­­­­#4/3 Ranked Eastern Washington Univ. "Eagles" versus #12/14 University of Maine "Black Bears" Saturday, Dec. 15 • 11:04 a.m. Pacific Roos Field (8,600) • Cheney, Wash.
TV:	ESPN2
Webcast:	ESPN+ (http://watchespn.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://ncaa.com/fcs

The semifinals since 2010 have been an arduous task for the Eastern Washington University football team.
 
For the fourth time since winning the 2010 NCAA Division I championship, the Eagles will get another chance to return to the title game when they host Maine Saturday (Dec. 15) in the semifinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.
 
Kickoff is 11:04 a.m. in a game that is televised on ESPN2 and may be viewed via ESPN3/ESPN+ (http://watchespn.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.
 
Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased at www.goeags.com/tickets or by calling 509-359-6059. EWU students may pick up one ticket per student ID (one student ID per person), at the EWU Bookstore while supplies last.
 
This is Eastern's sixth trip to the semifinals in 13 playoff appearances, with Eastern beating Villanova 41-31 in the 2010 semifinals at Roos Field before knocking off Delaware 20-19 in Frisco for the title. The Eagles will be playing in their 29th game in the FCS playoffs all-time and 21st at home, and lost in the semifinals at Roos Field in 2012, 2013 and 2016, and at Albi Stadium in Spokane in 1997.
 
"It's awesome to get to play again at Roos, and I challenge everybody to come out again and bring a friend or two," Best said after last Saturday's nail-biting win in the quarterfinals. "I know this – if we go 1-0 this week we'll play in January. Our mindset from the start of the season believed this could happen. It was Eag Nation, and it started within the four walls of our locker room."
 
Third-seeded Eastern (11-2) is the lone Big Sky Conference team remaining in the tournament after rallying in the fourth quarter to beat UC Davis 34-29 last week. No. 2 seed Weber State was upset by the seventh-seeded Black Bears 23-18 in another quarterfinal game on Friday. Maine is now 10-3 and were the outright champions in the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association).
 
Maine brings a defense to Cheney which leads FCS in rushing defense and ranks ninth overall. The Black Bears allowed just 68.7 yards on the ground this season, and are allowing just 2.11 yards per carry to lead FCS, while EWU is averaging 6.78 per carry to rank second in FCS offensively and 266.6 rushing (10th in FCS). Maine is also second in FCS in sacks, with three players with at least nine (Sterling Sheffield, Kayon Whitaker, Deshawn Stevens). The Black Bears also feature the FCS leader in passes Broken up (Manny Patterson with 22).
 
"They are physical and are going to be a challenge," said Best. "They play a ton of man-to-man and rely on that front four to create chaos – and they are a confident bunch. They try to get you in precarious situations to get you to make bad decisions. If we can maximize our good decision making and know that special teams and turnovers will be a factor, we'll give ourselves a chance. On paper they are a fabulous defense, then you turn on the video and see it matches what the paper already tells you. It's a special bunch."
 
On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded North Dakota State eliminated Colgate 35-0, and fifth-seeded South Dakota State knocked off No. 4 seed Kennesaw State 27-17. The Bison and Jackrabbits will play Friday (Dec. 14) at 5 p.m. Pacific time, also on ESPN2. The winners will meet on Saturday, Jan. 5 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, in the championship game, which begins at 9 a.m. Pacific time on ESPN2.
 
Eastern finished the regular season ranked fourth in the STATS Top 25 poll and were third in the American Football Coaches Association poll, while Maine was 12th and 14th in the two polls, respectively. Right with the Eagles were Weber State (3/4) and UC Davis (7/10), with Montana State also ranked (23/24) and earning a playoff berth with a 7-4 record.
 
Eastern is riding a six-game winning streak which includes a 295-120 advantage on the scoreboard – an average score of 49-20. Most notably, Eastern is averaging 555.0 yards of offense, compared to 362.7 for opponents, including a 280.0 to 156.5 advantage in rushing. Eastern has a big advantage in turnovers forced (19-7) with 13 interceptions.
 
 "That's a special bunch," Best said of his team. "I don't want this season to end because they are so precious, they are so important and they are so fun to hang around every day. We'll let it rip next week and see where it goes."
 
The Eagles wrapped up their 10th Big Sky Conference title and clinched their 13th berth in the FCS Playoffs with a dominating 74-23 victory over Portland State Nov. 16 at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore. This is the 12th-straight season the Eagles will have finished 5-3 or better in the Big Sky, with a 12th-straight winning season and 21st in the last 23 years. 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.
 
 
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
 
 

EWU Records Watch

 
Below are records which have been broken or about to be broken by the Eagles this season (does not include season records previously set by Gage Gubrud in the 2016 season):
 
Rushing Yards: 3,466 (previous record 3,130 set in 1950)
Rushing Touchdowns: 39 (previous record 32 set in 2014)
Rushing Yards Per Carry: 6.78 (current record is 6.41 set in 2001)
Average Total Offense Per Game: 538.3 (current record is 533.5 set in 2013)
Passes Broken Up: 62 (current record is 67 set in 2010)
Season Field Goals: Roldan Alcobendas, 15 (current record is 17 set by Jimmy Pavel in 2017)
Career Field Goals: Roldan Alcobendas, 35 (current record is 39 set by Jason Cromer from 1988-90)
Season Punting Average: Roldan Alcobendas, 45.3 (current record 44.3 set by Jake Miller in 2014)
Career Punting Average: Roldan Alcobendas, 45.3 (current record 43.8 set by Jake Miller in 2011-14)
Season Kick Scoring: Roldan Alcobendas, 107 (shares record 103 by Josh Atwood in 1997)
Career Kick Scoring: Roldan Alcobendas, 308 (previous record 236 by Mike Jarrett in 2009-11)
Career Extra Points Made: Roldan Alcobendas, 203 (previous record 143 by Mike Jarrett in 2009-11)
Career Extra Points Attempted: Roldan Alcobendas, 209 (previous record 150 by Mike Jarrett in 2009-11)
Season Consecutive Extra Points Made: Roldan Alcobendas, 61 (current record 63 set by Alcobendas in 2016)
*Career Total Offense Per Game: Gage Gubrud, 344.6 (previous record 315.4 by Vernon Adams Jr. from 2012-14)
Career Passing Per Game: Gage Gubrud, 312.0 (previous record 288.7 by Bo Levi Mitchell from 2010-11)
* Longest Punt: Roldan Alcobendas, 78 vs. Weber State 10/13/18 (previous record 74 by Jake Miller vs. Washington State on 9/8/12)
* Longest Run by a Quarterback: Eric Barriere, 85 vs. Southern Utah 10/6/18 (previous record 80 by Jack Perrault vs. Western Washington in 1942).
* Single Game Average Per Rush: 14.7 (previous Big Sky record was 11.1 set by Portland State vs. UC Davis in 2013)
*Also Big Sky Conference Record.
 
