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#3 Eastern Washington­­­­­­­ University "Eagles" versus Portland State University "Vikings"  Friday, Nov. 18 • 7:42 p.m. Pacific Providence Park (18,627) • Portland, Ore.
TV:	Live regionally on ROOT Sports Northwest and DirecTV Audience Network (channel 239).
­­­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=ptsu
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.

With so much on the line, and an eight-game winning streak, the Eastern Washington University football team closes the regular season on the road against a real nemesis. The third-ranked Eagles can clinch a share of the Big Sky Conference title and make its postseason life sweet with a victory Friday (Nov. 18) at Portland State at Providence Park in Portland, Ore.
 
Kickoff is 7:42 p.m. Pacific time in a game televised live regionally on ROOT Sports. 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.
 
Eastern, 9-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the Big Sky, is gunning for its ninth league title and 12th NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff berth in school history. If Eastern can beat the Vikings, they will garner the league's automatic berth, plus most likely secure a top two seed and have home-field advantage leading up to the FCS Championship game on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas (9 a.m. Pacific time on ESPN2).
 
After the Eagles close the regular season at PSU, two days later EWU will find out its playoff fate. Regardless of the outcome of the PSU game, Eastern expects to have its name on the screen when the pairings are announced on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 8 a.m. Pacific time on ESPNU.
 
The Eagles take on a PSU team just 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the league following last week's 42-35 loss at Sacramento State. But last year the Vikings handed EWU a 34-31 loss at Roos Field, as well as a 43-26 pounding in in 2011 at Roos Field. Eagle victories in 2012 (41-34) and 2013 (42-41) both came down to touchdown drives by the Eagles with 31 and 85 seconds remaining, respectively. Portland State, with a 20-17-1 advantage in the all-time series, is the only Big Sky school other than Montana to have a winning record all-time against the Eagles.
 
"We have to be able to handle the short week and be ready for a battle," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin of the Vikings, who are coached by former Eagle football player and 1987 graduate Bruce Barnum. "I don't know many games with Portland State that haven't been battles. Every year. No matter what our record is and no matter what their record is, we expect a battle and it will be no different this week going to Portland."
 
The Eagles can only hope to tie 8-0 North Dakota, which rallied from a 31-10 deficit to beat Northern Arizona 38-31 last week. But EWU and UND didn't play each other this season. Thus, the tiebreaker in the event both teams are unbeaten comes down to the Sagarin Rankings, and EWU has a commanding edge because of a 2-1 record during the toughest preseason schedule in school history. Eastern is second in FCS and 69th among all Division I schools, while North Dakota is 21st among FCS schools and 129th overall. North Dakota State is No. 1 in FCS and 55th overall.
 
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, the first of four victories during the winning streak over nationally-ranked foes.
 
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. In the Athlon Power Rankings, the Eagles remained No. 2, with season-long No. 1 North Dakota State retaining the top spot despite a loss to South Dakota State on Oct. 15. In the second set of rankings released by the FCS Selection Committee on Nov. 10, the top five teams were Jacksonville State, Eastern Washington, North Dakota State, James Madison and Sam Houston State.
 
 
 
 

Senior Day at Roos Field

 
A total of 12 Eastern seniors played their final regular season game at Roos Field against Idaho State on Nov. 12, including 11 starters in the 2016 season. The only non-starter is quarterback Jordan West, who started 13 games during his sophomore and junior seasons, and was given the start versus Idaho State. In all, the 12 seniors have now started 285 games with nine of the 12 concluding their careers as four-year letterwinners. From 2013-16, Eastern has won 38 games overall and 27 in the Big Sky Conference, with two outright Big Sky Conference championships and NCAA Football Championship Playoff berths when most played as freshmen and sophomores. Wide receiver Shaq Hill actually started his career in 2012 when the Eagles finished 11-3 overall and 7-1 in the Big Sky in the first year of a three-peat as league champs and FCS Playoffs participant. Hill redshirted in 2015, thus, he could become the first player to see action in four years to win Big Sky titles each year, with a collective record of 43-10 overall and 29-2 in the league. The only player in school history to letter in four playoff years is kicker Kevin Miller (2009-10-12-13), and Hill could be the second.
 

11 - #Kendrick Bourne - WR - 6-3 - 190 - Sr. - 4L - Portland, Ore. (Milwaukie Arts Academy '13) – 29 starts
2 - #Jabari Wilson - RB - 5-11 - 200 - Sr. - 4L* - Carson, Calif. (Orange Lutheran HS '12) – 17 starts
5 - Jordan West - QB - 6-4 - 220 - Sr. - 3L* - Maple Valley, Wash. (Liberty HS '12) – 14 starts
60 - #Jerrod Jones - OL - 6-4 - 300 - Sr. - 3L* - Arlington, Wash. (Lakewood HS '12) – 5 starts
94 - #Matthew Sommer - DL - 6-5 - 300 - Sr. - 4L - Salem, Ore. (West Salem HS '13) – 28 starts
23 - #J.J. Njoku - DB - 5-9 - 200 - Sr. - 2L* - Tacoma, Wash. (Lakes HS '12) – 7 starts

Senior Co-Captains . . .
32 - #Zach Bruce - DB - 5-10 - 195 - Sr. - 4L* - Spokane, Wash. (University HS '12) – 20 starts
3 - #Samson Ebukam - DL - 6-3 - 240 - Sr. - 4L - Portland, Ore. (David Douglas HS '13) – 34 starts
1 - #Shaq Hill - WR - 5-10 - 180 - Sr. - 4L* - Stockton, Calif. (Brookside Christian HS '11) – 21 starts
10 - #Cooper Kupp - WR - 6-2 - 215 - Sr. - 4L* - Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS '12) – 48 starts
9 - #Zach Wimberly - TE - 6-2 - 240 - Sr. - 4L* - Tumwater, Wash. (Tumwater HS '12) – 20 starts
4 - #Miquiyah Zamora - LB - 6-1 - 230 - Sr. - 4L* - Pasco, Wash. (Chiawana HS '12) – 42 starts
#Starter in 2016. *Used redshirt season. #Starter in 2016. *Used redshirt season.
 
