2016 Eagle Football Season Wrap-Up #4 Eastern Washington University "Eagles"   EWU Coach: Beau Baldwin (Central Washington '96) School Record: 85-32/58-14 Big Sky Conference (9th Season) Career Record: 95-35 (10th Season -- was 10-3 at CWU in 2007) 2016: 12-2/8-0 Big Sky Co-Champions with North Dakota   2016 MAJOR AWARD WINNERS WR Cooper Kupp • FCS ADA Offensive Player of the Year; Walter Payton Award Runner-up; FCS ADA Wide Receiver of the Year QB Gage Gubrud • FCS Player of the Year from the Touchdown Club of Columbus; Third in Voting for Walter Payton Award   2016 ALL-AMERICANS ****Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp (Sr., Yakima Wash. / Davis HS '12) Quarterback Gage Gubrud (So., McMinnville, Ore. / McMinnville HS '14) Def. End Samson Ebukam (Sr., Portland, Ore. / David Douglas HS '13) Wide Receiver Shaq Hill  (Sr., Stockton, Calif. / Brookside Christian '11) Wide Rec. Kendrick Bourne (Sr., Portland, Ore. / Milwaukie Arts Acad. '13) #Center Spencer Blackburn (So., Bellingham, Wash. / Meridian HS '14) ****Four-time consensus All-America selection. #Named to sophomore-only All-America Team.   2016 ALL-BIG SKY PERFORMERS   Co-Offensive MVP - QB Gage Gubrud & WR Cooper Kupp. First Team - QB Gage Gubrud (So.); WR Cooper Kupp (Sr.); WR Shaq Hill (Sr.); DE Samson Ebukam (Sr.); DT Jay-Tee Tiuli (Jr.); ILB Miquiyah Zamora (Sr.);  S Zach Bruce (Sr.). Second Team - WR Kendrick Bourne (Sr.); C Spencer Blackburn (So.); Return Specialist Cooper Kupp (Sr.). Third Team - CB Nzuzi Webster (Jr.). Honorable Mention - OT Tristen Taylor (Fr.); OT Nick Ellison (So.); S Mitch Fettig (So.).

 

A football season is full of peaks and valleys, and the Eastern Washington University football team certainly scaled a huge mountain.
 
Improving by six wins from the previous season and highlighted by an 11-game winning streak, the Eagles finished the 2016 season 12-2 overall and a perfect 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference.

Eastern was the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, and ranked third in the final STATS FCS Top 25 regular season poll. After rolling through its first two opponents in the playoffs, Eastern suffered a heartbreaking loss to Youngstown State in the semifinals. Eastern ended the year ranked fourth in the final poll after coming so agonizingly close to returning to its first NCAA Division I Championship game since 2010 when the Eagles won the national title.
 
The Eagles had their 11-game winning streak ended by the Penguins, who needed an improbable catch with one second left to pull out the 40-38 victory. EWU hadn't lost since falling to five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State 50-44 in overtime on Sept. 10, and one week before that had knocked off Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference 45-42.
 
"It's such an amazing group and gave us so many memories," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "It was a resilient bunch the entire year and they played the toughest schedule in school history. They handled it to the level of regularly getting double-digit wins, going undefeated in the league, beating a Pac-12 team going to a bowl game and taking North Dakota State right down to the wire.
 
Eastern's 12 seniors included eight full-time starters in 2016 and two others who started half of the year -- plus one injured in EWU's fourth game -- and they combined for a total of 317 starts. "The senior group got us to that level of consistency week-in and week-out so we could compete at that type of level," added Baldwin.
 
The Eagles are expected to return six starters on both sides of the ball for the 2017 season, plus one other part-time starter on both offense and defense. The starters returning on offense were all either sophomores or freshmen, and the defense included four sophomores and three juniors who started at least seven of EWU's 14 games. Eastern's kicker, punter and long snapper will all return as well. Of Eastern's 13 players honored on All-Big Sky Conference teams, seven of them were underclassmen (QB Gage Gubrud, DT Jay-Tee Tiuli, C Spencer Blackburn, CB Nzuzi Webster, OT Tristen Taylor, OT Nick Ellison, S Mitch Fettig).
 
The Eagles scored 69 unanswered points in the playoffs in defeats of 31-14 over Central Arkansas and 38-0 over Richmond. Eastern entered the Youngstown State game with shutouts in seven of eight playoff quarters, and had allowed a total of just 449 in two games. However, the Eagles had just 56 offensive plays to 80 for the Penguins, which out-gained EWU in total offense 506-478.
 
Top-seeded North Dakota State had won five-straight FCS titles and 22-consecutive postseason games before top-seeded NDSU was defeated at home by fourth-seeded JMU 27-17 in the semifinals. James Madison went on to beat YSU 28-14 in the NCAA Division I Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.
 
 
 
 

Player of the Year/All-America/All-Big Sky Honors

 
 
Gubrud & Kupp Both Earn FCS Player of the Year Accolades
 
There were a handful of FCS Player of the Year awards handed out following the 2016 season, and Eagles Cooper Kupp and Gage Gubrud were each honored. After breaking a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision single season record with 5,160 passing yards, Gubrud was selected as the 2016 FCS Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio). In addition, the TDC selected Kupp to receive its President's Award.
 
Both players were invited for the live presentation of awards at the 62nd Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards (www.tdccolumbus.com) on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, at Express Live! in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Gubrud will be the sixth recipient of the TDC's FCS Player of the Year Award, with Old Dominion's Taylor Heinicke the winner in 2012. Jacksonville State quarterback Eli Jenkins won in 2015, Marshaun Coprich of Illinois State won in 2014 and Timothy Flanders of Sam Houston State won in the inaugural year in 2011.
 
In addition, Kupp was selected by the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Director's Association as a repeat selection for its FCS Offensive Player of the Year Award announced Jan. 5, 2017. Although Kupp was unable to attend the NCAA Division I Championship Game on Jan. 7 where he was recognized for winning the honor for the second-straight year, head coach Beau Baldwin and Gubrud represented him.
 
 
Kupp and Gubrud Finish 2-3 in Voting For Walter Payton Award
 
The EWU football program liked its odds to win yet another Walter Payton Award, but in the end, it was the lone non-EWU finalist taking home the honor, as Sam Houston State redshirt junior Jeremiah Briscoe captured the award that has become known as the Heisman Trophy of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision level.
 
With voting conducted at the conclusion of the regular season, it was Briscoe, who threw an FCS single-season record 57 touchdowns in 2016, edging Eagle teammates Cooper Kupp and Gage Gubrud to capture the 30th-annual Walter Payton Award. Briscoe finished with 569 votes, while Kupp, the 2015 Walter Payton Award winner, finished second with 372 votes and Gubrud rounded out the trio of finalist with 362 votes.
 
Despite being unable to lock down the program's fourth Walter Payton Award winner, Eastern Washington was still able to make history at the STATS FCS Awards ceremony, as Kupp and Gubrud became the first pair of teammates to be voted as finalists for the prestigious honor.
 
"I don't look at this as a shutout for Eastern Washington, but as rather a unique and special opportunity to have two of the three finalists," said head coach Beau Baldwin after the announcement. "I'm very proud as a coach with the season both players had. They are not only great football players, but great young men. It was a pleasure to be here (in Frisco), and this will be a moment that I'll carry with me for a long time. Having coached two of the three finalists for the Walter Payton Award in the same season is something that may never happen again in my coaching career."
 
Kupp finished with a Big Sky Conference record 117 catches for 1,700 yards and 17 scores in the 2016 season, and accounted for two more scores passing, one rushing and one on a punt return. Including his rushing, passing and return yards, he finished the season with 2,047 yards (157.5 per game) and 21 touchdowns.
 
Kupp led EWU to 41 victories overall in four seasons – 28-4 in the Big Sky Conference -- while Gubrud led EWU to a 12-2 record in his debut as a starter. He passed for a FCS record 5,160 yards, accounting for 53 touchdowns and 5,766 yards of total offense.
 
This is the 30th anniversary of the Payton Award, whose past winners have included Eastern quarterback Erik Meyer (2005), Eagle quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (2011) and Kupp (2015). Only Villanova has had as many past winners as EWU, and Kupp would have become just the second repeat winner had he won. Kupp was also last year's winner of the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by both STATS and the FCS Athletic Director's Association (he repeated as winner of that award in 2016), and he was also presented the 2015 Walter Payton Award as selected by Mickey Charles LLC.
 