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
Eastern Offense Faces Nation's Top Rushing Defense
 
The Eagles will face a Maine team leading the NCAA Football Championship in rushing defense and ranking ninth overall. The Black Bears allowed just 68.7 yards on the ground this season, with only two opponents rushing for more than 100 – Towson 142 and Elon 153. Maine, which overall is allowing just 293.5 yards and 21.3 points (19th in FCS), opened the season by holding New Hampshire to minus 15 yards on the ground, and last week held Weber State to minus 1. The Eagles have had at least 148 yards in every game except for Weber State when they had just 62, and have had at least 300 on five occasions.
 
The Bears are allowing an average of just 2.11 yards per carry to lead FCS defensively, while EWU is averaging 6.78 per carry to rank second in FCS offensively. Main is also second in FCS in sacks, averaging 3.62 per game with a total of 47 – three players have at least nine apiece. Moreover, the Bears are 11th in team passing efficiency defense (108.01) and sixth in third down conversion defense (.279), while EWU offensively is 15th in efficiency rating (147.73) and 17th in third down conversions (43.8 percent).
 
Eastern is the only school to rank in the top 25 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, rushing and passing. The Eagles are averaging 538.3 yards on offense to rank second in FCS, broken down with 266.6 rushing (10th) and 271.7 passing (22nd). Defensively, Eastern is allowing 378.5 per game to rank 56th, including 156.9 on the ground (46th) and 221.5 through the air (73rd). Maine offensively is 96th (339.0), 87th (132.8) and 67th (206.2) in those same three categories, respectively.
 
Maine is 65th in scoring offense (27.1) and 19th in scoring defense (21.3), while the Eagles are ranked fourth (44.1) and 22nd (21.8) in those two categories. Both teams are identical in turnover margin and tied at 18th nationally – the Black Bears have 30 takeaways and 22 giveaways for a +0.62 margin per game, while EWU has 28 takeaways and 20 giveaways for the same +0.62 margin.
 
Individually, rover Sterling Sheffield and end Kayon Whitaker both rank 31st in FCS in sacks with an average of 0.73 per game (9 1/2 total apiece). Linebacker Deshawn Stevens is 36th with an average of 0.69 (total of nine), and has a team-leading total of 112 tackles (8.6 per game to rank 48th in FCS). Cornerback Manny Patterson leads FCS with 22 passes broken up and also has a pair of interceptions for an average of 1.8 passes defended per game to rank second nationally.
 
 
Matching Its Third-Best Win Total in School History, Average Score in 11 Victories Thus Far is 49-19
 
Eastern has won 11 games for just the eighth time in school history, with the record coming during EWU's national championship season in 2013 when the Eagles were victorious 13 times. Eastern won 12 games in 1997, 2013 and 2016, and had 11 in 2012, 2014 and 1967. Thus, this is the sixth time in the last nine seasons (2010-2018) that Eastern has been victorious at least 11 times.
 
The Eagles have now won their 11 games this season by an average of 30.3 points per game – 543-210 for an average score of 49-19. Until rallying for a 34-29 win over UC Davis in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs, the closest victories were 21 points versus Nicholls and 24 against Idaho. The largest was a 53-point romp over Cal Pol, which was the biggest winning margin for EWU in a Big Sky game and the third-largest overall as a member of FCS.
 
Eastern's defensive effort in league play was unprecedented – Eastern had never held Big Sky opponents to 23 points or less in eight-straight games until the 2018 season, which is a span of 32 seasons and 246 games. In 1997 and 2008 the Eagles had a stretch of four-straight league games in holding opponents to 23 points or fewer, 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 Portland State 74-23 on Nov. 16, the Eagles had 50 points or more for the fifth time this season and the 60th time in school history, and are now 57-3 in those games. Earlier this season, EWU scored what was then the fourth-most in school history – a record versus a FCS opponent -- in a 70-17 win over Cal Poly. Eastern has had 21 50-point games in the last 6+ seasons (including five thus far in 2018), with six in 2014, three in 2017, two each in 2016, 2013 and 2012 and one in 2015.
 
 
Eagles Second in FCS in Total Offense, Plus in Top 20 in Rushing and Passing
 
Eastern is the only school to rank in the top 25 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, rushing and passing. The Eagles are averaging 538.3 yards on offense to rank second in FCS, trailing only Davidson with an average of 561.9. Broken down, EWU is averaging 266.6 rushing (10th) and 271.7 passing (22nd). Defensively, Eastern is allowing 378.5 per game to rank 56th, including 156.9 on the ground (46th) and 221.5 through the air (73rd).
 
The Eagles are ranked fourth in scoring (44.1) and 22nd in scoring defense (21.8), and are one of six schools in FCS to rank in the top 20 in both. Two fellow FCS semifinalists are also on that list -- South Dakota State is at 44.3 (third) and 20.5 (13th) and North Dakota State at 41.5 (sixth) and 11.1 (second). Princeton is first in scoring (47.0) and is fourth in defense (13.0), while Kennesaw State ranks fifth in scoring (43.5) and seventh in defense (15.4). James Madison is at 33.9 (18th) and 14.6 (sixth).
 
In addition, EWU leads FCS with six defensive touchdowns, and is 15th in passing efficiency (147.73), has the fourth-most first downs in FCS with 311 and ranks 17th in third-down conversion percentage (.438). Eastern also is sixth in turnovers gained with 28, is fifth with 18 interceptions and ranks 18th overall in turnover margin (28 takeaways, 20 giveaways, +0.62 per game).
 
