­­­­­#18/20 Ranked Eastern Washington Univ. "Eagles" versus Portland State Univ. "Vikings" Saturday, November 18 • 3:12 p.m. Pacific Roos Field (8,600) • Cheney, Wash.
TV:	Nationally on ROOT Sports and via the DirecTV Audience Network
Webcast:	None
Radio:	700-AM ESPN and 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area, as well as KTEL 1490-AM & 99.7-FM in Walla Walla.  Larry Weir returns for his 27th season calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen. Broadcasts begin one hour prior to kickoff and include an expanded post-game show.
Internet Radio:	http://www.tunein.com. (search for Eastern Washington University).
Radio Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio.
Live Stats:	http://ewustats.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	Mondays at ­­the "Impulse Club" at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, with video highlights and commentary by head coach Aaron Best at 5:30 p.m. . . . 700-AM ESPN, www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "700 ESPN" and download app)..
Watch Parties:	Consult EWU social media outlets for details the Friday before games. Those who may carry EWU games include "Epic" at Northern Quest Casino and Resort in Airway Heights, Borracho in downtown Spokane and the Swinging Doors in North Spokane.

Every week is an opportunity. This week's has a must-win feel to it.

Although hopes of a 10th Big Sky Conference title have been dashed, the Eastern Washington University football team can take a big step toward its 13th playoff berth in school history when it hosts winless Portland State this Saturday (Nov. 18) at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., to conclude the regular season for both teams.
 
Kickoff is 3:12 p.m. Pacific time in a game which will be televised live nationally via ROOT Sports and the DirectTV Audience Network. Fans can also listen to the game on 700-AM ESPN, 105.3-FM, via the web at tunein.com and via mobile phone app, with pre-game coverage starting one hour prior to kickoff.
 
"We want to make a statement," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best of the annual showdown versus the Vikings. "We want to win games, but especially games against opponents that are in our same backyard and we're fighting against for players in the off-season. This is a little bigger than just a game, and we're playing for something more."
 
The Eagles are currently in a three-way tie for third in the league race at 5-2, trailing a trio of 6-1 teams – Southern Utah, Weber State and Northern Arizona. The Thunderbirds and Lumberjacks play this week, guaranteeing one of those teams will improve to 7-1 and at least share the title, as Weber State hosts Idaho State to close the season.
 
Eastern, coming off a gut-check 21-14 win at North Dakota last week, are tied with teams it has already defeated – Montana and Sacramento State. Previously, Eastern had dropped its last two games to SUU and Weber State to snap a five-game winning streak, and earlier this season the Thunderbirds knocked off WSU.
 
If they can finish the regular season 7-4, the Eagles will have not had what would be considered a "bad" loss in FCS play, which helps them the most in their case for one of 14 at-large berths in the 24-team playoff field. Eastern has suffered losses to ranked FCS teams with a current combined 25-5 record (9-1 North Dakota State, 8-2 Weber State, 8-2 Southern Utah), plus its other loss was to FBS member Texas Tech (5-5 after a 3-0 start).
 
Last season, four Big Sky Conference schools advanced to the FCS Playoffs, with EWU and North Dakota receiving first-round byes and Weber State and Cal Poly playing on the opening weekend. Four league teams were also selected in 2013 when the playoffs expanded to 24 teams, but only three were picked in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, Northern Arizona and North Dakota were both 7-4 and were left out.
 
The pairings will be announced at 8 a.m. Pacific time on Selection Sunday, Nov. 19, on ESPNU, and standing in the way of even being considered is a Portland State program that has defeated EWU in Cheney in 2011 and 2015. As amazingly successful as Eastern has been at Roos Field since 2010, the Eagles need to beat PSU to secure a winning record at home in 2017. In fact, Eastern is 33-6 (84.6 percent) since the red turf was installed at "The Inferno" in 2010, and the only other regular season losses for the Eagles have come against Montana State (2011), Northern Arizona (2015), North Dakota State (2017) and Weber State (2017).
 
In the annual meeting for the "Dam Cup," the Eagles take on a PSU team 0-10 overall and 0-7 in the league following its 63-17 loss to Weber State. The Vikings are coached by Eastern graduate and former Eagle player Bruce Barnum, and have been outscored by an average score of 41-22 this season.
 
"They will absolutely give us everything they have," said Best. "And it goes further than the 60 minutes too because they are trying to start 2018 on the right foot with the players they have back. This has always been a tough and tight game, no matter if it's there or here, and no matter who we have playing for us. The elements seem to be rainy more often than not. These are hard-fought games, and we recruit a lot of the same people. There are a lot of things that are intertwined between our programs."
 
The road team has won 12 of the last 19 meetings in the series, which PSU leads 20-18-1. Eastern edged PSU 35-28 in Portland last season, and the year before the Vikings handed EWU a 34-31 loss at Roos Field, as well as a 43-26 pounding in in 2011 at Roos Field. Eagle victories in 2012 (41-34) and 2013 (42-41) both came down to touchdown drives by the Eagles with 31 and 85 seconds remaining, respectively. Portland State is the only Big Sky school other than Montana to have a winning record all-time against the Eagles.
 
 
 

EWU-Portland State Game Notes

 
Eagles Honor 14 Seniors Versus Portland State
 
Eastern will say goodbye to yet another special group of players in school history on "Senior Day" at Roos Field versus Portland State. The 14 Eagle seniors will be making their final regular season appearance at the "Inferno," and several have been a part of EWU's Big Sky Conference championships in 2013, 2014 and 2016, with playoff berths all three of those seasons. Eastern has won 33 of 40 Big Sky Conference games and 47 games overall in the last five years, starting in 2013 when many of those seniors were redshirts.
 
