#8 Eastern Washington University "Eagles" versus #1 North Dakota State University "Bison" Saturday, Sept. 10 • 12:30 p.m. Pacific  Fargodome (18,700) • Fargo, North Dakota
TV:	SWX, ESPN College Extra on Channel 793 & Watch ESPN via Feed from the NBC North Dakota statewide network (Brian Shawn/Lee Timmerman/Beth Hoole)…SWX is available via digital 6.2 in Spokane/Cheney/Coeur d'Alene/Sandpoint/Lewiston, 23.3 in Yakima and 25.3 in the Tri-Cities; also via Comcast 306/112 (Spokane); Davis Cable 514/81.2/12 (Cheney); Time Warner 1245 (Coeur d'Alene & Pullman/Moscow); Charter 183 (Tri-Cities/Yakima), Cable One 466 (Lewiston), Northland Cable 317 (Moses Lake) and Northland Cable 115 (Sandpoint).
Webcast:	http://www.gobison.com/watch/?Live=730
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://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=135119
Weekly Coaches Show:	Starting Sept. 5, Mondays at 6 p.m. at the "Impulse Club" at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, with video highlights and commentary by head coach Beau Baldwin at 5:30 p.m. (no live show at NQ on Oct. 17; plus no video or show on Nov. 21). . .  700-AM ESPN, http://www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app).
Watch Parties:	Consult EWU social media outlets for details the Friday before games. Those who may carry EWU games include "Epic" at Northern Quest Casino and Resort in Airway Heights, Borracho in downtown Spokane and the Swinging Doors in North Spokane.

Villanova is the answer to the trivia question of the week.
 
The two teams which have combined to win the last six NCAA Football Championship Subdivision titles square off this Saturday (Sept. 10) in Fargo, N.D., when eighth-ranked Eastern Washington University takes on top-ranked North Dakota State.
 
Kickoff at the Fargodome is 12:30 p.m. Pacific time in a matchup televised in the Eastern Washington region on SWX and DirecTV channel 791, via a feed from the NBC North Dakota statewide network and ESPN3. 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.
 
North Dakota State is the undisputed heavyweight of the FCS, having won the last five championships and 20-straight playoff games since EWU won the national title in 2010. In the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs that season, a late game-tying drive at EWU's Roos Field led to a 38-31 victory in overtime for the Eagles. The last team to win the national title was Villanova, whose reign ended when the Wildcats fell to the Eagles the week after EWU beat NDSU.
 
The Bison are 49-4 at home since 2010, have won 52-of-53 non-conference games at home with a current streak of 43 in a row since a 2003 loss to UC Davis and are 72-5 overall since 2011. North Dakota State is 8-3 against NCAA Football Bowl Division opponents, including a five-game winning streak they will take to Iowa on Sept. 17.
 
"They have a pretty good resume, huh?" said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin with a laugh, but in all seriousness. "They have an unreal winning streak in non-conference games among other streaks they have. The odds are stacked against us on paper and that's how it's looked at. We respect the heck out of their program, but we aren't concerned about that or what anybody is going to say is supposed to happen. All our team cares about is the great challenge we have ahead of us."
 
Both EWU and NDSU enter this week 1-0, with the Bison maintaining their No. 1 ranking the STATS Top-25 poll and the coaches poll. Eastern is up to eighth in the STATS poll after being ranked 14th in the preseason, and were bumped nine positions to eighth by the coaches.
 
Eastern is coming off a hard-earned and emotional 45-42 victory over Washington State, a Pacific-12 Conference opponent which was coming off a nine-win season and a bowl victory. Thanks to a school record for total offense by sophomore Gage Gubrud in his debut as EWU's starting quarterback, and a record-setting day by reigning FCS Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, the Eagles rolled up 606 yards on the Cougars. And the defense did its part, holding WSU scoreless for a 31-minute span from the second to fourth quarters.
 