Receiver Nsimba Webster is 13th in FCS receiving yards (1,099), 26th in receiving yards per game (84.5) and 30th in catches (5.5 per game with a total of 71 to rank as the 18th-most in school history). Running back Sam McPherson is ranked third in FCS for average per carry (7.40), is 22nd with an average of 99.1 yards per game, is 19th with 12 rushing touchdowns and is 10th with 1,288 total rushing yards to rank as the fifth-most all-time at EWU.
 
Kicker Roldan Alcobendas is the only player in FCS (minimum of one attempt per game) to be perfect kicking field goals (15-of-15). Alcobendas is ninth in FCS in scoring overall and third in kick scoring (8.9 per game), and is 21st with an average of 1.25 field goals per game. His 45.3 punting average is second nationally, ranking only behind a punter who plays for a school in Florida (Chris Faddoul, Florida A&M, 46.8). The season (45.3) and career averages (45.3) for Alcobendas are both on pace to break school records of 44.9 and 43.8, respectively, and his 107 kick-scoring points this season broke the school record of 103 and ranks eighth in Big Sky history. His 308 career points are also a school record and rank seventh all-time in the league. His second extra point of the season was blocked, but he's made all 61 since then for a season total of 62-of-63.
 
 
Running Game Sets Pair of School Records, Plus is On Pace for Average Per Carry Record at 6.93 to Rank Second in FCS
 
Eastern's running game has been a mainstay this season, setting records for most yards (3,466) and rushing touchdowns (39) in a single season. The previous records were 3,130 yards set in 10 games in 1950 (313.0 average) and 32 TDs in 2014.
 
Eastern is averaging 6.78 yards per carry to rank second in FCS, compared to a 3.7 average for opponents. Only Davidson's 7.44 average per rush is better in FCS, and the Eagles are on pace to break the school record of 6.4. The Eagles are averaging 538.3 yards on offense to rank second in FCS, including 266.6 rushing to rank 10th.
 
All five EWU running backs are averaging at least 6.4 per carry – senior Sam McPherson is at 7.40 to rank third in FCS. In addition, junior Antoine Custer Jr. averages 6.4, junior Tamarick Pierce is at 8.0, junior Dennis Merritt has an 8.1 average and true freshman Isaiah Lewis is at 7.4. The school record is 7.9 set by Taiwan Jones in 2010, with the minimum number of carries to qualify being 45 (Pierce is at 64 and Merritt is at 40).
 
Quarterback Eric Barriere is averaging 6.6 per carry, which includes yardage on 16 sacks in his last seven games. He had a career-high 99 yards versus Portland State on Nov. 16, including a 66-yard TD on the game's third play. Versus 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.
 
Eastern is also on record pace in total offense per game (538.3), and is averaging 7.4 yards per offensive play. As a member of FCS, the record for average 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's balanced attack has averaged 266.6 rushing and 271.7 passing, with balanced yardage totals of 3,466 and 3,532, respectively.
 
McPherson has had three-straight 100-yard rushing performances, with 143 and a game-winning 35-yard touchdown run with 26 seconds remaining versus UC Davis on Dec. 8. He also had 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns in EWU's playoff win over Nicholls on Dec. 1, and how has six 100-yard performances in his career and five this season. The second team All-Big Sky Conference performer now has 1,288 yards this season, moving into fifth in single season school history. He is ranked third in FCS for average per carry (7.40), is 22nd with an average of 99.1 yards per game, is 19th with 12 rushing touchdowns and ranks 10th with 1,288 total rushing yards. 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.
 
Custer has 569 and eight scores in nine games played (63.2/6.4); Pierce has 509 yards (39.2/8.0) and seven TDs; Merritt has 326 (25.1/8.1) with a trio of scores; and Lewis has 52 (26.0/7.4). Barriere has added 550 yards on the ground (45.8/6.6) with six 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 earlier this season.
 
McPherson is EWU's first 1,000-yard rusher since Quincy Forte in the 2013 season when he finished with 1,208. Taiwan Jones had 1,213 yards in 2009 and went over the 1,000-yard mark again in 2010 with 1,742 yards. In 13 of the last 24 seasons (1995-2018), Eastern has had a 1,000-yard rusher, including nine different players. McPherson has now rushed for 1,937 yards and 15 touchdowns in his 43-game career (nine as a starter), with 617 receiving on 64 catches and a total of 2,716 all-purpose yards (63.2 per game). He's scored 21 TDs in his EWU career, and is even a perfect 6-of-6 passing for 155 yards, three touchdowns and a passing efficiency rating of 482.0.
 
Custer, an honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2018, was a second team all-league pick in 2017 when he rushed for 776 yards and 10 touchdowns. He now has 1,761 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns in his 33-game career (21 as a starter), and scored on runs of 62 and 43 yards versus Cal Poly, 2 and 13 yards against SUU and a pair of 1-yard plunges versus UC Davis. He also has 546 receiving yards on 63 catches and 499 on kickoff returns for a total of 2,806 all-purpose yards (85.0 per game). His career 23.8 average returning kickoffs is currently 11th in school history and he's scored a total of 23 touchdowns as an Eagle.
 
Eastern finished with 378 yards on the ground versus Portland State, including a 14.0 average per rush. It was EWU's fifth performance this season with at least 300 rushing yards, a mark EWU has achieved just 11 other times since 1987 when EWU became a member of the Big Sky Conference. Only twice in that span – 1999 and 2001 – has EWU had two performances of at least 300 in the regular season. The Eagles had 626 total yards versus the Vikings for an average of 10.8 per play.
 
One game earlier, Eastern ended with 669 yards of total offense – sixth-most in school history – against UC Davis on Nov. 10, including 372 on the ground and 297 through the air. Eastern averaged 5.9 on the ground and 7.1 overall, with Sam McPherson leading the way with 133 yards on just six carries (22.2 per rush).
 
Eastern has had eight rushing performances this season of at least 235 yards, with 380 versus Southern Utah on Oct. 6 and two weeks earlier having 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. That same season, Eastern led the Big Sky in passing (401.0 per game) but was 12th in rushing (128.6).
 
In the milestone performance against 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.
 