37 - Roldan Alcobendas - K - 6-0 - 180 - Sr. - 2L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS '13)
45 - Jordan Dascalo - P/K - 6-1 - 225 - Sr. - 2L - Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft HS '13 & Washington State Univ.)
27 - Victor Gamboa - DB - 6-0 - 190 - Sr. - 3L* - Tacoma, Wash. (Washington HS '13)
47 - Adam Gascoyne - RB - 5-11 - 190 - Sr. - SQ* - Port Orchard, Wash. (South Kitsap HS '13 & Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
4 - #Albert Havili - DL - 6-2 - 270 - Sr. - 3L* - Federal Way, Wash. (Federal Way HS '13)
17 - Jake Hoffman - DB - 6-0 - 195 - Sr. - 3L* - Spokane, Wash. (North Central HS '13)
29 - John Kreifels - DB - 5-10 - 205 - Sr. - 3L* - Modesto, Calif. (Thomas Downey HS '13)
25 - Jordan Laurencio - RB - 5-7 - 165 - Sr. - SQ* - Seattle, Wash. (Kentlake HS '13)
9 - #Andre Lino - DL - 6-3 - 270 - Sr. - 3L* - Seattle, Wash. (Blanchet HS '13)
50 - Miquel Perez - LB - 6-0 - 210 - Sr. - SQ* - Grandview, Wash. (Grandview HS '12)
93 - Marcus Saugen - DL - 6-3 - 240 - Sr. - 3L - Spokane, Wash. (North Central HS '14)
7 - #Nic Sblendorio - WR - 6-0 - 185 - Sr. - 3L* - Sammamish, Wash. (Skyline HS '13)
18 - D'londo Tucker - DB - 6-0 - 180 - Sr. - 3L* - Federal Way, Wash. (Federal Way HS '13)
12 - Keonte White - WR - 6-4 - 195 - Sr. - 1L* - Sylmar, Calif. (Sylmar HS '13)
#Senior Co-Captain. *Has used redshirt year.
 
 
 
Eagles Clinch 20th Winning Season in 22 Years, Including 11 Straight
 
Eastern's 21-14 victory over North Dakota on Nov. 11 clinched Eastern's 20th winning season in the last 22 years (1996-2017), including a current string of 11-straight (2007-17) and another stretch of seven straight (1999-2005). The last time Eastern had that many winning seasons in a row came 75 years earlier in the Red Reese era when Eastern had a string of 11-straight winning seasons from 1931-1941. This is Eastern 109th year of football.
 
 
Dam Cup in Eighth Year, Third as Football Only Trophy
 
For the third-straight year, the winner of the annual Eastern Washington versus Portland State football game is now the only deciding factor in awarding The Dam Cup, which enters its eighth year of existence in 2017. Previously, the trophy was presented to the school which accumulated the most points among competitions that included football, men's basketball, women's basketball, volleyball and soccer. Portland State won three of the first four titles, but EWU won in the 2014-15 school year. In 2015, PSU captured the trophy with a football victory, and then Eastern won it back in 2016. Eastern athletic director Bill Chaves said in 2015 that the growth of the Big Sky Conference has resulted in EWU not playing PSU consistently in all sports, and not always with equitable home games. However, each school has two regional rivals they play annually in football, so making The Dam Cup a football-only trophy made logical sense. In its seven-year existence, Eastern has won the trophy three times and PSU four.
 
 
Eagles Improve to 18th in the Rankings
 
With a two-game losing skid behind them, Eastern rose one spot to 18th in the weekly STATS Top 25 poll and to 20th in the coaches poll. Eastern fell from eighth to 14th in the STATS poll and was 12th by the coaches after its loss to Southern Utah on Oct. 21, was 11th in both polls after a bye week, and then was 19th by STATS and 21st by the coaches after its home loss to Weber State.
 
In this week's STATS poll, Weber State is 12th, Southern Utah is 14th and Northern Arizona is 23rd. Weber State is up to ninth in the coaches poll, with SUU rated 18th and Northern Arizona 23rd.
 
Eastern has now been ranked by STATS in 82 of its last 83 polls, and in the top 10 in 19 of the last 24. Eastern had its streak of being in the top 10 snapped at 15 after losing at home 40-13 to the North Dakota State on Sept. 9, and again fell out of the top 10 on Oct. 23. Defending FCS champion James Madison has been No. 1 all season in both polls, but Jacksonville State took over the No. 2 spot after NDSU suffered its first loss of the season on Nov. 4.
 
 
Eagles Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Games at Roos/Woodward Field With 50th Game on the Red Turf
 
The North Dakota State game on Sept. 9 was the 50th at Roos Field since the red turf surface was installed in 2010. After beating Sacramento State on Sept. 30 and Montana State on Oct. 14, and falling to Weber State on Nov. 4, Eastern is now 43-10 overall, and have lost just six regular season games at "The Inferno" – 33-6 (84.6 percent), plus are 10-4 in playoff games. The only regular season losses at home for EWU since then are to conference foes Montana State (2011), Portland State (2011 and 2015) and Northern Arizona (2015), as well as North Dakota State and Weber State (2017).
 
This is the seventh season the stadium has been known 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 43-10 overall (81 percent) since the red turf was installed in 2010 – including a 4-0 record versus rival Montana. Eastern has a 156-65 record (70.6 percent) in 221 games at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) since 1967, with the Eagles utilizing Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane as the school's main home field from 1983-89.
 
In 2016, Eastern finished 7-1 in the 50th season of football at EWU's current stadium location, which opened in 1967 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the 2017 season. A crowd of 9,451 were on hand for EWU's most recent home game versus Weber State, giving EWU 24-straight regular season sellouts (crowd of 8,600 or more) and 36 overall.
 
Currently on record pace with an average of 10,475 fans per game this season, Eastern's 2016 average attendance was 8,435 (67,477 in eight home games). The school record is 9,577 set in five home games in 2015. Eastern had its fifth-most fans in school history against MSU this season (11,301), No. 8 against Sacramento State (10,917), No. 17 versus North Dakota State (10,231) and No. 23 against Weber State (9,451).
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive 45-7 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
Although they had their 12-game Big Sky winning streak come to a close at Southern Utah on Oct. 21 and fell to North Dakota on Nov. 4, the Eagles have won 45 of their last 52 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. At one point the Eagles had won 44 of 49 league games, and the only Big Sky school which has come close to that in the 54-year history of the league was Montana, which won 50 of 55 games from 1995-2002 and 46 of 51 from 2003-2009.
 
 Eastern has won 35 of its last 41 league games, with the other 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 school-record 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 39 of their last 45 versus conference foes, and are 49-7 since the 0-2 start in 2011. Including three wins at the end of the 2009 season, Eastern has a 55-11 record in league games since then.
 
What's perhaps most impressive is Eastern's ability to consistently win on the road. Until losing at Southern Utah, the Eagles had won its previous road game versus all 13 other league members, as well a 2012 road victory at Idaho, which will join the league next year.
 
 
Eagles Seek to Continue November Excellence
 
The month of November has long been a successful month for Eastern Washington, and they hope to continue that in 2017. Since 2004, EWU has lost just seven regular season games in November (Weber State in 2017; NAU, Portland State and Montana in 2015; Sac State and Weber State in 2006; and Cal Poly in 2005), with an overall record of 31-7.
 