North Dakota State needed overtime to win its first game of the season, 24-17 over seventh-ranked Charleston Southern on Aug. 27 in the FCS Kickoff. The following week on Sept. 17, Eastern hosts another Missouri Valley Conference foe when third-ranked Northern Iowa visits "The Inferno" in Cheney. Although EWU is 0-6 all-time versus the Panthers, it will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams in Cheney, Wash. The Panthers also picked up an impressive season-opening win over a FBS foe, winning 25-20 on the road at Iowa State.
 
Eastern's challenging non-conference schedule sets the stage for an equally challenging league schedule which begins Sept. 24 at NAU, picked by both the coaches and media to win the title. The schedule also includes 2015 FCS Playoffs participants Montana (Oct. 29) and Portland State (Nov. 18).
 
Season ticket information is available at: http://www.goeags.com/tickets. Single game tickets for EWU's first three home games went on sale on Sept. 1, and ticket sales for the Montana and Idaho State games begin on Oct. 8 at 9 a.m.
 
 
 
 

Records/Milestone Watch

 
Kupp Sets FCS Record for Career TD Catches, With Reception Yards Next on the Horizon
 
Eastern's Cooper Kupp broke the FCS record for career TD catches with a three touchdown day at Washington State on Sept. 3, and is approaching two other all-time marks. In just 40 career games, Kupp has 59 career touchdown receptions to break the previous FCS record of 58 set by New Hampshire's David Ball from 2003-06.
 
Kupp has now established eight FCS records, eight Big Sky Conference all-time marks and 18 school records. His 124.6 average reception yards per game is currently a FCS career record, while his other six FCS records were set during his freshman season.
 
He is also second in reception yards (4,970, 280 behind the record of 5,250 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09) and third in receptions (323, 72 behind the record of 395 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09).
 
 
Ebukam Moves Into 13th in School History With 16 1/2 Sacks
 
Senior defensive end Samson Ebukam had a pair of sacks in EWU's season opener against Washington State, giving him 16 1/2 in his career to rank 13th in school history. He needs 2 1/2 to move his way into the top 10 on EWU's all-time lists. A 25-game starter in his EWU career, Ebukam finished with six tackles against the Cougars to give him 123 in his 40-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.
 
 
This week's Big Sky Player of the Week, Dascalo Starts Second Season as an Eagle Among Top Punters in School History

In his second year as an Eagle, junior Jordan Dascalo now punted 39 times as an Eagle for a 41.8 career average that currently ranks third in school history. He also is 4-of-5 in his EWU career kicking field goals, and has averaged 58.2 yards in 51 career kickoffs with 16 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 Get 'Special" Win Over Pac-12 Opponent for Second Time in Four Years
 
"Special things don't happen by accident," was among the messages Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin said to his jubilant team after a 45-42 victory over Washington State on Sept. 3 in Pullman, Wash. It was EWU's second victory in four seasons over a Pac-12 opponent, having defeated Oregon State to open the 2013 campaign.
 
Besides a dominant offensive performance, Baldwin also had high praise for a defense which allowed 515 yards but kept the Cougars scoreless for a critical 31-minute stretch from the second quarter to the fourth quarter.
 
Eastern's offense, with five first-time starters, rolled up 606 total yards – 17th-most in school history. They included 474 passing and 77 rushing by Gage Gubrud, a sophomore from McMinnville, Ore. He had five TD passes and ran for a game-clinching 30-yard score to give him a school record 551 yards of total offense. The previous record was 518 set by Vernon Adams Jr. against the Beavers in the 49-46 victory over 25th-ranked OSU.
 
With 12 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns against the Cougars, three-time All-America receiver Cooper Kupp broke the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record with a current total of 59 touchdown receptions. He finishes with 40 catches for 716 yards and 11 touchdowns in four career games against Pacific-12 opponents (WSU, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State). Last season, Kupp set Autzen Stadium records of 15 catches for 246 yards against Oregon (9/5/15), and had three TD grabs.
 