 
 
 

Records/Milestone Watch

 
Now With The FCS Receiving Record Triple, Kupp Now Up to 13 FCS Records, 10 Big Sky Marks and 22 School Records
 
Sensational senior wide receiver Cooper Kupp has now broken 13 FCS, 10 Big Sky and 22 EWU records in his illustrious 48-game Eastern career. He had the first rushing touchdown of his career and a punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter versus Idaho State on Nov. 12, setting the stage for his FCS record-breaking performance in the fourth period. Already the owner of FCS career records with 68 receiving touchdowns and 5,994 yards, he now has 396 receptions to break the previous record of 395 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09. Kupp had previously exceeded the FBS record of 387 held by Justin Hardy of East Carolina from 2011-14, making him the all-time NCAA Division I leader for receptions, in addition to yards and TDs. He tied and broke the record in the fourth quarter of the 48-31 win over ISU on short catches of 8 and 3 yards from backup quarterback Jordan West, also an Eagle senior. Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin promptly called timeout and presented the reigning Payton Award and FCS Offensive Player of the Year the record-breaking ball.
 
He broke a 12th FCS all-time mark on Oct. 29 versus Montana when he caught a pass in his 46th-straight game, and has since extended it to 48. Jacksonville State's Josh Barge also has a current total of 48 in a row, and he and Kupp passed the record of 45 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 35-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 had a streak of 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 (588) and combined career yards (8,838). In addition, Kupp's 124.9 average reception yards per game is currently a FCS career record, while his other six FCS records were set during his freshman season.
 
Kupp broke the school record for career all-purpose yards on Oct. 22 at Montana State – he now has 6,562 to break the previous record of 5,934 set by Eric Kimble from 2002-05. With Kupp now ranking third in Big Sky history, the only players ahead of him on the Big Sky list are Charles Dunn (Portland State, 1997-00) with 6,633 and Charles Roberts (Sacramento State, 1997-00) with a record total of 7,112. Both were running backs, as Kupp bested the top receiver on the list, 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 5,994 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 68 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), and is nearing 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). Thus, he is 183 yards from the all-division collegiate record.
 
For catches, the FBS record is 387 held by Justin Hardy of East Carolina from 2011-14, and Kupp exceeded that on Nov. 5 against Cal Poly. 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 has exceeded the NCAA Division II record (386, Justin Bernard, St. Anselm, 2010-14), but trails the all-time marks in 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 192 career receptions for 2,838 yards and 25 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 Tony Davis (213 from 2006-09) and his wide receivers coach Nicholas Edwards (215 from 2009-12) the next players to catch. Bourne is now sixth in yards, moving past the total of 2,634 by Edwards against Montana on Oct. 29, and is 175 yards from fifth (3,013, Tony Brooks, 1990-93).
 
Teammate Shaq Hill has 159 career catches to rank 13th in school history, good for 2,551 yards (ninth) and 28 touchdowns (fifth). He had a school-record four touchdown day against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8 and had three more at Cal Poly on Nov. 5, and is one touchdown from ranking fifth in that category. He is six receptions from the No. 12 position (165, Greg Herd, 2009-12) and only nine from jumping all the way to eighth (168, Kyler Randall, 2000-03). Hill is also 15 yards from moving into eighth (2,566, Tony Davis, 2006-09) and 83 from catching his wide receivers coach (2,634, Nicholas Edwards, 2009-12).
 
In all, the trio of Hill, Bourne and Cooper Kupp have combined for 747 catches for 11,389 yards and 122 touchdowns in 148 games played (98 starts). Adding junior Nic Sblendorio (34 games, 8 starts, 67 catches, 911 yards, 5 TD) and that quartet has a combined 182 games worth of experience (106 starts) with 814 catches for 12,300 yards (15.1 per catch) and 127 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 2,290 yards to pass the 2,176 of Craig Richardson from 1983-86. With 94 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 4,949 all-purpose yards are currently fourth in school history, and he needs only 72 to move into third (5,021, Taiwan Jones, 2008-10).
 
 
Ebukam Moves Now in Top 10 in School History With 19 Sacks
 
Senior defensive end Samson Ebukam had a sack versus Idaho State on Nov. 12, giving him 19 in his career to rank 10th in school history. He also had a pair of sacks in EWU's season opener against Washington State, a sack versus Montana and a half-sack against Northern Iowa. A 34-game starter as an Eagle, Ebukam has 167 tackles in his 49-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.
 
In his most recent outing, Ebukam had eight tackles, a sack, one pass broken up and three quarterback hurries in a 48-17 Senior Day victory on Nov. 12 versus Idaho State. Eastern's defense kept ISU's offense in check all night, giving up 133 passing yards and 159 rushing. Eastern's defense finished with four sacks, five quarterback hurries and six passes broken up. Idaho State had two turnovers and had to punt nine times, with the Eagle defense allowing just 3.4 yards per play and recording five three-and-outs.
 
