­­­­#5/4 Ranked Eastern Washington Univ. "Eagles" versus University of Northern Colorado "Bears"   Saturday, Nov. 3 • 11:05 a.m. Pacific Nottingham Field (8,500) • Greeley, Colo.
TV:	None
Webcast:	http://watchbigsky.com
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 28th season calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen for the 16th year. Broadcasts begin one hour prior to kickoff and include an expanded post-game show.
Internet Radio:	https://tunein.com/radio/Eastern-Washington-Eagles-Sports-Network-s273711/
Radio Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio.
Live Stats:	http://ewustats.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	Shows Mondays at the new M&D (Movie and Dinner) complex at Northern Quest Resort & Casino are at 6 p.m. via 700-AM ESPN, 105.3-FM & tunein radio, with video highlights and commentary by head coach Aaron Best at 5:30 p.m.
Watch Parties:	Consult EWU social media outlets for details the Friday before games. Those who may carry EWU games include "Epic" at Northern Quest in Airway Heights, and Borracho, David's Pizza and the Swinging Doors in Spokane.

 
There has been a lot of anxiousness -- and ultimate relief -- in past meetings in Greeley, Colo., for the Eagles.
 
In the midst of the best stretch of defense in 32 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference, the No. 5/4 Eastern Washington University football team goes back on the road to play at Northern Colorado Saturday (Nov. 3) in the start of three November games that will determine EWU's postseason playoff fate.
 
Kickoff is 11:05 a.m. Pacific time at Nottingham Field in a game that is not televised, but may be viewed at http://watchbigsky.com. 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.
 
Eastern has won all nine Big Sky Conference meetings between the two schools, including all four in Greeley. But the last two times they played Eastern had to rally in the fourth quarter to pull out wins – 35-28 during EWU's National Championship season in 2010 and 43-41 in 2015.
 
"It's difficult to win anywhere in the Big Sky," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "Having a home field advantage is the way it should be. You have to hold serve at home, but if you want to be one of the upper echelon teams in this league you must win on the road. It's not how pretty it is, but at the end of the day you want at least one more point than your opponent."
 
Eastern is coming off a 38-14 home victory over Idaho for EWU's fifth-straight league game of allowing 17 points or less. That's the best defensive stretch in 243 games in 32 seasons as a member of the Big Sky.
 
Northern Colorado won its second-straight game last week with a 42-39 victory at Southern Utah. The Bears are 2-7 overall and 2-4 in the league, and won 42-14 over Northern Arizona in their last game at Nottingham Field on Oct. 20. Eastern also played NAU, but won only by a 31-26 score.
 
"Coach ­­­(Earnest) Collins has got them believing and they are on a 2-0 run against two quality opponents," said Best. "They are playing at home, and the home field advantage – especially in this conference – is huge. We have to be ready for them, especially their offense. They have been good on defense and they create turnovers. They have talent throughout their team and they are playing with a ton of momentum."
 
The Eagles are now 4-1 in the Big Sky and are one of four teams with one loss or less in the standings. The lone undefeated team in the league is UC Davis (5-0, 7-1 overall), which is currently in sole possession of first in the league after a 49-21 win at Montana. Other one-loss teams in the league are Idaho State (4-1 and 5-3 overall after a 24-17 win over Montana State) and Weber State (4-1 and 6-2 overall after a 35-30 win at North Dakota).
 
The Eagles host UC Davis at Roos Field on Nov. 10, which will play a big part in determining the league champion and automatic berth in to the FCS Playoffs which begin on Nov. 24. On Nov. 17, Weber State plays at Idaho State in another key game. The Eagles close the regular season on Nov. 16 at Portland State (4-4/3-2).
 
The Eagles will play the rest of the season without All-America quarterback Gage Gubrud (lower leg injury), and EWU thus far is 2-1 with sophomore Eric Barriere as the starter – a 55-17 win over Southern Utah, 14-6 loss versus Weber State and a 38-14 romp over Idaho.
 
The loss to the Wildcats is the first time in 10 years the Eagles have failed to score a touchdown, something they've done efficiently most of the season. The Eagles have won their six games this season by an average of 30.3 points per game and an average score of 47-17.
 
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 32-7.
 
Eastern remains ranked fifth in this week's STATS NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 poll and fourth by the coaches. Right behind the Eagles are Weber State (4/5) and UC Davis (6/9). The loss to Weber State knocked Eastern down a bit in the nationally rankings, after EWU equaled its highest rankings in the past four seasons with rankings of fourth and third, respectively.
 
Eastern closed the 2017 season with a 7-4 record overall and was 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference in the first season under head coach Aaron Best. Last season was the 11th-straight season the Eagles have finished 5-3 or better in the Big Sky, with an 11th-straight winning season and 20th in the last 22 years – numbers that now increase by one after EWU notched its sixth victory of the 2018 season on Oct. 27 versus Idaho.
 
 
Links to EWU Football Information
 
A complete Season Outlook of Eagle Football: http://goeags.com/news/2018/8/2/football-season-outlook-eastern-working-out-kinks-after-base-built-in-2017.aspx?path=football
A .pdf version of the 2018 EWU Football Fact Book & Archives: http://goeags.com/sports/2016/1/8/FB_Other%20Links-Archives.aspx
More Information on the Eastern Football Team: http://goeags.com/index.aspx?path=football
 
 
 

 
Game Notes

 
 
Eagles Hold Steady in Both Polls With Weber State and UC Davis in Top 10 Too
 
Eastern held steady this week in both NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 polls, ranking fourth by the American Football Coaches Association and fifth in the STATS poll of sportswriters, broadcasters and sports information directors. Eastern was as high as third and fourth, respectively, before a 14-6 loss at Weber State, but dropped five positions in each poll to remain in the top 10 on Oct. 15.
 
Also ranked nationally from the Big Sky Conference this week are Weber State (4 STATS/5 AFCA) and UC Davis (6/9). The Eagles host UC Davis on Nov. 10 in Cheney in what should be a key game for both schools with league championship and playoff implications. Eastern pulled out a 31-26 victory on Sept. 8 at Northern Arizona, which at the time was ranked 18th by STATS and 20th by the AFCA.
 
In reaching its highest rankings of the season on Oct. 8, the Eagles haven't been ranked third in the coaches poll since 2016, when EWU was also as high as third in the STATS rankings (to end the regular season). Eastern was as high as fourth in both polls in 2015, but in 2014 were ranked second for nine weeks in the coaches poll, plus were second for eight weeks by STATS after entering the preseason with the No. 1 ranking. Eastern also spent at least one week in the top spot in the STATS poll in 2012 and 2011, as well as in 2010 when EWU finished first in both polls after winning the NCAA Division I championship.
 
The Eastern and Weber State game on Oct. 13 was picked in the preseason by STATS as the most important Big Sky game of the season on its list of Pivotal FCS Conference Games in 2018.  The Eagles were seventh and the Wildcats were eighth in the AFCA preseason poll, and WSU was one slot better than EWU in the STATS preseason poll (8th/9th). Eastern is picked to win the Big Sky Conference title by the league's head coaches and media with WSU second.
 
Eastern ranked as high as fourth nationally in rankings released by a trio of preseason publications. Hero Sports pegged the Eagles as the No. 4 team in FCS, ranking behind defending champion NDSU, JMU and Kennesaw State. Eastern was sixth in the Athlon Sports rankings, and is the top-ranked Big Sky team in both polls. Eastern was 14th in the Street & Smith's top 25.
 
 
Playoff Update This Week, With Pairings Announced Nov. 18
 
The pairings for the 24-team NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time by ESPNU. Eastern is chasing its 10th Big Sky title and 13th appearance in the FCS Playoffs in school history. Since 2010 when EWU won the NCAA Division I title, the Eagles have won league titles five times (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016) and advanced to the playoffs all five of those seasons.
 
 Additionally, the NCAA Division I FCS Selection Committee will reveal its "Top 10" rankings during halftime of the Ball State vs. Toledo game on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time on ESPN2. It's the only in-season ranking that will be released by the Committee this year. The NCAA Division I Football Championship game will be played in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 9 a.m. Pacific time on ESPN2.
 
At 6-2 on the season and 4-1 in the Big Sky, the Eagles close the regular season with two of their last three on the road – Nov. 3 at Northern Colorado and Nov. 16 at Portland State – sandwiched around Senior Day at home against UC Davis. The Eagles are 11-1 all-time versus the Bears with a 10-game winning streak, and are a perfect 6-0 versus UC Davis. Eastern is 19-20-1 against Portland State, but have won the last two, five of the last six and seven of the last nine versus the Vikings.
 
There are 10 automatic playoff bids given to conferences, including the Big Sky, with an additional 14 teams receiving at-large bids. Eastern is still in the running to secure the automatic berth, but the Eagles actually played a ninth Big Sky foe when EWU started a home-and-home series with Northern Arizona on Sept. 8 and that could be utilized to break a potential tie in the final conference standings. The first tiebreaker, head-to-head competition, applies to not only league games, but non-conference games played between conference members. The second tiebreaker is record against common conference opponents, then record against common non-conference opponents. Sagarin ratings will be used as the final tiebreaker, or, in the unlikely event of a tie, a coin toss.
 