The Eagles are now 10-24 all-time versus members of FBS, with four victories in the last 18 tries – two of them against Idaho. In 2017, Eastern is scheduled to visit Texas Tech (9/2/17) and host NDSU (9/16/17), and EWU has also previously announced agreements to play in 2018 at Washington State (9/15/18) and in 2019 at Washington (8/31/19).
 
 
Great Debut for Passing Game Coordinator Troy Taylor
 
A victory over a Pacific-12 Conference opponent, 606 yards of total offense and a school record by a first-time starter at quarterback was a great way to start the Eagle coaching career of quarterbacks coach & passing game coordinator Troy Taylor.
 
Besides having seven years of high school head coaching experience, Taylor was an assistant coach at Cal from 1996-2000 and was a record-breaking quarterback for the Bears from 1995-96. He even served as a radio analyst at Cal from 2005-2011. Taylor is the former coach of current Washington quarterback Jake Browning, who set numerous national and state passing records while a Parade All-American at Folsom High School near Sacramento, Calif.
 
Taylor himself was a standout high school quarterback, earning Sacramento Bee Player of the Year honors at Cordova High School in 1985. In 1989 at Cal, Taylor led the Pac-10 with an average of 253 total offensive yards per game. He finished his college career as Cal's all-time leading passer with 8,126 yards, a mark that was broken in 2015 by Jared Goff. He received his bachelor's degree in sociology in 1994, and received his master's degree in cross-cultural teaching from National University in Sacramento.
 
 
Five Home Games Featured at Roos Field
 
Eastern plays five home games this season at Roos Field, highlighted by Eastern's annual showdown with Montana on Oct. 29 in Fan Black Out/Ag Day. Eastern's home schedule begins on Sept. 17 versus Northern Iowa for Fan Red Out/Welcome Back/Family Day. The Eagles also host UC Davis (Oct. 1) on Hall of Fame and Believe Day, Northern Colorado (Oct. 8) for Homecoming and Military & Veterans Appreciation Day and Idaho State (Nov. 12) for Senior Day.
 
 
Schedule Includes Non-Conference Trio With 31 Wins Last Season
 
With its three non-conference foes combining to win seven games in the postseason a year ago, Eastern began its season on Sept. 3 with a 45-42 victory at Sun Bowl champion Washington State. The Eagles then play at five-time NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Champion North Dakota State on Sept. 10 in the first of a home-and-home series against the Bison. Eastern, which won the national title in 2010 prior to NDSU's incredible run of five-straight, are scheduled to host the Bison on Sept. 16, 2017, in Cheney. The last team other than EWU or NDSU to win the national title came in 2009 when Villanova beat Montana 23-21 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Eastern knocked off NDSU 38-31 in overtime in the only previous meeting with the Bison on Dec. 11, 2010, in the FCS Playoffs.
 
Eastern's 2016 home opener is versus Northern Iowa on Sept. 17, in a rematch of last year's 38-35 loss for EWU in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Eagles will be looking for their first-ever win against the Panthers when they meet for the seventh time, but first in Cheney.
Eastern's three non-conference foes combined to win 74 percent of their games overall last season (31-11), 72 percent in league play (18-7) and 88 percent in the postseason (7-1). Eastern's 2015 schedule, which featured 2014 national runner-up Oregon, included teams that won 68 percent of their games the year prior (68-36).
 
Washington State finished 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the Pac-12 Conference in 2015, but what made the season most memorable was how they started and ended it. After losing 24-17 to Portland State to open the season, the Cougars ended the year with a 20-14 victory over Miami in the Sun Bowl.
 
North Dakota State dropped its 2015 opener to a Big Sky foe, 38-35 to Montana in Missoula. But the Bison followed with wins over Weber State (41-14) and North Dakota (34-9) on consecutive weeks, then won the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with a 7-1 mark. The team's lone loss in its last 14 games was to South Dakota (24-21), and NDSU roared through the playoffs to finish 13-2. The Bison out-scored opponents 130-36 in the playoffs, including a 37-6 win over Montana, a 23-13 victory over Northern Iowa and a championship game win over top-ranked Jacksonville State 37-10.
 