In November and beyond since 2004, the Eagles are now 44-15, including a 13-8 record in the FCS Playoffs. Since 2010, Eastern is 29-8 overall in November and beyond, with the lone setbacks coming in 2017 to Weber State; 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.
 
 
Championship Committee Announces Revised List of Top 10 Teams
 
The NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee revealed its top 10 teams on Nov. 2, and Northern Arizona was the only Big Sky Conference team on the list at No. 8. However, no league team was on the list when the updated rankings were announced on Nov. 9.
 
In order, the top 10 teams on the revised list are: 1. James Madison, 2. Jacksonville State, 3. Central Arkansas, 4. North Dakota State, 5. Sam Houston State, 6. Elon, 7. South Dakota State, 8. Wofford, 9. South Dakota, 10. North Carolina A&T.
 
For the second straight year, the November announcements will help build excitement around the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and may have some bearing on the final bracket that will be revealed at 8 a.m. Pacific time on Selection Sunday, Nov. 19, on ESPNU.
 
The 2017 championship field consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large qualifiers. The top eight teams will be seeded, receive first-round byes and host second-round games. The 16 other teams will bid to host first-round games, which will take place Saturday, Nov. 25. The national championship game will be at 9 a.m. Pacific time Saturday, Jan. 6, in Frisco, Texas, and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
 
 
Nine Eagles Make Starting Debuts in First Seven Games
 
Eastern had nine Eagles make their starting debuts in EWU's first seven games, then had no newbies in their next two prior to the UND game when Eric Barriere made his first start at quarterback. Against Montana State on Oct. 14, sophomore Tysen Prunty started at safety in place of injured senior Jake Hoffman. Prunty finished his debut with a career-high seven tackles versus the Bobcats.
 
Previously, two debuts were made against UC Davis on Oct. 7 when true freshman Anfernee Gurley made this first start of his career as an extra defensive back and running back Sam McPherson started at running back. In his first series as a starter, McPherson gathered in a 40-yard touchdown pass. Gurley finished with a career-high nine tackles.
 
One game earlier versus Sacramento State on Sept. 30, sophomore Jayson Williams made his first start when EWU began with a four receiver set. He had three catches for 74 yards, including a 59-yarder in the first quarter that set-up Eastern's first touchdown of the day in the 52-31 win.
 
Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Brett Thompson saw significant action at Fordham, then the 2016 graduate of Olympia (Wash.) High School made the first start of his career in Eastern's come-from-behind 48-41 victory against Montana. Starting offensive guard Matt Meyer has been injured and out since playing sparingly versus Fordham, and previously Kaleb Levao was lost for the season with a knee injury. The result was three different starting offensive lines in three games (NDSU, Fordham and Montana), with three players starting multiple positions (Tristen Taylor, Chris Schlichting and Jack Hunter).
 
Junior tight end Henderson Belk was listed as a starter against Texas Tech, but EWU began with four wide receivers instead. Belk, though, made his starting debut one game later versus North Dakota State. Against Fordham on Sept. 16, sophomore defensive nose tackle Dylan Ledbetter made the first start of his career as an injury replacement for Jay-Tee Tiuli, who has also now been lost for the season and will redshirt. Ledbetter, whose father, Mark, lettered as a linebacker at Washington State from 1986-89, had a career-high eight tackles and two of EWU's 10 sacks. Also, junior wide receiver Zach Eagle made his first start as an Eagle wide receiver against Fordham and caught a pass for 14 yards and had two punt returns.
 
When EWU played at Texas Tech on Sept. 2, a total of 21 of 22 starters hit the field with starting experience under their belts. Six full-time starters returned on each side of the ball, plus all of the team's specialists from a year ago. An additional five starters on offense and four on defense had previously started for the Eagles. The lone starting debut came on defense when sophomore Jack Sendelbach started in place of injured Ketner Kupp on defense.
 
Eight freshman redshirts made their Eastern debuts against Texas Tech on Sept. 2 – Eric Barriere, Talolo Limu-Jones, Calin Criner, Keith Moore, Rudolph Mataia Jr., Brett Thompson, Nicholas Blair and Conner Crist. Three true freshmen made their debuts in an Eastern uniform, including Anfernee Gurley, Johnny Edwards IV and Chris Ojoh. Three other true freshmen were on Eastern's travel squad and did not play -- quarterback Nick Moore, cornerback Ira Branch, and wide receiver Andrew Boston. They remain redshirts, as well as junior defensive end Jim Townsend.
 
In addition, Aaron Best made his head coaching debut versus the Red Raiders. It came versus the same team former head coach Beau Baldwin made his EWU head coaching debut against back on Aug. 30, 2008, in a 49-24 Red Raider victory. Interestingly, Best is a 1996 graduate of Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., and Baldwin graduated from the same school six years earlier. Best was making his debut as Baldwin's offensive line coach in that 2008 game.
 
The UC Davis game on Oct. 7 was the 250th game for Aaron Best associated with the Eastern football program. He is in his 21st year as either a player or a coach, and EWU has won more than 60 percent of its games during that time.
 
 
Career Starts
 
Defense (269 starts by 20 players): Mitch Fettig 32, Andre Lino 27, Albert Havili 26, Victor Gamboa 26, Nzuzi Webster 25, Josh Lewis 20, Keenan Williams 19, Cole Karstetter 14, Ketner Kupp 12, Jake Hoffman 11, Jay-Tee Tiuli 11, Kurt Calhoun 10, D'londo Tucker 9, Jonah Jordan 7, Dylan Ledbetter 7, Jack Sendelbach 4, Tysen Prunty 4, John Kreifels 2, Conner Baumann 2 (including 1 as a fullback), Anfernee Gurley 1.
 
Offense (201 starts by 19 players): Tristen Taylor 24, Chris Schlichting 24, Gage Gubrud 22, Spencer Blackburn 21, Nic Sblendorio 19, Matt Meyer 16, Antoine Custer Jr. 15, Nsimba Webster 12, Jack Hunter 11, Zach Eagle 8, Brett Thompson 7, Jayce Gilder 6, Terence Grady 4, Kaleb Levao 4 (including 1 as defensive lineman), Jayson Williams 2, Stu Stiles 2, Henderson Belk 2, Sam McPherson 1, Eric Barriere 1.
 