Eastern beat NAU 31-26, and the return game will come two years later in Cheney, Wash., on Sept. 19, 2020. The two teams didn't play in 2017, and Eastern now has a 21-12 all-time series lead against NAU. The last time EWU and NAU played in a non-conference game came in 1986 – the year before the Eagles joined the league.
 
 
Average Score in Six Victories Thus Far is 47-17
 
The Eagles have now won their six games this season by an average of 30.3 points per game – 286-104 for an average score of 47-17. Eastern's defensive effort in league play is unprecedented – Eastern has never held Big Sky opponents to 17 points or less in five-straight games until now, which is a span of 32 seasons and 243 games. In 1997 and 2008 the Eagles had a stretch of four-straight league games, and overall EWU had six in a row to begin the 1997 campaign. The overall record came in 1981 when EWU held its last nine opponents to 14 or less and allowed only 97 points for the season (9.7 per game).
 
In beating Southern Utah 55-17 on Oct. 6, The Eagles had 50 points or more for the third time this season and the 58th time in school history, and are now 55-3 in those games. The point total equaled EWU's 23rd-most. Earlier this season, EWU scored the fourth-most in school history – a record versus a FCS opponent -- in a 70-17 win over Cal Poly. Eastern has had 20 50-point games in the last 6+ seasons (including three in 2017 and three thus far in 2018), with one in 2015, six in 2014, three in 2017 and two each in 2013 and 2012.
 
 
 
Eagles Fourth in FCS in Total Offense, Plus in Top 20 in Rushing and Passing
 
Eastern is fourth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense at 526.8 yards per game. The Eagles are 15th in rushing offense (244.6), compared to 17th in passing (282.1). Eastern joins Idaho State and Jacksonville State as the only FCS teams to rank in the top 20 in all three categories – the Bengals are sixth overall, 18th in rushing and 11th in passing, while JSU – a team EWU is scheduled to play in 2019 and 2021 – are second, 16th and 10th, respectively.
 
Eastern is averaging 39.5 points per game to rank 11th, and EWU is 25th in scoring defense (22.1). There are actually 11 FCS teams ranked in the top 25 in both, led by Princeton with a ranking of first in scoring (50.7) and second in defense (9.1). Among ranked teams, James Madison has averages of 34.6 (15th) and 9.8 (third), Kennesaw State is at 46.9 (second) and 12.1 (fifth) and North Dakota State is at 40.4 (seventh) and 12.9 (sixth).
 
In addition, EWU is now 54th in total defense (388.4), 53rd in rushing defense (1157.5) and 81st in passing defense (230.9). Eastern is also 26th in passing efficiency (145.12), has the 22nd-most first downs in FCS with 183 and is sixth with three defensive touchdowns.
 
Sam McPherson, the lone senior among the group of four tailbacks, is ranked third in FCS for average per carry (7.82), is 29th with an average of 89.9 yards per game and has 719 total rushing yards to rank 27th. Receiver Nsimba Webster is 14th in receiving yards (742), 19th in receiving yards per game (92.8), 30th in catches (5.6 per game) and 44th in TD receptions (five).
 
Kicker Roldan Alcobendas is 16th in FCS in scoring (8.8 per game) and is 25th with an average of 1.25 field goals per game, plus is just one of three players in FCS to be perfect kicking field goals (10-of-10). His punting average of 47.1 is third nationally, just .6 out of the top spot. His season (47.1) and career averages (46.9) are both on pace to set school records of 44.9 and 43.8, respectively.
 
 
Eagles Seek to Continue November Excellence
 
The month of November has long been a successful month for Eastern, and they continued 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 32-7.
 
In November and beyond since 2004, the Eagles are now 45-15, including a 13-8 record in the FCS Playoffs. Since 2010, Eastern is 30-8 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.
 
 
Sixth-Year Senior Roldan Alcobendas Continues to Add to Records
 
Roldan Alcobendas continues to add to his Eastern kick scoring record, and is making some history as a punter as well.
 
Thus far in 2018, Alcobendas is 10-of-10 kicking field goals (one of just three players in FCS to be perfect on the season) and has converted on 40-of-41 extra points (one was blocked) to currently have 70 points on the season. He is 16th in FCS in scoring (8.8 per game) and is 25th with an average of 1.25 field goals per game. His punting average of 47.1 is third nationally, just .6 out of the top spot. His season (47.1) and career averages (46.9) are both on pace to set school records of 44.9 and 43.8, respectively.
 
In his 36-game career, Alcobendas has scored 270 points to move past Troy Griggs (231 from 1998-01) and Mike Jarrett (236 from 2008-11) for the all-time EWU lead. Alcobendas has also established EWU career records for extra points made (181) and attempted (187), breaking the previous records held by Jarrett (2009-11) with 143 makes and 150 attempts. Alcobendas has made 30-of-41 field goals in his career to rank fourth in school history for field goals made and seventh in attempts. In his career, he has 107 kickoffs for a 57.4 average (6,143 total yards) with 17 touchbacks.
 
Alcobendas has twice been rewarded this season (three in his career) with ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player honors. His most recent honor came after he kicked a pair of field goals in EWU's 14-6 loss at 13th-ranked Weber State on Oct. 13, and also added a punting record to his resume. He averaged 60.3 yards on seven punts in Eastern's defensive battle, including a school-record 78 yarder with the wind in the second quarter and another of 72 yards with the wind in the third. He also had a wind-aided punt of 63 yards, and a punt into the wind of 60. Two of his punts were downed inside the 10-yard line of Weber State. He now owns two of the top three punts in school history, with the previous record set by Jake Miller against Washington State on Sept. 8, 2012, with a punt of 74 yards. The 60.3 average for Alcobendas versus the Wildcats nearly broke the Big Sky record of 61.5 set by Eddie Johnson of Idaho State in 2002 versus Cal Poly. He kicked a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 27-yarder in the third quarter to remain perfect on the season.
 
He originally broke the school record for career kick scoring against Montana State on Sept. 29 and received his second career ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player award on Oct. 1 as a result. He suffered a knee injury in 2014 at Bobcat Stadium, then returned two years later and won his first Big Sky POW honor in 2016 after a performance in Bozeman. He scored 11 points in 2016 and had 10 more in this year's 34-17 victory.
 
"Getting the record and player of the week is an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "We congratulate him, and it's all earned. He prepared for this and right now he's playing all-world."
 
He converted field goals of 24 and 25 yards versus the Bobcats, converted four extra points and punted four times for a 46.8 average with a long of 60. Three of his punts were downed inside the MSU 20-yard line, including a key 59-yarder in the fourth quarter. In all, the average field position for MSU after his punts was the 14-yard line.
 
"It was a proud, proud moment to watch him put the ball through the pipes and get the record," Best said of his 24-yarder that gave EWU a 17-10 second-quarter lead versus the Bobcats. "We didn't mention it before or during the game, but after the game we talked about that. What an accomplishment for him after everything he's overcome in six years here, but it feels like about 10 years."
 
Alcobendas entered the season as one of 34 placekickers nationwide to be named to the watch list for the 2018 Fred Mitchell Award. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be chosen at the end of the year based on excellence on the football field and in the community.
 
As a bonus for his past suffering, the 2013 graduate of Camas (Wash.) High School received a sixth year to complete four years of eligibility because of injuries that cost him a pair of seasons. Alcobendas had to sit out both the 2013 and 2015 seasons because of knee injuries – one suffered while playing in his senior year of soccer.
 
"What he's accomplished here isn't just the points, it's the adversity he's faced and overcome," said Best. "He came here to Eastern with an injury in soccer and that set him back a little bit, then he had the injury at Montana State in 2014 that set him back a little more. He's battled through everything and has earned everything."
 
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.
 
He missed his first extra point attempt of the game against UC Davis on Oct. 7, 2017, ending his school-record string of consecutive career extra points made at 85. In the 2017 season, he made 46-of-47 extra point attempts and 10-of-14 field goals. He also handled kickoff duties much of the season, and averaged 59.8 yards on 39 kicks in 2017 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.
 
 
Fettig Nearing Tackles Record for Defensive Back
 
Senior co-captain Mitch Fettig has started 41 of the 42 games he's played in his Eastern career, and is chasing the school record for tackles by a defensive back. He has 275 tackles to rank 13th in school history – just 13 from the school record by a defensive back of 288 set by Julian Williams from 1997-00. He recently passed the 263 by cornerback T.J. Lee (2010-13), who now plays for the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League.
 
Fettig also has six interceptions and 12 passes broken up in his career. A 2014 graduate from Olympia HS, Fettig was a third team All-Big Sky selection as a junior and earned honorable mention in 2016. He has played in all but two games as an Eagle, having missed a pair with injuries as a freshman in 2015. But he started all 14 games in 2016, all 11 in 2017 and all eight thus far for a current streak of 33 Eagle games in a row.
 