Besides its win over Eastern, Northern Iowa beat Cal Poly 34-20 prior to opening Missouri Valley Conference play with three setbacks to eventual playoff teams (Illinois State 21-13, North Dakota State 31-28 and Western Illinois 24-19). The Panthers followed with seven-straight wins, including playoff victories over Eastern Illinois (53-17) and Portland State (29-17). Northern Iowa finished 9-5 overall and 5-3 in the MVFC.
 
In 2017, Eastern is scheduled to visit Texas Tech (9/2/17) and host NDSU (9/16/17), and EWU has also previously announced agreements to play in 2018 at Washington State (9/15/18) and in 2019 at Washington (8/31/19).
 
 
Eagles Face League Favorite to Open Big Sky Schedule
 
Eastern's Big Sky Conference schedule begins Sept. 24 at Northern Arizona, which soundly defeated EWU a year ago 52-30 in Cheney. Eastern will host UC Davis on Hall of Fame Day on Oct. 1, followed by another home game against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8. After a bye, Eastern will play at Montana State on Oct. 22 in a league game.
 
Montana, a perennial playoff participant and Big Sky title contender, will visit Cheney on Oct. 29. After a road game at Cal Poly on Nov. 5, the Eagles will have Senior Day on Nov. 12 against Idaho State. Easter closes the regular season Nov. 18 (Friday) at Portland State, which joined Montana as runner-up in the league last season and advanced to the playoffs.
 
Southern Utah, last year's league champion with a 7-1 mark and final 8-4 record, is not on EWU's 2016 schedule for the second-straight season. A year ago, Eastern started 0-2, won six-straight games and then finished with three losses to miss the playoffs. The Eagles were 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Sky to finish in a four-way tie for fourth with NAU, North Dakota and Weber State.
 
 
Eagles Compile 40 Victories Overall and 27 Big Sky Wins in Last Four Years
 
Eastern, which has compiled a 40-14 record overall and 27-5 league mark in the last four years from 2012-15, lost 14 seniors to graduation from its 2015 team.
 
For a program that has made deep playoff runs in recent years and was looking for a Big Sky Conference championship "four-peat," a winning record wasn't exactly what the Eagles expected in 2015. But a hunger to return to national and league prominence in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision will be the off-season quest for the Eagles after they finished 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the league.
 
There were many positives, though, that other schools would hunger for – Eastern led FCS in passing offense with an average of 353.3 yards per game, and were eighth in total offense (478.5). In the last 12 seasons (2004-15), EWU has now ranked in the top 10 in passing 10 times and in total offense on eight occasions. It was the second time EWU has led FCS in passing, matching the 2011 squad, which also was 6-5.
 
The Eagles also finished with the school's 18th winning season in the last 20 years (1996-2015). That includes a current string of nine-straight (2007-15) and another stretch of seven straight (1999-2005), feats that hadn't been accomplished since the Red Reese era when Eastern had a string of 11-straight winning seasons from 1931-1941.
 
After falling to 0-2 on the season with difficult road losses and Oregon and Northern Iowa, the Eagles had their six-game winning streak and 5-0 league start stopped Nov. 7 in a rare home loss, falling 52-30 to surging Northern Arizona. At the time, Eastern was ranked a season-high fourth in FCS in the STATS Top 25 poll. The Eagles ended the regular season ranked 23rd – the 57th-consecutive time the Eagles have been ranked. The streak ended when EWU was unranked in the final poll.
 
Eastern returns 14 starters in 2016, plus the team's kicker, punter and long snapper. Five starters will return on offense, including three wide receivers (three-time All-American Cooper Kupp, Kendrick Bourne and Nic Sblendorio). Wide receiver Shaq Hill, a starter at wide receiver in 2014, is back as an injury redshirt after suffering a knee injury in EWU's opener against Oregon and missing the rest of the season. However, all five starting offensive linemen – plus two backups – were seniors in 2015.
 