The dynamic duo for the Eagles and Briscoe were selected among a group of 25 finalists who were on the voting list for the award. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries participated in the voting.
 
Gubrud and Kupp were honored on Nov. 22 as the Big Sky Conference co-Offensive MVPs, the first time in league history two players from the same team were selected by the coaches to share the award. Both were unanimous selections as first team selections in the league, with Kupp also becoming just the fourth player in league history to earn first team all-league all four seasons.
 
Kupp was a consensus FCS All-American for the fourth-straight season, but now sets his sights on the NFL Draft on April 27-29 in Philadelphia, Pa. The NFL Combine is Feb. 28-March 6 in Indianapolis, Ind., and he has also been invited to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl on Jan. 28 in Mobile, Ala., at 11:30 a.m. Pacific time on the NFL Network. In fact, Kupp is training in Irvine, Calif., and was unable to make it to Frisco for the presentation.
 
 
Total of Six Eagles Earn All-America Honors in 2016, Including Four-Time Consensus All-American Cooper Kupp
 
Six Eagles earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors in 2016 on the eight different squads announced by organizations and media outlets.
 
The Eastern recipients included a four-time consensus All-American in senior wide receiver Cooper Kupp. He earned first team All-America honors on all eight teams announced, including recognition as the FCS Athletic Director's Association Wide Receiver of the Year. He also honored for the fourth-straight year on teams selected by the American Football Coaches Association, STATS and Associated Press, and for the third time by the Walter Camp Football Foundation (2013-2015-2016). He was also honored in 2016 by College Sports Madness, Hero Sports and Athlon Sports. The FCS ADA also selected him as its overall FCS Offensive Player of the Year, and Kupp finished second in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, presented by STATS to the top offensive player in FCS.
 
Sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud was honored on six teams, including as a first team selection by Hero Sports. Gubrud was a second team selection by STATS, the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press and College Sports Madness. Hero Sports also selected him to its Sophomore All-America squad. Gubrud was the FCS Player of the Year as selected by Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio) and finished third in the voting for the Walter Payton Award., presented in 2016 by STATS to the top offensive player in FCS.
 
Senior defensive end Samson Ebukam earned four All-America honors, including first team accolades from the AFCA and third team from AP, STATS and Hero Sports. Senior wide receiver Shaq Hill was on the second team by Hero Sports and third team by College Sports Madness. Yet another senior wide receiver, Kendrick Bourne, was on the Hero Sports All-America third team. The sixth player to be honored was center Spencer Blackburn, who was picked for the Hero Sports Sophomore All-America squad. 
 
Blackburn took over as Eastern's starting center in the fourth game of the season for injured senior Jerrod Jones, and earned second team All-Big Sky Conference honors. After Blackburn's insertion into the starting lineup beginning with the Northern Arizona game on Sept. 24, Eastern's five starters on the offensive line for the rest of the year consisted of two redshirt freshmen and a trio of sophomores.

 
Honored For Academics Too, Kupp Repeats as First Team Academic All-American and on FCS ADA Academic All-Star
 
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp earned Academic All-America for the third-straight season in 2016, earning first team honors as both a junior and senior. The 24-player squad includes teams from both the Football Championship Subdivision and Football Bowl Subdivision levels. Kupp earned second team Academic All-America honors as a sophomore. Eastern football players have now earned 13 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors since 1989, including seven first-team selections. Nine different players have garnered those honors, including the first three-time winner in Kupp (2014, 2015 and 2016), and repeat performers Steve Mattson (1996 and 1997) and Kyler Randall (2002 and 2003).
 
Kupp was also recognized for the second-straight season on the 19th Annual Academic All-Star Team as selected by the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association. He was one of 44 winners announced among a group of 126 total nominees. A total of 20 awards have now been won by Eagles on the Academic All-Star team since the award began in 1998. In 2015, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and tight end Jake Withnell were honored, with Withnell also a finalist for that organization's post-graduate scholarship award.
 
Kupp was an economics major at EWU with a 3.63 grade point average. He has completed his degree, and continued studies through fall quarter. A 4.0 student in high school, he is a 2012 graduate of Davis High School in Yakima, Wash.
 
 
Total of 13 Eagles Honored on All-Big Sky Teams, Including League-High Seven First Team Picks
 
Exceptional performances deserve to be exceptions. For the first time in league history, two players from the same team were selected by the coaches as the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVPs, as sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud and senior wide receiver Cooper Kupp were honored Nov. 22 by the league office.
 
Both were unanimous selections as first team selections in the league, with Kupp also becoming just the fourth player in league history to earn first team all four seasons. Eastern had a league-high seven players selected to the first team – including four players on EWU's resurgent defense – and a total of 13 players overall were honored.
 
Kupp and Gubrud were joined on the first team by senior wide receiver Shaq Hill, senior linebacker Miquiyah Zamora, senior safety Zach Bruce, senior defensive end Samson Ebukam and junior defensive tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli.
 
"It's an impressive group," said Baldwin. "Each one of those players will tell you that team success is more important, but team success leads to more players recognized individually. We have a bunch of team-first players on our list of first teamers who are very deserving of the highest honors in the conference. In a 13-team league it's tough to receive any recognition from an all-league standpoint, let alone first team. It's really a great accomplishment for those players."
 
Honored on the second team were senior wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, sophomore center Spencer Blackburn and Kupp as a return specialist. Third team honors were won by junior cornerback Nzuzi Webster, while honorable mention was given to sophomore safety Mitch Fettig, sophomore offensive tackle Nick Ellison and freshman offensive tackle Tristen Taylor.
 
Eastern players have now been selected as the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP in 12 of the last 16 seasons, including six of the last seven. One of only 10 repeat winners in league history, Kupp in 2015 became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the honor.
 
"It was a unique situation and I thank the coaches in our conference," said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. "We have a great group of head coaches who talked about it and voted on it. I appreciate their support for that, and I believed in my heart it was the right thing given the season both players had. Both had MVP type of seasons, and I thought it would be unfortunate for one of them not to receive it based on their body of work during the year. It was earned by those two players, and I thank the league for doing something a little different there."
 
Kupp is the first wide receiver and just the fourth player overall in 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).
 
"It really is unbelievable," said Baldwin of Kupp's four-peat. "It adds to his legacy and the accomplishments – just pile them up. What he did was hard to do, because it doesn't just require production on the field for four years, but it requires truly staying healthy and battling through things. Anytime you have a setback during the year it can take away from that opportunity. His consistency, work and preparation week-after-week and year-after-year has led him to that kind of earned accomplishment."
 
 
 

A Look at the Eagle Senior Class

 
A total of 12 Eastern seniors played their final regular season game at Roos Field against Idaho State on Nov. 12, including 11 regular 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 concluded their careers with 317 career starts with nine of the 12 concluding their careers as four-year letterwinners. From 2013-16, Eastern won 41 games overall and 28 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 is the first player to see action in four years to win Big Sky titles each year, with a collective record of 46-11 overall and 30-2 in the league. He was also the second Eastern player in school history to letter in four playoff years, joining kicker Kevin Miller (2009-10-12-13).

11 - #Kendrick Bourne - WR - 6-3 - 190 - 4L - Portland, Ore. (Milwaukie Arts Academy '13) – 32 starts
2 - #Jabari Wilson - RB - 5-11 - 200 - 4L* - Carson, Calif. (Orange Lutheran HS '12) – 18 starts
5 - Jordan West - QB - 6-4 - 220 - 3L* - Maple Valley, Wash. (Liberty HS '12) – 14 starts
60 - Jerrod Jones - OL - 6-4 - 300 - 3L* - Arlington, Wash. (Lakewood HS '12) – 5 starts
94 - #Matthew Sommer - DL - 6-5 - 300 - 4L - Salem, Ore. (West Salem HS '13) – 31 starts
23 - #J.J. Njoku - DB - 5-9 - 200 - 2L* - Tacoma, Wash. (Lakes HS '12) – 10 starts

Senior Co-Captains . . .
32 - #Zach Bruce - DB - 5-10 - 195 - 4L* - Spokane, Wash. (University HS '12) – 24 starts
3 - #Samson Ebukam - DL - 6-3 - 240 - 4L - Portland, Ore. (David Douglas HS '13) – 38 starts
1 - #Shaq Hill - WR - 5-10 - 180 - 4L* - Stockton, Calif. (Brookside Christian HS '11) – 25 starts
10 - #Cooper Kupp - WR - 6-2 - 215 - 4L* - Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS '12) – 52 starts
9 - #Zach Wimberly - TE - 6-2 - 240 - 4L* - Tumwater, Wash. (Tumwater HS '12) – 23 starts
4 - #Miquiyah Zamora - LB - 6-1 - 230 - 4L* - Pasco, Wash. (Chiawana HS '12) – 45 starts
#Starter in 2016. *Used redshirt season.
 