 
Junior Chris Schlichting Has Started All 33 Games in His Career
 
Eastern junior offensive tackle Chris Schlichting has started in each of EWU's 33 games in his last two-plus seasons for the Eagles. He started all 14 games as a redshirt freshman in 2016, all 11 in 2017 and eight thus far this season. Senior safety Mitch Fettig, who has a team-leading 41 career starts, has also started 33 in a row since missing the last game of the 2015 season. Senior center Spencer Blackburn has a streak of 30 consecutive starts since taking over the position in the fourth game of the 2016 season. Junior offensive tackle Tristen Taylor had started 25-of-25 games as an Eagle until a knee injury kept him out of the lineup on Sept. 22 versus Cal Poly. He's been out ever since.
 
Eastern's offensive line entered the year boasted a starting five with 93 starts between them. Currently they have 123, including 33 by Schlichting; 30 by Blackburn; 28 by Taylor; 20 by Jack Hunter and 12 by Kaleb Levao. However, against Cal Poly and the team's subsequent games, Taylor was unavailable because of a season-ending knee injury and former tight end Beau Byus is now starting in his place. Converted guard Matt Meyer had to start at tackle in place of Byus on Oct. 13.
 
Blackburn, with 30 starts and 32 games played in his career, is among several returning All-Big Sky Conference performers with extensive experience as starters in the Eagle program. Most notably, Fettig has started 41 of the 42 games he's played. Ketner Kupp, with 206 tackles in his career to rank 37th in school history, has played in 41 games and has started 20. He is the younger brother of four-time EWU FCS All-American Cooper Kupp, who now plays for the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL. Nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli has started 19 of the 44 games he has played in his career, and has had 98 total tackles with 11 1/2 sacks, four quarterback hurries, three passes deflected and a fumble recovered for a touchdown. He had to redshirt in 2017 because of an injury, but before the start of that season he earned third team preseason All-America honors from STATS.
 
A total of 15 players have started at least 18 games. The others include cornerback Josh Lewis (29 starts/44 played), cornerback Nzuzi Webster (26/46), defensive end Keenan Williams (23/39), rover Cole Karstetter (22/32) and Kurt Calhoun (18/34) on defense; and quarterback Gage Gubrud (28/32), running back Antoine Custer Jr. (19/29) and wide receiver Nsimba Webster (19/37) on offense.
 
 
32-Game Career Ends for Gubrud With Impressive 21-7 Record as a Starter and Big Sky Total Offense Per Game Record
 
Eastern head coach Aaron Best announced after the Idaho game on Oct. 27 that All-America quarterback Gage Gubrud will be lost for the season with a lower leg injury which will require surgery. Gubrud suffered the injury late in the game versus Montana State on Sept. 29 and has been out ever since, and was replaced by sophomore Eric Barriere.
 
"Eric Barriere is our quarterback moving forward and Gage Gubrud will be shelved for the rest of the season," said Best after his team jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead over Idaho and won 38-14. "Everybody has Gage's best interests in mind, and that's where we stand going forward. Eric Barriere will be our starting quarterback."
 
Gubrud finished his career as the owner of 21 school records, eight Big Sky Conference marks and three in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, most coming in a sensational sophomore campaign in 2016. With 11,026 yards of total offense in his career, Gubrud averaged 344.6 yards of total offense per game to rank third all-time in FCS and break the Big Sky record of 328.9 set by Dave Dickenson of Montana with 11,513 yards in 35 games from 1992-95.
 
Gubrud went over the 10,000-yard mark in his career for total offense on Sept. 8 at Northern Arizona to become the fourth Eagle in school history to achieve that feat. He finished just 16 yards from joining those same three players in the 10,000-yard passing club, with a current total of 9,984 in his career. His average of 312.0 per game was a school record, and ranks third in Big Sky history and 20th in FCS.
 
His 11,026 yards of total offense ranks third in EWU history and 12th all-time in the Big Sky Conference. Gubrud also had 87 touchdown passes in his 32-game career to move into third in school history past Erik Meyer (2002-05) with 84. There are no official lists for TD passes in the 55-year history of the league, but it's believed he's tied for eighth.
 
At No. 4 in school history in career passing yards with 9,984, Gubrud ranks only behind 10,000-yard passers Matt Nichols (12,616, #1 in Big Sky), Vernon Adams Jr. (10,438, unranked) and Erik Meyer (10,261, unranked). He is also third in total offense with 11,026 yards, ranking behind Nichols (13,308, #1 in Big Sky) and Adams (11,670, #7), but surpassing Meyer (10,942, #13).
 
Finishing 21-7 in 28 games as a starter, he was also third in school history in completion percentage (.646), third in efficiency rating (155.8), third in touchdown passes (87), second in completions (753) and second in attempts (1,165).
 
Gubrud had a school-record 10 400-yard passing performances in his career, three 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 19 300-yard passing performances are tied with Nichols (19) and are one behind Adams (20) for the school record.
 
Gubrud owns school records with 13 performances of at least 400 yards of total offense and six with at least 500. He owns eight of the top 10 single game total offense performances in school history (1-2-3-4-6-7-8-10), plus the Nos. 14, 20 and 29 performances. He owns nine of the top 19 passing performances (1-2-4-7-13-15-16-18-19), plus Nos. 23, 40 and 45.
 
"It's incredible – not just for this team but for this athletic department and university," said Best of Gubrud's contributions. "He came on campus without a scholarship, earned a scholarship and then caught fire his sophomore year. He had an amazing career in just three years – really 2 1/2 years. He's an incredible leader, captain and teammate, and I call him a dear friend. He's meant a ton for us and will continue to mean a ton because he'll be a very good mentor for Eric side-by-side in-game, out-of-game and in the meeting room. We could sit here for an hour-and-a-half in talking about the greatness and accolades he represents. He's a true EKG, and we highly respect his work. It's just unfortunate his career was cut short due to a physical ailment."
 
In five games in 2018, Gubrud had 1,585 yards of total offense – 1,416 through the air and 169 on the ground. He completed 61.9 percent of his passes (99-of-160) and had a 156.8 passing efficiency rating. Although he no longer meets the minimum number of games played to be ranked nationally, in FCS stats released on Oct. 7 he was 12th in average points responsible for (18.0), 15th in passing efficiency (156.8), ninth in total offense (317.0 per game) and 12th in passing (283.2 per game).
 
 
Barriere Now 3-1 as a Starter After Engineering 38-14 Victory
 
Sophomore Eric Barriere is now 3-1 as a starter after leading EWU to a 31-0 halftime lead and ultimately a 38-14 victory over Idaho on Oct. 27. He completed 29-of-42 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns in his first 300-yard passing performance of his career. He also rushed for 70 yards and a TD, giving him a career-high 396 yards of total offense. His previous high was 331 versus Southern Utah on Oct. 6 in a 55-17 Eagle win.
 
Eastern had a near-perfect first half, scoring 31 points and having a 364-129 advantage in total offense. Barriere opened the scoring with a 48-yard touchdown run, and also passed 22 yards to Henderson Belk and 7 yards to Dre' Sonte Dorton for scores. He added a 64-yard scoring strike to Terence Grady in the third quarter.
 
"We really got things going early," said Best. "I was extremely pleased with the first 30 minutes – I thought we played really well in the total body of work in all three phases. Eric played lights out -- it was his best day as an Eagle, but he only has four games as a starter. I was proud of him for standing in there, sometimes going to his third and fourth read, and he delivered the mail really well. His legs proved to be somewhat of a difference as well with his long touchdown run."
 
So far in seven games played in 2018, Barriere has completed 63-of-109 passes (57.8 percent) for 757 yards and five touchdowns, with 36 rushes for 230 yards (6.4 per carry) and three scores. In his 12-game career, he has completed 78-of-135 passes for 895 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, and has rushed 54 times for 278 yards and four more TDs.
 
In a 55-17 win over Southern Utah on Oct. 6 in his first start this season, he passed for 233 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another 98 and two more TDs in just three quarters of action. He completed 13-of-21 passes and had his rushing yardage on five carries with no sacks. Making just his second career start, he completed a 48-yard pass on the first offensive play of the day for the Eagles, then later had an 85-yard rush for a touchdown – a school record for a quarterback and ninth-longest overall all-time -- to give the Eagles a 31-10 lead in the second quarter. He accounted for three of EWU's seven touchdowns, rushing for two scores and passing for another.
 
However, in a 14-6 loss at Weber State on Oct. 13, Eastern was held without a touchdown for the first time in 10 years. Barriere completed 19-of-42 passes for 185 yards and was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter to squelch Eagle drives.  He had a net rushing gain of 18 yards despite getting sacked four times.
 
Barriere was also thrown to the fire during his redshirt freshman season when he 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 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. Before the UND game, Barriere had appeared in three games in 2017 and was 1-of-2 for 13 yards and an interception, all coming against Texas Tech on Sept. 2.
 
 
Eagles Seek to Continue Big Sky Success
 
The Eagles have been impressive – if not dominant – in the league in the last 11+ years, winning 80 percent of their games (74-19) and five titles. In that span, Eastern has had no league finish below 5-3 and five of them have included 7-1 or 8-0 records. Eastern got the 2018 league season off to a great start on Sept. 22 with a 70-17 victory over Cal Poly, followed by wins over Montana State (34-17) and Southern Utah (50-17). A crowd of 10,023 was on hand for the Idaho game – the 29th-straight sellout at Roos Field (crowd of 8,600 or more).
 