All but two starters return to the Eagle defense. Defensive end Samson Ebukam will return for his senior season after receiving second-team All-Big Sky honors in both 2014 and 2015. Nose guard Matthew Sommer earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors both of those seasons.
 
Other returning all-league selections include Kupp, a three-time first-team selection, and Bourne, a second-team choice in 2015 and honorable mention in 2014. Hill has been honored three times previously – third team wide receiver in 2014, honorable mention wide receiver in 2013 and honorable mention return specialist in 2012 when he also earned Freshman All-America honors.
 
 
Eastern Grad Eti Ena Also Joins Eagle Football Coaching Staff
 
Eastern graduate and former Eagle student assistant coach Eti Ena was hired as Eastern's defensive front coordinator and defensive ends coach in January. Ena came to Eastern from Cal Poly where he coached the defensive line from 2013-15, and prior to that spent four seasons (2009-12) as defensive line coach at the University of Idaho.
 
Ena graduated from EWU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in physical education after serving as a student assistant for three seasons from 2003-05 under then-head coach Paul Wulff. Baldwin was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern during Ena's three seasons at EWU. In his first year at Eastern, Ena helped coach linebackers. In the last two – both resulting in Big Sky Conference titles for the Eagles -- he assisted along the defensive line.
 
Ena played linebacker at Utah's Snow College and Walla Walla (Wash.) Community College before transferring to Eastern Washington. A shoulder injury prior to his junior year ended his playing career. He is a 1992 graduate of Inchelium (Wash.) High School and helped lead his team to the State 1B football title as a senior.
 
His cousin, Paul Ena, was a two-time All-Big Sky defensive end for EWU from 2009-12. Eti's uncle and Paul's father, Tali Ena, was a standout running back at Washington State University (1976-79) and went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks. His younger brother, Justin, played at BYU and played four years in the NFL after signing a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002. Justin is now linebackers coach at the University of Utah. Another brother, Packy, is a high school coach at Kapolei High School in Hawaii and formerly played at Oregon State.
 
His name is pronounced "eh-tee" "en-nuh."
 
 
 

Player Game Notes

 
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 in his first game since deciding to return to Eastern Washington University for his senior football season, Cooper Kupp has been selected as this week's STATS National Offensive Player of the Week announced on Monday (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 Cooper Kupp is among the best receivers in college football at any level. In a column by Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports on Sept. 4, Kupp is being regarded as one of five Heisman candidates after the first full week of the college football season. He joins 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 with a current total of 59 touchdown receptions. 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.

It was the pass that caught the eye of Baldwin on the stat sheet after the thrilling win over the Cougars, a performance that wouldn't have happened had Kupp elected to pursue professional opportunities instead.
 
"It means way more than any record or any statistic, and obviously, those are off the charts," said Baldwin of the return of Kupp. "But what I first saw on the stat sheet was 1-of-1 again throwing the ball, so he found a way to do that too."
 
"I joke with our staff that No. 10 is probably more mature than most of us," continued Baldwin on what the return of the 2012 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., means to his program. "And I mean that with how he handles things, and how he brings that maturity level and discipline to our team. As a coach, that's what you want in your locker room – that type of culture and character that Cooper carries."
 
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.
 
The reigning FCS Offensive Player of the Year, Kupp has now established eight FCS records, eight Big Sky Conference all-time marks and 18 school records. His 124.6 average reception yards per game is currently a FCS career record, while his other six FCS records were set during his freshman season.
 
"It's definitely special, but I knew this would be a special year," added Kupp of his fourth and final appearance versus a Pac-12 opponent. "The last eight months in the offseason was completely worth coming back – that was the time we were grinding. To go through what we did with those guys made it worth it. We're starting the fun part of the season knowing that my wife (Anna) and I made the best decision of my life. It's special to get that first win in the way we envisioned."
 
 
Gage Gubrud 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 after accounting for six touchdowns in a 45-42 victory last Saturday (Sept. 3) over Washington State of the Pacific-12 Conference.
 
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 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).
 