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 Oct. 22. He had four tackles, including one on a forced fumble that was recovered by the Eagles. 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 340 Career Tackles, Zamora Just One From No. 6 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 340 to rank seventh all-time at EWU. The next players for him to catch are Matt Johnson with 341 (2008-11), Derek Strey with 346 (1994-97) and Jason Marsh with 347 (1991-93). Zamora ranks 34th in FCS and fifth in the league with an average of 9.2 tackles per game, while teammate Zach Bruce has an 8.4 average to rank 57th and 10th, respectively,
 
Zamora had the 10th double-figure performance of his career and fifth this season when he had 11 against Idaho State on Nov. 12. He 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 now punted 65 times as an Eagle for a 41.4 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 59.4 yards (5,527 total yards) in 93 career kickoffs with 36 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

 
Eagles Can Join Select List of Teams Finishing Unbeaten in Big Sky
 
Currently 7-0 heading into this week's Portland State game, Eastern could join Montana as the only multiple unbeaten teams since 1987 when the Eagles joined the league. In those 30 years, only 11 teams have finished unbeaten, including EWU in 2013. North Dakota has also done it this year, Idaho in 1989, Nevada in 1991 and Montana in seven seasons (1993-96-00-01-06-07-09). In all, there have been a total of 22 unbeaten seasons in 53 years of Big Sky Conference football, not counting Montana State's 3-0 finish in 1964 in a five-team league and Boise State's 7-0 mark in 1979 when it was ineligible for the title.
 
 
Defense Holds Last Four Opponents to 71 Points to Lower Big Sky Average to 23.0 Per Game
 
The Eagles have won their last four games by an average of 26.7 points per game, led by a defense which has allowed just 71 points (17.8 per game) in those four victories. Eastern's defense has allowed only 23.9 points per game (167 total) during its 7-0 Big Sky Conference start after allowing 40.7 against three challenging non-conference opponents. Eastern has out-scored opponents by an average of 23.0 points per game in seven league games thus far (46.9 to 23.9, total of 328-167).
 
A year after allowing 57 points in a 41-point setback to Montana, the Eagle defense allowed just 16 in the rematch on Oct. 29 at Roos Field in EWU's 35-16 victory. The 16 points for the Griz was their lowest total in the last 33 games in the series dating back 32 years to a 14-14 tie in 1984. Four of Montana's seven possessions in the first half ended with an interception, a missed fourth-down conversion, a missed field goal and two punts. In the second half, Eastern had an interception and forced Montana to punt four times – including a pair of three-and-outs.
 
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive 39-6 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 39 of their last 45 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. Eastern has won 29 of its last 33 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 33 of their last 37 versus conference foes, and are 43-6 since the 0-2 start in 2011. As a result, head coach Beau Baldwin has a 57-14 Big Sky record for a winning percentage of .803 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His .726 winning percentage overall (82-31) is seventh all-time in the 53-year history of the Big Sky.
 
 
Eagles Resume November Excellence After Burp in 2015
 
In November and beyond since 2004, the Eagles are now 40-13, including an 11-7 record in the FCS Playoffs. Since 2010, Eastern is 25-6 overall in November and beyond, with the lone setbacks coming in 2015 to Portland State, Montana and Northern Arizona, and in the FCS Playoffs to Illinois State in 2014 (quarterfinals), Towson in 2013 (semifinals) and Sam Houston State in 2012 (semifinals). Until losing to Northern Arizona on Nov. 7, 2015, Eastern had won its last 19 regular season games in November, dating back to a 15-13 loss to Sacramento State on Nov. 1, 2008. Since 2004, EWU has lost just six regular season games in November (NAU, Portland State and Montana in 2015; Sac State and Weber State in 2006; and Cal Poly in 2005), with an overall record of 29-6.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
 
 
50th Season at Roos/Woodward Field Begins 4-0
 
Eastern is now 5-0 in the 50th season of football at EWU's current stadium location. With 9,302 on hand for the ISU game on Nov. 12, Eastern has a current streak of 20 consecutive regular season sellouts and a total of 30 (crowds of 8,600 or more). The Montana game on Oct. 29 had a crowd of 11,931 to rank as the fifth-most in school history, with the top three coming versus the Griz (11,702 in 2010, 11,583 in 2006 and 11,339 in 2014). Of those 50 years, 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. Eastern is 39-7 overall (85 percent) since the red turf was installed in 2010 – including a 4-0 record versus rival Montana. Eastern has a 152-62 record (71.0 percent) in 214 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.
 
 
On School Record Pace, Eastern Still Second in Total Offense and Maintains Lead in Passing Offense
 
Eastern ranks second in FCS in total offense with an average of 551.2 yards per game, trailing only Sam Houston State at 592.4 per outing. After nine games, Eastern is the FCS leader in passing offense (417.1 yards per game), and is second in completion percentage (.694), third in scoring offense (45.1), third in third down conversions (53.7 percent) and fourth in passing efficiency (175.0). 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 (yardage record is 5,247 set in 2013).
 
 
With Streak of 251 Pass Attempts Without an Interception Ended versus Montana, Eagles Rank 20th in FCS in TO Margin
 
The Eagles are ranked 20th this week in FCS in turnover margin, with an average of +0.7 per game (22 total takeaways and 15 giveaways). The Eagles had a streak of 251 passes without an interception snapped versus Montana on Oct. 29, a streak that went back to a third-quarter interception versus Northern Iowa on Sept. 17. Sophomore Gage Gubrud had his personal string of passes without an interception snapped at 222 when the Grizzlies tipped and intercepted a pass in the third quarter. He had a second interception in the fourth period. The Big Sky record is 342, and Eastern's Matt Nichols stretches of 151 and 267 (school record) without a pick as a senior in 2009 when he had only six interceptions in 458 total attempts.
 