 
Defense Allowing Just 15.8 Points in League, With a Stretch of Nearly 90 Minutes Without Allowing a Point
 
Eastern's defense has been impressive during league play, with EWU allowing only 79 points for a league-leading 15.8 per game) – with seven of those coming on a punt return touchdown. Included was an 89:52 stretch of not allowing a point, spanning two games. The school record for fewest average points in a Big Sky season came in 1992 when the Eagles surrendered just 16.4 per game (115 total) in seven league games (6-1 record).
 
Eastern has allowed 30 points in the first quarter of its five Big Sky games thus far, 14 in the second, 21 in the third and 14 in the fourth. Eastern has pitched a shutout in nine of 20 quarters, and had a stretch of five-straight goose eggs ended in the third quarter versus Idaho on Oct. 27. In the game versus the Vandals, the Eagles as a team recorded five sacks, six quarterback hurries and broke up five passes in holding Idaho to 204 yards passing and 159 on the ground.
 
In five league games thus far, Eastern has allowed the fewest points per game (15.8) while ranking second in total defense (362.0), third in passing defense (174.8) and fifth in rushing defense (187.2). Overall, Eastern is 25th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in scoring defense (22.1), 54th in total defense (388.4), 53rd in rushing defense (1157.5) and 81st in passing defense (230.9).
 
Eastern held Idaho scoreless for the first 38:27 of the game. One game earlier in a 14-6 loss at Weber State, Eastern's defense held the Wildcats to just one offensive touchdown and scoreless for the final 51:25 of the contest. The Eagles held Weber State to 166 first-half yards and just 109 in the second half to keep the game within striking distance. The Eagles allowed just 159 yards through the air and 116 on the ground, and held Weber State to just 4-of-15 on third down. Weber State's average per rush was just 2.6 yards and the Eagles recorded six three-and-outs, and forced and recovered a fumble on another WSU possession.
 
 
Running Game on School-Record Pace for Average Per Carry
 
Eastern's running game has been a mainstay this season, averaging 6.7 yards per carry (on school-record pace) compared to 3.6 for opponents. All five EWU running backs are averaging at least 6.3 per carry – junior Dennis Merritt 8.9, senior Sam McPherson 7.8, junior Tamarick Pierce 7.3, junior Antoine Custer Jr. 6.3 and Isaiah Lewis 7.4.
 
Quarterback Eric Barriere is averaging 6.4 per carry, despite getting sacked four times versus both Weber State and Idaho. One game earlier against Southern Utah, he finished with 98 yards on the ground after recording the longest run in school history by a quarterback (ninth-longest overall) with an 85-yard touchdown run.
 
Besides its 6.7 average per rush as a team, EWU has a total of 1,957 rushing yards this season (244.6 per game) and is averaging 7.7 per offensive play (526.8 per game). Eastern's all-time records for rushing yards and average in a single season came in 1950 when it rushed for 3,130 total in 10 games (313.0 average). As a member of FCS, the record is 225.4 set in 2001 when Jesse Chatman averaged 190.5 single handedly. The EWU season record for average yards per rush is 6.4 set in 2001, and the record for average yards per play of 7.7 was set in 2013. Eastern's records for total offense came in 2013 when it averaged 533.5 and had 8,002 total. Eastern has never averaged more rushing yards than passing yards in a single season as a member of FCS, and the last time it happened overall was in 1981 (226.5 rushing and 145.0 passing).
 
Eastern had its fourth rushing performance of at least 248 yards on the season with 380 versus Southern Utah on Oct. 6, but two weeks earlier EWU had the second-most rushing yards in school history with 441 versus Cal Poly on Sept. 22. The EWU running game has come a long way since 2016 when quarterback Gage Gubrud led the Eagles in rushing as a sophomore in 2016.
 
So far this season, McPherson has 719 yards (89.9 per game and 7.8 per rush) and six touchdowns; Custer has 303 and four scores in five games played (60.6/6.3); Pierce has 292 yards (36.5/7.3) and three TDs; Merritt has 187 (23.4/8.9) with a pair of scores; and Lewis has 52 (26.0/7.4). Barriere has added 230 yards on the ground (32.9/6.4) with three scores, and Gubrud has 169 (33.8/5.5) and a pair of touchdowns.
 
"I would argue with anybody that the top four backs we have in Antoine, Sam, Tamarick and Dennis all rival anybody in this league," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "Every one of those guys makes the players up front of them better. It's not an offensive line that makes the tailback better, it's the tailback that makes the offensive line better. It took me about five years into my coaching career to figure that out. It doesn't matter as much what you have up front, it matters what you have behind."
 
Through eight games this season, Eastern is fourth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense at 526.8 yards per game. The Eagles are 15th in rushing offense (244.6), compared to 17th in passing (282.1). McPherson, the lone senior among the group of four tailbacks, is ranked third in FCS for average per carry (7.82), is 29th with an average of 89.9 yards per game and 719 total to rank 27th. He handled the bulk of the rushing load in EWU's first three games, with Custer making his 2018 debut versus Cal Poly after suffering a preseason hamstring injury.
 
In the milestone win over Cal Poly, Custer had 133 and two touchdowns on just eight carries (16.6 per rush). Merritt had 92 with an 81-yard touchdown run; McPherson had 84 on eight carries; Pierce added 52 on five rushes; and Gubrud even had 50 yards on four totes.
 
Custer, a preseason All-Big Sky Conference selection, was a second team all-league pick in 2017 when he rushed for 776 yards and 10 touchdowns. He now has 1,495 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns in his 29-game career (19 as a starter), and scored on runs of 62 and 43 yards versus Cal Poly and 2 and 13 yards against SUU. He also has 513 receiving yards on 57 catches and 499 on kickoff returns for a total of 2,507 all-purpose yards (86.4 per game). His career 23.8 average returning kickoffs is currently 11th in school history and he's scored a total of 21 touchdowns as an Eagle.
 
McPherson has now rushed for 1,368 yards and nine touchdowns in his 38-game career (six as a starter), with 533 receiving on 56 catches and a total of 2,063 all-purpose yards (54.3 per game). He's scored 14 TDs in his EWU career.
 
The Eagles have had a 100-yard rusher in five of their last 10 games dating back to 2017, including three by McPherson and a pair by Custer. Eastern had 248 against Northern Arizona on Sept. 8, including 161 on 22 carries by McPherson and 80 yards by Gubrud. One game earlier against Central Washington, McPherson had 185 yards on just 15 carries and Merritt added 75 as the Eagles finished with 328 as a team. At the time, the 328 were the most rushing yards EWU has had in its last 147 games dating back to a 331-yard performance in a 47-22 win over Idaho State on Sept. 25, 2004. Eastern finished with 677 yards of offense (349 passing) against Central and had 570 versus NAU (322 passing).
 
"When you start getting rushing yards like that, it's not just first and second level blocking, but it's third level blocking," explained Best. "Receivers don't just catch balls here, they block downfield too."
 
In Eastern's last 10 games (8-2 record) dating back to the 2017 season, the Eagles have rushed 383 times for 2,486 yards and 25 touchdowns, with averages of 248.6 per game and 6.5 per rush. By contrast, Eastern has attempted 334 passes for 2,829 yards and 24 touchdowns, with averages of 282.9 per game and 8.5 per play. In total, Eastern is averaging 531.5 yards per game and 7.4 per play with 49 total offensive touchdowns.
 
Last year, Eastern ended the season with 728 yards against Portland State (440 passing/228 rushing) and one game before that had 376 against North Dakota (132 passing/244 rushing). McPherson had 118 yards on eight carries on just one half of action against UND, with Antoine Custer Jr. contributing another 70 on 19 carries. Custer had 177 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries against PSU to end the season.
 
 
Eastern Now 45-0 Since 2010 When Winning the TO Battle
 
In the last 10+ seasons (2008-18), the Eagles are now 54-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 22-6 when they've been tied and 21-31 when they've lost (total of 96-38). 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 45-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 20-5 when they've been tied and 19-24 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 84-29 (74.3 percent), with 23 of those 29 losses (79 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 54 percent of EWU's wins coming when they've won the turnover battle (77 percent when including ties).
 
In the last five games, Eastern has a plus-three turnover advantage (eight takeaways and five giveaways), but in the first three the Eagles were a negative six (two takeaways and eight giveaways). For the season, EWU is 82nd with a negative 0.38 margin per game (10 takeaways, 13 giveaways).
 
Eastern opened the 2018 season by losing the turnover battle against Central Washington 3-1, but winning on the scoreboard 58-13. The Eagles were tied 1-1 against NAU in turnovers, but prevailed 31-26. Washington State scored 24 points on four Eastern turnovers, with the Eagles failing to register a takeaway. Eastern won the turnover battle 2-1 in its 70-17 romp past Cal Poly, 2-1 at Montana State in a 34-17 win and 2-1 at home against Southern Utah. Eastern lost the turnover battle 2-1 in a 14-6 loss at Weber State when the Eagles threw two fourth-quarter interceptions, but won the battle 1-0 in beating Idaho 38-14.
 
