, giving the Eagles a 6-1 record heading into the final four games of the regular season. The Eagles are 4-0 in the Big Sky Conference, sharing the lead with two other teams they won't play this season – 5-0 Weber State and 4-0 North Dakota.
 
Montana is playing its second-straight league road game, having dropped a 45-34 decision at league favorite Northern Arizona last week. The Grizzlies are now 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big Sky, after falling behind 45-20 in the third quarter against the Lumberjacks, which fell at home to EWU 50-35 on Sept. 24.
 
In a series full of drama, the 2016 meeting between Eastern and Montana will be the 16th time in the last 22 meetings that both teams will enter the game nationally ranked. Montana has won eight times in the previous 15, but EWU has won five of the last nine meetings since 2008. Both teams have been ranked in every meeting since then, with EWU a perfect 4-0 since the red turf was installed at EWU in 2010 and the stadium was renamed to Roos Field.
 
The higher-ranked team is 10-5 in the previous 15 nationally-ranked matchups. The 2013 game was the first time both teams entered ranked in the top 10, with the collective ranking of 13 the best ever.
 
Following EWU's 19th sellout in a row in the regular season, Eastern plays another nationally-ranked team on Nov. 5 at No. 14 Cal Poly. The Eagles then return to Roos Field for Senior Day on Nov. 12 against Idaho State before closing 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 on a five-game winning streak, including a 2-1 record during the toughest preseason schedule in school history. The Eagles opened the year 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 remained third in this week's STATS FCS Top 25 poll, and is also third in the coaches poll. Sam Houston State is No. 1 in both polls, followed by Jacksonville State, EWU and five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State in the No. 4 position. Montana, after falling at Northern Arizona last week, fell six spots from 10th to 16th in both. Cal Poly, EWU's opponent on Nov. 5 in San Luis Obispo, is ranked 14th by STATS and 17th by the coaches. In the Athlon Power Rankings, the Eagles remained No. 2, with North Dakota State retaining the top spot despite a loss to South Dakota State on Oct. 15. Montana is 16th and Cal Poly is 12th.
 
 
 

Records/Milestone Watch

 
Just 25 Catches from FCS Record, Kupp No Up to 12 FCS Records, 8 Big Sky Marks and 21 School Records
 
With two more records established last week against Montana State, Eastern senior Cooper Kupp has now broken 12 FCS records, eight Big Sky Conference all-time marks and 21 school records. Next up is a big one.
 
Already the owner of FCS career records with 64 receiving touchdowns and 5,630 yards, he has 370 receptions and is now just 25 catches behind the record of 395 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09. At his current season pace of 9.8 receptions per game, he'll break the record on Senior Day versus Idaho State on Nov. 12. He is just 17 grabs away from the FBS record of 387.
 
He equaled a 12th FCS all-time mark on Nov. 22 when he caught a pass in his 45th-straight game. Jacksonville State's Josh Barge also has a current total of 45 in a row, and he and Kupp could both break the record 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 32-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.
 
Kupp and Bourne have also combined for FCS records for combined career catches (551) and combined career yards (8,250). In addition, Kupp's 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.
 
The other EWU record Kupp broke at MSU was for career all-purpose yards – he now has 6,079 to break the previous record of 5,934 set by Eric Kimble from 2002-05. With Kupp now ranking 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.
 
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 6,079 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 Player 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 64 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 of 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).
 
 
Chasing Their Receivers Coach, Bourne & Hill Climb EWU Receiving Charts
 
With 181 career receptions for 2,620 yards and 23 touchdowns, senior Kendrick Bourne now ranks in the top nine in all three categories in school history. His touchdowns ranks ninth and his receptions are seventh, with his wide receivers coach Nicholas Edwards the next player to catch (215 from 2009-12). Bourne is now seventh in yards, just 14 from the No. 6 total of 2,634 by Edwards.
 
Teammate Shaq Hill has 143 career catches to rank 17th in school history, good for 2,330 yards (12th) and 24 touchdowns (eighth). He had a school-record four touchdown day against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8, and is two touchdowns from ranking sixth in that category. He is two receptions from the No. 16 position (145, Craig Richardson, 1983-86), four from No. 15 (147, Dave Svendsen, 1966-68) and six from No. 14 (149, Jason Anderson, 1991-94). Hill is also 18 yards from ranking 11th in yards (2,348, Greg Herd, 2009-12) and 114 from 10th (2,444, Tom Bassett, 1974-77).
 