 
 

Player Notes

 
 
Jordan Dascalo Honored Nationally & by the Big Sky Conference for Big Boots
 
After a big day booming kicks, senior punter Jordan Dascalo received National Special Teams Player of the Week honors by STATS on Monday (Nov. 13). He was also honored as the Big Sky Conference Special teams Player of the Week after helping Eastern preserve a 21-14 victory over North Dakota on Nov. 11.
He punted seven times for a 52.7 average with two downed inside the North Dakota 20-yard line. His 67-yarder with 2:47 left in the game was downed at the UND 3-yard line, and equaled the longest of his career to rank sixth in school history. The Fighting Hawks picked up just one turnover before turning the ball over on downs, thus enabling EWU to run out the clock with kneel-downs. The average field position for North Dakota after his punts was the 24-yard line. In all, six of his seven punts were at least 50 yards – in order he had boots of 50, 51, 56, 58, 51, 36 and 67 yards.
With a 42.5 average on 44 punts thus far in 2017 to rank 18th in FCS, Dascalo has now punted 122 times as an Eagle for a 41.3 career average to rank fourth in school history. In his career, Dascalo has now had 39 punts downed inside the 20. He has had 13 punts in his career of at least 56 yards, including a pair of career-long 67-yard kicks to rank sixth in school history. He is also 4-of-7 in his EWU career kicking field goals, and has averaged 60.0 yards (6,901 total yards) in 115 career kickoffs with 47 touchbacks.
 
Against UC Davis on Oct. 7, he averaged 42.5 yards per punt with a long of 56 and one downed inside the 20-yard line. The average field position for the Aggies after his punts was its own 29-yard line. He averaged 46.8 yards on six punts in EWU's season-opener against Texas Tech with a long of 58. A pair of his punts were downed inside the 20, and the average starting position for TTU after his six punts was its own 23. Dascalo also kicked off three times, with all three resulting in touchbacks. He had a 62-yard punt at Fordham on Sept. 16, at the time equaling the second-longest of his career (now No. 3; he had a 67-yarder in 2015 versus Montana and a 67-yarder versus North Dakota in 2017).  His 62-yarder ranked at the time as the 19th-longest in school history (now 20th). He had a 45.0 average on four punts in that game, with two of them downed inside the 20.
 
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, 2016. 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.
 
 
Filling Middle Linebacker Role, Sendelbach Receives Pair of Honors
 
Sophomore Jack Sendelbach earned a pair of Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors after helping lead EWU's sterling defensive effort in a 21-14 victory over North Dakota on Nov. 11. He was the official Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, and earned the same honor from College Sports Madness after his double-figure tackle performance against UND.
 
Filling in for a starter for the fourth game this season, the 2015 graduate of Blanchet High School in Seattle finished with 11 tackles and recovered a key fumble in the win. He was credited with a half-sack, and his fumble recovery came 13:21 left in the game at the EWU 1-yard line and the Eagles clinging to a 21-7 lead. Five of his tackles came in the second quarter when EWU outscored UND 14-0 and had a dominating 191-29 advantage in total offense.
 
Sendelbach was replacing suspended starting middle linebacker Kurt Calhoun in the lineup, and earlier this season had started three games as an injury replacement for Ketner Kupp at strong-side linebacker. With three fumble recoveries this season, Sendelbach ranks fifth in FCS. He now has 42 tackles for the season with two sacks, and has a total of 58 tackles in his 23-game career.
 
 
Barriere Wins First Start of Career Versus UND
 
Freshman redshirt Eric Barriere made the first start of his career against North Dakota on Nov. 11, 2017, and led the Eagles to a 21-14 win. The 2016 graduate of La Habra (Calif.) High School was as a replacement for 22-game starter Gage Gubrud, who was serving a one-game team suspension for violation of team rules.
 
Barriere had 185 yards of total offense, had a touchdown pass and scored once on the ground on a fourth down play to end the first half. He completed 13-of-23 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 15 times for 55 yards. He was sacked only once and had no turnovers. He rushed for a pair of first downs, and passed for another eight. Barriere helped Eastern to a turnoverless game, but had to recover his own fumble late in the game that was followed by a key 67-yard punt by Jordan Dascalo that was downed at the UND 3-yard line. Had Barriere not recovered the fumble, UND would have taken over at the EWU 31 trailing just 21-14.
 
By contrast, Vernon Adams Jr. – a former Eagle who Barriere draws comparisons to – had 75 yards passing (7-of-12) and 62 rushing (five carries) in his starting debut in 2012 at Weber State in a 32-26 victory. Adams missed most of the second half with cramping, and rushed for five first downs and passed for four. Before the UND game, Barriere had appeared in three games this season and was 1-of-2 for 13 yards and an interception, all coming against Texas Tech on Sept. 2.
 
 
Special Teams, Including EWU's Kickoff Return Unit, Near Top in FCS Statistics
 
Eastern's kickoff return unit has long been impressive, and so far this year the Eagles and Dre' Sonte Dorton are ranked high in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Dorton has averaged 27.4 yards on 22 returns to rank eighth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, while the team is sixth at 25.2 per return.
 
Dorton had a 96-yard return for a touchdown at Southern Utah on Oct. 21, accounting for EWU's only points in a span of 35:04 in the 46-28 loss. On his TD, Dorton faked a reverse and then ran down the sideline for the 13th-longest return in school history to help EWU regain a two-possession lead at 21-8. In the fourth quarter, with EWU trailing 32-28, he had a 36-yarder shortened to 14 yards because of a holding penalty. Dorton also has two returns of 51 yards and others of 49 and 38 this season.
 
Besides Dorton, Eastern has some other top-notch returners back from a year ago. Last year as a true freshman, Antoine Custer Jr. averaged 26.7 yards on 14 kickoff returns with a touchdown, with long returns of 93, 55 and 35 yards. Teammate Nsimba Webster had a 65-yard return against UC Davis, but broke his clavicle in the process. 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 the last 22 seasons (1996-2017), Eastern has returned 38 total kicks – 19 kickoffs and 19 punts -- for touchdowns. In that same span Eastern has allowed only 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).
 
In other national statistics, Eastern is 16th in net punting (38.72), allowing just 3.50 yards by opponents on punt returns this season to rank eighth nationally. Punter Jordan Dascalo is 18th in average per punt (42.5).
 
Eastern is ninth in FCS in passing (308.5 per game) and 18th in total offense (451.6), and is also 28th in scoring (32.0). Quarterback Gage Gubrud is sixth in total offense per game (340.7), sixth in passing yards per game (321.9), sixth in FCS in points responsible for per game (18.2) and 13th in total passing touchdowns (22). A year ago he led FCS in both passing and total offense (368.6 and 411.0, respectively). Nic Sblendorio is 15th in FCS with an average of 6.3 catches per game (63 total) and 67th in yards (63.9 per game, total of 639). Nsimba Webster is 21st in receptions (5.9, total of 59) and 49th in yards (69.3, total of 693).
 