 
Eastern Now 36-0 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 and a 3-1 lead over Cal Poly. Eastern had a trio of interceptions by Bruce, Tucker and Nzuzi Webster at NAU in winning its first turnover battle in seven games 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 and tied Montana 2-2 on Oct. 29. Despite a 48-17 win over Idaho State on Nov. 12, EWU lost the turnover battle in that game 4-2.
In eight-plus seasons (­2008-present) under head coach Beau Baldwin, the Eagles are 45-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 20-5 when they've been tied and 17-25 when they've lost (total of 82-31). 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 36-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 17-4 when they've been tied and 15-18 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 68-22 (76 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 157-48 Advantage in Third Quarter and 270-98 in Second Half
 
Despite trailing at halftime in five of 10 games this season, a big part of EWU's 9-1 record is the team's third-quarter production, having outscored opponents 157-48 in that period. 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, 7-0 versus Montana State, 14-6 against Montana, and 14-7 versus both Cal Poly and Idaho State. Eastern has had a fourth quarter advantage in eight of its last nine games (with one 0-0 tie), and owns a 113-50 advantage for the season. Eastern has a 270-98 advantage in the second half, but a 181-185 disadvantage in the first half (78-76 in first quarter, 103-109 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 of OT. EWU missed a 49-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have won it.
 
 
Eagles Record 52nd 50-Point Performance, With 13 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 13 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.
 
 
Eastern is 23-11 (68 percent) Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents
 
The Eagles have now played 117 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 52-65 (.444) in those games, including a 17-41 mark (.293) versus top 10 foes. Since 2010, though, the Eagles are 23-11 overall (.676) and 8-6 (.571) versus top 10 teams. Thus far this year, EWU is 4-1, having lost 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, beat No. 25 Northern Arizona 50-35 on Sept. 24, defeated No. 16 Montana 35-16 on Oct. 29 and then knocked off No. 14 Cal Poly 42-21 on Nov. 5.
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.
 
 
 
 
 

Player Game Notes

 
Cooper Kupp Sets Big Sky Records with 72 Touchdowns & 434 Points
 
You name it, and Cooper Kupp does it, although he saves the defense for his younger brother, Ketner Kupp.
 
The senior has piled up Big Sky Conference and school records with 72 touchdowns in his career, good for a record total of 434 points. The previous league records were 61 TDs (Charles Dunn, Portland State, 1997-00 and Sherriden May, Idaho, 1991-94) and 413 points (Dan Carpenter, Montana, 2004-07). Of his 72 touchdowns, Kupp has scored 68 via receiving, three on punt returns (school record) and one via rushing. He has also passed for four scores, thus accounting for 76 in his career.
 
Ahead just 27-17 in the third quarter, Kupp sparked the Eagles to a 48-17 victory over Idaho State on Nov. 12 by returning a third-quarter punt 76 yards for a score. It was a school record-tying third of his career, having also had a 76-yarder versus Idaho State last season and a 67-yarder versus Montana in 2014. As a result, Kupp was selected as the Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week – the sixth time he has been honored by the league office in his career (four on offense, two on special teams).
 
Kupp also had the first rushing touchdown of his career earlier in the third quarter versus ISU, setting the stage for a record-breaking performance in the fourth period when he established a new FCS mark for career receptions.
 
Against 14th-ranked Cal Poly on Nov. 5, Kupp actually passed for more touchdowns than he had receiving. Kupp passed for two touchdowns in the third quarter to open up a 35-14 lead, and then he added a TD reception in the fourth quarter to clinch the 42-21 win over the Mustangs. Kupp finished with 11 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown, to go along with his 2-of-2 passing with TD passes of 28 and 10 yards to Shaq Hill.
 
Kupp has now had more than 100 yards receiving 29 times in 48 career games, and 14 times he has had at least 10 catches. He has scored at least once in 40 of 48 games he has played.
 
Kupp has 85 catches for 1,431 yards in just nine games played this season, already ranking seventh and 11th, respectively, in school history. He currently holds down the 1-2-4-7 season marks in receptions, and 2-3-5-11 in yards.
 
 
Gage Gubrud on Pace to Set EWU & Big Sky Total Offense Mark
 
Sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud has put up some remarkable numbers in his first season as EWU's starter, so impressive in fact that he may set a pair of Big Sky Conference records and rank among the top three in NCAA Championship Subdivision history. His average of 376.7 passing yards per game is just off of the Big Sky record of 379.6 set by Dave Dickenson of Montana in 1995. Gubrud's average for total offense is 418.8, with the Big Sky record currently owned by Jamie Martin of Weber State with a 394.3 average in 1991. Gubrud's total offense mark currently ranks fourth in FCS history, with the record owned by Steve McNair of Alcorn State (527.2 in 1994). The passing record is owned by Willie Totten of Mississippi Valley State (455.7 in 1984) and Gubrud currently ranks seventh. Gubrud is well ahead of school records for average yards passing (364.5 set by Bo Levi Mitchell in 2011) and total offense (376.8 set by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2014).
 
Interestingly, Martin won the 1991 Payton Award given to the top offensive player in FCS, McNair won in 1994, Dickenson won in 1995, Mitchell won in 2011 and Adams was a two-time runner-up. In 2012, Old Dominion's Taylor Heinicke won the award and he is currently No. 3 all-time in FCS with averages of 390.5 passing yards and 426.6 yards of total offense per game. The Payton Award started in 1987, three years after Totten's big numbers.
 