In all, the quartet of Hill, Bourne, Cooper Kupp and Nic Sblendorio (31 games, 61 catches, 858 yards, 5 TD) have a combined 170 games worth of experience (95 starts) with 755 catches for 11,438 yards (15.7 per catch) and 116 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 2,330 yards to pass the 2,176 of Craig Richardson from 1983-86. With 92 career returns, Hill previously broke Richardson's record of 80. Hill's average of 24.2 yards per return is currently ninth in school history, as he has had returns of 99, 93, 90 and 80 yards in his career (two of them for touchdowns). His 4,667 all-purpose yards are currently fifth in school history, and he needs only 124 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 31-game starter in his EWU career, Ebukam has 150 tackles in his 46-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.
 
Although he didn't get credit for any sacks, he certainly made it difficult on Montana State's offense in a 41-17 Eagle win on Nov. 22. He had four tackles, including one on a forced fumble that was recovered by the Eagles. He also had the pressure that led to sack by teammate Jay-Tee Tiuli in the second quarter. Eastern's defense surrendered 17 points in the first 16:03 of the game, but MSU didn't score again in the final 43:57. Eastern forced five turnovers and had none themselves – the 35th-straight game EWU has won when it has also won the turnover battle. The Eagles outgained MSU 421-152 in the final three quarters and had a 496-349 advantage in the game. It was the fewest points EWU has surrendered in its last 10 games, its fewest passing yards (98) in 13 games and its fewest yards overall (349) in the last 19.
 
 
 
Now With 311 Career Tackles, Zamora Just Two from 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 311 to rank 10th all-time at EWU. The next player for him to catch is Dion Alexander with 313 (1992-95), then Zach Johnson with 324 (2008, 2010-12). Zamora ranks 41st in FCS and fourth in the league with an average of 9.0 tackles per game, while teammate Zach Bruce has an 8.4 average to rank 60th and eighth, 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 54 times as an Eagle for a 41.8 career average which currently ranks third in school history. He also is 4-of-7 in his EWU career kicking field goals, and has averaged 59.0 yards (4,844 total yards) in 82 career kickoffs with 32 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

 
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 Have Impressive 36-6 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 36 of their last 42 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. Eastern has won 26 of its last 30 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 30 of their last 34 versus conference foes, and are 40-6 since the 0-2 start in 2011. As a result, head coach Beau Baldwin has a 54-14 Big Sky record for a winning percentage of .794 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His .718 winning percentage overall (79-31) is seventh all-time in the 53-year history of the Big Sky.
 
 
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 150-62 record (70.8 percent) in 212 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.
 
 
Eastern Now Second in Total Offense and Maintains Lead in Passing Offense
 
Eastern ranks second in FCS in total offense with an average of 569.6 yards per game, trailing only Sam Houston State at 592.1 per outing. After seven games, Eastern is the FCS leader in passing offense (445.6 yards per game), second in scoring offense (46.6 behind SHSU at 52.4), fourth in third down conversions (52.9 percent), third in completion percentage (.709) and third in passing efficiency (176.67). 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.
 
 
With No Interceptions in Last 169 Pass Attempts and 5-0 Turnover Advantage at MSU, Eagles 13th in FCS in TO Margin
 
The Eagles have now moved up to 13th in FCS in turnover margin, with an average of +1.0 per game (15 total takeaways and only 8 giveaways). The Eagles haven't thrown an interception in their last 169 pass attempts dating back to a third-quarter interception versus Northern Iowa on Sept. 17. The streak includes a string of 140-straight by Gage Gubrud.
 
 
Eastern Now 35-0 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, then had a 5-0 advantage at Montana State on Oct. 22. In the win over the Bobcats, EWU had a fumble forced by senior Samson Ebukam and fumble recoveries by senior J.J. Njoku and junior D'londo Tucker. Eastern also had an interception by senior safety Zach Bruce – his third of the season and fifth of his career, and picks in the fourth quarter by Victor Gamboa and Jake Hoffman. Eastern won the battle against UC Davis 3-1, including a fumble forced by Gamboa and recovered by 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 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 on Oct. 8.
 
In eight-plus seasons (­2008-present) under head coach Beau Baldwin, the Eagles are 44-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 19-5 when they've been tied and 16-25 when they've lost (total of 79-31). 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 35-0 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 65-22 (75 percent), with 18 of those 22 losses (82 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 54 percent of EWU's wins coming when they've won the turnover battle (78 percent when including ties).
 