Safety Mitch Fettig has averaged 8.9 tackles per game thus far (total of 89) to rank 38th nationally and sixth in the Big Sky. Senior defensive end Albert Havili is 58th in sacks with an average of 0.6 per game (six total), and the team is averaging 2.4 per game (total of 24) to rank 36th in FCS. With three fumble recoveries this season, sophomore Jack Sendelbach ranks fifth in FCS.
 
 
Depth Helps Eagles Win Five Straight Despite Injuries to Eight Starters
 
As a testament of Eastern's outstanding depth, Eastern won their fifth-straight game against Montana State on Oct. 14 despite playing without eight injured players who have started this season (combined 25 starts at the time). Among those who were out for that game, junior offensive guard Matt Meyer and senior cornerback D'londo Tucker have been declared out for the season by head coach Aaron Best. Meyer has played in 23 games (16 as a starter) and will be back for the 2018 season. Tucker was injured at Montana on Sept. 23 and has 57 total tackles, three interceptions, a sack and 12 passes broken up in his 35-game career (nine as a starter). Of those who also missed the MSU game, tight end Henderson Belk and safety Jake Hoffman also missed EWU's three games since then, while wide receiver Terence Grady and defensive tackle Andre Lino have since returned.
 
As a result of the injuries, opportunities have been given to numerous Eagles to assume starting roles in recent weeks, including nose tackle Dylan Ledbetter, safety Tysen Prunty, true freshman defensive back Anfernee Gurley, offensive tackle Brett Thompson and wide receivers Zach Eagle and Jayson Williams. In addition, linebacker Jack Sendelbach replaced the injured Ketner Kupp in the starting lineup for the first three games, then replaced suspended starter Kurt Calhoun at North Dakota.
 
Eastern previously announced that starting nose tackle and 2016 first team All-Big Sky Conference performer Jay-Tee Tiuli underwent surgery in late September and will miss the remainder of the 2017 season. However, he has not redshirted, so he will be able to return for his senior season in 2018 as an injury redshirt. Tiuli has played in 36 career games (11 as a starter), and has had 77 total tackles with 8 1/2 sacks, three quarterback hurries and two passes deflected. He earned third team preseason All-America honors from stats, and first team all-league accolades from College Sports Madness.
 
Previously, starting offensive tackle Kaleb Levao was lost for the remainder of the season as well. Actual injuries suffered by players are not disclosed.
 
 
One Webster on a Roll, Another Ranked Eighth in School History
 
The Webster twins have made their mark on Eastern Football, and now the juniors are making their mark in the record book.
 
With his 21st pass broken up in his career versus Weber State, junior cornerback Nzuzi Webster now ranks eighth in school history. In his 37-game career (25 as a starter), he has 129 total tackles and a pair of interceptions. For the season, he has 27 tackles and six passes broken up.
 
His twin brother Nsimba Webster, a junior wide receiver, had a touchdown catch in five-straight games from Sept. 30 to Nov. 4. For the season, he's caught 59 passes for 693 yards and five scores, and should eventually approach Eastern's career leaders lists in several categories. In his 28-game career (12 as a starter), he has caught 72 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdowns.
 
 
Roldan Alcobendas Now Ranked Fourth in Career Kick Scoring Points
 
In his 28-game career, kicker Roldan Alcobendas has scored 190 points to rank fourth in school history. He missed his first extra point attempt of the game against UC Davis on Oct. 7, ending his school-record string of consecutive career extra points made at 85. He has made 19-of-30 field goals and 133-of-138 extra points. Thus far this year he has made 38-of-39 extra point attempts and 9-of-14 field goals.
 
He has also handled kickoff duties much of the season, and is averaging 60.2 yards on 37 kicks this season with seven touchbacks. In his career, he has 105 kickoffs for 57.5 average (6,037 total yards) with 17 touchbacks.
 
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 made his last 63 extra points in a row in 2016 to shatter the previous season record of 47. His 73 total extra points made in 2016 were one behind the Big Sky Conference record of 74 set by former Eagle Kevin Miller in 2013. He also averaged 54.6 yards on 44 kickoffs with seven touchbacks.
 
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 in 2016 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.
 
 
After Just 22 Career Starts, Gubrud Already Up To Fourth in EWU Career Passing Yards
 
Junior quarterback Gage Gubrud has played in just 26 career games, but he's still making his mark in a hurry on EWU's career leaders list.
 
He's moved up to No. 4 in school history in career passing yards with 8,123, ranking only behind 10,000-yard passers Matt Nichols (12,616), Vernon Adams Jr. (10,438) and Erik Meyer (10,261). He is also fourth in total offense with 8,929 yards, ranking behind Nichols (13,308), Adams (11,670) and Meyer (10,942).
 
After setting three FCS, seven Big Sky marks and 18 school records in the 2016 season, Gubrud now seeks to maintain a pair of career marks. After 26 games in his career (16-6 in 22 games as a starter), he remains the Eastern career leader in passing yards per game (312.4) and total offense per game (343.4), and is second in completion percentage (.655)  He is also tied for fourth in touchdown passes (70, tied with Bo Levi Mitchell with 70 from 2010-11).
 
Gubrud now has a school-record nine 400-yard passing performances in his career, two more than Adams with seven. He has had back-to-back-to-back 400-yard performances on three occasions, and Adams, Jordan West and Matt Nichols are the only other quarterbacks in EWU history to have accomplished that feat two games in a row. Gubrud's 15 300-yard passing performances rank only behind Meyer (17), Nichols (19) and Adams (20).
 
Gubrud already owns seven of the top nine single game total offense performances in school history (1-2-3-4-6-7-9), plus the Nos. 13, 19 and 28 performances. He owns eight of the top 18 passing performances (1-2-4-7-13-15-16-18), plus Nos. 22, 39 and 44. In addition, he had an impressive string of 222 passes without an interception in 2016, going four full games in 2016 from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22 without a pick. He had what was then 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.
 
During Eastern's five-game winning streak from Sept. 16 to Oct. 14 this season, Gubrud had 2,071 passing yards (414.2 average per game) while completing 69 percent of his passes. He passed for 19 touchdowns and accounted for another four (three rushing, one receiving). In his best five-game stretch a year ago, he completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,160 yards (432.0 average) and 20 touchdowns in five victories from Sept. 24 to Oct. 29.
 
