­­­­­­Texas Tech University "Red Raiders" versus Washington Univ. "Eagles" #5/4 Ranked Eastern Saturday, Sept. 2 • 1:05 p.m. Pacific Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454) • Lubbock, Texas
TV:	Televised by ROOT Sports & FOX Sports Network
Webcast:	Via FOX Sports Go app
Radio:	700-AM ESPN and 105.3-FM in Spokane. 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:	TexasTech.StatBroadcast.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	Starting Sept. 4, Mondays at 6 p.m. at the "Impulse Club" at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, with video highlights and commentary by head coach Aaron Best at 5:30 p.m. (NOTE: there will be an Eagle Football preview show on 700-AM on Sept. 28, aired at approximately 7:30 p.m. after the Seattle Mariners game that evening) . . . 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.

There will be plenty of intrigue involved when the Eastern Washington University head coaching career of Aaron Best begins this Saturday (Sept. 2) at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Kickoff is 1:05 p.m. Pacific time when the No. 5/4 Eagles get their 2017 season underway at fellow national passing champion Texas Tech.
 
The game will be broadcast by various stations on the Fox Sport Network, including regionally in the Pacific Northwest by ROOT Sports. 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.
 
Best's head coaching debut will come 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.
 
"There are only a few of us on staff that have been down there," said Best. "It's a beautiful place to play, and we played a Mike Leach-coached Texas Tech team back then. They will be ready and it is everybody's first game. The fans, on top of the players, will be ready for this one."
This year's game will be a match-up of the nation's two NCAA Division I passing champions in 2016. The Red Raiders averaged 463.0 yards per game to win the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision passing title by nearly 100 yards (Louisiana Tech averaged 363.4 and Washington State averaged 362.5). Texas Tech finished 5-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big 12 Conference, and was also first nationally in total offense (564.5) and fifth in scoring offense (43.7).
 
"I have a lot of respect for what I've seen on film from an offensive standpoint, because they make you play your best ball in some of the toughest conditions," said Best. "It's going to be warm – we're going to be taxed from a mental standpoint and we're going to be taxed from a physical standpoint. They have a lot of weapons. They want to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands and into a receiver's hands and/or running back's hands, and utilize the width of the field."
 
Eastern averaged 401.0 passing yards per game to lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for the second-straight season. The Eagles were also second in FCS in total offense (529.6) and third in scoring (42.4).
 
 "We tend to do that on offense, but in a little bit different way," added Best, whose offensive coordinator, Bodie Reeder, previously coached at Big 12 member Oklahoma State and against TTU. "So the defense will have seen some of that, but definitely not the speed and the athleticism that Texas Tech has."
 
Eastern has a 10-24 record all-time versus Football Bowl Subdivision members, including three victories since 2012. Eastern beat Idaho 20-3 that season, upset No. 25 Oregon State 49-46 in 2013 and then knocked off Washington State 45-42 last Sept. 3.
 
Eastern opens against a Texas Tech squad which finished 5-7 overall a year ago. The Red Raiders, coached by Kliff Kingsbury, were 3-6 in the Big 12 Conference last year to tie for sixth.
 
The Eagles are ranked fifth in the preseason STATS NCAA Football Championship preseason top 25 rankings, and were one notch higher in the poll of coaches. EWU's finished 12-2 and a perfect 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference a year ago and ended the year ranked fourth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Eastern advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons, and 12th playoff berth overall.
 
Eastern will be well-stocked with experience on the field. Eastern returns 51 letterwinners, including 25 on defense, 22 on offense and four on special teams. Six starters return on offense and six on defense.
 
 
 
 

EWU-Texas Tech Game Notes

 
With 21-of-22 Already Owning Starting Experience, Just One Eagle Expected to Make First Start of Career This Week
 
When EWU plays at Texas Tech on Sept. 2, a total of 21 projected starters are expected to hit the field with starting experience under their belts. Six full-time starters return on each side of the ball, plus all of the team's specialists from a year ago. An additional four starters on offense have previously started for the Eagles, as well as five on defense.
 