 
Now on STATS Watch List, Gage Gubrud Remains NCAA Statistical Leader in Passing and Total Offense
 
Bidding to lead FCS in passing offense for the second-straight year, Eastern has been led by sophomore Gage Gubrud in his first year as a starter. The 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School has passed for 3,767 yards, 36 touchdowns and a .690 completion percentage, and has also rushed for a team-leading 421 yards (4.3 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.
 
Gubrud is the FCS leader in total offense at 418.8 per game, passing yards (3,767) and passing yards per game (376.7), and is second in points responsible per game (25.0), total points responsible for (248) and passing touchdowns (37). He is also third in completion percentage (.690) and fourth in passing efficiency (173.6). He is already among EWU's season leaders for passing yards (fifth), touchdown passes (second) and total offensive yards (third with 4,188).
 
Teammate Cooper Kupp missed 1 1/2 games with a shoulder injury, but leads FCS in receiving yards per game (136.7), is second in receptions per game (9.4), and is fifth in receiving touchdowns (12). Senior Kendrick Bourne is 23rd in receptions per game (6.0) and 16th in receiving yards per game (91.5), while senior Shaq Hill is 33rd in average receptions (5.8), 21st in average yards (89.0) and leads in receiving touchdowns with 14. That trio is 1-2-4 in the Big Sky in receiving yards per game, 1-4-6 in receptions per game, and 1-2-10 in touchdown receptions (Bourne has five).
 
 
Antoine Custer Jr. Makes Big Plays Rushing & Returning for Eagles
 
True freshman running back Antoine Custer Jr., had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, and first of the season for the Eagles in EWU's 48-17 win over Idaho State on Nov. 12. He finished with 141 yards on 12 carries, including an 83-yard touchdown in the second quarter which equals the ninth-longest in school history. It was the first 100-yard rushing performance by an Eagle in EWU's last 15 games dating back to Jalen Moore's 128-yard performance at Northern Colorado. His 141 were the most for an Eagle in 19 games since Jabari Wilson had 188 versus Montana State earlier in the 2015 season. While EWU's offense ended up with four turnovers and had to punt three times, the Eagles had excellent balance with 281 on the ground and 276 through the air. Eastern finished with a total of 557, including 209 in the third quarter. It was the first time in 23 games the Eagles had more rushing yards than passing yards, dating back to a playoff win over Montana on Dec. 6, 2014, when the Eagles had 212 on the ground and 182 through the air.
 
Custer 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 33.3 average on seven returns. Teammate Nsimba Webster had an earlier 65-yard return against UC Davis, but broke his clavicle in the process. Senior Shaq Hill, who was a freshman All-American as a returner, had a 43-yarder against Montana on Oct. 29 and is averaging 19.1 on eight returns. Webster has a 29.8 average per return, and EWU's 22.9 average as a team ranks fourth in the Big Sky and 19th nationally. In addition, Eastern's 20.5 average on punt returns – including a 22.9 average for Cooper Kupp – ranks first in the league and third in FCS.
 
"That whole unit has been fantastic," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin said of the kickoff return unit. "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 62 times for a net of 289 yards and four touchdowns, and has caught 19 passes for 137 yards and a score. He missed the Northern Colorado game on Oct. 8 with a concussion. He was also very productive in a 42-21 win at Cal Poly on Nov. 5 when he had 145 all-purpose yards -- 64 yards rushing, 39 on three catches and 42 on two kickoff returns.
 
"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 37 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).
 
 
Familiar With Misfortune, Njoku Making Most of His Opportunities
 
Senior J.J. Njoku suffered an Achilles injury upon transferring to Eastern Washington from Washington State, but the same misfortune by a different player has opened the way for the senior from Tacoma, Wash., to put together an impressive season thus far as EWU's rover.
 
Njoku had seven tackles plus a key fumble recovery in EWU's 42-21 victory over 14th-ranked Cal Poly on Nov. 5. He was credited with assisted tackles on EWU's two fourth-down stops of the Mustangs. Eastern's defense came up big on Cal Poly's first two possession of the second half, forcing a three-and-out before Njoku recovered an errant lateral by the Mustangs. Eastern followed with a 28-yard scoring drive, capped by the second touchdown pass of the night by Cooper Kupp to Shaq Hill, this time for 10 yards to put EWU up 35-14.
 
Njoku has started seven games since starter Cole Karstetter ruptured his Achilles versus North Dakota State on Sept. 10. Njoku has 31 tackles, two passes broken up and two fumble recoveries this season.
 
 
Gubrud a Multiple Recipient of National Player of the Week Honors
 
Sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud has just nine career starts (8-1 record), but 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 addition, he had an impressive string of 222 passes without an interception, going four full games from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22 without a pick.
 
Gubrud was given two more awards on 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.
 
The MSU game was 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.
 
 
Big Sky Player of the Week Cooper Kupp Terrorizes Grizzlies Again in 35-16 Victory to Go Over 1,000 Yards Receiving for Fourth Time
 
His numbers are eye-popping, but the numbers that mean most to senior Cooper Kupp are 5-1 and 10-1.
 
Those are the win-loss records for Eastern Washington University's football team over Montana and collectively against UM and Montana State since he arrived on campus in 2012. With three touchdowns receiving and a 54-yard pass to set-up another score, he helped guide Eastern to a 35-16 victory over the Griz on Oct. 29 to earn Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors from the league office as well as College Sports Madness. He had eight catches for 140 yards, including TD receptions of 69, 40 and 5 yards. Against the Grizzlies he went over the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his career, with only 13 other performances with at least that amount in school history.
 