 
 

More Aaron Best Comments

 
On Senior Class: "Much like last year, there aren't a lot of seniors. But we have some players who have put in four or five years to get themselves to this point. They've put in the hard work and dedication needed to be successful on the field, in the off-season and in the classroom. They are playing their last guaranteed game on the red in front of their home fans. I'm really proud of those players, and for me as a head coach for the first time it's an opportunity to say thank you to each one. Make no mistake about it, I'll well up at some point because I know how important that day is. It comes around once, and when you finish your career in an Eastern jersey it's very special. There are a lot of memories that take place on the field, in the classroom, in the meeting room, in the weight room and with their coaches. We'll take time to honor them, then we'll huddle as a team and understand we have an important 60 minutes ahead of us."

On Portland State Unconventionality: "Coach Barnum loves to have fun, and we expect nothing less. It's game 11 and it is the last game of the season for them. We're going to be ready for anything – we'll have to keep our eyes in a good spot and we can't sleep on anything. We have to play good, sound, solid defense, and understand they have always been unconventional. At the latter part of seasons they've even become more unconventional – you name it, they run it. We're all hands on deck and all eyes on deck as far as what we'll see from them offensively."

On Keeping Playoff Hopes Alive: "It's a testament to these players for having a ton of grit. We haven't been given a full deck, but Eagle Nation knows our players keep finding a way. That's because of who they are – they believe in the system, they believe in themselves and they believe in each other. I'm very proud of our 60 players we brought on the trip (to North Dakota)."

On North Dakota Win: "We faced a hard-fought contest against a North Dakota team which gave everything they had in their final game. It was a struggle for us offensively in the second half without question. Our defense came up with some huge plays and gave us an advantage in turnover margin. We didn't give one up on offense which is huge. The defense came up large that last 30 minutes and the entire game. When you have a defense that holds a team to seven points in each half – especially on the road against a run-first offense -- that says a lot about Jeff Schmedding and his defensive staff. They played with a ton of guts. We came with 60 players, and everybody emptied their tank today."
 
On Overcoming Suspensions: "The players came back Tuesday ready to work after the news that was delivered on Sunday. They didn't hesitate for a second. They were ready to work and they were eager to work. They were behind Eric and the players who filled the linebacker position. We had a lot of energy this week, probably more than most week 10 games I've been around in the past. That was good, and maybe it was fueled by the opportunity some of those other guys received."
 
On Jack Sendelbach:  "Jack is the epitome of a player who brings his lunch pail, and his lunch pail is always full. Everything he does he prepares and works for. It's not always pretty, but it's effective. He's the embodiment of what we stand for on defense and the players we bring into this program. I can't congratulate Jack enough for his efforts for filling in, playing a whale of a ballgame and getting recognized by the conference."
 
On Jordan Dascalo's 67-Yard Punt: "It was a huge play, and you never know when your number is going be called. He hit a bomb, then we got a fortunate bounce and ended up downing the ball at the 3-yard line. We feel like we're in a good position when our opponent is staring 97 yards in the face, especially a run-first outfit. When we are up in a game to put our defense in a situation to get a stop, we expect to get a stop and get off the field. It was nice to see us take three knees after that stop occurred. It was a very team-driven effort, and special teams provided the momentum changer. Being at the 3 versus the 20 can play with your mind a little bit. Our defense attacked the field and showed they weren't going to let North Dakota go on a long drive to tie it up. I'm very proud of Jordan, but on top of that we can't lose sight of the defense."
 
On Eric Barriere: "I'm proud of him – he has a huge smile, and it's just as big today as it was on Tuesday. You don't know what moment he's in because he's always the same way. He has an uncanny ability to stay even-keel in the heat of the moment, and that's something that can't be taken away from him. He was a grinder (against UND). It didn't all work out perfect, but he's electric when the ball is in his hands. I'm excited about his performance, but most of all how he managed the game. He had no turnovers and didn't force very many balls. I can't be prouder – I love that kid."
 
On Winning Turnover Battle: "It's big. When we win the turnover battle we win games here at Eastern. That's the way it's been."
 
 
 

More Team Notes

 
 
Eastern is 25-14 (64 percent) Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents
 
Weber State was the second ranked FCS foe Eastern has played this season, and the first in Big Sky Conference play. Earlier this season, Eastern lost 40-13 to second-ranked North Dakota State (the Eagles were ranked seventh). Prior to beating EWU 28-20, Weber State was ranked 19th in the STATS Top 25 poll, and 14th by the coaches. Eastern was 11th in both at the time.
 
The Eagles have now played 122 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 54-68 (.443 in those games, including a 17-42 mark (.288) versus top 10 foes. Since 2010, though, the Eagles are 25-14 overall (.641) and 8-7 (.533 versus top 10 teams.
 
Eastern 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.
 
 
Eagles Have Now Won 23 Games Since 2010 When Trailing or Tied in Fourth Quarter
 
Eastern has now won 23 games since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, including two this season, two in 2016 and 2015, one in 2014, two in 2013, six in 2012, two in 2011 and six during EWU's national championship season in 2010
 
Three of the 23 comebacks have been against Montana, including Eagle victories in 2017 (48-41), 2012 (32-26) and 2010 (36-27). Earlier this year, No. 11 Eastern trailed 24-6 at halftime but scored 42 points in the second half to stun the Grizzlies. In the second half, Eastern scored on touchdowns on five of its six possessions, and had a dominating 259-68 yardage advantage in the third quarter. After knotting the game at 27 and 34, Eastern took the lead for good on a tie-breaking 3-yard TD pass from Gage Gubrud to Nic Sblendorio with 6:53 left. Eastern expanded it to 48-34 on a 10-yard TD run by Antoine Custer Jr. with 2:12 to play. The defense did its part by recording three key stops in the fourth quarter Gubrud broke his own school record with a 549-yard passing performance, finishing with four touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. His 560 yards of offense were also a record, as he eclipsed his own previous records of 520 passing and 551 total yards. The 549 team passing yards were also a school record, breaking the previous mark of 526 set in 2015 versus Northern Iowa.
 
At UC Davis on Oct. 7, No. 10 Eastern rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter by scoring 21 points in the period and went on to win a heart-stopping 41-38 victory over the Aggies at Davis, Calif. Gage Gubrud engineered scoring drives of 71, 55 and 75 yards in the final quarter, and finished with six touchdown passes and 452 yards passing. He passed 6 yards to Nic Sblendorio for a game-winning TD with 1:37 to play, followed by a missed 49-yard field goal by the Aggies that could have knotted the game. Gubrud passed for 452 yards and six touchdowns in the win.
 