The lone new starter on offense could be junior tight end Henderson Belk, who is listed right above sophomore Jayce Gilder (one previous start). On defense, all 11 projected starters having starting experience.
 
Among players on Eastern's two-deep roster, four freshman redshirts are listed as backups. All four of them are on offense, including quarterback Eric Barriere, backup guard Conner Crist, and backup tackles Brett Thompson and Nicholas Blair.
 
Six true freshman are listed on the team's "active" roster, including a trio not expected to redshirt. Anfernee Gurley is a backup at safety, wide receiver Johnny Edwards IV is a backup at wide receiver and linebacker Chris Ojoh is listed third at strong-side linebacker. The other true freshmen on Eastern's travel squad this week include quarterback Nick Moore, cornerback Ira Branch, and wide receiver Andrew Boston, but they may still be redshirted.
 
 
Career Starts by Returning Players
 
Defense (159 starts by 16 players): Nzuzi Webster 22, Andre Lino 22, Mitch Fettig 22, Victor Gamboa 22, Albert Havili 16,  Josh Lewis 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 (91 starts by 13 players): Tristen Taylor 14, Chris Schlichting 14, Matt Meyer 13, Gage Gubrud 13, Spencer Blackburn 11, Nic Sblendorio 9, Antoine Custer Jr. 6, Jack Hunter 3, Nsimba Webster 2, Terence Grady 2, Stu Stiles 1, Jayce Gilder 1, Kaleb Levao 2 (including 1 as defensive lineman).
 
 
Eagles Enter Season With National Rankings of Fourth (Coaches) & Fifth (STATS)
 
The reigning national champion James Madison Dukes were picked Monday Aug. 7 as an overwhelming preseason No. 1 in the STATS NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Top 25, with Eastern Washington ranked fifth. In the coaches poll released a week later, the Eagles were fourth.

James Madison, which won the CAA Football title and only lost to North Carolina in a 14-1 season, collected 134 of the 163 first-place votes and 4,034 points in the STATS poll of national media. On the way to winning their second national title, the Dukes ended North Dakota State's five-year championship run in the semifinals. Last year's FCS runner-up, Youngstown State, is ninth.

NDSU was picked second in the preseason poll, followed in the Top 5 by Sam Houston State, South Dakota State and Eastern Washington. The Missouri Valley Football Conference had a poll-high six teams and the CAA was second with five. Eastern received 3,270 points, with fellow Big Sky Conference members North Dakota ranking eighth (2,871) and Cal Poly coming in at No. 23 (427). Eastern doesn't play Cal Poly, but takes on North Dakota on Nov. 11 in Grand Forks, N.D., in a showdown of undefeated Big Sky co-champions in 2016 (both were 8-0 and didn't play each other).

Highlighted by an 11-game winning streak, the Eagles finished the 2016 season 12-2 overall. 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.

The Eagles scored 69 unanswered points in the playoffs in defeats of 31-14 over Central Arkansas (ranked 15th in this year's preseason poll) and 38-0 over Richmond (seventh in the preseason). 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.
 
 
 
After Record-Breaking Season, Gubrud Seeks to Maintain Career Marks
 
After setting three FCS, seven Big Sky marks and 18 school records last season, Gage Gubrud now seeks to maintain a pair of career marks. He enters his junior season as the current Eastern career leader in passing yards per game (290.3) and total offense per game (325.7). 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.
 
Two special teams players have also had historic careers, with kicker Roldan Alcobendas nearing a school record. With a current streak of 63 extra points in a row, Alcobendas is three from equaling the record of 66 set by Jason Cromer from 1988-90. Alcobendas made his last 63 in a row last season to break the previous season record of 47. In addition, Jordan Dascalo has now punted 78 times as an Eagle for a 40.7 career average which currently ranks fifth in school history.
 
 
 

 
Fall Scrimmage Notes

 
Offense Gets Two Quick Touchdowns in Last Scrimmage
 
Quarterbacks Gage Gubrud and Eric Barriere directed the Eastern Washington University offense to a pair of quick scoring drives, then the defense took over in EWU's 67-play scrimmage Aug. 25 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.
 