 
 

2016 Record-Breaking Performances

 
Eastern Finishes Second in FCS in Total Offense and Lead in Passing for Second-Straight Season
 
With the nation's top passing offense for the second-straight season, Eastern set seven Big Sky Conference records and two additional EWU marks for a total of nine school records. Eastern finished the year ranked second in FCS in total offense with an average of 529.6 yards per game, trailing only Sam Houston State at 547.3 per outing. Eastern was the FCS leader in passing offense (401.0 yards per game), and was third in third down conversions (52.1 percent), third in completion percentage (.679), third in scoring offense (42.4), and third in passing efficiency (168.2).
 
Eastern's came up just shy of breaking the school record for offense per game of 533.5 set in 2013 when EWU finished with a total of 8,002 (Eastern finished 2016 with 7,414 yards). However, the Eagles did break the previous school record for passing offense of 368.4 set in 2011 (their total of 5,614 yards also broke the Big Sky & EWU records of 5,247 set in 2013). In addition, the Eagles set Big Sky and EWU records in 2016 for passing completions (421), attempts (620), first downs passing (238), first downs overall (372), extra point kicks made (75), and Big Sky wins (8), as well as breaking a school record for completion percentage (.679).
 
Eastern had four of the top 22 single game offensive performances in school history during the 2016 season, including a high of 659 versus Northern Colorado on Oct. 8, 2016, to rank fifth. Eastern had at least 500 yards in nine of 14 games, with performances of 596 against Montana State (22nd all-time at EWU), 606 versus Washington State (19th) and 627 against UC Davis (10th). Eastern had at least 381 yards passing in 10 outings, including a high of 520 against Montana State to come six away from the school record.
 
 
Gage Gubrud Breaks Three FCS, Seven Big Sky and 15 EWU Records
 
Sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud – the Big Sky's co-Offensive MVP along with teammate Cooper Kupp -- put up some remarkable numbers in his first season as EWU's starter, breaking three FCS records, seven Big Sky marks and 15 school records.
 
Gubrud is a 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School and passed for an FCS record 5,160 yards in the 2016 season, breaking the record of 5,076 by Taylor Heinicke of Old Dominion in 2012. His 11 games with at least 300 yards passing and 12 with at least 300 yards of total offense are also FCS records. Gubrud's total of 5,766 yards of total offense were just 33 from the total offense mark of 5,799 set by Steve McNair of Alcorn in 1994. Gubrud broke EWU and Big Sky Conference single season records previous set by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2013 with 4,994 passing yards and 5,559 yards of offense.
 
Gubrud's average of 411.9 yards of offense per game was also a league and school record, and ranks fifth in FCS history. He broke the previous Big Sky record set 25 years prior by Jamie Martin of Weber State with a 394.3 average in 1991. Gubrud's final tally of 368.6 passing yards per game were an EWU school record, breaking the record of 364.5 set by Bo Levi Mitchell in 2011. They were also the second-most in Big Sky history (behind the record of 379.6 set by Dave Dickenson of Montana in 1995) and ranked ninth all-time in FCS.
 
Gubrud also set Big Sky and school records for total offensive plays (704), passing completions (386) and attempts (570), and a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 606 (the old record was 605 by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2013). The five single game records he holds are for passing yards (520 vs. Montana State), total offense (551 vs. Washington State), touchdowns responsible for (7 vs. UC Davis), points responsible for (42 vs. UC Davis) and completions (47 vs. Central Arkansas).
 
Gubrud has just 13 career starts (11-2 record), but he already owns six of the top eight single game total offense performances in school history (1-2-3-5-6-8) and five of the top 14 passing performances (1-3-6-13-14). 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. He had a school-record 551 yards of total offense in the first start of his career, a 45-42 season-opening victory over Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference.
 
 
Kupp Adds All-Division Record to List of 15 FCS, 11 Big Sky and 25 EWU Records
 
Sensational senior wide receiver Cooper Kupp established 15 FCS, 11 Big Sky and 26 EWU records in his illustrious 52-game Eastern career, and added a collegiate all-division mark. With a pair of early catches in the first quarter against Richmond on Dec. 10, he surpassed the NAIA record of 6,177 by Chris George of Glenville State from 1991-94 after surpassing NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III records earlier in the 2016 season.
 
His yardage, 428 receptions, 73 touchdown catches, 124.3 average yards per game and 1.40 average TDs per game were all FCS records. Kupp averaged a TD reception for every 5.9 catches in his career. He scored at least once in 43 of 52 games he played, and caught at least two passes in every game he played. He had 30 performances of at least eight catches (16 with 10 or more) and a FCS record of 31 with at least 100 receiving yards. More importantly, Kupp led EWU to 41 victories overall in four seasons – 28-4 in the Big Sky Conference
 
The two-time Big Sky Offensive MVP 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 in the fourth period for him to break the FCS record of 395 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09. He tied and broke the record in 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. 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.
 
Kupp broke a FCS all-time mark on Oct. 29 versus Montana when he caught a pass in his 46th-straight game, and extended it to 52. Jacksonville State's Josh Barge had a streak of 50 in a row, but his season concluded on Dec. 3. 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 ended his career with a 39-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 combined for FCS records for combined career catches (639) and combined career yards (9,594). In addition, Kupp's 124.3 average reception yards per game was a FCS career record, as was his 31 100-yard receiving performances. 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 finished with 7,038 to break the previous record of 5,934 set by Eric Kimble from 2002-05. He ranks second in Big Sky history, and the only player ahead of him is Charles Roberts (Sacramento State, 1997-00) with a record total of 7,112. Roberts was a running back, as Kupp bested the top receiver on the list, Fred Amey from Sacramento State, with 6,343 from 2001-04.
 
Kupp finished the 2016 season with a Big Sky Conference record 117 catches for 1,700 yards and 17 scores in the 2016 season, and accounted for two more scores passing, one rushing and one on a punt return. Including his rushing, passing and return yards, he finished the season with 2,047 yards (157.5 per game) and 21 touchdowns. He finished his career with the 1-2-3-5 season marks in receptions, 2-3-4-6 in yards and 1-2-5-7 in TD catches.
 
With a 12-catch, 274-yard performance against UC Davis on Oct. 1, Kupp broke the FCS record for career receiving yards. Kupp's 274 yards in that game were one away from the school record he set a year ago against Northern Colorado. His final total of 6,464 career yards broke the record of 5,250 set by Elon's Terrell Hudgins from 2006-09. Kupp previously exceeded the FBS record for reception yards, which was 5,005 set by Trevor Insley of Nevada from 1996-99 before being broken by Corey Davis from Western Michigan with 5,278 from 2013-16. Kupp also surpassed the records in NCAA Division II (4,983, Clarence Coleman, Ferris State, 1998-01) and Division III (6,108, Scott Pingel, Westminster, 1996-99), as well as the NAIA record (6,177, Chris George, Glenville State, 1991-94).
 
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. Closing with 73 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 finished 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.
 
For catches, the FBS record was 387 held by Justin Hardy of East Carolina from 2011-14, and Kupp exceeded that on Nov. 5 against Cal Poly. Eventually, Zay Jones from East Carolina broke the FBS record with 399 from 2013-16. 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 exceeded the NCAA Division II record (386, Justin Bernard, St. Anselm, 2010-14), but trailed 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 211 career receptions for 3,130 yards and 27 touchdowns, senior Kendrick Bourne finished his career ranked in the top seven in all three categories in school history. A second team All-Big Sky selection in 2016, his touchdowns and receptions are both seventh, with Tony Davis (213 from 2006-09) and his wide receivers coach Nicholas Edwards (215 from 2009-12) ranking just ahead him on the lists. Bourne finished fifth in yards, moving past the total of 2,634 by Edwards against Montana on Oct. 29), then moved into fifth in his final career game and past the 3,013 yards of Tony Brooks from 1990-93).
 