The Eagles have had a 100-yard rusher in 10 of their last 15 games dating back to 2017, including six by McPherson and four by Custer. Besides McPherson's 143 versus UC Davis, 137 against Nicholls and 133 versus Portland State, Custer had an even 100 in a 372-yard outing versus UC Davis and 122 on a 308-yard day on Nov. 3 versus Northern Colorado. 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 15 games (13-2 record) dating back to the 2017 season, the Eagles have rushed 604 times for 3,995 yards and 44 touchdowns, with averages of 266.3 per game and 6.6 per rush. By contrast, Eastern has attempted 490 passes for 4,104 yards and 36 touchdowns, with averages of 273.6 per game and 8.4 per play. In total, Eastern is averaging 539.9 yards per game and 7.4 per play with 80 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 Custer contributing another 70 on 19 carries. Custer had 177 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries against PSU to end the season.
 
 
Defense Allows Just 16.9 Points in League, With 21.8 Average Overall the Lowest Since 1997
 
You have to go back more than 20 years to find a defense that has been stingier than this year's team. A year after allowing 33.4 points per game, the Eagles are allowing just 21.8 for the team's best performance since 1997. That season, on their way to a semifinal appearance in the FCS Playoffs (then I-AA), Eastern allowed just 17.4 points per game.
 
Eastern's defense was particularly impressive during league play, with EWU allowing only 135 points for a league-leading 16.9 average per game – with seven of those points 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 had three interceptions in each of the last three regular season games, the first time that has happened since 1987 when EWU joined the league. The Eagles forced a season-high five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumbles) against UC Davis in a 59-20 win on Nov. 10, equaling the most since forcing six (four fumbles, two interceptions) in a 41-31 victory over Villanova on Dec. 18, 2010, in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. It was Eastern's third five-turnover performance in league play since forcing six (four fumbles and two interceptions) in a 36-27 victory over Montana on Sept. 18, 2010, in the inaugural game on EWU's red turf at Roos Field. In addition, the Eagles finished with 13 passes broken up versus UCD – the second-most in school history behind the school-record 14 EWU had in 1984 versus Montana State.
 
Eastern allowed 40 points in the first quarter of its eight Big Sky games, 35 in the second, 44 in the third and 16 in the fourth. Eastern pitched a shutout in 14 of 32 quarters, and had a stretch of five-straight goose eggs ended in the third quarter versus Idaho on Oct. 27. It would have been 15, but the Eagles gave up a defensive two-point conversion in the fourth quarter of EWU's finale versus Portland State. 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 the next game versus Northern Colorado on Nov. 3, Eastern's had a rare occurrence of three interceptions and six sacks. In fact, that many of each in the same game has not happened since 1985 when EWU had three picks and seven sacks in a 31-19 win over Weber State. The six sacks versus UNC were the most in a league game since Oct. 19, 2014, when EWU had seven versus Northern Colorado, and overall, EWU had 10 versus Fordham in 2017 and six against Richmond in 2016. Only six times since 2005 has EWU had at least six sacks in a game. The three interceptions were the most in a league game since EWU had five versus Portland State in 2009. Eastern has had three on eight occasions since then. The two interceptions by D'londo Tucker was the first time EWU has had a player have two in the same game since 2014 when a trio of players accomplished that feat.
 
In eight league games, Eastern allowed the fewest points per game (16.9) while ranking second in total defense (346.6), second in passing defense (185.4) and second in rushing defense (161.2). 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.
 
 
Eastern is 29-15 Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents, Including 10-7 in Top 10 Matchups
 
A 59-20 victory over UC Davis on Nov. 10 was the seventh occasion all-time that Eastern has played a fellow top 5 opponent, and EWU is now 4-3 in those games. The last time it happened was in 2013 when No. 3 EWU lost to No. 5 Towson 35-31 in the semifinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. The Eagles had two other top 5 matchups that year. The Eagles are 9-34 all-time versus top 5 opponents, including 2-7 versus No. 1 (4-6 and 0-1 since 2010).
 
The UC Davis rematch on Dec. 8 in the FCS Playoffs was the 17th time in school history EWU has played a matchup of top 10 teams in FCS, including the third-straight season. The Eagles are now 10-7 in those games -- including a 5-3 mark in the regular season and 5-4 in the playoffs Eastern is 19-42 in 61 games all-time versus top 10 opponents, but is 10-7 since 2010. Eastern is now 58-69 in 127 games against ranked teams in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision since becoming a member of that classification in 1983 (then known as I-AA). Since 2010, though, the Eagles are 29-15 overall.
 
Earlier this season, Eastern defeated 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 another game versus a ranked foe.
 
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.
 
 
Eastern Has 41 Players With Combined 650 Career Starts
 
Eastern's experience is not questioned, with 41 total players with a total of 650 games of starting experience – 22 players on defense, 19 players on offense and 325 starts on both sides of the ball.
 
Thus far in 2018, nine 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 starting 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 other two starts came in the secondary in the FCS Playoffs against Nicholls when sophomore Kedrick Johnson and sophomore safety Calin Criner made their starting debuts. After falling behind 14-3, Johnson returned a blocked field goal by junior Dylan Ledbetter for a touchdown and start a run of 39-straight points in the 42-21 Eagle win. It was the first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown since Alvin Tolliver returned one 67 yards for a scorer versus, Montana State on Oct. 7, 2000. Johnson finished with a career-high seven tackles and a sack, and also recovered a fumble. Criner also had seven tackles and forced a fumble.
 
Although the Eagles adhere to the "next man up" mentality when dealing with injuries, EWU played the Nicholls and UC Davis playoff games without three senior defensive starters (Mitch Fettig, Keenan Williams, Cole Karstetter) out with injuries. Coupled with one other senior defensive starter lost for the season (Kurt Calhoun), two senior offensive starters (Gage Gubrud, Zach Eagle) and one junior offensive starter lost for the year (Tristen Taylor), those seven players have combined for 240 games played and 181 starts in their careers.
 