The offense had a productive day with 329 yards of total offense, an average of 4.9 yards per play. But the defense still came up with some big plays through the evening, with a pair of interceptions and six quick-whistle quarterback sacks.
 
 "Our offense got on track early and our defense was kind of in hesitancy mode – but then the script was flipped," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "We got after it on defense and started sleep-walking on offense. Again, we had a few careless mistakes on offense as far as putting the balls in the hands of guys in the other jersey color, but I thought there was some good tempo early and there were some good combinations early."
 
Gubrud, Eastern's All-America junior, started the day by passing for 34 yards and rushing for 18 more during the offense's opening 75-yard drive. He hit Jayson Williams with a 2-yard touchdown pass.
 
Barriere then followed with a 70-play drive of his own, capped by the redshirt freshman's 55-yard TD pass to true freshman Johnny Edwards IV.
 
Both Gubrud and Barriere drove the offense down the field on subsequent possessions, but those ended in an interception by D'londo Tucker and a missed field goal. Later, Victor Gamboa had an interception on a pass by Barriere.
 
Gubrud finished 6-of-11 for 67 yards, while Barriere was 12-of-17 for 139 yards. Gubrud led the running game with 27 yards, with Tamarick Pierce adding 21.
 
Defensively, sophomore safety Tysen Prunty had eight tackles, and true freshman Chris Ojoh had six with a sack. Linebacker Conor McKenna also had six tackles and a sack, and linebacker Andrew Katzenberger also had six stops. Darnell Hogan had 1 1/2 sacks.
 
 
Defense Holds Offense Without a TD in First Eastern Scrimmage
 
There were only compliments being passed around after Eastern Washington University defensive units held EWU's vaunted offense without a touchdown in EWU's 72-play scrimmage Aug. 19 at Roos Field.
 
Interceptions by junior linebacker Kurt Calhoun, sophomore linebacker Trevor Davis Jr., junior defensive back Brandon Montgomery and true freshman defensive back Anfernee Gurley were the highlights of a defensive effort that saw the offense average only 3.7 yards per game. The defense surrendered no play of longer than 18 yards.
 
The offense was held to a trio of field goals, two by senior Roldan Alcobendas and one by senior Brandyn Bangsund. Instead of voicing worry about the offensive side, the Eagles only heaped praise upon the defense, coordinated by assistant coach Jeff Schmedding. The offense generated 200 yards through the air on 38 attempts, while rushing 34 times for 67 yards. But seven quick-whistle sacks generated by the defense resulted in 28 yards of losses. The defense also had five passes broken up.
 
"From the standpoint of consistency, for an hour and forty minutes I thought it was a very good, consistent and sustainable job done by that red squad (defense)," said head coach Aaron Best.
 
Starting junior quarterback Gage Gubrud and redshirt freshman Eric Barriere had almost identical numbers in Saturday's scrimmage. The returning All-American completed 10-of-17 for 82 yards, while the hard-throwing backup was 10-of-14 for 89 yards. Four receivers had at least three catches, including 36 receiving yards by sophomore Jayson Williams. The leading rusher for the Eagles was junior Ashanti Kindle with 26 yards on seven carries.
 
Redshirt freshman linebacker Conor McKenna has six tackles for the defense, and was matched in that category by Gurley. Sophomore linebacker Andrew Katzenberger had four tackles including a sack, and true freshman defensive lineman Mitchell Johnson had two of the team's sacks.
 
 
 

More Aaron Best Comments

 
On Opener: "It is always good to prepare for somebody else other than yourself. Guys know each other all too well, whether it be physically, emotionally, or mentally.  And at the end of the day those guys are ready to prepare (for another team). Whether it is three weeks or thirty weeks, it gets old. They've worked like every team in America who has worked from January to this point. So for eight months they've put in work to prepare for another opponent.  So we will take the next six days to prepare us as if we do for any game, and Saturday we will play some good ball."