Teammate Shaq Hill finished with 178 career catches to rank eighth in school history, good for 2,818 yards (seventh) and 32 touchdowns (fifth). The first team All-Big Sky selection and four-time all-league honoree had a school-record four touchdown day against Northern Colorado on Oct. 8 and had three more at Cal Poly on Nov. 5. Hill passed his wide receivers coach (2,634, Nicholas Edwards, 2009-12) for yards against Portland State on Nov. 18.
 
In all, the trio of Hill, Bourne and Cooper Kupp combined for 817 catches for 12,412 yards and 132 touchdowns in 160 games played (109 starts). Adding junior Nic Sblendorio (38 games, 9 starts, 79 catches, 1,078 yards, 6 TD) and that quartet had a combined 195 games worth of experience (116 starts) with 896 catches for 13,490 yards (15.1 per catch) and 138 touchdowns.
 
Bourne finished the 2016 season with 79 catches for 1,201 yards and seven touchdowns, and combined with Kupp and Hill for totals of 273 receptions for 4,058 yards and 41 scores. All three went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Kupp finished with a Big Sky Conference record 117 catches for 1,700 yards and 17 scores, and Hill also had 17 TD catches to go along with 77 receptions for 1,157 yards.
 
A 2013 graduate of the Milwaukie Arts Academy in Portland, Ore., Bourne ended his career with three catches for 119 yards and an 83-yard touchdown reception from Gage Gubrud against Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. In the process, Bourne ended his career with a 38-game streak of catching at least one pass. Kupp set the FCS record with 52-straight, having at least two catches in every game he played as an Eagle.
 
 
Shaq Hill Sets Career Kickoff Return Yardage Record
 
Wide receiver/kickoff returner Shaq Hill broke the school record for career kickoff return yards, with a total of 2,280 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 24.3 yards per return was ninth in school history, as he has had returns of 99, 93, 90 and 80 yards in his career (two of them for touchdowns). His 5,234 all-purpose yards were the third-most in school history.
 
 
Ebukam Finishes Sixth in School History With 24 Sacks
 
Senior defensive end Samson Ebukam had a team-high 9 1/2 sacks as a senior to go along with totals of 71 tackles, 14 1/2 total tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, eight quarterback hurries, two passes broken up and an interception. Ranked 37th in FCS and third in the league with an average of 0.68 sacks per game, he is a 2013 graduate of David Douglas High School in Portland, Ore.
 
He had 24 sacks in his career to rank sixth in school history, and 188 total tackles total in 53 games (38 as a starter). One of six Eagle co-captains for the 2016 season, he received second-team All-Big Sky honors in both 2014 and 2015, and first team accolades in 2016. He was a second team Freshman All-America selection in 2013.
 
He had a monster game versus Richmond in the FCS Playoffs quarterfinals in which he had eight tackles, a pair of sacks, two other tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception he returned seven yards. He helped the Eagles record their first shutout in 102 games and allowed their fewest yards (205) in 28 outings. He also had a pair of sacks in EWU's season opener against Washington State and two to end the regular season versus Portland State. In the PSU victory, his sack for an eight-yard loss on a third down late in the fourth quarter forced a fourth-and-15 situation. A scramble by PSU quarterback Alex Kuresa came up three yards short with 1:56 left in the game, and the Eagles ran out the clock for the win. After allowing PSU to gain 166 yards and 14 points on its first 24 plays of the game, the EWU defense held PSU to 14 points and 305 yards in the final 47:14 of the game.
 
One game earlier, 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 and outgained MSU 421-152 in the final three quarters.
 
 
Finishing With 348 Career Tackles, Zamora is No. 4 on EWU Leaders List
 
One of only two players in school history to have at least 100 tackles in three seasons, senior Miquiyah Zamora finished his career with a total of 366 to rank fourth all-time at EWU. With eight tackles against Richmond in the FCS Playoffs, he passed Matt Johnson with 341 (2008-11), Derek Strey with 346 (1994-97) and Jason Marsh with 347 (1991-93). In third with 399 is Greg Belzer (1997-00), with J.C. Sherritt (432 from 2007-10) and Ronnie Hamlin (473 from 2011-14) the only other players ahead of him. He is just the 10th player in school history to have 300 or more.
 
A first team All-Big Sky selection in 2016, Zamora ranked 34th in FCS and fifth in the Big Sky with an average of 9.1 tackles per game. He finished with 109 tackles in 2016 to rank as the 23rd-most in school history, and also ranks 27th with 102 in 2014 and 29th with 101 in 2015. Hamlin is the only other player in school history with more than 100 in three seasons, with performances of 140 (2013), 136 (2012) and 112 (2014).
 
He closed his career with a career-high 17 tackles against Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. He had eight one game earlier in EWU's shutout of Richmond, and missed Eastern's first playoff game against Central Arkansas with a hamstring injury. He had 11 double-figure performances in his career and six in the 2016 season, including 11 on Senior Day 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. 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 Fifth Among the Top Punters in School History
 
Following his second season in the Eagle program in 2016, junior Jordan Dascalo has now punted 78 times as an Eagle for a 40.7 career average which currently ranks fifth in school history. He also is 4-of-7 in his EWU career kicking field goals, and has averaged 59.7 yards (6,089 total yards) in 102 career kickoffs with 39 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 Notes

 
Baldwin Receives New Five-Year Agreement From Eastern
 
As head coach Beau Baldwin neared the end of his ninth year at Eastern, EWU Director of Athletics Bill Chaves and school President Dr. Mary Cullinan rewarded him with a new five-year agreement.
 
Baldwin has a 58-14 Big Sky record for a winning percentage of .806 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His .733 winning percentage overall (85-31) is seventh all-time in the 53-year history of the Big Sky. He is fast approaching the school record of 89 victories by Dick Zornes from 1979-93 during EWU's transition from NAIA to NCAA Division I and the Big Sky.
 
"I appreciate the continuous support from Dr. Cullinan and our athletic administration towards the support of our program," said Baldwin. "We look forward to even greater things in the future."
 
Under Baldwin, the Eagles have won 40 of their last 46 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. Eastern has won 30 of its last 34 league games, with the lone losses coming against Montana and Portland State in 2015 and Northern Arizona in both 2015 and 2014. Including non-conference victories (two versus MSU and one against Cal Poly) and a playoff win (Montana), the Eagles have won 34 of their last 38 versus conference foes, and are 44-6 since the 0-2 start in 2011.
 
The 2016 season was the sixth time Baldwin has taken the Eagles to the playoffs as head coach (2009-10-12-13-14-16), plus two more as offensive coordinator (2004-05). He has coached in a total of 29 postseason playoff games (12 appearances) with a record of 18-10-1, including eight appearances in the FCS Playoffs and two at both the NCAA Division II and NAIA levels when he was at Central Washington.  
In his nine years as Eastern's head coach, the Eagles have ranked in the top 10 in FCS in passing offense eight times and total offense six seasons (including 2016). Eastern led the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in passing offense in 2016 (401.0 yards per game), 2015 (353.3) and 2011 (368.5), and scoring in 2014 (44.1 points per game). In EWU's last 13 seasons (2004-2016), including 12 with Baldwin on the coaching staff, EWU has ranked in the top 10 in passing 11 times, total offense on nine occasions and scoring five times.
 
 
Eagles Rank Fourth in Final Rankings With 3-2 Record Against Teams in the Top 25
 
The Eagles came a long, long way in exactly a year.
 
Eastern ended the postseason 10 positions higher than the way it started by ranking fourth in a pair of final NCAA Football Championship Subdivision polls announced Monday (Jan. 9). In fact, exactly a year ago the Eagles were unranked in the final poll of the season.
 
On their way to a 12-2 finish that included a perfect 8-0 Big Sky Conference record, the Eagles finished fourth in the STATS Top 25 Poll of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. In the Coaches Poll, Eastern was also fourth.
 
The only teams ahead of EWU were NCAA Division I Champion James Madison at No. 1 and runner-up Youngstown State at No. 2. North Dakota State ranked third followed by the Eagles. Eastern's success came on the heels of the 2015 season when EWU lost its final three games of the regular season and missed the playoffs. The Eagles finished 6-5 and were ranked in the top 25 in 57 consecutive polls before getting knocked out of the season-ending rankings. Eastern was ranked in all 14 polls in 2016, with a high ranking of third after beginning the season at No. 14.
 