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 (325 starts by 22 players): Mitch Fettig 43, Josh Lewis 34, Nzuzi Webster 26, Keenan Williams 26, Ketner Kupp 25, Cole Karstetter 25, Jay-Tee Tiuli 24, D'londo Tucker 21, Kurt Calhoun 18, Dylan Ledbetter 19, Nick Foerstel 11, Tysen Prunty 10, Jonah Jordan 9, Jim Townsend 8, Dehonta Hayes 8, Chris Ojoh 6, Jack Sendelbach 4, Calin Criner 2, Kedrick Johnson 2, Conner Baumann 2 (including 1 as a fullback), Andrew Katzenberger 1, Anfernee Gurley 1.
 
Current Starts on Offense (325 starts by 20 players): Chris Schlichting 38, Spencer Blackburn 35, Gage Gubrud 28, Tristen Taylor 28, Jack Hunter 25, Nsimba Webster 24, Antoine Custer Jr. 21, Matt Meyer 18, Terence Grady 17, Kaleb Levao 16 (including 1 as defensive lineman), Zach Eagle 13, Andrew Boston 12, Henderson Belk 11, Sam McPherson 9, Eric Barriere 9, Beau Byus 9, Jayce Gilder 6, Jayson Williams 4, Johnny Edwards IV 2.
 
 
 
 

EWU Championship Information & Postseason History

 
 
Eagles Haven't Played a Road Playoff Game Since 2009
 
The 9-2 Eagles received a No. 3 seed and a second-round game after ending the regular season with a four-game winning streak. The No. 3 seed guaranteed the Eagles have the potential to host at least two games up to the National Championship game. They then got a bonus third home game when No. 2 seed Weber State lost in the quarterfinals.
 
Eastern hasn't played a true playoff road game since 2009 when it fell at Stephen F. Austin in the first round, and has gone 12-4 in the 16 home games since then with playoff berths in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018. Eastern won the 2010 NCAA Division I title on a neutral field in Frisco, Texas. Overall, Eastern is 18-11 in the playoffs with a 14-6 record at home, 3-5 on the road and 1-0 in the championship game on a neutral field.
 
Four Big Sky Conference teams advanced to the playoffs and three of them were among the final eight teams alive heading into the quarterfinal round. The Eagles, though, are the last league team standing. Eastern was the 2010 NCAA Division I Champions after winning three home games in the playoffs and then defeating Delaware 20-19 for the title in Frisco, Texas. Eastern also hosted three games in 2012, 2013 and 2016, but lost in the semifinals all three seasons. Eastern hosted two more playoff games in 2014, falling in the quarterfinal round.
 
"We like to be at home – playing at home means you did a little bit more during the regular season," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best.
 
 
Eagles Rank in the Top 12 in Both Playoff Appearances and Victories, Even After Snub in 2017
 
The Eagles are making their 13th tournament appearance to rank 12th in FCS history, and have an 18-11 record all-time to rank 11th in wins. Head coach Aaron Best and his team had the mantra all season of "Leave No Doubt" after the team was denied a berth last year after finishing 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the league.
 
"The standard around here are Big Sky championships and playoff berths, so when we don't do that like last year it hurts," he explained. "I've been here 20-plus years and have been a part of a lot of victories, so it hurt when I couldn't tell those players last year why we didn't get in. The natural response is we didn't do enough on our resume to get in, but this year we didn't want to put it anybody else's hands. We weren't going to let a committee or people decide our fate. We decided our own fate, and here we are in the bracket and being allowed to play it out."
 
 
Eagles Continue Big Sky Success Impressive Consistency
 
Consistency has been a cornerstone of EWU Football, and the Eagles have cemented a 15-year run of winning the league title and/or advancing to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs at least every other year. Since 2004, Eastern has advanced to the playoffs and/or won the league title at least every other year, and hasn't had back-back-empty seasons since 2002 and 2003.
 
Eastern clinched its 10th Big Sky title and 13th appearance in the FCS Playoffs in what is now 35 years as a member of the FCS (formerly I-AA). Since 2010 when EWU won the NCAA Division I title, the Eagles have won league titles six times (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018) and advanced to the playoffs all six of those seasons. From 2004 to 2009 Eastern advanced to the playoffs four times (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009), and won the league title twice (2004, 2005). Eastern has three other playoff berths in school history (1985, 1992, 1997) and two other titles (1992, 1997), and has only had two multi-year stretches in which they accomplished neither. Those were both six-year stretches from between 1986-1991 and 1998-2003.
 
The Eagles have been impressive – if not dominant – in the league in the last 12 years (2007-2018), winning 80 percent of their games (77-19) and six 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). After a 14-6 loss at Weber State, Eastern rebounded for victories over Idaho (38-14), Northern Colorado (48-13), UC Davis (59-20) and Portland State (74-23). A crowd of 8,789 was on hand for the UC Davis game – the 30th-straight sellout at Roos Field (crowd of 8,600 or more) and 42nd in history.
 
 
EWU Playoff History & Tidbits
 
• Eastern is making a 13th appearance in the playoffs in 2018, becoming just the 12th team in FCS to have 13 or more appearances. The other appearances for the Eagles came in 1985, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. With a 6-5 record during an injury-ravaged season in 2011, Eastern fell a victory shy of making its first back-to-back-to-back appearances, but accomplished that feat in 2012-13-14. The Eagles were also 6-5 in 2015 and missed the postseason, and 7-4 in 2017 when they were also passed over.
 
• This is Aaron Best's first playoff appearance as head coach, but 10th overall. He was a player in 1997, then coached in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and now 2018). He has now been a part of 24 playoff games (16-8), with 21 as a coach (14-7) and three as a player (2-1). He has been involved in 20 of those games at home (14-6), just three on the road (1-2) and was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 2010 when the Eagles won the NCAA Division I title with a 20-19 victory over Delaware on a neutral field in Frisco, Texas.
 
• Eastern now has 10 playoff berths in a 15-year span (2004-18), ranking the Eagles as one of only three schools among 123 in FCS to accomplish that feat. New Hampshire (2004-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17) made the playoffs for the 14th-straight time in 2017. The third team was Montana (2004-05-06-07-08-09-11-13-14-15) with 10 appearances in that stretch.
 
• The Eagles have five appearances in the last seven years (2012-18), with only six other teams on that list (Jacksonville State, New Hampshire, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State and James Madison).
 