On When Preparations Began for Texas Tech: "Every year is different. This year is way different than most, with the influx of our new coaches and the changes that took place during the offseason. We gathered film, we exchanged film back in spring, but we didn't look at too much of that until a little bit into the summer as coaches. As players they have the ability to watch any amount of film they want, but we haven't had any meetings thus far with them about Texas Tech until this week.  That's important for us, because we prepare for the second game in one week, so why wouldn't we prepare for game one in one week? We extended a little bit, we nibble, we get those guys to kind of wet their palettes a little bit -- the end of camp starts to get a bit weary on the minds. We let them nibble at the film of the first game, but we don't put a game plan in until the first week of actual preparation."

On Preseason Practices: "I think we as a staff saw some really good, some not so good and some in-between. Our defense had the upper hand a few days and they were off-the-charts good. The offense had a few days where we were off-the-charts good, and then there were some battles in between. The mark of a good team is that you have those battles, and you don't have just one side dominate each and every day. It's good that they take turns in having each other's number, so to speak. But you never know how Saturdays are going to turn out. You always get a pulse of how you are going into a season, but you never know until you play those three hours on those 11 guaranteed Saturdays. You have an idea of what you know you have, but you just don't know based on the offense we're facing, or the defense we're facing and the different or non-familiar faces that we are facing. So that will be the next challenge for us. I'm looking forward to that because its time to play a game -- September rolls around and it's the best part of the year."

On Expanded Travel Roster: "Because we can travel 70 players to non-league games, it expands the roster by 10 bodies. It makes it a little bit easier out of the gate to have a little bit more fluctuation in numbers. So you don't have to make those tough decisions until we get to the league slate -- now you really have to pare that number down from 70. It is still difficult, but it's not as hard as it will be in three weeks after we expose some of these guys to the first three games. Then when we travel to Missoula, and before that were really going to have to make some decisions based on personnel, special teams involvement, depth and numbers at each position. So it gets harder, but from the get-go, it's not as hard given the fact that we have 70 guys traveling to both Texas Tech and to Fordham."

On Top Performers From Preseason Practices: "Jay-Tee Tuili has played really solid up to this point. Josh Lewis is always in the right place at the right time, and Mitch Fettig. Those are kind of your consummate guys that you know what you're going to get, but we also saw them perform even at a higher level than they were in spring or a higher level than they were last fall. Players like Kurt Calhoun continue to be leaders. That's not just from the physical element it is also from the mental and leadership element. We haven't seen Cole Karstetter since North Dakota State last year, but he's back in a roll as a starter on paper and he's come back physically good. He's performed well in a lot of situations thus far, so were excited about him on defense. Keenan Williams is also another player who has been in the role of third/fourth defensive end gotten some reps, and now he becomes a starter come game one. So we're excited to see a Cheney native put on the Eagle jersey and start a few games for us, and hopefully a lot to come in his career. Offensively it is by committee a little bit at the receiver position. I'm curious to see how those guys perform in games – we are all. We see them in practice, but were biased because we love those kids. They have a bunch of smiles and a bunch of good energy, and they've waited so long for this opportunity.  But by committee I'm curious to see who steps up at Texas Tech and who's going to continue to step up along the way. Gage obviously is in a situation where we challenged him as far as getting more leadership out of him. I think he's done a good job, but I still want to push the envelope a little bit more. Obviously he'd probably like to take about three throws back this camp, and we kind of smile about those things, but he's human. Like we talked and said it at the same time a couple days ago; we'd rather have them now than have them come during the season. We don't want to gift-wrap too many presents for any defense, whether it be against an Eagle defense or anybody else. Offensively we're also excited about our three backs running behind that offensive line which is coming back and experienced. And just because you are experienced doesn't mean you are better, it just means you're more experienced. So it's our job as coaches to maximize everybody's potential and to get guys to over-achieve. There are a lot of names on that list, but that's how good we feel about our guys personally and from a team perspective."

On Texas Tech Offense: "They're much like a mixture of us and Washington State. Not to compare, because an apple is different from an orange, but they like to throw it around. They like to get on you and they like to keep the gas down. They like to run -- they're an up-tempo offense. They like to keep you in the same personnel on defense and not let you substitute, just to make things hard for you."