Overall, this is the 13th time Eastern has finished the season nationally ranked, including nine times since 2004. The other seasons were in 1985, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Eagles were fourth in 2014, third in 2013, fourth in 2012 and first in 2010 after winning the NCAA Division I title.
 
This is the sixth time in school history EWU has finished in the top four, including five of the last seven seasons. In 1997, Eastern finished fourth in The Sports Network poll as well as the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. In 1997, 2012, 2013 and again in 2016, Eastern advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. In 2014, Eastern advanced to the quarterfinals.
 
Eastern finished 3-2 in the 2016 season versus teams ranked in final top 25 poll by The Sports Network. Eastern defeated No. 8 Richmond, No. 14 Central Arkansas and No. 24 Cal Poly, and fell to No. 2 Youngstown State and No. 3 North Dakota State. Besides losing with one second left to YSU, Eastern fell in overtime to NDSU. In addition, Eastern registered a 35-16 win over Montana, which finished 25th in the coaches poll. In all, EWU was 6-2 against teams who were ranked at the time EWU faced them.
 
Next year, Eastern will play four teams ranked in the STATS top 25, including a non-conference game against NDSU (#3) on Sept. 9 in Cheney. The Eagles will play Big Sky Conference foe Weber State (#25) at home on Nov. 4, and then play fellow Big Sky Conference champion North Dakota (#12) the next week on the road. Eastern doesn't play Cal Poly (#24) next season.
 
Six years after capturing the NCAA Division I Football Championship, the Eagles won the Big Sky Conference title for the ninth time overall and fifth time in seven seasons. Eastern garnered its 19th winning season in the last 21 years, including playoff berths in nine of the last 13 seasons.
 
 
Eagles Have Second-Most Victories in School History With 12 Wins After Equaling Best Regular Season in 33 Years in FCS
 
At 12-2, the Eagles came a victory away from the school record of 13 victories set in 2010, but still joined the 1997 and 2013 squads to rank second in school history. This is Eastern's seventh 10-win season in 108 seasons of football at Eastern. The first was in 1967 when Eastern was 11-0 before losing in the NAIA Championship game. Since then, the 10-win seasons include 1997 (12-2), 2010 (13-2), 2012 (11-3), 2013 (12-3), 2014 (11-3) and 2016 (11-1). The 2016 team equaled the 1997 squad with the best regular season finish in 33 seasons as a member of FCS with a 10-1 mark.
 
 
Eagles Have Second-Best Point Differential as Member of FCS
 
The Eagles outscored opponents by an average of 15.9 points per game in 2016, which ranks as the second-best in 33 seasons as a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (since 1984). The Eagles averaged 42.4 points on offense (593 total0 and 26.5 on defense (371 total). Eastern's 1997 team which advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs had a 16.9 differential (34.4 to 17.8). The average in 2016 against the Eagle defense was the school's best since the 2010 team allowed just 24.9, but that team had only a differential of plus 6.6 per game. The 2014 team holds school records with a 44.1 scoring average and 618 total points.
 
 
With Seven Shutout Quarters in Playoffs, Defense Holds Opponents in Last Seven Wins to 113 Points
 
Eastern allowed just 14 points in its first two games in the FCS Playoffs, featuring seven scoreless quarters with a shutout versus Richmond. Aside from a 14-point second quarter for Central Arkansas on Dec. 3, Eastern allowed only 383 total yards in those seven goose eggs for an average of 54.7 per quarter. The total yards allowed by EWU in those two games was 449 (56.1 per quarter). Eastern hadn't had better back-to-back defensive performances since 2004 when Weber State had 147 and Sacramento State had 201 for a total of 348.
 
In their last seven victories of the season, the Eagles won by an average of 22.4 points per game, led by a defense which allowed just 113 points (16.1 per game) in those seven victories (Eastern's offense scored 270 for an average of 38.6). That seven-game stretch was Eastern's best since the 1997 team allowed only 105 in its first seven games of the season. The best stretch for EWU's 2010 National Championship team was 131.
 
Eastern's defense in 2016 allowed only 24.4 points per game (195 total, second-best in the league) during its 8-0 Big Sky Conference season after allowing 40.7 against three challenging non-conference opponents. Eastern out-scored opponents by an average of 21.0 points per game in eight league games (45.4 to 24.4, total of 363-195).
 
In a 38-0 victory over Richmond in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs, Eastern's defense recorded its first shutout in 102 games since a 16-0 victory over Northern Colorado on Sept. 19, 2009. The 205 yards Richmond had were the fewest EWU has surrendered in its last 28 games since allowing 168 in a 54-3 win over North Dakota on Nov. 1, 2014. Eastern had just one turnover and forced five, equaling EWU's best performance since forcing six versus Villanova on Dec. 17, 2010, in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. Of EWU's 38 points, 17 came after miscues by the Spiders. With six sacks, Eastern had a season high by two, and EWU's most since EWU had seven versus Northern Colorado in 2014.
 
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 Resume November Excellence After Burp in 2015
 
In November and beyond since 2004, the Eagles are now 43-14, including a 13-8 record in the FCS Playoffs. Since 2010, Eastern is 28-7 overall in November and beyond, with the lone setbacks coming in 2016 to Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs; 2015 to Portland State, Montana and Northern Arizona; 2014 to Illinois State in the playoff quarterfinals; 2013 to Towson in the playoff semifinals; and 2012 to Sam Houston State in the playoff 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 32-6.
 
 
50th Season at Roos/Woodward Field Ends 7-1
 
Eastern finished 7-1 in the 50th season of football at EWU's current stadium location. With 9,302 fans on hand for the ISU game on Nov. 12, Eastern has a current streak of 20 consecutive regular season sellouts and a total of 32 (crowds of 8,600 or more). Eastern's 2016 average was 8,435 (67,477 in eight home games), ranking behind the school record of 9,577 set in five home games in 2015. The Montana game on Oct. 29 had a crowd of 10,931 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 41-8 overall (84 percent) since the red turf was installed in 2010 – including a 4-0 record versus rival Montana. Eastern has a 154-63 record (71.0 percent) in 217 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.
 
 
With Streak of 251 Pass Attempts Without an Interception Ended versus Montana, Eagles Finish Ranked 10th in FCS in TO Margin
 
The Eagles finished the 2016 season ranked 10th in FCS in turnover margin. EWU had an average of +0.86 per game (31 total takeaways and 19 giveaways). In its first two games in the playoffs, EWU had a 7-1 advantage, including a 5-1 advantage over Richmond in the 38-0 win. Earlier in the 2016 season 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 had 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 38-0 Since 2010 When Winning the Turnover Battle
 
After going six games without winning the turnover battle (including the first three in 2016), Eastern had turnover advantages in six of its last 12 games, including a 7-1 advantage two playoff victories. The Eagles had a dominating 5-1 advantage over Richmond, and one game earlier had a 2-0 advantage over Central Arkansas. But EWU lost the turnover battle 2-1 to Youngstown State, as EWU finished the season 6-0 when it won the turnover battle, 2-2 when it lost and 4-0 when it was tied.
 
The Eagles opened the year by losing the turnover battle 3-1 to North Dakota State and 2-1 to UNI after tying 1-1 versus Washington State. Eastern won the turnover battle 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 Zach Bruce, D'londo 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. Eastern tied Northern Colorado 1-1 on Oct. 8, tied Montana 2-2 on Oct. 29 and tied Portland State 1-1 on Nov. 18. 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 47-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 21-5 when they've been tied and 17-26 when they've lost (total of 85-32). 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 38-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 18-4 when they've been tied and 15-19 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 71-23 (76 percent), with 19 of those 23 losses (83 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 (79 percent when including ties).
 