So far in 2018, Eastern is 4-0 it when it wins the turnover battle, 1-2 when it has more turnovers and 1-0 when tied. In 2017, EWU was 3-0 when it won the turnover battle, 3-3 when it lost and 1-1 when it was tied. Eastern finished the 2017 season at minus 10 turnovers for the season, ranking EWU 105th out of 123 FCS schools in turnover margin (-0.91 per game), 90th in turnovers lost (23) and 105th in turnovers gained (13).
 
 
Eastern Has 39 Players With Combined 540 Career Starts
 
Eastern's experience is not questioned, with 39 total players with a total of 540 games of starting experience – 20 players on defense, 19 players on offense and 270 on both sides of the ball.
 
Thus far in 2018, seven players have made starting debuts, including Jim Townsend at defensive end and Andrew Boston at wide receiver versus Central Washington in EWU's opener. Senior Nick Foerstel made his first start at Washington State at defensive end, then senior offensive tackle Beau Byus, junior linebacker Andrew Katzenberger and sophomore linebacker Chris Ojoh made their debuts versus Cal Poly. Against Southern Utah on Oct. 6, Dehonta Hayes made the first start of his career and finished with a career-high 11 tackles.
 
The Eagles entered the season with 32 total players returning with a total of 364 games of starting experience (182 on each side), including 15 on defense and 17 on offense. Of the players lost from the 2017 team, four had at least 20 starts. They collectively had 128 starts, including 98 on defense and 26 on offense.
 
Current Starts on Defense (270 starts by 20 players): Mitch Fettig 41, Josh Lewis 29, Nzuzi Webster 26, Keenan Williams 23, Cole Karstetter 22, Ketner Kupp 20, Jay-Tee Tiuli 19, Kurt Calhoun 18, Dylan Ledbetter 15, D'londo Tucker 16, Tysen Prunty 9, Jonah Jordan 8, Jim Townsend 6, Nick Foerstel 6, Jack Sendelbach 4, Dehonta Hayes 3, Conner Baumann 2 (including 1 as a fullback), Chris Ojoh 1, Andrew Katzenberger 1, Anfernee Gurley 1.
 
Current Starts on Offense (270 starts by 19 players): Chris Schlichting 33, Spencer Blackburn 30, Gage Gubrud 28, Tristen Taylor 28, Jack Hunter 20, Antoine Custer Jr. 19, Nsimba Webster 19, Matt Meyer 17, Zach Eagle 13, Terence Grady 12, Kaleb Levao 12 (including 1 as defensive lineman), Henderson Belk 7, Andrew Boston 7, Jayce Gilder 6, Sam McPherson 6, Eric Barriere 4, Beau Byus 4, Jayson Williams 3, Johnny Edwards IV 2.
 
 
Eastern Has Hit Speed Bumps Before on Way to Deep Playoff Runs
 
The coming weeks will determine Eastern's postseason fate, but even the speed bump they had on Oct. 13 has occurred previously when the Eagles have enjoyed deep playoff runs to at least the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Particularly noteworthy is that in all five of those seasons – 1992, 1997, 2010, 2012 and 2014 -- the Eagles won at least a share of the Big Sky Conference title and appeared in the FCS Playoffs.
 
In 1992, Eastern fell to Idaho 38-21 on Oct. 17 in a battle between unbeaten teams for first place in the league standings, then three weeks later were in Louisiana for a non-league game when the Eagles learned the Vandals had lost at Montana. The very next week, Eastern edged Boise State 14-13 at home to wrap-up a share of EWU's first-ever Big Sky title and advance to the FCS Playoffs for the second time.
 
The 1997 team advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs, but had a 17-7 loss at Montana State on Oct. 4 before winning eighth-straight games and finishing 12-2 after losing in the semifinals. In 2010, Eastern also lost at Montana State, this time 30-7 on Sept. 25, before winning its last 11 games and winning the national title with a 13-2 record.
 
More recently, in 2012, Eastern lost 30-27 at Southern Utah on Nov. 3, but then won five-straight to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs and finish 11-3. Two years later, Eastern also finished 11-3 after suffering a 28-27 loss at Northern Arizona on Oct. 25 and then winning four-straight to advance to the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
 
In the 14-6 loss at Weber State on Oct. 13, two field goals by Roldan Alcobendas helped avoid EWU's first shutout since 2006. It was the first time in almost 10 years to the day since EWU had a touchdown-less day, with the last coming in a 19-3 loss to Montana on Oct. 11, 2008. In fact, EWU scored 632 touchdowns in the 128 games in between, as EWU played its second-straight game without All-America quarterback Gage Gubrud (lower leg injury) versus WSU.
 
 
Four Eagles Make NFL Rosters, Two as Starters With Rams
 
Four former Eagles were in uniform when the NFL regular season began in September, including a pair of starters with the Los Angeles Rams.
 
Cooper Kupp is a starting receiver for the Rams after bursting onto the scene last year with 62 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns to earn All-Rookie honors by the Pro Football Writers Association. He and his wife, Anna, and their newborn son, Cooper Jamison, actually attended the MSU game on Sept. 29, 2018, to watch his brother Ketner Kupp play. Cooper returned to a venue he caught nine passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2014, and 13 for 154 and a score in his senior year in 2016. In all, Kupp caught 42 passes for 617 yards and seven touchdowns in four victories versus the Bobcats. It was the first time in the last two years with the Rams that Kupp was able to see the Eagles play. Just two days prior to attending the EWU-MSU game, he caught nine passes for a career-high 162 yards and had the first two-touchdown day of his career versus Minnesota. He had a 70-yard TD reception in the 38-31 victory, giving him 24 catches for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the first four games – all wins – for the Rams.
 
Ebukam is a starter at outside linebacker after finishing with 31 tackles, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble in 16 games (two as a starter). Kendrick Bourne, also a rookie last year, is a backup wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and had his first regular season touchdown in the NFL on Sept. 16, 2018. He had 16 receptions for 257 yards as a rookie, all coming in the last eight games of the season. Veteran running back Taiwan Jones remains on the Buffalo Bills roster as he enters his eighth season in the NFL.
 
Aaron Neary had spent his rookie season with the Rams, even starting once at center in the regular season, but was cut at the end of training camp in 2018. He was then with the Cleveland Browns for less than a week until being released before the team's regular season opener, then was picked back up by the Rams for their practice squad.
 
Veteran Jake Rodgers, who last played for EWU in 2014, was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and rookie Albert Havili was released by the Bills after starting the preseason with the San Diego Chargers.
 
With Kupp, Ebukam, Bourne and Neary, Eastern had four rookies play in the regular season in the NFL in 2017 – certainly extremely rare if not unprecedented by a FCS school. As NFL 53-man rosters were announced for 2018, STATS reported there were 157 players from 71 different FCS schools on regular season rosters, but Eastern is the only Big Sky school with more than two. Eastern has the sixth-most in FCS, trailing only Harvard (8), North Dakota State (6), James Madison (6), Illinois State (6) and Delaware (6).
 
Eastern also has five Eagles active in the Canadian Football League, including quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell (Calgary), Matt Nichols (Winnipeg) and Vernon Adams Jr. (Montreal). Linebacker J.C. Sherritt (Edmonton) and T.J. Lee III (British Columbia) are also active in the league, but released in 2018 were Victor Gamboa (Ottawa), Shaq Hill (Edmonton), Cassidy Curtis (British Columbia) and Tevin McDonald (British Columbia).
 
 
 
 

Series History

 
* Since Northern Colorado became a member of the Big Sky Conference in 2006, Eastern has won all nine meetings by a collective 299-168 score (an average score of 33-18). However, Eastern barely won 43-41 in 2015 in Greeley and 26-18 at home in 2014, and had to rally for a 35-28 victory in 2010 in Greeley during EWU's run to the NCAA Division I title. The teams did not play in the 2012, 2013 and 2017 seasons because of league expansion, but EWU won at home 48-27 in 2011 and 49-37 in 2016.
 