The steady progression of the 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School has been witnessed firsthand by EWU team personnel. But 32,952 fans at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., and a national television audience got their first glimpse of his talent and poise.
 
"He didn't get scared or wide-eyed in the moment, and I've seen that before in a lot of great quarterbacks," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "I've called Vernon Adams the best quarterback to play here and he ended up in a couple of those moments – your nervous, and Vernon admitted he had a couple of moments like that early in his career. But Gage was composed, with the exception of his touchdown run when he kind of freaked out and didn't know whether to dive or run it in. He kind of lost if for a second. But outside of that, he played the game like there weren't 32,000 fans and it wasn't loud. He was able to slow down and just play football."
 
"He didn't play perfect – nobody played perfect and I didn't coach perfect," Baldwin said after the game. "You're always searching for that, but he went out there with confidence and attacked it. I think that helps you a lot when you settle down and don't pay attention to everything else that's going on."
 
Gubrud's 30 completions were the ninth-most in school history. He 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.
 
Gubrud helped three-time All-America receiver Cooper Kupp put up some staggering numbers against the Cougars too, finishing with 12 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns. In the process, Kupp broke the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record for career TD receptions with a current total of 59.
 
"The first thing I looked at was Gage throwing only six incomplete passes," Kupp said of his first glance at the stat sheet from the Cougar game. "For Gage to put a game together like that here in his first game starting is special. He ran when he could, got out of stuff to buy himself time and made the throws."
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.
 
 
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 last season. 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.
 
 
Bruce, Ebukam, Wimberly and Hill Join Kupp and Zamora as co-Captains
 
Six players have been chosen 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 last season 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.
 
 
The Question Is, Will There be Enough Balls in the Air?
 
Eastern has always had an arsenal of weapons offensively, but the greatest depth of all for the 2016 season comes at the wide receiver position where the Eagles have almost an embarrassment of riches. Back for the Eagles are three starting wide receivers (Cooper Kupp, Kendrick Bourne and Nic Sblendorio) who combined for 210 catches for 3,006 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2015. Wide receiver Shaq Hill, a starter at wide receiver in 2014, will return as an injury redshirt after suffering a knee injury in EWU's opener against Oregon and missing the rest of the season.
 
In all, the quartet of Kupp, Bourne, Sblendorio and Hill have a combined 147 games worth of experience (78 starts) with 618 catches for 9,454 yards (15.3 per catch) and 97 touchdowns.
 
Kupp is a three-time first-team All-Big Sky selection, and Bourne was a second-team choice in 2015 and honorable mention in 2014. Hill has been honored three times previously – third team wide receiver in 2014, honorable mention wide receiver in 2013 and honorable mention return specialist in 2012 when he also earned Freshman All-America honors.
 
Besides that quartet, five other letterwinners are back, including junior Terence Grady with 25 catches for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2015. He's a candidate to redshirt because of the abundance of depth. Sophomore Nsimba Webster caught seven passes for 97 yards a year ago, then had a break-out spring with a team-leading 18 catches for 251 yards and four touchdowns in three spring scrimmages. Other receivers returning include sophomores Stu Stiles and Zach Eagle, with redshirt freshmen Dre' Sonte Dorton and Jayson Williams waiting in the wings for playing time.
 
 
 Incoming Freshman Class for Eagles Includes Running Back Duo Expected to Play in Opener
 
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.
 
Eastern also dressed offensive lineman D.J. Dyer and safety Calin Criner for the WSU game, but the Eagles are hoping to redshirt both. The other 14 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.
 
Eastern has three freshman running backs in the program who combined for more than 12,000 rushing yards and 180 total touchdowns in their careers, as well as winning 85 percent of their games (105-18). They include Custer, a California two-time All-State selection out of powerhouse De La Salle High School, as well as Pierce, an All-State selection from Oakland, Calif., and Saint Mary's High School. The third running back is Jason Talley, an All-State running back from Oregon State 6A champion Jesuit High School. Talley's brother, Jordan, was a running back and linebacker for Eastern from 2011-14.
 