On Texas Tech Defense: "I think a lot of progress has to do with continuity, and they bring a few guys back on the defensive side of the ball. Numbers do lie, as in they can be deceiving in terms of really what they have. Their offense plays at a really fast tempo, so a lot of up-tempo teams tend to have those defenses that are on the field quite a bit -- the offense isn't on the field long because of the way they score points. They, like anybody, are trying to find their identity. Their identity in '17, no matter what anybody says is going to be different than '16, '15 or '14. It's the third year of their defensive coordinator in the system -- much like us with our defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding. So I think they will probably settle in a little bit more. He will have more familiarity with not only his scheme but what he is going to run and what he is going to call, because of their comfort with his players as well. We expect them to come after us and put pressure on us. We expect them to play their best game, much like we expect to play our best game. We'll let the chips fall where they may, but it's not going to be easy. We expect that and we know that, and we are prepared for that."

On Bodie Reeder's Experience in the Big 12: "It doesn't hurt -- all information is good information and all data is good data. It's how you use the data. He's coached in the stadium before as a part of the Oklahoma State program. We've leaned on him a bit as far as some nooks and crannies, ins and outs and dos and don'ts. It doesn't hurt at all that we have someone on our staff that is familiar with the venue more recently than 2008 when we were last there."
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Five-Time Champs NDSU & Fordham Await Eagles
 
Following Eastern's opener at Texas Tech, the Eagles host five-time NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Champion North Dakota State on Sept. 9 at Roos Field in the second game of a home-and-home series against the Bison. Eastern, which won the national title in 2010 prior to NDSU's incredible run of five-straight, lost 50-44 in overtime on Sept. 10, 2016, in Fargo. Eastern knocked off NDSU 38-31 in overtime in the only previous meeting with the Bison on Dec. 11, 2010, in the FCS Playoffs in Cheney.
 
The Bison had won 22-consecutive postseason games before top-seeded NDSU was defeated at home by fourth-seeded James Madison 27-17 in the semifinals of the 2017 FCS Playoffs. Youngstown State beat Eastern 40-38 in other semifinal that same weekend. James Madison went on to beat YSU 28-14 in the NCAA Division I Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.
 
 A trip to New York City follows for the Eagles against a Fordham team which closed the 2016 season with an 8-3 record, and finished as the Patriot League runner-up with a 5-1 mark. This will be the first-ever meeting for EWU against the Rams, a collegiate football power in the 1930's known for the "Seven Blocks of Granite" featuring the famous Vince Lombardi.
 
Fordham was defeated by Lehigh 58-37 late in the 2016 season, costing the Rams their fourth-straight trip to the FCS Playoffs. Fordham has been in the playoffs five times overall (2002-07-13-14-15) and are 3-5 all-time. Eastern hasn't played any current member of the Patriot League.
 
Eastern's three non-conference foes in 2017 combined to win 68 percent of their games overall in 2016 (25-12), 65 percent in league play (15-8) and 67 percent in the postseason (2-1). By contrast, Eastern's non-conference opponents in 2016 were 31-11 overall the year before for 74 percent, 18-7 in league play (72 percent) and 7-1 in the postseason (88 percent). The Eagles emerged from that gauntlet with a 2-1 record.
 
The game at Fordham will be just the eighth occasion all-time that EWU has played east of the Mississippi River, The last time came in 2013 in Ohio when Eastern fell at Toledo 33-21. That was only EWU's fourth game ever in the Eastern time zone.
 
Eastern is 2-5 in games played East of the Mississippi River, including in 2007 when the Eagles played at Appalachian State (Boone, N.C.) in the FCS Playoffs (L, 35-38). Eastern's other games in the East were West Virginia in 2006 (L, 3-52), Southern Illinois (Carbondale) in the FCS Playoffs in 2004 (W, 35-31), Connecticut in 2001 (W, 35-17), Eastern Illinois (Charleston) in 1991 (L, 12-30) and Fairmont State in Morgantown, W.Va., in the NAIA Championship Game in 1967 (L, 21-28).
 