 
Eagles Have 108-28 Advantage in Third Quarter and 207-78 in Second Half
 
Despite trailing at halftime in five of seven games this season, a big part of EWU's 6-1 record is the team's third-quarter production, having outscored opponents 115-28 in that period. The only leads EWU has had at halftime were by the slimmest of margins – 24-17 against MSU and 22-21 at Northern Arizona when the Eagles kicked a 44-yard field goal with 23 seconds left in the second quarter. 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, 21-7 versus Northern Colorado and 7-0 in EWU's last outing versus Montana State. Eastern has had a fourth quarter advantage in the last six games, and owns a 92-50 advantage for the season. Eastern has a 207-78 advantage in the second half, but a 119-151 disadvantage in the first half (50-59 in first quarter, 69-92 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.
 
 
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.
 
 
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.
 
 
 

Player Game Notes

 
An Unknown Heading into Last Year's Montana Game, Gubrud Wins STATS National Player of the Week & Big Sky Conference Player of the Week Awards
 
A year ago, a Gage Gubrud Halloween costume would have been mostly ambiguous. But a year later, heading into the barnburner of the season thus far, football fans certainly know of the headband-wearing No. 8 for the Eastern Washington University football team.
 
The sophomore quarterback was given two more awards on Monday (Oct. 24), earning the prestigious STATS National FCS Offensive Player of the Week Award as well as Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week from the league office. One day earlier, Gubrud was the College Sports Madness FCS Offensive Player of the Week and its BSC Offensive Player of the Week after passing for a school-record 520 yards in a 41-17 win at Montana State on Oct. 22. He also earned FCS Performer of the Week honorable mention accolades from College Football Performance Awards.
 
Gubrud completed 37-of-51 passes, and broke the previous school record of 491 set by teammate Jordan West in 2015 versus Sacramento State. Gubrud had touchdown passes to four different receivers versus MSU, and his 538 yards of total offense were second only to the school-record 551 he had in the first start of his career in a 45-42 victory at Washington State.
 
"I like to break the season down to thirds, to get a feel for how someone is playing early in the season, in the middle of the season and late in the season – especially when you are talking about young quarterbacks," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "The thing I love about Gage compared to his first three games is that he's playing incredibly patient and disciplined. He's continuing to take what a defense gives him, and teams can sometimes frustrate you when they force you to continually take everything underneath. He's handling that really well, and regardless of the statistics and yards, he's taking care of the football a ton better than he did at the beginning of the year. Those are the steps he's taken that I've been most impressed with, and how he's growing as a quarterback"
 
After just seven career starts, he already owns six of the top 11 single game total offense performances in school history and five of the top 18 passing performances. In his last three games alone, Gubrud has 1,441 yards passing (480.3 per game) and 1,577 in total offense (525.7) with 15 touchdown passes and one more on the ground.
 
In last year's meeting with Montana, six turnovers spelled doom for Eastern in a 57-16 trouncing in Missoula. That game marked the quarterbacking debut of Gubrud, who completed 7-of-13 passes for 66 yards and an interception, and also had 18 net rushing yards and a touchdown.
 
He enters the rematch with UM with a string of 140 passes without an interception -- EWU's streak as a team is at 169. Eastern receiver Cooper Kupp has career totals of 37 catches for 520 yards and three touchdowns in four games against the Griz, as well as a punt return for a TD and a passing score.
 
This is Gubrud's second game to receive national honors, having earned College Football Performance Awards FCS National Performer of the Week for his performance against Washington State. He also received honorable mention recognition after both the UC Davis and Northern Colorado games in early October. In addition, he's been honored as Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week three times by the league office, and twice by College Sports Madness.
 