• The Eagles have an 18-11 record in their 13 playoff appearances, ranking 11th all-time for wins. Eastern has a 14-6 record at home, 3-5 on the road and 1-0 in the championship game on a neutral field. Eastern has advanced to the semifinals in the FCS Playoffs six times (1997, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018), and has won its opener 10 times (1985, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018). Eastern is 6-4 in the quarterfinals and 1-4 in the semifinals. The Eagles won the title in 2010 in its first and only appearance in the championship game. The Eagles have received first-round byes in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 (the playoffs were expanded to 20 teams in 2010 and to 24 teams in 2013).
 
2018 – (No. 3 seed, ranked #4)
    #12/No. 7 seed Maine – (Semifinals/Cheney)
    #7/No. 6 seed UC Davis – W, 34-29 (Quarterfinals/Cheney)
    #14 Nicholls W, 42-21 (Second Round/Cheney)
2016 – (No. 2 seed, ranked #3)
    #13 Youngstown State – L, 38-40 (Semifinals/Cheney)
    #12 Richmond – W, 38-0 (Quarterfinals/Cheney)
    #14 Central Arkansas – W, 31-14 (Second Round/Cheney)
2014 – (No. 4 seed, ranked #4)
    #7/No. 5 seed Illinois State – L, 46-59 (Quarterfinals/Cheney)
    #12 Montana - W, 37-20 (Second Round/Cheney)
2013 – (No. 3 seed, ranked #3)
    #5 Towson – L, 31-35 (Semifinals/Cheney)
    #20 Jacksonville State – W, 35-24 (Quarterfinals/Cheney)
    #13 South Dakota State – W, 41-17 (Second Round/Cheney)
2012 – (No. 2 seed, ranked #4)
    #5 Sam Houston State – L, 42-45 (Semifinals/Cheney)
    #16 Illinois State – W, 51-35 (Quarterfinals/Cheney)
    Wagner – W, 29-19 (Second Round/Cheney)
2010 – (No. 5 seed, ranked #1)
    #5 Delaware - W, 20-19 (Championship/Frisco, Texas)
    #10 Villanova - W, 41-31 (Semifinals/Cheney)
    #25 North Dakota State - W, 38-31 in OT (Quarterfinals/Cheney)
    #9 Southeast Missouri State - W, 37-17 (Second Round/Cheney)
2009 – (ranked #13)
    at #12 Stephen F. Austin - L, 33-44 (First Round)
2007 – (ranked #14)
    at #15 Appalachian State - L, 35-38 (Quarterfinals)
    at #3/No. 2 seed McNeese State - W, 44-15 (First Round)
2005 – (ranked #15) -
    at #7 Northern Iowa - L, 38-41 (First Round)
2004 – (ranked #14)
    #9 Sam Houston State - L, 34-35 (Quarterfinals/Cheney)
    at #1/No. 1 seed Southern Illinois - W, 35-31 (First Round)
1997 – (No. 3 seed, ranked #4)
    #9/No. 8 seed Youngstown State - L, 14-25 (Semifinals/Spokane)
    #5/No. 5 seed Western Kentucky - W, 38-21 (Quarterfinals/Spokane)
    #17/No. 14 seed Northwestern State - W, 40-10 (First Round/Spokane)
1992 – (ranked/seeded #14)
    at #3 Northern Iowa - L, 14-17 (First Round)
1985 – (ranked/seeded #11)
    at #4 Northern Iowa - L, 14-17 (Quarterfinals)
    at #5 Idaho - W, 42-38 (First Round)
 
 
 

2018 Honors

Alcobendas Wins Fred Mitchell Award as Top Place-Kicker in the Nation
 
A national player of the year award was probably the furthest thing on the mind of Roldan Alcobendas when he was laying on a high school soccer field in the spring of 2013 and on the turf at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Mont., a year-and-a-half later.
 
But after two knee surgeries and more rehabilitation work than most people can endure, the sixth-year senior has been recognized for his perseverance and accuracy as the 2018 recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award. The announcement was made on Monday (Dec. 10), just a few days after Mitchell notified him he had won the award, presented for excellence on the football field and in the community.
 
"I'm a loss of words and was honestly speechless when Mr. Mitchell let me know," said Alcobendas, a 2013 graduate of Camas (Wash.) High School. "I'm very honored to be recognized with this award."
 
Alcobendas will receive the award in February at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony at Halas Hall. The honor has been awarded since 2009, and is presented to the nation's top place-kicker in FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA for excellence on the football field and in the community. Over 750 place-kickers are eligible. The honor has been awarded since 2009, and is presented to the nation's top place-kicker in FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA for excellence on the football field and in the community. Over 750 place-kickers are eligible.
 
"It's incredible, absolutely incredible," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "He came in wounded and worked his way back on the football field. He hurt his knee again in 2014 in Bozeman and came back again from that. The evaluative measure for a kicker is putting it between the pipes – it doesn't matter how long or how pretty, it matters if it gets done. Roldan got it done."
 
The Award is named for Fred Mitchell, an All-America place-kicker from Wittenberg University and 41-year sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Said Mitchell: "Roldan Alcobendas checks all the boxes when it comes to fulfilling the criteria for being the 2018 Fred Mitchell Award winner. His perseverance following a pair of devastating knee injuries has been remarkable.  And his commitment to community service is what we are all about.  We are proud to add him to our family of distinguished winners."
 
Alcobendas earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors as both a kicker and punter for EWU in 2018, and has broken the single season school record for kick-scoring points with 107 and shattered the career mark with a current total of 308. His season total is eighth and his career mark is seventh in the 55-year history of the Big Sky Conference.
 
 "I give all the credit to all 11 guys," he said. "Coach Best always says what matters is for everybody to do their job to make this operation work. I honestly wouldn't have been able to do this without them, including Curtis Billen who has been our snapper for the last four years. And I've had a few holders, but I have full trust that they are going to execute their job just like they think I'm going to execute mine."
 
As a bonus for his past suffering, Alcobendas 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.
 
"It was a very humbling experience," he said of the rehabilitation after the surgeries. "I took this year to really work on my craft. I'm very blessed to be in this situation."
 