 
Eagles Finish With 191-65 Advantage in Third Quarter and 339-135 in Second Half
 
Despite trailing at halftime in six of 14 games in the 2016 season, a big part of EWU's 12-2 record was the team's third-quarter production, having outscored opponents 191-65 in that period. Eastern had a third quarter advantage in its first 10 games until tying Portland State 14-all on Nov. 18, and then outscored Central Arkansas 3-0 on Dec. 3, Richmond 10-0 on Dec. 10 and Youngstown State 7-3 on Dec. 17. EWU had advantages of 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 had a fourth quarter advantage in 11 of its last 13 games (with one 0-0 tie), and owned a 148-70 advantage for the season. Eastern had a 339-135 advantage in the second half (average score of 24-9), but only a slight 244-230 advantage in the first half (102-97 in first quarter, 152-133 in second). Its second quarter woes were punctuated by a 23-0 advantage for UC Davis on Oct. 1. Eastern's only regular season loss in 2016 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. Eastern gave up 36 points in the fourth quarter in its two losses – 16 to NDSU and 20 to Youngstown State.
 
 
Eagles Join Select List of Teams Finishing Unbeaten in Big Sky
 
Finishing off an unbeaten league season at 8-0, Eastern joins Montana as the only multiple unbeaten teams since 1987 when the Eagles joined the league. In those 30 years, only 12 teams now have finished unbeaten, including EWU in 2016 and 2013. North Dakota was also unbeaten in 2016, as well as 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 23 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.
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive 40-6 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 40 of their last 46 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. Eastern has won 30 of its last 34 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 34 of their last 38 versus conference foes, and are 44-6 since the 0-2 start in 2011. As a result, head coach Beau Baldwin has a 58-14 Big Sky record for a winning percentage of .806 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His .733 winning percentage overall (85-31) is seventh all-time in the 53-year history of the Big Sky.
 
 
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 Rallies Versus UNI & PSU, Eagles Have Now Won 18 Games Since 2010 When Trailing or Tied in the Final Quarter
 
Eastern has now won 18 games since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, including two in the 2016 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 at the time and now an offensive tackle, who graduated in 2014 from nearby Central Valley High School in Spokane. In 35-28 victory at Portland State to end the regular season, Eastern battled back from deficits to knot the score at 14, 21 and 28, then took a 35-28 lead with 8:19 to play in the game on a Kendrick Bourne 10-yard pass from Gage Gubrud. Eastern's defense then stopped PSU on downs with 1:56 to play and was able to run out the clock.
 
 
Eastern is 25-12 (68 percent) Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents
 
The Eagles have now played 120 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 54-66 (.450 in those games, including a 17-41 mark (.293) versus top 10 foes. Since 2010, though, the Eagles are 25-12 overall (.678) and 8-6 (.571) versus top 10 teams. EWU was 6-2 against ranked teams in 2016, having lost to top-ranked North Dakota State by a 50-44 score in overtime and then falling 40-38 to 13th-ranked Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. 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, knocked off No. 14 Cal Poly 42-21 on Nov. 5, then beat No. 14 Central Arkansas 31-14 on Dec. 3 and was victorious over No. 12 Richmond 38-0 on Dec. 10.
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 Notes

 
Third in Voting for Payton Award, Gage Gubrud Finishes as NCAA Statistical Leader in Passing and Total Offense
 
Helping EWU lead FCS in passing offense for the second-straight year, sophomore Gage Gubrud passed for 5,160 yards, 48 touchdowns and a .677 completion percentage, and also rushed for a team-leading and EWU quarterback record 606 yards (4.5 per carry) and five more scores.
 
 He finished as the FCS leader in total offense at 411.9 per game, passing yards (5,160) and passing yards per game (368.6), and was second in points responsible per game (22.9), total points responsible for (320) and passing touchdowns (48). He was also third in completion percentage (.677) and third in passing efficiency (166.6).
 
Teammate Cooper Kupp missed 1 1/2 games earlier in the season and almost a half at both Portland State on Nov. 18 and Central Arkansas on Dec. 3 with shoulder injuries. But he led FCS in receiving yards per game (130.8), was second in receptions per game (9.0), and joined Shaq Hill as the FCS leader in receiving touchdowns (17). Kendrick Bourne was 32nd in receptions per game (5.6) and 26th in receiving yards per game (85.8), and Hill was 37th in average receptions (5.5) and 32nd in average yards (82.6). That trio was 1-2-3 in the Big Sky in total receiving yards, 1-4-6 in receiving yards per game, 1-6-7 in receptions per game, and 1-1-9 in touchdown receptions (Bourne had seven).
 
 
After Long Climb Back, Shaq Hill Becomes Eastern's First Four-Time League Champion
 
It was a big hill to climb, but Shaq Hill introduced Eastern football fans to the first four-time Big Sky Conference champion in school history. The senior from Stockton, Calif., sparked the Eagles with an 84-yard touchdown on Nov. 18 against Portland State, helping the third-ranked Eagles wrap up their ninth Big Sky Conference title and extend their winning streak to nine games with a 35-28 victory. The following week, he became a four-time All-Big Sky honoree, earning first team All-Big Sky honors as a wide receiver.
 
Hill played as a true freshman in 2012 when the Eagles won the first of three league titles and advanced to the playoffs each season. But he injured his knee in EWU's 2015 opener against Oregon, and two knee surgeries sandwiched around a recurrence of the injury kept him off the field for nearly a year. As a result, he became the first EWU player to see action in four years to win Big Sky titles each year, with a collective record of 46-11 overall (80.7 percent) and 30-2 (93.8 percent) 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 will be the second.
 
Hill finished with seven catches for 124 yards versus the Vikings, the 10th time in his career he had at least 100 yards receiving. He also went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, moved into third in school history for all-purpose yards and moved past his receivers coach Nicholas Edwards for career receiving yards (he finished his career with 2,818 to rank seventh). His 84-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter sparked the Eagles to its historic victory. The long play was nothing new for Hill, who finished his career with 20 plays of 40 yards or more. Seven of them were at least 76 yards, with pass receptions of 86, 84 and 76 yards, and kickoff returns of 99, 93, 90 and 80 yards.
 
 
Cooper Kupp Sets Big Sky Records with 77 Touchdowns & 452 Points to Rank Fourth in FCS History in Both
 
You name it, and four-time All-American Cooper Kupp did it, although he saved the defense for his younger brother, Ketner Kupp.
 
The senior piled up Big Sky Conference and school records with 77 touchdowns in his career, good for a record total of 464 points. Both marks also rank fourth all-time in FCS history behind a trio of running backs. 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 77 touchdowns, Kupp scored 73 via receiving, three on punt returns (school record) and one via rushing. He also passed for four scores, thus accounting for 81 in his career. In all, his yardage in receptions, returns and passing totaled 7,218 yards (138.8 per game).

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 in 2015 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.
 
 
Antoine Custer Jr. Makes Big Plays Rushing & Returning for Eagles as a True Freshman in 2016
 
True freshman running back Antoine Custer Jr., made big plays all season as a true freshman for the Eagles, finishing his debut season with 977 all-purpose yards and a pair of Big Sky Conference Player of the Week accolades. He rushed 98 times for a net of 416 yards and five touchdowns, and caught 27 passes for 187 yards and a score, and also averaged 26.7 yards on 14 kickoff returns with a touchdown. Custer started at running back in six 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.
 
He ended the regular season by returning four kickoffs for a 26.8 average in a 35-28 victory against Portland State on Nov. 18. He had a long of 35, which sparked EWU's nine-play, 61-yard drive that knotted the game at 28 in the fourth quarter. En route to a career-high of 185 all-purpose yards, he also rushed for a team-high 69 yards on 13 carries (5.3 per carry), giving him 210 yards in his last two regular season games of the season.
 
He 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.
 
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.
 
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. 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 averaged 17.9 on eight returns. Webster had a 25.3 average per return, and EWU's 21.7 average as a team ranked fourth in the Big Sky and 25th nationally. In addition, Eastern's 20.3 average on punt returns – including a 22.9 average for Cooper Kupp – ranked first in the league and third in FCS.
 
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.
 
 "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 Made Most of His Opportunities
 
J.J. Njoku suffered an Achilles injury upon transferring to Eastern Washington from Washington State, but the same misfortune by a different player opened the way for the senior from Tacoma, Wash., to put together an impressive final season as EWU's rover.
 
Njoku started 10 games after starter Cole Karstetter ruptured his Achilles versus North Dakota State on Sept. 10. Njoku finished with 47 tackles, a sack, two passes broken up and two fumble recoveries in 2016, but he missed the last two games of the regular season with a knee injury that resulted in minor surgery on Nov. 22. He returned to start against Central Arkansas and had five tackles, then had two tackles versus Richmond and a career-high nine against Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs.
 