 
Eastern Now 41-0 Since 2010 When Winning the TO Battle
 
In the last nine-plus seasons, the Eagles are now 50-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 21-6 when they've been tied and 20-29 when they've lost (total of 91-36). 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 41-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 18-5 when they've been tied and 18-22 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 77-27 (74 percent), with 21 of those 27 losses (78 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 (77 percent when including ties).
 
The Eagles had their first turnover advantages of the 2017 season against Sacramento State on Sept. 30 and Montana State on Oct. 14, and won both of those games. They also won the turnover battle 2-0 at North Dakota on Nov. 11. The Eagles had three fumble recoveries and an interception against a Bobcats team that had just four turnovers in its first five games, including only one fumble and no fumbles lost. Versus Sac State, the Hornets had entered the game leading FCS with 10 interceptions, but EWU had none while recording one defensively by senior safety Jake Hoffman. Sac State entered the game fifth in FCS with a +2.0 turnover margin per game, while EWU was -2.0 and ranked 119th out of 123 FCS schools.
 
To begin the year, EWU had lost the turnover battle 3-0 versus Texas Tech, tying North Dakota State 2-2, finishing with a 5-1 deficit against Fordham and losing the battle against Montana 2-1. Eastern had two turnovers and forced none at UC Davis on Oct. 7, and lost the turnover battle 3-1 on Oct. 21 at Southern Utah, and 1-0 versus Weber State on Nov. 4. On Nov. 4 against Weber State, there were no turnovers in the game until EWU had an interception on its final offensive play of the game when it was desperately trying to rally. The Eagles had entered that game a minus-11 in turnover margin, while Weber State was among the national leaders at a plus-11. Through 10 games this season, EWU is at minus 10 turnovers for the season, ranking EWU 109th out of 123 FCS schools in turnover margin (-1.00 per game), 99th in turnovers lost (22) and 102nd in turnovers gained (12). After the Weber State game on Nov. 4, Eastern was a minus 12 turnovers for the season and ranked 116th, 105th and 106th respectively in those three rankings.
 
After going six games without winning the turnover battle in 2016 (including the first three), Eastern had turnover advantages in six of its last 12 games, including a 7-1 advantage in its 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.
 
 
Eagles to Play Fellow FCS Power Jacksonville State in Home-and-Home Series
 
A home-and-home series with fellow NCAA Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse Jacksonville State will take place in 2019 and 2021, Eastern athletic director Bill Chaves announced on Oct. 26, 2017. The first game will take place at Burgess-Snow Field in Jacksonville, Ala., on Sept. 14, 2019, followed by a return game two seasons later on Sept. 11, 2021. Eastern also has previously announced a non-conference game in 2019 at Washington (Aug. 31).
 
The Eagles and Gamecocks each have four playoff appearances in the last five years (2012-16), with only five other teams on that list (Illinois State, New Hampshire, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State). Last season, third-seeded JSU lost to unseeded Youngstown State 40-24 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs, and two weeks later the Penguins upended the second-seeded Eagles 40-38 in the semifinals.
 
Jacksonville State, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, is 9-1 overall and ranked third nationally by both STATS and the coaches. The Gamecocks are 7-0 in the OVC.
 
"Our players, staff, and fans look forward to opportunities such as these," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "We like to play highly-anticipated, non-conference matchups. Opportunities such as these make Saturday's more special."
 
In EWU's only previous meeting with Jacksonville State, the Eagles beat the Gamecocks 35-24 in the quarterfinals of the 2013 FCS Playoffs. Eastern was ranked third in FCS and seeded third in the playoffs, and a week later fell to Towson 35-31 in the semifinals. Jacksonville State entered the playoffs that season ranked 20th.
 
 
Gage Gubrud Wins Pair of National Player of the Week Honors
 
Both in numbers and accolades, it's been quite a roll Gage Gubrud and the Eastern Washington University football offense has been on as of late.
 
The junior All-America quarterback was selected as the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week from College Sports Madness after directing EWU's fourth-quarter rally in a 41-38 win at UC Davis on Oct. 7. He was also chosen by CSM as its Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week, and earned honorable mention for FCS Performer of the Week for the third time this season by College Performance Awards. One week earlier versus Sacramento State, he was selected as the College Sports Madness FCS Offensive Player of the Week. He also won his third-straight Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor – the sixth time overall in his career – and became the first Eagle to win it three consecutive weeks. Gubrud joins the likes of Travis Lulay of Montana State and Doug Nussmeier and John Friesz of Idaho as other players in league history to garner the award three times in a row.
 
The 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School helped Eastern erase an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit at UC Davis by directing scoring drives of 71, 55 and 75 yards in the final quarter. Finishing with six touchdown passes and 452 yards passing, he passed 6 yards to Nic Sblendorio for a game-winning TD with 1:37 to play, followed by a missed 49-yard field goal by the Aggies that could have knotted the game. It was Eastern's 23rd victory since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, including two this season. The Aggies finished with a 551-501 advantage in total offense, but Eastern had 205 of its yards in the fourth quarter alone. The Eagles managed only 13 points in the first 41 minutes of the game, having five three-and-outs in that span. Eastern, however, had a five touchdown drives of 73 yards or more, and another of 55. Gubrud completed 33-of-53 passes and completed passes to 10 different receivers. His six touchdown passes were one away from the school record.
 
Versus Sac State on Sept. 30, he accounted for 486 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-31 victory. Gubrud completed 35-of-50 passes as he finished with 447 passing yards and five touchdowns. He also caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from running back Sam McPherson, and had six rushes for a net loss of four yards. He had a hand in 57 of EWU's 86 offensive plays, resulting in the seventh-most yards in school history with 651.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
#19/21 Eastern Washington 21, North Dakota 14
 
Redshirt freshman quarterback Eric Barriere won his first start as an Eagle, but he certainly had some help. The No. 19/21 Eastern Washington University football team had huge contributions by its defense, punter Jordan Dascalo and running back Sam McPherson as the Eagles beat North Dakota 21-14 on Nov. 11 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. Eastern scored all 21 of its points in the first half, and held on to clinch the school's 11th-straight winning season – equaling the most in EWU's 109-year football history. Barriere was filling in for suspended starter Gage Gubrud, and finished the game with 130 passing yards and 55 on the ground. Eastern finished with a 376-366 edge in total offense, including a 191-29 advantage in the second quarter when EWU out-scored UND 14-0. Eastern forced two turnovers and had none itself, giving the Eagles a 41-0 record since 2010 when winning the turnover battle. Dascalo punted seven times for a 52.7 average, but none were bigger than his last – a 67-yarder that was downed at the UND 3-yard line with 2:47 to play. The Fighting Hawks picked up just one turnover before turning the ball over on downs, thus enabling EWU to run out the clock with kneel-downs. McPherson contributed to all three EWU touchdowns and had 157 total yards, including a career-high 118 rushing, a TD pass and a scoring reception. He set-up EWU's third and final touchdown of the day late in the first half with a career-long 55-yard rush, but he was injured on the play and didn't return. Defensively, the Eagles held UND to a net 103 yards rushing and an average of 3.3 per rush. Sophomore Jack Sendelbach, starting in place of suspended middle linebacker Kurt Calhoun, had a team-high 11 tackles and a key second-half fumble recovery. Sophomore safety Tysen Prunty had nine tackles and junior end Keenan Williams was credited with 1 1/2 of EWU's four sacks on the day.
 