Alcobendas is the only player in FCS (minimum of one attempt per game) to be perfect kicking field goals (15-of-15). Alcobendas is ninth in FCS in scoring overall and third in kick scoring (8.9 per game), and is 21st with an average of 1.25 field goals per game. His 45.3 punting average is second nationally, ranking only behind a punter who plays for a school in Florida (Chris Faddoul, Florida A&M, 46.8). The season (45.3) and career averages (45.3) for Alcobendas are both on pace to break school records of 44.9 and 43.8, respectively. His second extra point of the season was blocked, but he's made all 61 since then for a season total of 62-of-63.
 
"It's a testament of how much hard work and effort I've put in to this point," he said of his accuracy. "Those previous years weren't up to my standards, so I truly took the time to improve."
 
The Eastern football program participate in numerous community service projects during the year, and Alcobendas participated in youth clinics, Cheney "Clean-Sweep" campus pick-up days, Special Olympics and the "Light the Way Dinner Auction" to help raise funds for the American Childhood Cancer Organization of the Inland Northwest.
 
Alcobendas earned Big Sky All-Academic honors in 2016 and 2017, and has a 3.23 GPA as a business administration marketing major with a minor in communications. He recently concluded coursework for his degree.
 
"He's a better person than he is a player," added Best. "He's persevered and come back, and had to have thoughts of whether this was really for him. He got his sixth year, and to he not only kicked and punted for us, but he was the best in the league in both. Now he is being recognized as best in the nation for what he does, both on and off the field. He has great parents and great structure, and I'm just proud and privileged to have been a part of his journey. I couldn't see a more deserving individual earning this award."
 
Earlier this season, Alcobendas moved past Troy Griggs (231 from 1998-01) and Mike Jarrett (236 from 2008-11) for the all-time EWU lead for kick scoring, and now ranks seventh in Big Sky history. His 107 points in 2018 is also a school record for kick scoring, and ranks eighth all-time in the league.
 
Alcobendas has also established EWU career records for extra points made (203) and attempted (209), breaking the previous records held by Jarrett (2009-11) with 143 makes and 150 attempts. Alcobendas has made 35-of-46 field goals in his career to rank third in school history for field goals made and fifth in attempts. In his career, he has 107 kickoffs for a 57.4 average (6,143 total yards) with 17 touchbacks.
 
Alcobendas has been rewarded three times this season (four in his career) with ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors. His most recent honor came when he scored 11 points for the Eagles – just two from his career high – in EWU's 59-20 win over UC Davis on Nov. 10. He kicked a 24-yard field goal to remain perfect on the season at 13-for-13. He also converted all eight of his extra points and punted five times for a 39.8 average with four of his punts downed inside the UCD 20-yard line – three inside the 10. The average field position for UC Davis after his punts was their own 15-yard line, including the 5, 7, 9 and 19. Aside from two long touchdown runs of 46 and 69 yards, UCD got to EWU's red zone just once all day, and the Aggies had to settle for a field goal.
 
He also earned the honor 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. In 2018, 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."
 
 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.
 
 
 
 
Club Opens for Aaron Best as Big Sky Conference co-Coach of the Year
 
In just his second year on the job – and 22nd as an Eagle -- Aaron Best has joined the club. Becoming the fifth different Eastern football head coach to win the honor, Best was selected on Nov. 21 as the Big Sky Conference co-Coach of the Year as selected by his peers in the league, sharing the honor with UC Davis head coach Dan Hawkins.
 
Best guided Eastern to a 9-2 regular season record overall (now 11-2) and 7-1 mark in the Big Sky to share the league title with UC Davis and Weber State. In two years at the helm, he has compiled an 18-6 record overall and 13-3 mark in the league.
 
"This has everything to do with the people we are surrounded with daily, and the resources available to us," said Best. "I can't be happier for our 10 assistants and the people behind the scenes who are able to make the days happy and productive. You are only as good as your staff members and your supporting cast."
 
Beau Baldwin, Paul Wulff, Mike Kramer and Dick Zornes are the four coaches who came before him, and all were honored at least once. Best played for Kramer, who won in 1997, and then served as an assistant coach under Paul Wulff (2001, 2004, 2005) and Beau Baldwin (2012, 2013).
 
"I'm happy and thrilled for Aaron," said Baldwin, who left EWU two years ago to become offensive coordinator at Cal. "He's very deserving, and it's amazing what he's done after the change that occurred from 2016 to 2017 with the coaching staff. He still was able to do a great job in 2017 and back that up this year. It says a lot about his leadership and the guys 100 percent buying in."
 
"To be mentioned in the same breath as Coach B, Coach Wulff, Coach Kramer and Coach Zornes, there are very few words to be able to describe that," Best said. "I've never envisioned this. Obviously, you want your team to have success, and this is a coaching staff award that comes as a result."
 
Wulff also won the honor in his second year at the helm, while Kramer won in his fourth. Best's conference winning percentage of .813 is currently slightly better than Baldwin (.806), who won his first coach of the year honor in his fifth season at the helm. Overall, Best (.750) is just ahead of Baldwin (.726) and Dave Holmes (.719), who coached five seasons from 1963-67. Zornes, who coached 15 seasons from 1979-93, won his honor in EWU's sixth year in the league after joining the Big Sky in 1987. Zornes and Best are both graduates of Eastern as well.
 
"The award means a ton, but team awards and individual player awards trump the coach of the year award," Best added. "It's humbling to be recognized by your peers in anything, but especially as intense as college football head coaching is. I've only found that out in two years."
 
Best led guided Eastern to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Football Championships -- his first playoff appearance as a head coach, but 10th overall. He was a player in 1997, then coached in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and now 2018.
 
"We are very proud of Coach Best for his leadership of our football program," praised EWU Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey. "He is a person of impact with his students, on our campus as a whole, and within the entire Cheney/Spokane community. He is an outstanding coach with a tireless work ethic -- but most importantly is a really good person who stands by his values.  He has guided his staff and team through a lot of adversity this year due to injuries, but has inspired them to move forward and leave no doubt that they were champions.  This is a very well-deserved honor for coach personally, but also for the excellent staff he has surrounded himself with."
 
What the Eagles accomplished this season was not lost on Kramer himself, a former veteran coach in the Big Sky and now retired. Eastern lost All-America quarterback Gage Gubrud at mid-season, but have won their last four games by a dominating 219-70 advantage on the scoreboard.
 