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.
 
 
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. The first team All-Big Sky Conference selection finished ninth in the league and 62nd nationally with an average of 8.2 tackles per game (team-leading 115 total to rank 13th in school history). A former walk-on, Bruce finished his career with 227 tackles, five interceptions and six passes broken up in his 50-game career (24 as a starter). He had six double-figure tackle performances in his career and five as a senior, including 13 against Montana on Oct. 29 and 11 versus Portland State on Nov. 18. He had a career-high 14 stops in games against Northern Arizona and North Dakota State, and closed his career with 13 against Youngstown State.
 
Bruce 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.
 
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.
 
 
Gubrud a Multiple Recipient of National Player of the Week Honors
 
Gage Gubrud added two more awards to his growing list of accolades 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 four times by the league office, and twice by College Sports Madness. He and teammate Cooper Kupp were selected as the Big Sky Conference's co-Offensive MVPs in 2016, and they both finished in the top three in the voting for the Walter Payton Award.
 
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.
 
 
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 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 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.
 
He had 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 was 2-of-2 passing versus Montana, 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 Sets Big Sky Records Plus One Other School Mark in 2016
 
Junior Roldan Alcobendas tied the Big Sky Conference record of 74 extra points made, which he now shares with former Eagle Kevin Miller in 2013. The accuracy of Alcobendas also helped him break an EWU record, making his last 63 extra points of the season to break the previous record of 47.
 
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. He finished the 2016 season 9-of-15 kicking field goals and made 73-of-74 extra points. He also averaged 54.6 yards on 44 kickoffs with seven touchbacks. In his 18-game career, Alcobendas has made 10-of-16 field goals and 95-of-99 extra points.
 
Returning to the venue he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2014, 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."
 
 
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."
 
What Kupp did 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, then won eight more in 2016.

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.
 
 
Bruce, Ebukam, Wimberly and Hill Join Kupp and Zamora as co-Captains
 
Six players served 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 were 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 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 earned All-Big Sky Conference accolades, including six for Kupp (four as a receiver and two as a return specialist) and four for Hill (three as a receiver, one as a return specialist). Ebukam was honored three times, Zamora and Bruce twice and Wimberly once. That sextet has also combined for eight Big Sky All-Academic honors (2016 recipients will be announced in January), with Kupp earning Academic All-America accolades each of his final three seasons.
 
 
 True Freshman Class for Eagles Includes Running Back Duo With 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 redshirted and played 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 Collects Accolades as Four-Time Consensus First Team All-American
 
Not surprisingly, Cooper Kupp's name found its way onto every NCAA Football Championship Subdivision preseason honor that exists and he hauled in awards in the postseason as well. Further establishing himself as one of the most dominant players of all-time in the FCS, the senior wide receiver was a consensus first team All-American for the fourth-straight season. Kupp earned first team All-America honors on all eight 2016 teams announced, bringing his total of All-America honors won in four seasons to 30 (all first team, including nine in 2013, six in 2014, seven in 2015 and eight in 2016). In addition, he earned 14 different national player of the year accolades in his career.
 
* In 2016, Kupp became the first wide receiver and just the fourth player overall in 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). He also became a four-time FCS All-America wide receiver in 2016.
 
* 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 12 times in the last 16 seasons, and 13 times overall. He and quarterback Gage Gubrud shared the 2016 honor, becoming the first teammates in the history of the league to be honored as co-MVPs.
 
* 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. He broke that record in 2016 with 117 grabs.
 
* 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 didn't mean anything heading into the 2016 season in which he was 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 before adding to his list of records and accomplishments in 2016. Kupp even passed for a pair of touchdowns in the 2015 season and had another via punt return. Including his 2016 totals with two more touchdown passes, one rushing and one on a punt return, he has scored 77 total touchdowns and has accounted for 81 in his 52-game career (all as a starter).
 
* His career catches, yards and TDs are all Big Sky and FCS records, and he also established a new league record for average catches per game (8.23), which also ranks second in FCS history. Kupp averaged a TD reception for every 5.9 catches, and scored at least once in 43 of 52 games he has played. He had 30 performances of at least eight catches (16 with 10 or more) and a FCS record of 31 with at least 100 receiving yards (school records of 24 with at least 125 and six with at least 200).
 
* In June 2016, 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 41 games overall and 28 in the Big Sky Conference in the past four seasons, with three Big Sky Conference championships (two of them outright and two of them unbeaten) and NCAA Football Championship Playoff berths his freshman, sophomore and senior 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, was a sophomore linebacker for the Eagles in 2016. Ketner played in all 11 Eastern games as a true freshman in 2015, finishing with 19 tackles and an interception. As a sophomore, the younger Kupp brother started five games and finished with 67 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. 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.
 
 
 

Injury Recap

 
* After playing EWU's first 13 games and being a special teams standout, Jack Sendelbach (high ankle sprain) missed the Youngstown State game. The only starter who missed the Richmond game because of injuries was sophomore Alek Kacmarcik (lower leg strain). He returned to play minimal snaps against Youngstown State but did not start. Linebacker Kurt Calhoun (hamstring) missed five games after getting injured versus Montana State on Oct. 22, then returned to play minimal snaps against Youngstown State. Senior starting center Jerrod Jones (knee) missed the final 11 games of the season. Starting tackle Nick Ellison (concussion) missed the Central Arkansas game but returned to start versus Richmond.
 
* A shoulder injury to Cooper Kupp on Nov. 18 versus Portland State was only the tip of the injury iceberg in that game for the Eagles. Senior linebacker Miquiyah Zamora (hamstring) missed most of the game, and EWU was already playing without a trio of injured starters – guard Matt Meyer (concussion), running back Jabari Wilson (hip/rib contusion) and rover J.J. Njoku (knee). Njoku missed his second-straight game after getting injured at Cal Poly, and had minor knee surgery on Nov. 22. However, only Zamora missed the Central Arkansas game on Dec. 3, while Kupp was limited and missed most of the second half. Meyer, Wilson and Njoku all started. Wide receiver Nsimba Webster broke his clavicle on a 61-yard kickoff return against UC Davis on Oct. 1 and returned to play versus Central Arkansas. He started EWU's final game of the season versus Youngstown State.
 
* Previously, 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. 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 2017 Season: "We'll hold our heads high and be very proud of what this team accomplished, especially this senior group. It's a special group that is going to leave a legacy and definitely a great example for the next crew as we get going in January."
 
On 2016 Eagles: "This team had something special. In my opinion, you could see it even before we played a game. You could see something special back in January – something different the way they were going to push the standard. There was something different in how they were going to come back from a 6-5 year. They took 6-5 as being unacceptable. The seniors led that charge and it trickled down. It was a special season."
 
On Richmond Win: "It was a game full of guts and heart – that's the best way I can describe it. We knew coming out that the field was going to be a little slick and it would be a little colder than what we've played in. But our team handled all the details and little things to be at a point to play that well against a very good opponent in the playoffs. That's not easy to do. Our team was focused the entire week to get that done."
 
On Defense Versus Spiders: "My hat is off to our guys on defense – coach Jeff Schmedding and more than anything, the men that are out there on the field battling. I don't think I've been a part of a playoff shutout in my life, let alone thinking that we've had seven quarters of scoreless football by our defense in the playoffs. In college football these days that doesn't happen. They've earned that and I'm so happy for them."
 
On UCA Game & Defense: "I was really proud of our players of finding a way to win. It seemed like a grind at times, but certain imperfections are going to happen because you are playing a great opponent and there are only 16 teams left in the tournament. But we found a way to keep responding. When you are down 14-0 and find a way to work your way back and win 31-14, that's not easy to do. I'm so proud of how our defense stepped up – we've grown as the year has gone along. I don't think people were believing me four or five weeks ago when they were talking about our shootouts with other teams. That wasn't really the reality. Our defense keeps playing great football."
 
On Playoffs: "We've gotten to experience lots of things as coaches, but these student-athletes have only a small window of time to experience this. If you're a younger player, it doesn't automatically mean you are going to get another shot. To see Eastern Washington on the screen and hear our name called is cool. Just to be in this great tournament is a blast, and we're excited to have home games throughout. You realize it more when you miss it, and we missed getting in last year. That's on us and we didn't earn it."
 