 
Looking Back . . . EWU 49, Northern Colorado 31 (Oct. 8, 2016)
 
They bottled up Cooper Kupp, but the Bears couldn't contain wide receiver Shaq Hill and quarterback Gage Gubrud. Hill caught a school-record four touchdown passes from Gubrud, who had yet another stellar day for Eastern in a 49-31 victory over Northern Colorado in Eastern's 90th Annual Homecoming Game Oct. 8, 2016, at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles had what was then their fifth-most yards in school history, finishing with 659. Gubrud had 514 yards of total of offense to rank fourth all-time at EWU at the time. Kupp, the reigning FCS Offensive Player of the Year, had only 59 yards on five receptions, and rushed three times for 13 yards, a year after having school records with 20 catches for 275 yards versus the Bears. Eastern scored 35 points in the second half after trailing at intermission, 17-14. Eastern had touchdown drives of 75, 75, 69, 58 and 56 in the second half, including TD connections of 29, 9, 42 and 45 from Gubrud to Hill. An 11-yard pass to Nic Sblendorio was EWU's other TD in the second half.  The Bears were scoring at will for much of the game, but EWU's defense stepped up big late in the game by holding UNC to just seven points in their last five possessions. A blocked field goal by Keenan Williams was one of the biggest moments, as well as the defense forcing a punt early in the fourth quarter. Later in the quarter, an interception by Zach Bruce helped seal the win with 3:33 to play and the Eagles up by 11, which led to EWU's final TD of the day. Gubrud completed 33-of-39 passes for 435 yards, and had five second-half touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 79 yards to give him 514 yards of total offense. Hill had seven catches for 153 yards, and his four TD receptions tied the school record set by Jamie Buenzli in 1987 and Joe Pierce in 2003. Linebacker Alek Kacmarcik led the Eagles with 10 tackles and safety Mitch Fettig had nine with a half-sack. Bruce finished with seven tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. Rover J.J. Njoku broke up two passes and had a quarterback hurry, and also finished with five tackles.
 
 
Looking Back Further
 
* In the 2015 meeting in Greeley, punter Jordan Dascalo made a 44-yard field goal with no time remaining on a day in which Cooper Kupp became the league's all-time leader in receptions and reception yards, lifting Eastern past Northern Colorado 43-41 at Nottingham Field in Greeley, Colo. The Eagles rallied from deficits five times, and needed a nine-play, 49-yard drive that took 1:19 off the clock to set-up Dascalo's game-winning kick. That came after UNC scored with 1:23 to play on a three-play drive following a successful onside kick. Normally EWU's punter, Dascalo had to take on kicking duties as an injury replacement, but was able to secure EWU's 16th victory since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. The Eagles trailed 7-0, 14-12, 21-19, 28-26 and 41-40, and each time responded with scoring drives. Besides the obvious last-second drive, Eastern stopped Northern Colorado on a two-point conversion attempt with 1:23 left, meaning a field goal would win it for the Eagles. Prior to that, EWU took a 12-point fourth quarter lead that they needed every bit of to keep the game close in the final minutes. After taking a 33-28 lead early in the fourth quarter, a sack by Jay-Tee Tiuli and Miquiyah Zamora forced a UNC punt on a three-and-out. The Eagles responded with a 12-play, 63-yard drive that took 4:36 off the clock, including a gutsy fourth-and-five call from midfield. Kupp came up with a 10-yard grab on that play, then scored on a catch from 22 yards out to put the Eagles up 40-28 with 5:23 to play. Kupp had three touchdown receptions to give him 52 in his career, and had school records with 20 catches for 275 yards. In the process he upped his career totals to 281 catches for 4,338 yards to break league records. Jordan West had 469 yards of total offense, completing 38-of-59 passes for 428 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 41 yards. Junior Jalen Moore made the first start of his career and finished with 128 yards rushing on 23 attempts. Linebacker Jake Gall had eight tackles and a fumble recovery, and linebacker Miquiyah Zamora added seven.
 
* When the two teams met in Cheney in 2013, Jordan West passed for 237 yards and a touchdown to help EWU open a 10-0 lead it would never relinquish, but it was an interception by Victor Gamboa that clinched a 26-18 victory for the second-ranked Eagles. Gamboa's interception -- his third in two games – came with 2:02 to play on a fourth down play with the Bears at the EWU 49-yard line. West led Eastern to 417 yards of offense and no turnovers, completing 19-of-33 passes for 237 yards and a 40-yard touchdown strike to Shaq Hill.  Running back Jalen Moore rushed for 97 on 25 carries, and scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Eastern's leading receiver was Cooper Kupp with five catches for 65 yards, and Hill added four grabs for 88 yards and a TD. Eastern's defense, meanwhile, allowed only a field goal on UNC's first six possessions and held the Bears to 306 yards total. Most importantly, Eastern had no turnovers compared to one for UNC. The Bears entered the game ranked first in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with 14 turnovers and were second in turnover margin with a plus 12 for the season. Besides a blocked punt by Zackary Johnson that was recovered by Samson Ebukam and led to an Eastern touchdown, Eastern also scored on a fake field goal attempt. Clinging to a 13-3 lead in the third quarter, holder Conner Richardson found Terry Jackson II for a 15-yard touchdown pass to give EWU a 20-3 lead with 11:22 left in the quarter. The Eagle defense recorded seven sacks in the game, including two by Ebukam. Also with sacks against the Bears were Miquiyah Zamora, Johnson, Conner Baumann, Matthew Sommer and Ashton Boothroyd.
 
 * Prior to not meeting in 2012 and 2013, a second-quarter burst and another in the second half made the difference for Eastern as it pulled away for a 48-27 victory over Northern Colorado on Oct. 15, 2011, at Roos Field. The Eagles scored 21-straight points in the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead at halftime, then had another 21-point outburst later in the second half to surge ahead. The Eagles finished with 522 yards of total offense, and senior quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell had 400 yards and three touchdowns through the air on his way to winning the Walter Payton Award. Wide receiver Greg Herd had 11 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. Quincy Forte, a true freshman at the time, added 170 all-purpose yards, finishing with a team-high 50 yards rushing, 69 receiving and 51 on kickoff returns. Defensively, linebacker J.C. Agen, safety Matt Johnson and defensive end Paul Ena all had six tackles to lead the Eagles.
 
* The two teams met in Greeley during EWU's run to the national championship in 2010, and was one of six victories that season when EWU rallied after trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. The Eagles scored twice in the final 3:08 for an improbable 35-28 victory on Oct. 16, 2010, at Nottingham Field. Eastern knotted the score at 28 with 3:08 left in the game with a 12-play, 80-yard drive, then scored again with 41 seconds left on a 24-yard run by Taiwan Jones, who finished with 168 yards rushing and three scores. That came after a sack and forced fumble by Colorado native Jerry Ceja that was recovered by senior Tyler Jolley and returned to the UNC 39-yard line. Jones had nearly half of his yards on a 73-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Eastern had just 16 first downs and 381 yards of total offense, and had a nearly 14-minute deficit in time of possession. Northern Colorado finished with 362 yards of offense while running 20 more plays than Eastern (76-56), which had only 28 yards of offense in the third quarter. J.C. Sherritt had 14 tackles, a sack and a victory-sealing interception in the final seconds versus UNC. Linebacker Zach Johnson added 13 tackles, and also had an interception. Bo Levi Mitchell was 16-of-25 for 172 yards against the Bears, with many of those completions and yards coming during EWU's game-tying drive.
 
* In the 2009 meeting, the Eagles recovered three fumbles and had an interception in Eastern's first shutout at Roos Field (then Woodward Field) since 1983. The Eagles had six other shutouts from 1983-2009 either on the road or in Spokane, including a 34-0 win over UNC in 2006. Eastern also held the Bears to a 0-of-4 performance on fourth down, 4-of-14 on third down and had four sacks. Senior quarterback Matt Nichols had two touchdown passes in EWU's win over the Bears, and Mike Jarrett added a 28-yard field goal. But the Eagles managed only 292 yards of total offense while holding Northern Colorado to 238. Taiwan Jones rushed for 95 yards on 18 carries for EWU, and finished with 164 yards of all-purpose yards (he had an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown shortened to 52 yards because of an illegal block penalty). J.C. Sherritt finished with 16 tackles and Kyle Wilkins had 11.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
New Starter Eric Barriere & Defense Help No. 5/4 Eastern Roll Past Idaho 38-14
 
Led by the arm and legs of Eric Barriere and another stellar effort by its defense, Eastern jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead and went on to defeat Idaho 38-14 in a Big Sky Conference game Oct. 27 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Barriere accounted for a career-high 396 yards of total offense – 266 in the first half alone – in Eastern's 92nd-Annual Homecoming Game. Head coach Aaron Best announced after the game that All-American Gage Gubrud will be lost for the season with a lower leg injury which will require surgery, meaning Barriere is the Eagle starter moving forward. Eastern finished with 546 yards off offense in the school's first-ever victory over Idaho in Cheney, having lost three previous meetings at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) against the Vandals. The defense did its part by holding Idaho to 363 yards and extended its string of scoreless quarters to five (a total of 89:52) until giving up touchdowns in each of the third and fourth quarters. Eastern had a near-perfect first half, scoring 31 points and having a 364-129 advantage in total offense. Eastern punted on its first possession and Idaho was on a scoring drive when the Eagle defense forced a Vandal turnover. Helped by a solid hit by linebacker Ketner Kupp, teammate D'londo Tucker forced and recovered the UI fumble at the EWU 17-yard line. Eastern went on to score on five of its next six possessions to lead 31-0 at halftime. Barriere opened the scoring with a 48-yard touchdown run, and also passed 22 yards to Henderson Belk and 7 yards to Dre' Sonte Dorton for scores. Eastern also had a 3-yard TD run by Tamarick Pierce and a 30-yard field goal by Roldan Alcobendas, while the defense held the Vandals scoreless on seven possessions in the first half, with no offensive play of longer than 17 yards. In the fourth start of his career, Barriere completed 29-of-42 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns in his first 300-yard passing performance of his career. He also rushed for 70 yards and a TD, giving him a career-high 396 yards of total offense. Andrew Boston had a career-high nine catches for the Eagles, good for 49 yards, and Nsimba Webster added seven receptions for 62 yards. Antoine Custer had 44 yards on just five carries for an average of 8.8 yards per rush, and Sam McPherson added 36 yards on 14 carries. Defensive end Keenan Williams led the Eagles with six tackles, including one for loss and a half-sack. Safety Dehonta Hayes, Kupp and defensive tackle Dylan Ledbetter all had five tackles for the Eagles, with Kupp and Ledbetter having a half-sack each. Alcobendas made a 30-yard field goal to remain perfect on the season at 10-for-10. He also converted all five of his extra point attempts, and punted five times for a 41.2 average with a long of 49 and one punt downed inside the Idaho 20.
 