 
 

Series History

 
* The Eagles have four players from Oregon on their roster, including starting sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud out of McMinnville High School (2014 graduate). The others are safety Tysen Prunty (Tigard HS '15) and Conner Crist (Tigard HS '16), as well as redshirt Mitchell Johnson (West Linn HS '17). Six others played across the Columbia River in Washington in either Vancouver, Camas or Battle Ground.

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

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

 * The Eagles have won six of the last eight games versus Portland State, but still trail in the all-time series 20-18-1. Eastern is 7-11-1 at home against them and 1-0 in neutral site games. Eastern is 10-9 against the Vikings in Portland, including victories in 2010 (50-17) and 2002 (27-24) at Hillsboro Stadium. The road team has won 12 of the last 19 meetings, not including a 2009 neutral site game in Seattle. The longest winning streak by either team was by Portland State in the first four games of the series from 1968-71. The teams have played every year since 1990 when PSU was a member of NCAA Division II. The Vikings became a member of the Big Sky in 1996, and EWU leads the series 12-9 since then.
 
 
Looking Back
 
In last year's game in Portland, third-ranked Eastern wrapped up its ninth Big Sky Conference title and extended its winning streak to nine games with a 35-28 victory over nemesis Portland State on Nov. 18, 2016, at Providence Park. In the process, the Eagles equaled their best regular season finish in 108 years of football and finished with its second unbeaten Big Sky season in 30 years in the conference. 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. Shaq Hill caught seven passes for 124 yards and an 84-yard touchdown, with Gubrud finishing with 346 yards of total offense. Samson Ebukam had a pair of sacks and senior Kendrick Bourne had a TD reception. Gubrud, Ebukam and Bourne are all from the Portland area. Cooper Kupp went over 6,000 receiving yards and 400 receptions in his legendary career against PSU, catching six passes for 67 yards. Nic Sblendorio caught five passes for 69 yards and a 45-yard TD. Defensively, linebacker Alek Kacmarcik had 14 tackles and safety Zach Bruce had 11. 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.

* In 2015 in the last time the two rivals met in Cheney, the Eagles couldn't stop Portland State on third down in the second half and lost 34-31 to the Vikings at Roos Field on Nov. 21, 2015, in a Big Sky Conference showdown for the "Dam Cup." In a game that featured four lead changes in the first 33 minutes, the loss ended EWU's season at 6-5 and helped PSU secure a first-round bye in the FCS Playoffs. Eastern pulled within 34-31 with 5:48 left on a 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown by senior Todd Raynes, but the Vikings were able to run out the clock to improve to 8-2 on the season. Cooper Kupp had eight catches for 136 yards and a 78-yard touchdown grab. Jabari Wilson rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries and scored a touchdown.  Kendrick Bourne caught five passes for 46 yards, and had a 63-yard touchdown run in the first quarter on a reverse. Reilly Hennessey made his second career start and completed 17-of-27 for 215 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Raynes concluded his Eastern career with 12 tackles, a sack, one other tackle for loss and a fumble recovery he returned 35 yards for a score. Miquiyah Zamora, Zach Bruce and Miles Weatheroy all had nine tackles. Portland State finished with 397 yards and the Eagles had 390. However, the Eagles were just 7-of-12 on third down and fumbled the ball on its lone fourth-down attempt of the game. Eastern, which had 10 turnovers in its previous two games, had four turnovers against the Vikings leading to 13 PSU points. Eastern scored seven points off three PSU turnovers.

* In 2014 in Portland, fifth-ranked Eastern secured at least a share of its third-straight Big Sky Conference title – and its eighth overall – with a 56-34 victory over Portland State Nov. 21 at Providence Park in rain-drenched Portland, Ore. While Eastern's passing game was limited by the wet conditions, Jabari Wilson provided a career-high 132 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to help EWU pull away with 21 points in the third quarter and another 21 in the fourth. Vernon Adams Jr. did his part with 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air, and All-America wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught nine passes for 147 yards and a score. Shaq Hill added a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and safety Tevin McDonald clinched the win with a 73-yard interception return for a score. The Eagle defense gave EWU the lead for good by turning two forced fumbles into scores in the third quarter. In the first half, the Eagles converted two early fourth downs, and turned them both into touchdowns. In the previous three meetings versus PSU, EWU had managed only 70 yards on 71 carries, but EWU had 185 on 39 carries versus the Vikings. Safety Zach Bruce, who was making just his third career start as a safety, had his first interception as an Eagle to squelch a PSU threat late in the first quarter. That led to a 98-yard EWU drive that gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead. He later added a second interception in the fourth quarter. Defensive end Samson Ebukam had a team-leading nine tackles.

* In 2013 in Cheney, quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and wide receiver Cooper Kupp connected for the game-winning touchdown with 31 seconds remaining to help EWU defeat Portland State 42-41 Nov. 23, 2013, at Roos Field.  The victory preserved Eastern's unbeaten Big Sky Conference season and helped the third-ranked Eagles win the league's outright title. The game featured four ties and a pair of lead changes, and EWU did not have a lead in the final three quarters until the game-winning TD. It was EWU's 13th victory since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. The Eagles were aided by a missed PSU extra point on a touchdown with a minute left that gave PSU a short-lived 41-35 lead. Adams had five touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Kupp to cap a frantic four-play, 74-yard drive that started with a minute to play. Kevin Miller's extra point provided the one-point win. Adams completed 34-of-56 passes for 457 yards, setting career highs for attempts and completions and equaling his career-high of 457 yards (broken in the 2014 season). Linebacker Ronnie Hamlin had 14 tackles in a game that featured 1,131 yards of total offense. Portland State finished with 603 and Eastern ended with 528.

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

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

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