In five games versus the Montana Grizzlies, Kupp has had 50 touches against the Griz, resulting in an average of 16.8 yards, eight touchdowns and one 54-yard play down to the Montana 2-yard line. And best of all, five victories in six games versus Montana since his redshirt season in 2012.
 
"His biggest attribute is his consistency, and that he continues to find ways to produce when everybody's eyes are on him," said head coach Beau Baldwin. "But he'll be the first to tell you it's easy to be get open and find success when he's playing around a lot of other great players. Whenever that moment is there, he makes a play. That's why he has such huge numbers over the years – he doesn't miss an opportunity. And the reason he doesn't miss those opportunities is that he prepares to such a level that when an opportunity presents itself, he gets it done time after time after time. Plus, he has the guts and the toughness not to be worried about any moment – he just goes out and gets it done."
 
He now has career totals of 45 catches for 660 yards and six touchdowns in five games against the Griz, as well as a punt return for a TD and a passing score. He is 2-of-2 passing versus the Griz, including a 54-yard pass to sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud that set-up a score in the 2016 meeting and a 21-yard touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne in 2015. He has had three punt returns for 103 yards and an average of 34.3 yards per return. Thus, his total on 50 touches against UM is 838 yards for an average of 16.8 per touch.
 
 
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. That was a big kick, and a big drive altogether. 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-11 kicking field goals and has made 54-of-55 extra points. He has also averaged 57.1 yards on 28 kickoffs with six touchbacks. In his 14-game career, Alcobendas has made 7-of-12 field goals and 76-of-79 extra points.
 
 
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 with seven catches for 153 yards and four touchdowns against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8, 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 58 catches for 890 yards and 14 touchdowns, which are the 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.
 
 
Bruce Has Interceptions in Games Versus UNC, NAU and MSU
 
Senior safety Zach Bruce had three interceptions in a four-game span, 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 59th in FCS and sixth in the Big Sky with an average of 0.3 interceptions per game. He is also 10th in the league and 57th nationally with an average of 8.4 tackles per game (team-leading 84 total). A former walk-on, Bruce now has 196 tackles, five interceptions and six passes broken up in his 46-game career (20 as a starter). He had 13 tackles – his fourth double-figure performance of his career and third this season – against Montana on Oct. 29.
 
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.
 
 
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, finishing 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, 2015, 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 72 total touchdowns and has accounted for 76 in his 48-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 (8.25), 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 40 of 48 games he has played, with 28 performances of at least eight catches (14 with 10 or more) and 29 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 38 games overall and 27 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/Opponent Notes

 
* The Eagles have a total of seven players from Oregon on its roster, including starting sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud out of McMinnville High School (2014 graduate). Three senior starters are also from Oregon -- wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (attended Milwaukie Arts Academy '13 and played for Milwaukie High School), defensive end Samson Ebukam (David Douglas HS '13) and Matthew Sommer (Salem HS '13). All three seniors played as true freshmen in 2013 and have not redshirted.Five others played across the Columbia River in Washington in either Vancouver or Camas.

* Portland State head coach Bruce Barnum played for Eastern under legendary head coach Dick Zornes, and graduated from EWU in 1987. He redshirted in 1982 and was on the roster in 1983 but didn't letter for the Eagles after coming from Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Wash. His nickname has stuck too -- in the '82 football media guide he was listed as "Barney" and the style of football played in PSU in 2015 is called "Barnyball." On his coaching staff at PSU is former Eagle assistant coach Malik Roberson, who is currently PSU's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Roberson was at EWU from 2000-01 (student assistant) and again from 2002-07 (defensive line coach) under Paul Wulff. Former Eastern defensive end Jason Belford is PSU's defensive line coach. He played for the Eagles from 2005-08 and received his degree in 2008.

* Eastern linebacker coach Josh Fetter was defensive line coach at Portland State from 2006-09. In the 2009 season, two of his Viking linemen earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors, and in 2007, all three of his regular starters were all-league. In 2006, PSU led the Big Sky in turnover margin, passing efficiency defense, sacks per game, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red-zone defense. The Vikings shut-out Eastern 34-0 in 2006, beat EWU 28-21 in 2007 and knocked off Eastern 47-36 in 2008, then EWU defeated PSU 47-10 in 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle.

* The Eagles have won five of the last seven games versus Portland State, but still trail in the all-time series 20-17-1. Eastern is 9-9 against the Vikings in Portland, including victories in 2010 (50-17) and 2002 (27-24) at Hillsboro Stadium. Eastern is 7-11-1 at home against them and 1-0 in neutral site games. The road team has won 11 of the last 18 meetings, not including a 2009 neutral site game in Seattle. The longest winning streak by either team was by Portland State in the first four games of the series from 1968-71. The teams have played every year since 1990 when PSU was a member of NCAA Division II. The Vikings became a member of the Big Sky in 1996, and EWU leads the series 11-9 since then.
 