 
 
Roldan Alcobendas Wins Big Sky Player of the Week Award After Performance at Montana State
 
Returning to the venue he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2014, junior Roldan Alcobendas made field goals of 48 and 31 yards and had a career-high 11 total points in EWU's 41-17 victory over Montana State to earn Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
His 48-yarder was the best of his career, and equals the 23rd-longest in school history. He also had a 31-yarder blocked and made all five of his extra point attempts to account for 11 of EWU's points. In addition, he averaged 64.0 yards in three kickoffs, including one touchback.
"It was huge and into a little breeze too," Eagle head coach Beau Baldwin said of the key 48-yarder that came with no time remaining in the second quarter after a 49-yard drive to give Eastern a 24-17 halftime advantage. "Jordan Dascalo usually gets the kicks that are a little longer, but Roldan had enough and his leg felt good going into that one.
"That was a big kick, and a big drive altogether. That's our third time in seven games we've hit a big kick right before halftime. It's important to get that halftime momentum – especially when you get the ball back to start the second half – because a lot of games are won or lost during the first few minutes of the first half and coming out in the third quarter."
Alcobendas is a 2013 graduate of Camas (Wash.) High School, and had to sit out both the 2013 and 2015 seasons because of knee injuries. This year, he is 6-of-10 kicking field goals and has made 38-of-39 extra points. He has also averaged 58.4 yards on 18 kickoffs with six touchbacks.
In his 11-game career, Alcobendas has made 7-of-11 field goals and 60-of-63 extra points.
 
 
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 2,871 yards, 27 touchdowns and a .709 completion percentage, and has also rushed for a team-leading 372 yards (4.8 per carry) and four 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.
 
As a result, Gubrud is the FCS leader in total offense at 463.3 per game, passing yards (2,871), passing yards per game (410.1), points responsible per game (27.7) and total points responsible for (188), and is second in passing touchdowns (27), second in passing efficiency (177.3) and second in completion percentage (.709).
 
Teammate Cooper Kupp missed 1 1/2 games with a shoulder injury, but leads in receiving yards per game (144.3) and receptions per game (9.8), and is eighth in receiving touchdowns (8). Senior Kendrick Bourne is 10th in receptions per game (7.0) and 16th in receiving yards per game (98.7), while senior Shaq Hill is 22nd in average receptions (6.0), 19th in average yards (95.6) and third in receiving touchdowns with nine. That trio is 1-2-3 in the Big Sky in receiving yards per game, and 1-2-4 in average receptions.
 
 
 
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.
 
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 42 catches for 669 yards and nine touchdowns, which are the third-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.
 
 
Antoine Custer Jr. Honored Again After Another Big Return, Helping EWU Now Rank Eighth Nationally
 
True freshman Antoine Custer Jr. is proof that lightning can strike twice in the same spot, and he has two Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors 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 24.86 average as a team ranks first in the Big Sky and eighth 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 37 times for a net of 75 yards and three touchdowns, and has caught 14 passes for 92 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, NAU and MSU
 
Senior safety Zach Bruce has had interceptions in three of his last four games, including a third-quarter interception in EWU's 41-17 win and second-half shutout over Montana State on Oct. 22. He also had a fourth-quarter pick against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8 that helped preserve EWU's 49-31 victory. He had seven tackles against the Bears, including a forced fumble that UNC was able to recover just three plays prior to his interception.
 
He is currently 19th in FCS and second in the Big Sky with an average of 0.4 interceptions per game. He is also eighth in the league and 60th nationally with an average of 8.4 tackles per game (team-leading 59 total). A former walk-on, Bruce now has 171 tackles, five interceptions and five passes broken up in his 43-game career (17 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.
 
 
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 capture 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 66 total touchdowns and has accounted for 68 in his 45-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 (8.22), which also ranks second in FCS history. Kupp has averaged a TD reception for every 5.8 catches so far in his career. He has scored at least once in 37 of 44 games he has played, with 26 performances of at least eight catches (13 with 10 or more) and 27 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 35 games overall and 24 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