 

Other 2018 Team Notes

 
Eastern is 26-15 Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents
 
Eastern beat a ranked NCAA Football Championship Subdivision opponent for the first time since 2016 when the Eagles beat Northern Arizona 31-26 on Sept. 8. Northern Arizona had entered the game ranked 18th in the STATS Top 25 poll, and the win snapped a three-game losing streak in games versus ranked foes. The last win came over No. 12 Richmond 38-0 on Dec. 10, 2016, in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Eastern, however, fell 14-6 to No. 13 Weber State on Oct. 13, 2018, in Ogden, Utah, in EWU's most recent game versus a ranked foe.
 
The Eagles have now played 124 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 55-69 (.444) in those games, including a 17-42 mark (.288) versus top 10 foes. Since 2010, though, the Eagles are 26-15 overall (.634) and 8-7 (.533) versus top 10 teams.
 
In 2017, Weber State was the second ranked FCS foe Eastern played that year and the first in Big Sky Conference play. 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. Earlier, Eastern lost 40-13 to second-ranked North Dakota State (the Eagles were ranked seventh).
 
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 and knocked off No. 14 Cal Poly 42-21 on Nov. 5. In the playoffs, EWU 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 Now 48-10 on The Red Turf, Including 38-6 in the Regular Season
 
After winning its first four homes games in 2018, Eastern is now 48-10 overall at Roos Field since 2010. Eastern has lost just six regular season games at "The Inferno" – 38-6 (86.4 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), Northern Arizona (2015) and Weber State (2017), as well as North Dakota State.
 
The stadium has been known as "Roos Field" since 2010 when a new red synthetic Sprinturf surface made its debut. Eastern finished a perfect 8-0 in its debut season at "The Inferno," including three playoff victories. Eastern has won 82.8 percent of its games since the red turf was installed in 2010 – including a 4-0 record versus rival Montana.
 
The North Dakota State game on Sept. 9, 2017, was the 50th at Roos Field since the red turf surface was installed in 2010. In 2016, Eastern finished 7-1 in the 50th season of football at EWU's current stadium location, which opened in 1967. Eastern has a 159-65 record (70.9 percent) in 224 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.
 
 
EWU Plays in 400th Game as FCS Member
 
The Washington State game on Sept. 15 was Eastern's 400th game as a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, dating back to 1984 when EWU became a member of that classification (then known as I-AA). The Eagles have now won 60.2 percent of its 405 games in 34+ seasons in FCS, with a 243-160-2 record.
 
 
Five Seniors Selected as Co-Captains for the 2018 Season
 
On a team chock full of veterans, seniors Gage Gubrud, Spencer Blackburn, Sam McPherson, Mitch Fettig and Ketner Kupp have been selected by their teammates as Eastern football captains for the 2018 season. The five seniors are among the 28 seniors playing under second-year head coach Aaron Best.
 
Gubrud is a 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School and was a captain in 2017 as well. The other four are products from the state of Washington -- Blackburn is a 2014 graduate of Meridian HS in Bellingham, Wash.; McPherson graduated in 2015 from Bothell HS; Fettig graduated in 2014 from Olympia HS; and Kupp graduated from Davis HS in Yakima, Wash., in 2015.
 
 
NCAA Passes Legislation to Allow True Freshmen to Play Four Games and Still Redshirt
 
The days of four years of eligibility are a thing of the past – now it's 4 1/2. The NCAA Division I Council passed a proposal in June of 2018 that will allow players to participate in any four games in a season and still use a redshirt that year. The change, not retroactive, took effect in 2018.
 
Eagle head coach Aaron Best said he and his coaching staff will make decisions on a game-by-game basis on which, if any, of the team's 23 true freshmen will play. The team will allow selected "Eagle-Shirts" to suit up and possibly play, but the No. 1 focus will be on making sure those players are physically and mentally ready to play Division I football. In Eastern's first two games, Tre Weed was the only true freshman among the 65 players who saw action. On Sept. 15, tight end Aiden Nellor saw action on special teams. Nellor played again on Sept. 22, and was joined by defensive lineman Joshua Jerome and running back Isaiah Davis. Jerome had nine tackles in his debut, and Davis carried once for five yards. Weed, Nellor, Jerome and Davis all played again versus Southern Utah on Oct. 6, but no true freshmen played at Weber State on Oct. 13.
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive 50-9 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 50 of their last 59 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. At one point the Eagles had won 44 of 50 league games, and the only Big Sky school which has come close to that in the 55-year history of the league was Montana, which won 50 of 55 games from 1995-2002 and 46 of 51 from 2003-2009.
 
Including four non-conference victories (two versus MSU, and one each against Cal Poly and Northern Arizona) and a playoff win (Montana), the Eagles have won 45 of their last 52 versus conference foes, and are 55-9 since the 0-2 start in 2011. Including three wins at the end of the 2009 season, Eastern has a 61-12 record in league games since then.
 
What's perhaps most impressive is Eastern's ability to consistently win on the road, with records of 21-5 on the road, 24-3 at home and 44-8 overall in the last six-plus seasons since 2012. Since then, Eastern has defeated every Big Sky team on the road at least once, including former Big Sky member North Dakota and a 2012 non-league road victory at Idaho, which re-joins the league in 2018. Until losing at Southern Utah in October of 2017, the Eagles had won their previous road game versus all 13 other league members.
 
 
Eagles Set School Record with 10,000+ Fans Per Game
 
The Eagles set a school record with an average of 10,123 fans per game in 2017 (50,617 in five games), besting the previous record of 9,577 set in five home games in 2015. Eastern's 2016 average attendance was 8,435 (67,477 in eight home games). Eastern had its fifth-most fans in school history against MSU (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). Eastern had 8,717 fans at their home finale versus Portland State, ranking 32nd and giving EWU 25 consecutive sell-outs and 37 total in school history (crowds of 8,600 or more). The Eagles have extended that to 29 in 2018 -- versus Central Washington with 8,658 fans in EWU's 2018 opener, 9,156 on hand for EWU's game versus Cal Poly on Sept. 22, 8,887 against Southern Utah on Oct. 6 and the 21st-largest crowd in school history with 10,023 on hand for the Idaho game on Oct. 27.
 
 
Eagles Continue Stretch of Success in FCS Statistics in Passing and Total Offense
 
In EWU's last 14 seasons (2004-2017), EWU has ranked in the top 10 in passing 12 times, total offense on 10 occasions and scoring five times. In school history, EWU has won two FCS titles for total offense (2001, 1997), as well as three passing offense titles (2016, 2015, 2011) and two for scoring offense (2014, 2001).
 
In the 2017 season, Eastern was eighth in FCS in passing (320.5 per game) and fifth in total offense (476.7), and was also 14th in scoring (34.5) and 11th in third down conversions (46.1 percent).
 
Quarterback Gage Gubrud was second in FCS in total offense per game (357.8), and was fourth in passing yards per game (334.2), third in FCS in points responsible for per game (19.4), fourth in completions per game (26.1) and 13th in total passing touchdowns (26). In 2016 he led FCS in both passing and total offense (368.6 and 411.0, respectively).
 
 
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 in the 2017 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). In the 2017 season, 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 after intermission, 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. 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 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.
 
 
 

2018 Player Notes

 
 
One Webster on a Roll, Another Ranked Fifth in School History
 
The Webster twins are making their mark in Eastern history through their junior seasons.
 
With 27 passes broken up in his career, senior cornerback Nzuzi Webster is ranked fifth in school history one ahead of Julian Williams (1997-00) and two ahead of T.J. Lee III (2010-13). In his 46-game career (26 as a starter), he has 154 total tackles and a pair of interceptions. In the 2017 season, he had 31 tackles and seven passes broken up.
 
His twin brother Nsimba Webster, a senior wide receiver, opened the 2018 season in blazing fashion with 10 catches, two touchdowns and a career-best 212 yards to rank as the ninth-most in school history. He followed that victory over Central Washington with two more touchdowns on seven catches for 176 yards in a win over nationally-ranked Northern Arizona.
 
In his 37-game career (19 as a starter), he has caught 117 passes for 1,596 yards and 12 touchdowns, and could eventually approach Eastern's career leaders lists in several categories. He had a touchdown catch in five-straight games in 2017 from Sept. 30 to Nov. 4, and for the season he caught 59 passes for 693 yards and five scores.
 