 
 

More Cooper Kupp Notes

 
Cooper Kupp Continues to Collect Accolades as One to "Watch"
 
Not surprisingly, Cooper Kupp's name has 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 and in the upcoming 2016 season, the Eastern Washington University senior wide receiver is one of 25 players named Aug. 3 to the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year Watch List. Also on the watch list in 2015, Kupp had an incredible junior season with the Eagles to win the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year honor in a close outcome with a pair of running backs. Three other offensive players from the Big Sky Conference made this year's watch list, including Northern Arizona quarterback Case Cookus and Lumberjack wide receiver Emmanuel Butler. North Dakota's John Santiago also made the squad.
 
* In 2016, Kupp could be the first wide receiver and just the fourth player overall in what will be the 54-year history of the Big Sky Conference to earn first team All-Big Sky honors four seasons. The others are Weber State's Trevyn Smith (RB 2006-09), Weber State's Scott Shields (Kicker 1995-97, Punter 1996, Strong Safety 1998) and Charvez Foger (RB 1985-88).
 
* In 2015, Kupp became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP Award, and continued a long legacy of Eagles to win the award. Eastern players have now won the honor 11 times in the last 15 seasons, and 12 times overall.
 
* Kupp capped his 2015 season by being selected as the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by both STATS and the FCS Athletic Director's Association, and he was also presented the 2015 Walter Payton Award as selected by Mickey Charles LLC.  Kupp became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP Award, and only the second receiver to ever win the Payton Award.
 
* Kupp was selected as Amateur Athlete of the Year by the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters (SWABS), continuing the tradition established since the Eastern Washington University football program won a national championship in 2010. In being honored by SWABS, Kupp won an award that has been selected since 1948, but won by only six Eastern athletes in the last 68 years. Four of them have come since 2010, and a total of 12 SWABS honors have been garnered by the Eagles in the last six seasons.
 
* He caught a league-record 114 passes in 2015, and announced on Nov. 30, 2016, his intention to return for his senior year rather than pursue professional opportunities a year early.
 
* But the numbers don't tell the whole story about the amazing abilities of the 2012 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash. He'll be the first to say that what he has already accomplished doesn't mean anything heading into the 2016 season in which he is picked to repeat as the best player in FCS. "You have to prove it, and I'll try to do the best I can day-in and day-out," said Kupp. "More importantly, as a team we want to win the league championship and compete for the national championship. I want to contribute to that."
 
* His average of 10.4 catches per game in 2015 was also a Big Sky record (sixth all-time in FCS), to go along with five career marks he set in just three seasons – all ending with first team All-Big Sky accolades. Kupp even passed for a pair of touchdowns in the 2015 season and had another via punt return. Including his 2016 totals, he has scored 61 total touchdowns and has accounted for 63 in his 40-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 (8.08), which also ranks third in FCS history. Kupp has averaged a TD reception for every 5.5 catches so far in his career. He has scored at least once in 34 of 40 games he has played, with 23 performances of at least eight catches and 24 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 30 games overall and 20 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, will be 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.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
Eastern is 1-0 all-time versus North Dakota State, having won the only other meeting by a 38-31 score on Dec. 11, 2010, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. After struggling with five turnovers in the second half during a snowstorm, the Eagles put together a 13-play, 90-yard drive to knot the game with 23 seconds to play on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bo Levi Mitchell to Nicholas Edwards. Mitchell, who was 13-of-32 for 141 yards, two interceptions and three touchdowns in the game, had entered that drive with just 38 yards passing. Mitchell now plays for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, while Edwards is currently EWU's wide receivers coach.
 
 
Looking Back . . . Eastern Washington 38, North Dakota State 31
 
With their backs against the wall in a snowstorm, Eastern found a way to rally in the final minutes and upend North Dakota State 38-31 in overtime Dec. 11, 2010, at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.
 