 
 * In a series full of drama, the 2016 meeting between Eastern and Montana will be the 16th time in the last 22 meetings that both teams will enter the game nationally ranked. Montana has won eight times in the previous 15 meetings listed below. Interestingly, in the first nine Montana was the higher-ranked team; in the last seven (including 2016) EWU has been rated higher. The higher-ranked team is 10-5 in the previous 15 nationally-ranked matchups. The 2013 game was the first time both teams entered ranked in the top 10, with the collective ranking of 13 the best ever.
* Below are the 16 matchups in the last 21 seasons (two in 2014) when both squads have entered the game nationally ranked (including 2016). Eastern is 7-8 in those games, with road victories in 1997, 2005 and 2013. Eastern also picked up a home win in 2010 in the debut of Eastern's red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field and in 2012 in the debut of EWU's new videoboard.
2016 - #3 Eastern Washington versus #16 Montana
2015 - #22 Montana 57, #10 Eastern Washington 16 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2014 - #4 Eastern Washington 37, #12 Montana 20 (FCS Playoffs in Cheney, Wash.)
2014 - #5 Eastern Washington 36, #11 Montana 26 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2013 - #3 Eastern Washington 42, #10 Montana 37 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2012 - #7 Eastern Washington 32, #21 Montana 26 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2011 - #12 Montana 17, #10 Eastern Washington 14 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2010 - #18 Eastern Washington 36, #6 Montana 27 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2009 - #3 Montana 41, #21 Eastern Washington 34 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2008 - #12 Montana 19, #23 Eastern Washington 3 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2005 - #12 Eastern Washington 34, #2 Montana 20 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2004 - #5 Montana 31, #23 Eastern Washington 28 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2001 - #3 Montana 29, #15 Eastern Wash. 26 (2 overtimes in Missoula, Mont.)
2000 - #9 Montana 41, #18 Eastern Washington 31 (in Spokane, Wash.)
1997 - #17 Eastern Washington 40, #2 Montana 35 (in Missoula, Mont.)
1996 - #1 Montana 34, #20 Eastern Washington 30 (in Cheney, Wash.)
 
Looking Back
* The 10th-ranked Eagles had six turnovers and allowed No. 22 Montana to open leads of 27-3 in the first half and 50-9 in the third quarter in a resounding 57-16 Big Sky Conference loss to the Grizzlies Nov. 14, 2015, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont. The turnover total included two that were returned for scores by Montana. The Grizzlies took a 27-3 lead just 20 minutes into the game, then scored 20 points in the first 7:21 of the second half. In the opening half, Eastern had a pair of turnovers, one on a fourth-down conversion attempt. The Grizzlies scored after both, as well as after another failed fourth-down attempt. The result was a 27-3 hole with 10:03 left in the first half. Eastern trailed 20-3 and had the ball early in the second quarter when Reilly Hennessey was sacked by the Grizzlies and fumbled. Herbert Gamboa scooped it up and ran 33 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles also turned the ball over in their own territory three of the first four times they had the ball in the second half, and Montana turned them into 13 points and a 50-9 lead. Cooper Kupp finished with six catches for 118 yards, and also had a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first half. Terence Grady had six grabs for 78 yards, and Kendrick Bourne had five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown reception from Kupp. Three Eastern quarterbacks combined to complete 22-of-45 passes for 319 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Hennessey made his first career start and completed 7-of-12 passes for 113 yards in the first half. He was shaken up on a sack in the second quarter and didn't return. Jordan West was 7-of-19 for 119 yards and two interceptions, and Gage Gubrud made his Eagle debut at quarterback and finished 7-of-13 for 66 yards, a 1-yard touchdown run and an interception. Alek Kacmarcik led the Eagles with 11 tackles, Todd Raynes finished with nine tackles and broke-up a pass, and Miquiyah Zamora had eight tackles and a pass broken up. In addition, Keenan Williams also had seven tackles and Victor Gamboa forced a fumble and recovered it at the EWU 32-yard line, leading to a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kupp to Bourne. Montana converted five of nine third downs in the first half, plus both of its fourth down conversions. Eastern, meanwhile was just 1-of-7 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down. Montana led in total yards in the first half 315-303, and had just one turnover to EWU's two. Eastern also had a touchdown pass from Jordan West to Cooper Kupp with two seconds left in the first half nullified by a procedure penalty. In the game, Eastern was just 2-of-15 on third down while Grizzlies converted half of theirs (9-of-18).
 