The twins are from Antioch, Calif., and were 2014 graduates of Deer Valley High School where they helped the Wolverines to an 11-2 record and semifinal appearance in the 2013 CIF Division I North Coast Section Playoffs. They lost to eventual champion De La Salle 57-27, whose roster included future Eagle Antoine Custer Jr. (who rushed for 1,141 yards and 14 TDs as his team's Sophomore of the Year). Nsimba passed and ran for 50 touchdowns as a senior and Nzuzi contributed greatly on offense, defense and special teams. Former Eagle and current Buffalo Bill Taiwan Jones ('07) also attended Deer Valley High School.
 
 
Total of 64 Players Play in Opener, Including Debuts by 16
 
A total of 64 Eagles played in EWU's opener versus Central Washington, including 16 players making their debuts in an Eastern uniform. Of the newbies, redshirt freshman Andrew Boston received the first start of his career in his first game, and finished with one catch for 10 yards. He is from Puyallup, Wash., and is a 2017 graduate of Emerald Ridge High School. Tre Weed was the only true freshman to see action for the Eagles, and he ended up returning four punts for 43 yards with a long of 22.
 
 
78 Percent of EWU's Roster are Players from Washington
 
The Eagles have 105 players in their program, and 82 of them – 78 percent – are from the state of Washington. Eastern's coaching staff is Washington-based as well, with eight of the team's 11 full-time coaches (73 percent) hailing from the Evergreen State. Head coach Aaron Best is a 1996 graduate of Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., and shares the same alma mater with Brian Strandley (1990) and Jay Dumas (1992).
 
 
10 of 13 Eagles Selected to 2017 All-Big Sky Team Return, Plus Two From 2016
 
The Eagles had 13 players honored on the All-Big Sky Conference team in 2017, but even more noteworthy is the number 10. That's the number of selections returning for the 2018 campaign, as only a trio of seniors were on the list of Eagles selected by the league's head coaches for yearly honors in the Big Sky.
 
However, one of them, special teams standout Anfernee Gurley, will redshirt the 2018 season after suffering a knee injury in preseason practices. He went on to earn first team Freshman All-America honors from Hero Sports in 2017.
 
Four of six second team selections return, including quarterback Gage Gubrud, who was also one of 25 finalists for the Walter Payton Award presented by STATS to the top offensive player in FCS. The other second team selections back are center Spencer Blackburn, running back Antoine Custer Jr., and kickoff return specialist Dre' Sonte Dorton. Custer also earned honorable mention honors on the sophomore All-America team as chosen by Hero Sports.
 
All six of EWU's third team or honorable mention selections are back, including wide receiver Nsimba Webster, safety Mitch Fettig and Gurley on the third team. Running back Sam McPherson, cornerback Josh Lewis, and sophomore offensive guard Tristen Taylor received honorable mention and are back. In addition, Jay-Tee Tiuli returns after earning first team All-Big Sky honors in 2016 before having to redshirt in 2017 after an early-season injury.
 
Also on the 2016 All-Big Sky squad was third team cornerback Nzuzi Webster, thus giving EWU 12 players who have previously won all-league accolades. Blackburn also earned second team honors in 2016, and Fettig and Taylor were both honorable mention that season.
 
2017 All-Big Sky Selections Returning in 2018
Second Team -- #Quarterback - 8 - Gage Gubrud - 6-2 - 205 - Jr. - 3L* - McMinnville, Ore. (McMinnville HS '14)
Second Team -- Running Back - 28 - Antoine Custer Jr. - 5-9 - 190 - So. - 2L - Berkeley, Calif. (De La Salle '16)
Second Team -- ~Center - 75 - Spencer Blackburn - 6-2 - 285 - Jr. - 2L * - Bellingham, Wash. (Meridian HS '14)
Second Team -- Return Specialist - 87 - Dre' Sonte Dorton - 5-10 - 185 - So. – 1L* - Pasco, Wash. (Chiawana HS '15)
Third Team -- Wide Receiver - 5 - Nsimba Webster - 5-10 - 180 - Jr. - 3L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS '14)
Third Team -- ^Safety - 13 - Mitch Fettig - 6-1 - 200 - Jr. - 3L* - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS '14)
Third Team -- Special Teams - 34 - Anfernee Gurley - DB - 5-10 - 180 - Fr. – 1L - Everett, Wash. (Archbishop Murphy HS '17)
Honorable Mention -- ^Offensive Guard - 65 - Tristen Taylor - 6-6 - 315 - So. - 2L * - Stockton, Calif. (Stagg HS '15)
Honorable Mention -- Running Back - 20 - Sam McPherson - 5-10 - 200 - Jr. - 2L - Bothell, Wash. (Bothell 'HS '15)
Honorable Mention -- Cornerback - 1 - Josh Lewis - 6-0 - 190 - Jr. - 2L* - Lakewood, Wash. (Steilacoom HS '14)

• Jay-Tee Tiuli (first team) and Nzuzi Webster (third team) were honored in 2016.

#Big Sky MVP & First Team All-Big Sky in 2016. ~Second Team All-Big Sky in 2016. ^Honorable mention All-Big Sky in 2016. *Has used redshirt year.
 
 
Gubrud Earns Honors in First Two Weeks of the Season
 
Senior quarterback Gage Gubrud was honored for a pair of 300-yard passing performances in the first two weeks of the season. He currently owns three FCS records, eight Big Sky marks and 21 school records, most set during the 2016 season.
 
He had 402 yards of total offense – 322 passing and 80 rushing – in EWU's nail-biting 31-26 victory over Northern Arizona on Sept. 8. He completed 18-of-33 passes and had four touchdowns and no interceptions, as he finished with his 13th game with at least 400 yards of total offense and his 18th with at least 300 passing. He helped Eastern finish with 570 yards of total offense. That enabled him to win Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors from the league for the seventh time in his career, and he also earned the same honor from College Sports Madness.
 
One week earlier versus Central Washington in a 58-13 win on Sept. 1, an 82.3 percent passing performance helped the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-American receive FCS Performer of the Week honors by College Football Performance Awards.  He completed 19-of-23 passes, finishing with 337 yards with no interceptions and five touchdown passes. It was part of a 677-yard onslaught by the Eagle offense – fifth-best in school history.
 
Gubrud's completion percentage versus CWU was close to the record of 90.5 percent (19-of-21) set by Erik Meyer in 2004, and Gubrud also averaged 14.2 yards per attempt and 17.2 per completion. Those records, respectively, are 18.0 set by Meyer in 2004 and 26.0 set by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2012. The first play offensive play of the game started the avalanche for the Eagles when Gubrud found Webster for a 50-yard touchdown pass. Eastern scored 20 points on its first 12 plays in the game, and out-gained CWU 187-50 in those 12 plays (15.6 per play). Gubrud completed nine of his first 10 passes in that stretch for 172 yards and a pair of scores.
 
During Eastern's five-game winning streak from Sept. 16 to Oct. 14 in 2017, 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 in 2016, 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.
 
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.
 
 
 

More Aaron Best Comments

 
On Northern Colorado: "They have some speed, they score points with a talented bunch on offense, they have some experience on defense and they are playing at home this week. They've won their last two games, so they are playing their best football now. As a coach and a player, you want that because you should be better as a team as you move forward and improve as the season progresses."
 
On Idaho Victory: "We were hitting on a lot of cylinders, and we could have hit on a few more. Giving up 14 points is not a shutout, but those are things our defense and team is wanting to do that now. We've gotten close enough a few times this year that we have that as a legitimate expectation each and every week. We've grown immensely physically, mentally and emotionally on defense and as a team in the last year and half. And it shows on the field."
 
On Eagle Defense: "Our defense has been above outstanding – it's awesome. We're eight weeks in and we're saying the same thing – this is a stout defense. Points-wise, yardage-wise and yards per carry-wise, this is a dialed-in defense. They are playing gap-style football. It doesn't mean they are always going to allow only two yards per rush, but we've done a good job trying to make teams one dimensional. It you can stop the run and score points on offense, that's a great recipe for success."
 
On Eric Barriere's Experience: "You can't teach experience. He had a little experience last year, and he's been at home twice this season and once on the road – against man-to-man and zone teams. It's no different than a two-year-old becoming a five-year-old. Experience will allow you to grow. He's human, and he's going to make mistakes and he's going to take chances. He just needs to minimize those mistakes while still being aggressive."
 
On Northern Arizona Win: "This was a game against a playoff team from last year, and we got a win on their home field, in a playoff-like atmosphere, all in a non-league game against a non-league opponent. Our team did a great job stopping the two-point play late (to hold onto a five-point lead). We prepared for 7,000 feet and we had a 94-yard run by Sam McPherson to put the game on ice. We're really proud that we played dogfight football against a great opponent. And the last two minutes we buckled down and made enough plays. We used and needed all of our players. Whatever their role was, we told them to do as well in that role as they could and not be complacent in your role. These games are going to come down to the fourth quarter as they should. It's exciting for us as coaches, for fans and for people to ask questions about the decisions that are made in opportunistic moments."