Junior running All-America Taiwan Jones led the Eagles with a career-high 230 rushing yards, but 138 of those came on his first four carries of the game as EWU jumped out to a 14-0 lead. He had 203 yards in the first half alone, then suffered a season-ending foot injury early in the second half.
 
After North Dakota State took a 31-24 lead with 5:51 left, Eastern put together a 13-play, 90-yard drive to knot the game with 23 seconds to play on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bo Levi Mitchell to Nicholas Edwards. Mitchell, who was 13-of-32 for 141 yards, two interceptions and three touchdowns in the game, had entered that drive with just 38 yards passing.
 
Tyler Hart gathered in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell on the first play of overtime, then linebacker J.C. Sherritt forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Zach Johnson to end the game with NDSU at the Eastern 1-yard line.
 
Sherritt, an All-America senior linebacker who would go on to win the Buchanan Award, finished with a team-high 15 tackles to give him 406 in his career and break the school record.
 
With a steady snowfall in the second half and Jones out for the game, the Eagles had just 35 yards in the third quarter compared to just nine for the Bison. Eastern had 85 yards in the fourth and NDSU had 117 as EWU finished with 382 yards of offense to 316 for North Dakota State.
 
North Dakota started the second half with a kickoff return for a touchdown, the first one against the Eagles in 600 returns dating back more than 10 years to Sept. 25, 1999. But Eastern's Jesse Hoffman countered with one of his own on the ensuing kickoff, giving EWU a 24-17 advantage.
 
All-Big Sky Conference defensive tackle Renard Williams had two sacks and four total tackles for the Eagles, and Johnson finished with 12 tackles, a pair of passes broken up and a half-sack. His twin brother Matt Johnson chipped in 10 tackles, as did Tyler Washburn.
 
Tyler Hart and Greg Herd each had four pass receptions for 43 and 30 yards, respectively.
 
 

Quoting Beau Baldwin

 
On North Dakota State: "It's definitely a great opponent to have if you want to avoid a hangover game that people like to talk about. It doesn't take much to go, 'holy cow.' There are aspects to North Dakota State's program that are better than a lot of FBS teams. The environment we are about to go into and their talent level is better, and that's not taking anything away from those other teams. North Dakota State has proven it by winning five-straight games against FBS teams, and they've done that on the road too. Our players are ready for it and won't be wide-eyed. We'll be ready to go, but you have to be on-point against a team like North Dakota State."
 
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 Being 1-0: "The first win is sometimes the hardest – and when you looked at our schedule, I'll bet a lot of people thought our first win was going to be hard to get. You have to stay in the moment, good or bad. We have to stay locked in. We have to evaluate the film kind of like we lost because you're always trying to improve. That's the only way you can consistently win games."
 
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 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."
 
On Last Year's Big Sky Race: "It probably shook out in the end a little bit different than people thought it would. But you have to be ready knowing each week in this league is going to be a battle, and embrace the fact you are in a tough conference. We face a challenge each and every week."
 
 

Career Starts by Returning Players

 
Defense (176 starts by 18 players): Miquiyah Zamora 34, Samson Ebukam 25, Matthew Sommer 24, Victor Gamboa 21, Zach Bruce 12, Nzuzi Webster 11, Keenan Williams 9, Andre Lino 9, Mitch Fettig 9, Jake Hoffman 4, Cole Karstetter 4, Alek Kacmarcik 3, Albert Havili 3, Jay-Tee Tiuli 3, Josh Lewis 1, D'londo Tucker 1, Jonah Jordan 1, Conner Baumann 2 (one as a fullback).
 
Offense (134 starts by 18 players): Cooper Kupp 40, Kendrick Bourne 20, Zach Wimberly 14, Jordan West 13, Shaq Hill 13, Jabari Wilson 10, Nic Sblendorio 5, Nick Ellison 5, Jerrod Jones 3, Terence Grady 2, Reilly Hennessey 2, Gage Gubrud 1, Tristen Taylor 1, Chris Schlichting 1, Matt Meyer 1, Antoine Custer 1, Nsimba Webster 1, Kaleb Levao 1 (as defensive lineman).