* Several recent games have come down to the wire. In the 2014 regular season meeting, Eastern took a 33-10 lead in the third quarter before Montana rallied to make it a one-score game. Eastern kicker Tyler McNanny capped a late 58-yard drive with a 34-yard field goal with 28 seconds to play to provide the final margin. In 2013, the Eagles had to recover an onside kick with 1:41 to play to preserve a 42-37 victory. In 2012, Eastern prevailed 32-26, scoring twice in the last 2:19 to pull out the victory. The game in 2011 also went down to the wire as the Eagles lost 17-14 after edging Montana 36-27 in 2010 in the first game on the red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field. Eastern ended that meeting with a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
* Montana now leads the series 27-15-1, but EWU has won five of the last seven. But prior to that, Montana had won six of the previous seven meetings. Overall, Eastern is 5-15-1 in Missoula, 9-11 in home games and 1-1 in games played at neutral sites.
* Thirteen recent games in the series have been decided by margins of 10 points or less. The winner has usually piled up points and yardage by the ton. In fact, three of EWU's 20 games of at least 600 yards in total offense have come against the Grizzlies. Eastern had 697 yards of total offense in 1986, 658 yards in 1997 in a 40-35 win, 564 in a 24-23 loss in 2007, 541 yards by the Eagles in a 34-20 win in Missoula in 2005, 540 in a 42-37 win in 2013 and 503 in a 2010 victory in Cheney. In 2013, the two teams combined for 1,029 total yards, and one year earlier had 980. In the last 30 meetings the winning team has averaged 34.2 points. In nine of those 30 games the two teams have combined for at least 70 points, including a 41-34 Grizzly win in Missoula in 2009, EWU's 42-37 victory in 2013 and Montana's 57-16 romp in 2015.
* Since 1990, Eastern has won five times on UM's home field in Missoula, but Eastern had won just twice at home from 1990-2009. The lone win over Montana from 1990-2009 at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) came in 1991, but Eastern's change to a red synthetic Sprinturf surface and change of name altered its success in Cheney home wins in 2010, 2012 and 2014 (twice). Eastern also won in 2002 in a home game played at Spokane's Albi Stadium.
* The Eagles shared the 2004 and 2005 Big Sky titles with Montana, but the Grizzlies won or shared every league title from 1998-2009. Until Southern Utah won the title outright in 2015, Eastern was the only Big Sky school other than Montana to win the outright title from 1997-2014, doing it in 1997, 2013 and 2014. The Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs in both 1997 and 2013. The 1997 team was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. Montana's streak of league titles ended at 12 as EWU and MSU shared the 2010 title.
* In EWU's 2014 playoff win, it was a story of balance for Eastern as the Eagles defeated Big Sky Conference rival Montana 37-20 in a second-round game in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs Dec. 6 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles won the turnover battle 3-1, and turned a pair of Grizzly turnovers into 10 points in the second half. Eastern also used a blocked punt by senior Ronnie Hamlin to help open a 7-0 lead early in the game, and led by as many as 17. The Eagles never trailed and scored in every quarter, increasing their streak to 44-straight quarters dating back to August 30. Eastern passed for 182 yards in the game and rushed for 212, with Quincy Forte finishing with 128 on the ground for his fourth 100-yard performance in seven games played. The Eagles finished with a season-low 394 yards of offense, but their defense made up for it by holding Montana to 347. The Eagle defense finished with two interceptions, a fumble, four sacks and three passes broken up, and held Montana to just 5-of-14 on third down. Junior Vernon Adams Jr., who passed for 410 yards and four touchdowns against Montana on Nov. 8 in his return from a foot injury, completed 24-of-35 passes for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore Cooper Kupp had a career-high 12 catches – the eighth-most in school history – for 86 yards for the Eagles. The Eagles were up just 7-3 late in the second quarter when they mounted a 15-play, 81-yard scoring drive that took 3:35 off the clock. A 3-yard touchdown run by Adams gave EWU a 13-3 halftime lead, then EWU made it 20-3 by scoring with the first possession of the second half. Adams capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 23-yard TD pass to Cory Mitchell, as Montana had the ball in that stretch for just nine seconds compared to 7:36 for the Eagles.
* Earlier in the 2014 season, Vernon Adams Jr. returned after missing four games with a broken foot to pass for 410 yards and four touchdowns, and the fifth-ranked Eagles held off No. 11 Montana 36-26 on Nov. 8 in a pivotal game in the chase to the 2014 Big Sky Conference football title. Thanks to the passing of Adams and a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by sophomore Cooper Kupp, Eastern jumped out to a 33-10 lead in the third quarter. Montana rallied to make it a one-score game, but EWU kicker Tyler McNanny capped a late 58-yard drive with a 34-yard field goal with 28 seconds to play to provide the final margin.  Adams completed 25-of-37 passes against the Grizzlies with no interceptions, and Kupp finished with eight catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. Junior Shaq Hill finished with eight catches for 114 yards and a touchdown and had a total of 179 all-purpose yards. Redshirt freshman Nic Sblendorio had career highs with five catches for 89 yards for the Eagles, including a brilliant one-handed 32-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Eastern had interceptions by Ronnie Hamlin and Tevin McDonald to win the turnover battle 2-1. Montana entered the game leading FCS with just four turnovers in nine games and was 10th in turnover margin (+0.89 per game with 12 takeaways). Ahead just 33-26 with 2:32 to play, Adams had completions of 17 yards to Kupp and 23 and eight yards to Sblendorio to pick up key first downs and move the ball to the Montana 16-yard line. Included was a key third-down completion after the Eagles had converted on just 5-of-12 to that point. The Eagles converted in the red zone with a 34-yard field goal by Tyler McNanny to clinch the win, which was set-up by a 10-yard run by Mario Brown -- the longest rush for an Eagle running back in the game.  Eastern's defense had a total of 11 passes broken up, three quarterback hurries and a pair of sacks. A crowd of 11,339 attended the Montana game, ranking third in school history behind crowds versus Montana of 11,702 in 2010 and 11,583 in 2006.