On Cooper Kupp Consistency: "His biggest attribute is his consistency, and that he continues to find ways to produce when everybody's eyes are on him. 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."
 
On Gage Gubrud: "We had some question marks, and one of them was exactly who was going to play quarterback and how that was going to look once we were on the field. What Gage has been able to accomplish working with (quarterbacks coach and passing game quarterback) Troy Taylor is huge. His production was impressive, especially with the challenging schedule we had even before we got into league play. He's taken most every snap and has added pieces to our offense that maybe weren't there a year ago. But again, he's worked at it. He worked the entire off-season, and prepped and grinded to be at this point as a quarterback. I give him a lot of credit for that."
 
On Four First-Team Selections on Defense: "I'm very happy for those defensive players who were honored – they've put in a lot of time with (defensive coordinator) Jeff Schmedding and that staff. They worked extremely hard in the off-season to get us to a level we believed we could get to as a defense. It was an incredible year for what we did defensively. Once we got into league play we really started to find a rhythm. We got stops when stops were needed, and got some turnovers – those weren't there to that level in 2015. That was a huge spark for in where we are right now as a team."
 
On Having to Replace Three Senior Receivers: "I remember that question was asked in 2012. We aren't going to just replace this group, we know that. Cooper Kupp, Shaq Hill and Kendrick Bourne were pretty incredible, including the runs they've had this season and in their career. It's all come together, and for them to stay healthy and play this whole season together has been a blast. I'm excited for the rest of the season with these players and enjoy every minute of it. They are not only great football players, but they are just great young men I enjoy being around day-to-day. But, I'll be excited for that next group when they come out next spring. It will be exciting to see those guys with a little chip on their shoulder as well."
 
On Eastern's Ninth League Title and 12th Playoff Berth: "It's exciting, and there are a lot of people before us that helped get that going. I just thank all former Eastern Eagles and everybody that has been involved with building this program. There is a tradition and foundation here, and we were fortunate to come into a very strong foundation when we got here. We just try to continue and keep taking it to another level, and that's hard to do. But our players keep working towards it, and it's exciting to add the 2016 team to that list."
 
On Finishing League Season Unbeaten: "Our players worked so hard to overcome certain things in terms of youth, finding ways to be ready and our challenging schedule. We could have been a really good team, and results may still not have gone our way in the first three or four games. We found a way to get off to a great start and finish the year undefeated in the conference. That's hard to do. At times, things weren't perfect – that's part of what I love about football and part of what I love about sports . . . the imperfections. I love the grind and going through moments that aren't perfect and seeing how our players and coaches respond."
 
On Winning By Comfortable Margins: "That's something we've done really well. 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."
 
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 as a Senior: "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."
 
 
 
 

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 made starting debuts, plus one more (Kaleb Levao) making his first start on offense after making a start on defense a year ago). 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 (319 starts by 22 players): Miquiyah Zamora 45, Samson Ebukam 38, Matthew Sommer 31, Zach Bruce 24, Nzuzi Webster 22, Andre Lino 22, Mitch Fettig 22, Victor Gamboa 22, Albert Havili 16, Alek Kacmarcik 12, Josh Lewis 10, J.J. Njoku 10, Jay-Tee Tiuli 9, Keenan Williams 9, D'londo Tucker 6, Cole Karstetter 5, Jake Hoffman 5, Ketner Kupp 5, John Kreifels 2, Kurt Calhoun 1, Jonah Jordan 1, Conner Baumann 2 (including 1 as a fullback).
 
Offense (277 starts by 22 players): Cooper Kupp 52, Kendrick Bourne 32, Shaq Hill 25, Zach Wimberly 23, Jabari Wilson 18, Nick Ellison 15, Tristen Taylor 14, Chris Schlichting 14, Jordan West 14, Matt Meyer 13, Gage Gubrud 13, Spencer Blackburn 11, Nic Sblendorio 9, Antoine Custer Jr. 6, Jerrod Jones 5, Jack Hunter 3, Nsimba Webster 2, Terence Grady 2, Reilly Hennessey 2, Stu Stiles 1, Jayce Gilder 1, Kaleb Levao 2 (including 1 as defensive lineman).
 
 
 
 
 

Playoff Notes & EWU Playoff History

 
* The Eagles had several players with three, and even, four years' worth of playoff experience. Shaq Hill, who redshirted in 2015 when EWU missed the postseason, played in 11 games and had 24 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to six rushes for 39 yards two more scores. He also had 24 kickoff returns for 596 yards (24.8 average) and a long of 93, giving him 929 all-purpose yards (84.5 per game). Cooper Kupp had 64 catches for 987 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine career games, plus two kickoff returns for 36 yards. Kendrick Bourne played in five games and had 24 catches for 348 yards and a TD, and Nic Sblendorio currently has 11 grabs for 172 yards in five games. Running back Jabari Wilson played in eight with 78 yards rushing and a TD on 22 carries and two receptions for 13 yards. Tight End Zach Wimberly played in five games during his career and had four receptions for 26 yards and a TD. On defense, five players have played in at least seven games, led by the 55 tackles, two forced fumbles and fumble recovery by Miquiyah Zamora in seven games. Playing in eight are defensive end Albert Havili (34 tackles, three sacks, one interception returned 77 yards for a TD and a forced fumble), Samson Ebukam (23 tackles with 4 1/2 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery), Matthew Sommer (13 tackles) and Zach Bruce (22 tackles with two passes broken up). Victor Gamboa (25 tackles and a forced fumble) has played in seven playoff games. Players with five games of experience include Andre Lino (7 tackles with a sack), Marcus Saugen (8 tackles with a sack) and Jake Hoffman (9 tackles). Dylan Donohue (4 tackles with a sack) has played in four.
 
* Since 2010, EWU has hosted 14 playoff games at Roos Field, winning 10 of them. The Eagles were the 2010 NCAA Division I Champions after winning three home games in the playoffs and then defeating Delaware 20-19 for the title in Frisco, Texas. Eastern also hosted three games in 2012, 2013 and 2016, but lost in the semifinals all three seasons. Eastern hosted two more playoff games in 2014, falling in the quarterfinal round. The 12th game was EWU's 31-14 victory over Central Arkansas in 2016 and the 13th was a 34-0 quarterfinal victory over Richmond. Eastern hosted three playoff games in 1997, and the first at Roos Field came in 2004 in a 35-34 loss to Sam Houston State.
 
* Head coach Beau Baldwin has taken the Eagles to the playoffs six seasons in his nine years as head coach (2009-10-12-13-14-16), plus two more as an assistant (2004-05). He has coached in a total of 29 postseason playoff games (12 appearances) with a record of 18-10-1, including eight appearances in the FCS Playoffs and two at both the NCAA Division II and NAIA levels when he was at Central Washington.
 
* Eastern made its 12th appearance in the playoffs in 2016, becoming just the 15th team in FCS to have 12 or more appearances. The other appearances for the Eagles came in 1985, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. With a 6-5 record during an injury-ravaged season in 2011, Eastern fell a victory shy of making its first back-to-back-to-back appearances, but accomplished that feat in 2012-13-14. The Eagles were also 6-5 in 2015 and missed the postseason.
 
* Eastern has nine playoff berths in a 13-year span (2004-16), ranking the Eagles as one of only three schools among 122 in FCS to accomplish that feat. New Hampshire (2004-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12-13-14-15-16) made the playoffs for the 13th-straight time in 2016. The third team was Montana (2004-05-06-07-08-09-11-13-14-15) with 10 appearances in that stretch.
 
* The Eagles have four appearances in the last five years (2012-16), with only six other teams on that list (Illinois State, Jacksonville State, New Hampshire, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State).
 
* The Eagles have a 16-11 record in their 12 playoff appearances (1985, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016). Eastern has advanced to the semifinals in the FCS Playoffs five times (1997, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016), and has won its opener nine times (1985, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016). The Eagles won the title in 2010 in their first and only appearance in the championship game. Eastern has received first-round byes in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016 (the playoffs were expanded to 20 teams in 2010 and to 24 teams in 2013).
 
* The Eagles enjoyed an incredible five-year string of success from 2010-14. In that span, the Eagles won the 2010 NCAA Division title, won four Big Sky Conference titles (including the school's first-ever three-peat in 2012-13-14) and hosted 11 playoff games on the red turf at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles were victorious in eight of those playoff games, and won 53 games overall while going 34-6 in league games.