Eastern has also played three games very close to the Mississippi River in Louisiana –McNeese State (Lake Charles) in 2007, Nicholls State (Thibodaux) in 2004 and Northeast Louisiana (Monroe) in 1992 -- and six times at Northern Iowa (Cedar City) in 2015, 2005, 1994, 1992, 1989 and 1985.
 
In 2018, Eastern is scheduled to play at Washington State (9/15/18) in a rematch of EWU's 45-42 win to open the 2016 season. The Eagles will play in 2019 at Washington (8/31/19), a team EWU narrowly lost to 59-52 in 2014 and 30-27 in 2011. In 2020, the Eagles will play at Florida, and in 2022 are scheduled to play at Oregon.
 
 
Eagles Open Big Sky Conference Slate at Rival Montana
 
After finishing a perfect 8-0 in league play a year ago, Eastern's eight Big Sky Conference foes this coming season combined for a 40-50 record overall and 30-34 league mark in 2016. Two of the opponents – North Dakota and Weber State – advanced to the FCS Playoffs and were a collective 16-8 on the season and 14-2 in the Big Sky.
 
Eastern opens Big Sky Conference play on the road at Montana (6-5/3-5) on Sept. 23 before playing its home opener on Sept. 30 versus Sacramento State (2-9/2-6) on Hall of Fame Day at EWU. Eastern plays at UC Davis (3-8/2-6) on Oct. 7, then hosts rival Montana State (4-7/2-6) on Oct. 14.
 
An Oct. 21 game at Southern Utah (6-5/5-3) is the first of three-straight games against teams with winning records overall and in league play in 2016. After a bye week on Oct. 28, Eastern hosts Weber State (7-5/6-2) for Homecoming on Nov. 4 and plays at fellow defending Big Sky champion North Dakota (9-3/8-0) on Nov. 11. The regular season closes with Senior Day at Roos Field on Nov. 18 versus Portland State, with the FCS Playoffs beginning the following weekend on Nov. 25.
 
 
Undefeated Co-Champions in 2016, North Dakota & EWU Picked 1-2
 
There won't be an undefeated tie this year between North Dakota and Eastern Washington University in the race to the Big Sky Conference football championship, but they are expected to battle at the top again.
 
The Fighting Hawks and Eagles have been pegged to finish 1-2, respectively, by both the coaches and media as the picks were released July 18 at the Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff in Park City, Utah.
 
The Eagles received five first-place votes and 271 total points by the media, and had two first-place tallies and 124 total votes by the coaches. The Fighting Hawks were picked first on six of the coaches' ballots, and received six more total votes than EWU. North Dakota earned 15-of-24 first-place votes from the media and had 298 total points.
 
The two teams play each other on Nov. 11 in Grand Forks, N.D. in what could be a showdown for the league title. That game ends the regular season for the Fighting Hawks, while the Eagles play their last game at home versus Portland State the following week. A year ago, Eastern was picked to finish second and ended up tying North Dakota at the top of the league standings with perfect 8-0 records.
 
The Fighting Hawks return several key contributors from the 2016 season, including safety Cole Reyes and running back John Santiago. Reyes is the Big Sky's reigning Defensive Player of the Year and was selected as the Big Sky's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. The Fighting Hawks also return the Big Sky's Coach of the Year, as Bubba Schweigert returns for his fourth season in Grand Forks.
 
 
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 left Eastern with a 58-14 Big Sky record for a winning percentage of .806 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His .726 winning percentage overall (85-32) is seventh all-time in the 53-year history of the Big Sky.
 
 
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.
 
 
Eagles Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Games at Roos/Woodward Field
 
Eastern finished 7-1 in the 50th season of football at EWU's current stadium location, which opened in 1967 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the 2017 season. 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).
 
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 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.
 
 
Eastern Now 38-0 Since 2010 When Winning the Turnover Battle
 
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 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.
 
In the last nine seasons, 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).
 
 
 

Player Notes

 
Gubrud Heads List of Players Honored With Preseason Accolades
 
There are at least 5,160 reasons Eastern Washington University's Gage Gubrud is now among the favorites to win the Walter Payton Award presented by STATS to the top offensive player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
 
The junior quarterback burst on the FCS scene a year ago in his first season as a starter by passing for a FCS record 5,160 yards, to go along with 48 touchdown passes and more than 5,700 yards of total offense. On Aug. 2, STATS named him among the players on the Watch List to win the award after finishing third in the voting a year ago. He was later named to the watch list for FCS Performer of the Year as selected by College Football Performance Awards.
 