* In the 2013 meeting, the third-ranked Eagles couldn't shake 10th-ranked Montana and had to hold off the Grizzlies 42-37 on Oct. 26 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Behind career days for sophomore quarterback Vernon Adams and freshman Cooper Kupp, the Eagles won in Missoula for the first time since 2005. Eastern scored 21-straight points spanning halftime to take a 42-17 lead entering the final period. Eastern had a 214-46 advantage in offense in the decisive third quarter. Adams completed 27-of-40 passes for a career-high 457 yards, and his six TDs tied the school record. Kupp had his 10th and 11th touchdown catches of the season to finish with 11 grabs for 182 yards. Kupp also recovered an onside kick with 1:41 left to enable the Eagles to run out the clock for the win. Eagle speedster Shaq Hill had an 86-yard TD grab in the first half. The Eagles finished with a 540-489 advantage in total offense. Quincy Forte rushed for 70 yards in the win, and senior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin led the defense with 10 tackles.
* In 2012, No. 7 Eastern scored two touchdowns in the final 2:19 to rally for a 32-26 victory over 21st-ranked Montana Grizzlies on Sept. 29 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The two scores, aided by a successful onside kick, came within 1:26 of each other. Eastern put together an 82-yard scoring drive to pull within two points on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Vernon Adams to Brandon Kaufman. After Shaq Hill successfully recovered an onside kick for the Eagles that was deflected by Kaufman, Eastern scored again on a 20-yard TD pass from Adams to Ashton Clark with 53 seconds to play. Adams completed 25-of-41 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns in his second career start for EWU, and also added a team-leading 54 yards rushing. He overcame an interception and a fumble in the fourth quarter to become one of several heroes for the Eagles. In the final quarter alone, Adams was 13-of-21 for 171 yards and a pair of scores.  Kaufman finished with eight catches for 138 yards and a pair of scores as he had his fifth-straight 100-yard receiving game. Four Eagles finished in double figures in tackles, including linebackers Ronnie Hamlin (14), Grant Williams (13) and Tyler Washburn (12). Safety Allen Brown had 11 stops, and redshirt freshman Jordan Tonani added eight tackles after starter Jeff Minnerly broke his collarbone on EWU's first defensive series. Montana rushed 61 times and had three players with 95 yards or more. The 407 rushing yards by Montana were the most against the Eagles since Southern Utah rushed for 535 yards in the final game of the 1998 season. The game was Eastern's home opener -- EWU's latest home start since 1981. The game also marked the debut of a new scoreboard and videoboard at The Inferno, two years after the Eagles unveiled their new red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field in a 36-27 victory over UM. The "men in black" also played in new black helmets, to go along with black pants and black jerseys.
* In the 2011 meeting in Missoula, Eastern fell behind 10-0 to the Grizzlies, but rallied to pull within three points in the fourth quarter. The 10th-ranked Eagles held No. 12 Montana scoreless on its final five possessions of the game, but Eastern was unable to score in its last three. An interception with 25 seconds to play iced the win for the Grizzlies. Montana rushed for 316 yards versus the Eagles, but was held to 34 passing yards and was out-gained in total offense 376-350.
* In 2010, the first football game on Eastern's new red Sprinturf surface was a huge success as the 18th-ranked Eagles knocked off the No. 6 Grizzlies in the Big Sky Conference opener for both schools on Sept. 18, 2010, at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Mike Jarrett nailed a 31-yard field goal with four seconds left to give Eastern a 30-27 lead, then the Eagles iced it on the final play of the game with a 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown by junior defensive tackle Renard Williams after a sack and forced fumble by sophomore end Jerry Ceja with additional pressure by senior Tyler Jolley. Junior All-America running back Taiwan Jones had 305 all-purpose yards -- including 221 rushing yards -- to lead EWU's 503-yard offensive output. The sold-out stadium featured a crowd of 11,702 as it set a new Roos Field record. The previous record of 11,583 was set on Oct. 7, 2006 versus Montana. Eastern also set a new record for student attendance of 3,105, as the previous high was 2,218 in a 2008 game versus Montana.
* Other games in the series have also been filled with suspense. Eastern knotted the 2009 meeting at 34 with 4:58 to play, only to have the Grizzlies drive for the winning score with 1:18 left in a 41-34 victory. In 2007, Eastern kicked a go-ahead field goal with 2:20 to play before top-ranked Montana kicked the game-winner with 26 seconds to play after converting a fourth-and-10 play. Eastern wide receiver Aaron Boyce had the fourth-best receiving effort in Big Sky Conference history with a school-record 17 catches in the 2007 meeting to earn NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Week honors from The Sports Network. His 232 receiving yards were the second-most in school history, and Eagle quarterback Matt Nichols passed for a career-high 451 yards to rank third all-time at EWU at the time.
* In 2004, Montana blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt by the Eagles with 18 seconds remaining as the 23rd-ranked Eagles fell to the fifth-ranked Grizzlies 31-28 in a showdown for first place in front of a Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) record crowd of 10,754.
* In 2002 at Albi Stadium in Spokane, Eastern beat the No. 1 ranked and unbeaten Grizzlies 30-21, ending Montana's record-tying winning streak in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision at 24 games. It was the first Big Sky Conference loss for UM head coach Joe Glenn, and snapped Montana's record winning streaks of 25 Big Sky games in a row and 13 league road games in a row. And in the process, the Eagle victory opened the door for Montana State and Idaho State to share the conference title with the Grizzlies.
 