 
Looking Back
 
* In a game that featured four lead changes in the first 33 minutes, the Eagles couldn't stop Portland State on third down in the second half and lost 34-31 to the Vikings at Roos Field on Nov. 21, 2015, in a Big Sky Conference showdown for the "Dam Cup." The loss ended EWU's season at 6-5, and helped PSU secure a first-round bye in the FCS Playoffs. Eastern pulled within 34-31 with 5:48 left on a 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown by senior Todd Raynes, but the Vikings were able to run out the clock to improve to 8-2 on the season. The Vikings were 13-of-17 on third down, including all eight in the second half. Eastern led 17-13 at halftime, but Portland State scored twice in the third quarter to take a 27-17 lead thanks to third down conversions. The Vikings converted six-straight in the period, including two third-and-goal situations that resulted in touchdowns. The Vikings also converted on third-and-25 after converting in the first half when facing third downs of 10, 11 and 13 yards. In the final 5:48, PSU converted two more third downs to run out the clock. Cooper Kupp had eight catches for 136 yards and a touchdown. His 78-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter was the longest play of his career. Jabari Wilson rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries and scored a touchdown.  Kendrick Bourne caught five passes for 46 yards, and had a 63-yard touchdown run in the first quarter on a reverse. Reilly Hennessey made his second career start and completed 17-of-27 for 215 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Raynes concluded his Eastern career with 12 tackles, a sack, one other tackle for loss and a fumble recovery he returned 35 yards for a score. Miquiyah Zamora, Zach Bruce and Miles Weatheroy all had nine tackles. Portland State finished with 397 yards and the Eagles had 390. However, the Eagles were just 7-of-12 on third down and fumbled the ball on its lone fourth-down attempt of the game. Eastern, which had 10 turnovers in its previous two games, had four turnovers against the Vikings leading to 13 PSU points. Eastern scored seven points off three PSU turnovers.
 
* In 2014 in Portland, fifth-ranked Eastern secured at least a share of its third-straight Big Sky Conference title – and its eighth overall – with a 56-34 victory over Portland State Nov. 21 at Providence Park in rain-drenched Portland, Ore. While Eastern's passing game was limited by the wet conditions, sophomore Jabari Wilson provided a career-high 132 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to help EWU pull away with 21 points in the third quarter and another 21 in the fourth. Vernon Adams Jr. did his part with 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air, and sophomore All-America wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught nine passes for 147 yards and a score. Junior Shaq Hill added a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and senior safety Tevin McDonald clinched the win with a 73-yard interception return for a score. The Eagle defense gave EWU the lead for good by turning two forced fumbles into scores in the third quarter. In the first half, the Eagles converted two early fourth downs, and turned them both into touchdowns. The first came on EWU's first possession and resulted in a 32-yard TD pass from Adams to Portland native Kendrick Bourne. The second was a 25-yard pass to Terry Jackson II that led to a 1-yard TD run by Wilson to cap a 98-yard drive.  In the last three meetings versus PSU, EWU had managed only 70 yards on 71 carries, but EWU had 185 on 39 carries versus the Vikings. Sophomore safety Zach Bruce, who was making just his third career start as a safety, had his first interception as an Eagle to squelch a PSU threat late in the first quarter. That led to a 98-yard EWU drive that gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead. He later added a second interception in the fourth quarter. Sophomore defensive end Samson Ebukam had a team-leading nine tackles.
* In 2013 in Cheney, quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and wide receiver Cooper Kupp connected for the game-winning touchdown with 31 seconds remaining to help EWU defeat Portland State 42-41 Nov. 23, 2013, at Roos Field.  The victory preserved Eastern's unbeaten Big Sky Conference season and helped the third-ranked Eagles win the league's outright title. The game featured four ties and a pair of lead changes, and EWU did not have a lead in the final three quarters until the game-winning TD. It was EWU's 13th victory since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. The Eagles were aided by a missed PSU extra point on a touchdown with a minute left that gave PSU a short-lived 41-35 lead. Adams had five touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Kupp to cap a frantic four-play, 74-yard drive that started with a minute to play. Kevin Miller's extra point provided the one-point win. Adams completed 34-of-56 passes for 457 yards, setting career highs for attempts and completions and equaling his career-high of 457 yards (broken in the 2014 season). Linebacker Ronnie Hamlin had 14 tackles in a game that featured 1,131 yards of total offense. Portland State finished with 603 and Eastern ended with 528. It was a match-up of the top two offenses in the league, with EWU ranking fourth in FCS in total offense (531.4 per game) and seventh in scoring (40.3), while PSU was just ahead of the Eagles in third in offense (league-leading 534.8 average per game) and 24th in scoring (34.4).

* In 2012 in Portland, "Find a way," were the continual words of Eastern head football coach Beau Baldwin in the waning seconds on Nov. 17 at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Ore. Eastern's All-America wide receivers – and transfer quarterback Kyle Padron -- came up with huge plays when the Eagles needed them most, and EWU secured its sixth Big Sky Conference title with a 41-34 victory over Portland State. Eastern scored the winning points on an eight-play, 94-yard drive to break a 34-all tie with 1:25 to play in a steady downpour. Padron passed for 380 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Nicholas Edwards in the second half as Eastern rallied from season-high deficits of 13 and 12 points. Padron, a junior who transferred that year from Southern Methodist, came off the bench to complete 26-of-38 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for one. He replaced starter Vernon Adams Jr., who was 4-of-7 for 82 yards. Brandon Kaufman had nine catches for 161 yards, including two sensational, highlight-reel catches after tipped balls. Senior Greg Herd added seven catches for 108 yards, and Edwards added four for 77 yards and his two scores. Defensively, senior linebacker Zach Johnson had a pair of interceptions in the second half and three tackles, and junior cornerback T.J. Lee had eight tackles and three passes broken up.  Eastern rushed for four touchdowns, but was held to a paltry rushing total for the second-straight year, finishing with no yards on the ground to go along with 463 through the air.