Gubrud was joined on the STATS Watch List by Chase Edmonds from Fordham, which hosts EWU in The Bronx, N.Y., on Sept. 16. Edmonds was first in the nation in rushing yards per game (163.5), and second in all-purpose yards per game (194.6) and points per game (10.9). He finished fourth in the voting for last year's Payton Award, right behind Gubrud.
 
In addition to the Watch List, Gubrud was selected to the STATS preseason All-America second team and was picked defend his title as the league's Offensive MVP. He was last year's NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus.
 
Defensive tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli earned third team preseason All-America honors from STATS, while Gubrud, defensive end Albert Havili and safety Mitch Fettig earned preseason All-Big Sky Conference honors. In addition, Gubrud was selected by College Sports Madness to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year award and was joined on CSM's preseason All-BSC squad by eight other Eagles. Defensive nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli joined Gubrud on the first team, with wide receiver Nic Sblendorio, safety Mitch Fettig, cornerback Nzuzi Webster and defensive end Albert Havili picked for the second team, and center Spencer Blackburn and linebacker Ketner Kupp chosen to the third team.
 
 
Gubrud Returns After Winning FCS Player of the Year Accolades
 
There were a handful of FCS Player of the Year awards handed out following the 2016 season, and quarterback Gage Gubrud was among those 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). He and his parents attended the live presentation of awards at the 62nd Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards (www.tdccolumbus.com) on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017. Gubrud was 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.
 
Gubrud finished third in the voting for the Walter Payton Award presented by STATS to the top offensive player in FCS, finishing behind winner Jeremiah Briscoe from Sam Houston State and Gubrud's Eagle teammate Cooper Kupp. It was the 30th awarding of the honor, which 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, finishing with 599 votes to defeat Kupp (372) and Gubrud (362). 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. Kupp and Gubrud became the first pair of teammates to be voted as finalists for the prestigious honor, 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 the 2015 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.
 
 
Gubrud Among Two All-Americans and Seven All-Big Sky Players Returning
 
Quarterback Gage Gubrud was honored on six All-America teams in 2016, 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. Four seniors also received All-America accolades, and a sixth, center Spencer Blackburn, who was picked for the Hero Sports Sophomore All-America squad. 
 
Gubrud and Cooper 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.
 
A total of 13 Eagles overall were honored, including a league-high seven first team selections. Returning for 2017 are first team defensive tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli, second team center Spencer Blackburn, third team cornerback Nzuzi Webster and honorable mention performers Mitch Fettig (safety), Nick Ellison (offensive tackle) and Tristen Taylor (offensive tackle).
 
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.
 
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.
 
 
Gage Gubrud Breaks Three FCS, Seven Big Sky and 18 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 18 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 was 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 six single game EWU 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), fewest interceptions per pass attempt (0 in 64 attempts versus Central Arkansas) and completions (47 vs. Central Arkansas), which was also a league record.
 
 
Career Average for Dascalo is Fifth Among the Top Punters in School History
 
Following his second season in the Eagle program in 2016, senior 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, 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.
 
 
Gubrud Finishes as NCAA Statistical Leader in Passing and Total Offense
 
Helping EWU lead FCS in passing offense for the second-straight year, 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).
 
 
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. 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.
 
In the last 21 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).
 
 
Roldan Alcobendas Sets School Record in 2016
 
The kicking accuracy of junior Roldan Alcobendas helped him break an Eastern record, making his last 63 extra points of the season to break the previous record of 47.  His 73 total extra points made were one behind the Big Sky Conference record of 74 set by former Eagle Kevin Miller in 2013.
 
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.
 
 
 Running Back Duo Returns After Seeing Significant Action as True Freshmen
 
A pair of running backs from Eastern's talented 2016 recruiting class played as true freshmen 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.
 
 

 
2016 Review

 
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.
 
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 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.