 
 

 
Quoting Beau Baldwin

 
On MSU Win: "Montana State dialed up some things early, they were executing and they made some plays early, but our defense settled in. Our offense would get going and sputter in spots, but our defense kept getting stops and turnovers throughout the rest of the game. We're proud whenever we go on the road and find a way to win against a very good team at a tough place to play. You know that's special and we had to work for it."
 
On Offensive Adjustments: "Our players work hard to feel that regardless of what a defense does against us we should have answers. But it was tough at times against Montana State. We're going to go through moments where we have to grind and it isn't perfect. But we have to believe in the next series we're going to find a way to get in the zone and do it. Our players have a belief of that, and none of them care who gets the credit or gets the ball. There are a lot of players who have the ability to get a lot of touches, but they are all very selfless in that way. They are excited about their teammate and whoever has the hot hand. That what makes it special – the way they support each other in those moments."
 
On 17-0 Advantage in Second Half: "It's not by accident we're playing good in the second half – we began to build that months ago. It's a combination of the work ethic year around, and that builds you both physically and mentally. Our players are ready to make adjustments at halftime and find different things to attack in the second half. It's been pleasant to see them find ways to get better as we go through a game. It takes a lot of grind to get to that point as a football team."
 
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 by Returning Players

 
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. Njoku, who tore his Achilles just after arriving at EWU following his transfer from Washington State, was replacing Cole Karstetter, who also suffered a ruptured Achilles.
 
 
Defense (242 starts by 21 players): Miquiyah Zamora 39, Samson Ebukam 31, Matthew Sommer 25, Victor Gamboa 21, Zach Bruce 17, Nzuzi Webster 16, Andre Lino 15, Mitch Fettig 15, Keenan Williams 9, Albert Havili 9, Jay-Tee Tiuli 8, Alek Kacmarcik 7, Josh Lewis 6, J.J. Njoku 5, Cole Karstetter 5, Jake Hoffman 5, D'londo Tucker 3, Ketner Kupp 2, Kurt Calhoun 1, Jonah Jordan 1, Conner Baumann 2 (one as a fullback).
 
Offense (200 starts by 22 players): Cooper Kupp 45, Kendrick Bourne 26, Zach Wimberly 19, Shaq Hill 18, Jabari Wilson 14, Jordan West 13, Nick Ellison 9, Gage Gubrud 7, Tristen Taylor 7, Chris Schlichting 7, Matt Meyer 7, Nic Sblendorio 6, Jerrod Jones 5, Spencer Blackburn 4, Antoine Custer Jr. 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).