* In the 2011 loss, Eastern was gashed for more than 300 yards rushing as Portland State ran its way to a 43-26 Big Sky Conference football victory Oct. 29 on Senior Day at Roos Field. That game essentially kept the Eagles from getting a berth in the FCS Playoffs – the PSU loss was EWU's only setback in its last seven games as Eastern overcame an 0-4 start to finish 6-5. The Vikings used their pistol offense to score on four-straight possessions in the second quarter and three-straight possessions in the third. Portland State scored 21 unanswered points to turn a 20-15 EWU lead into a 36-20 advantage in the third quarter. Viking quarterback Connor Kavanaugh rushed for 154 yards and passed for another 147 and a touchdown for PSU, which finished with 338 yards rushing and 499 total yards. Eastern, led by the 440 passing yards of quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, rushed for minus 1 yard as Mitchell was sacked five times. Eastern finished with 439 yards of total offense and lost the turnover battle 3-1. Mitchell completed 20-of-42 passes and had four touchdowns in the loss, including three to Nicholas Edwards and one to Greg Herd. Edwards finished with nine catches for 166 yards and Herd had five receptions for 196 yards (sixth in school history at the time). Safeties Allen Brown and Jeff Minnerly each had 10 tackles for the Eagles, and true freshman middle linebacker Cody McCarthy also had 10.

* In 2010, EWU's Taiwan Jones rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone as eighth-ranked Eastern Washington University defeated PSU 50-17 on Oct. 30, 2010. Eastern finished with 523 yards of offense, and at one point had a 183-5 advantage over the Vikings en route to jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell added 231 yards and two touchdowns through the air, finishing 13-of-23 with no interceptions. Freshman redshirt tight end Zack Gehring finished with a team-high 123 yards on three receptions with a 70-yard touchdown. J.C. Sherritt had 15 tackles to lead the defense. After leading 28-10 at intermission, the Eagles turned a blocked punt by Darriell Beaumonte into a recovery for a touchdown by T.J. Lee to increase the advantage to 18. Eastern scored the next 10 points on a 44-yard field goal by Kevin Miller and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Brandon Kaufman.
 

 
Injury Report

 
* Linebacker Kurt Calhoun (hamstring) missed the Montana, Cal Poly and Idaho State games after getting injured versus Montana State on Oct. 22. Senior starting center Jerrod Jones (knee) missed his seventh-straight game versus Idaho State and remains out indefinitely. After missing two games, starting tackle Nick Ellison (rib) returned to start against Montana State. Backup offensive lineman Will Gram (concussion) missed three games starting with the Northern Arizona game, and as a result, Eastern converted a defensive lineman (Jakob Stoll) and tight end (Beau Byus) to the offensive line. Wide receiver Nsimba Webster broke his clavicle on a 61-yard kickoff return against UC Davis on Oct. 1 and is also out indefinitely.
* Previously, running back Antoine Custer Jr. (concussion) missed the UNC game, and backup defensive back Asan Neil-Evergin (groin) missed the UNC and UC Davis games. 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 and will redshirt
 
 
 

Quoting Beau Baldwin

 
On Potential of Finishing Unbeaten: "It's huge – this conference is so tough every year. So when you put yourself in a position to finish unbeaten in the conference, that is hard to do. You saw it (Nov. 12) – it was hard for North Dakota and took everything they had to finish unbeaten. They were in a barnburner and got it done even when they were down. We know it's going to take a lot of work and it's a short week. We have to be really disciplined with how we attack this week – Friday is going to come up on us a little quicker so it's a little out of the norm."
 
On Winning By Comfortable Margins: "That's something we've done really well this year. Even when there are times we haven't got it all together and haven't been perfect -- knock on wood -- we still haven't been in a lot of really close ones. Out of conference we had a lot of close games, but in conference it hasn't always been that way. Next week all the sudden it could change. In 2013 it was like that, and then the next thing you know we had to go on a two minute drive to win a game against Portland State at home. It's all in front of us. If you would have told me 11 months ago that we would be in control of our own destiny in this conference, you'd be pretty excited. That's what these guys have done."
 
On Emotion of Day: "It was great to see everybody here, especially a day like this when it's Senior Day. There was a lot of emotion and Coop's record – it was just fun for everybody to be a part of it."
 
On Defense: "Sometimes there is a misconception that every game we play is something like 56-54. That's not true. When you just look at Big Sky play, our defense is right up there near the top of the conference in points allowed. We just play a really tough non-conference schedule which not everybody does. Our guys are making plays and that's part of being a great defense if you can win the turnover battle."
 
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, eight Eagles have made starting debuts. Most recently, junior John Kreifels started at rover versus Idaho State. 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, sophomore linebackers 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 (275 starts by 22 players): Miquiyah Zamora 42, Samson Ebukam 34, Matthew Sommer 28, Victor Gamboa 21, Zach Bruce 20, Nzuzi Webster 18, Andre Lino 18, Mitch Fettig 18, Albert Havili 12, Alek Kacmarcik 10, Keenan Williams 9, Jay-Tee Tiuli 8, Josh Lewis 8, J.J. Njoku 7, Cole Karstetter 5, Jake Hoffman 5, D'londo Tucker 5, Ketner Kupp 2, Kurt Calhoun 1, John Kreifels 1, Jonah Jordan 1, Conner Baumann 2 (one as a fullback).
 
Offense (233 starts by 22 players): Cooper Kupp 48, Kendrick Bourne 29, Shaq Hill 21, Zach Wimberly 20, Jabari Wilson 17, Jordan West 14, Nick Ellison 12, Tristen Taylor 10, Chris Schlichting 10, Matt Meyer 10, Gage Gubrud 9, Nic Sblendorio 8, Spencer Blackburn 7, Jerrod Jones 5, 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).