"Aaron and his staff weathered the loss of one of the iconic players in Big Sky history," said Kramer, who was also head coach at Montana State and Idaho State. "That is leadership. They never wavered and the best is still ahead of them in 2018."
 
"It's a sign of a very senior-laden team, and guys who don't flinch because they've experienced a ton of rocks on the windshield along their journey," explained Best. "It's great to connect and integrate former Eagles with our current Eagles, and coach Kramer talked to our team last summer. We are all connected in some way and know how special this place is, and he told the team three words that I'll never forget: 'Take the Candy.' He's had some very special teams along the way, and he felt like a couple of those teams didn't take the candy in terms of understanding how privileged they are, how well-equipped they are and how talented they are. Our team did that this year – they did take the candy and now it's time to take more candy."
 
Best has now been a part of 24 playoff games (16-8), with 21 as a coach (14-7) and three as a player (2-1). He has been involved in 20 of those games at home (14-6), just three on the road (1-2) and was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 2010 when the Eagles won the NCAA Division I title with a 20-19 victory over Delaware on a neutral field in Frisco, Texas.
 
 Best himself is a product from the state of Washington, and that has long been a trademark of the Eagle program as "Washington's Team." 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. 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).
 
Best made his head coaching debut versus Texas Tech in a 56-10 loss on Sept. 2, 2017 in Lubbock, Texas. It came versus the same team Baldwin made his EWU head coaching debut against back on Aug. 30, 2008, in a 49-24 Red Raider victory. Interestingly, Baldwin also graduated from Curtis, six years earlier than Best in 1990. Best was making his debut as Baldwin's offensive line coach in that 2008 game.
 
"The thing I like the most about coach Best is that he is authentically going to do it his way," added Baldwin. He's not going to do it like anyone else before him. It's what he believes in and it's rubbing through. The team sees that and respects that. The team and staff have bought into his vision and that's why they are in the position at the end of the regular season at 9-2 and a No. 3 seed nationally. It's all been earned, and I couldn't be happier with the job he's done since the moment he stepped in. I can't wait to watch the rest of the season unfold."
 
 
Led by Defensive MVP Jay-Tee Tiuli, Eagles Earn 23 Honors on All-Big Sky Conference Team
 
You can read between the lines with this highly-decorated list of Eastern all-stars. All 10 Eagle offensive and defensive linemen – including nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli as Defensive MVP – were among the 21 EWU players recognized with a total of 23 honors on the All-Big Sky Conference football team announced Nov. 20 by the league office.
 
Tiuli, a 6-foot- 4, 320-pound senior from Federal Way (Wash.) High School, was joined by 15 other Eastern seniors to be honored, including two-way first-team All-Big Sky performer Roldan Alcobendas as both a kicker and punter. Senior wide receiver Nsimba Webster and senior defensive end Keenan Williams joined Tiuli and Alcobendas as first-team performers.
 
Seven players earned second-team accolades, including senior center Spencer Blackburn for the third-straight year. Junior offensive tackle Chris Schlichting, senior offensive guard Kaleb Levao, running back Sam McPherson, senior linebacker Ketner Kupp, senior cornerback Josh Lewis and freshman redshirt defensive end Mitchell Johnson were also second teamers.
 
On the third team were senior offensive tackle Beau Byus, senior offensive guard Jack Hunter, sophomore quarterback Eric Barriere, senior safety Mitch Fettig, senior tight end Henderson Belk as a fullback and senior long snapper Curtis Billen as a special teams player. Four Eagles received honorable mention – junior running back Antoine Custer Jr., junior defensive tackle Dylan Ledbetter, senior cornerback D'londo Tucker and senior cornerback/nickel back Nzuzi Webster, who was recognized by the league at safety.
 
"We're very proud of these players, and it is very team driven," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "When you do well as a team on a particular side of the ball it's noticed by the league's coaches. We had an outstanding season in all three phases – offense, defense and special teams – and the all-league team reflects that."
 
Tiuli is just the sixth Eagle to earn player of the year honors on that side of the ball, joining J.C. Sherritt (2010), Greg Peach (2008), Joey Cwik (2005), Chris Scott (1997) and Jason Marsh (1993). Eastern has won 14 honors on offense, including the first co-MVP tandem in 2016 when Cooper Kupp and Gage Gubrud were honored. That capped a stretch in which EWU won the MVP honor on offense in 12 of 17 years.
 
"The league has spoken by naming him as the defensive MVP, and they certainly saw what we see every day at practice," Best said. "Congratulations goes to him, as well as his teammates because he makes a ton of those players on that side of the ball better. And that's why we are where we are defensively with a huge progression from where we were the last couple of years."
 
Tiuli is only the 10th Big Sky Conference interior lineman to win the defensive award since 1974 -- 45 years. He's only the second in the league since Scott from EWU won it in 1997.
 
"It's hard to do but it's well-earned," said Best. "He's a player we count on – he's our bell-cow. It shows his versatility in not only stopping the run, but getting to the quarterback."
 
Tiuli has been a dominant force in the middle, and through 13 games has 38 tackles, four sacks, two passes broken up, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He has started 24 of the 49 out of a possible 49 games he has played the last four seasons at EWU, and has had 115 total tackles with 12 1/2 sacks, four quarterback hurries, four passes deflected, a pair of forced fumbles and a fumble he 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.
 
"That redshirt year last year really vaulted him into the elite company of this league," Best said. "I have a lot of respect for the coaches around the league for selecting him. Hopefully when it comes to All-America nominations and selections he'll get recognition from a national standpoint."
 
Eastern finished as the Big Sky co-champions with a 7-1 record, and owned the best point differential in the league of 31.1 points per game. Eastern averaged 48.0 on offense and 16.9 on defense to lead the league in both categories, with UC Davis having the next-best margin at a plus 17.4 per game.
 
Eastern's offensive line was as veteran and experienced as any other position for the Eagles. Blackburn, a second-team All-Big Sky choice the last two seasons, has started 35 of the 37 games he has played as an Eagle, including the last 35. Schlichting has started all 38 games he has played.
 
In addition, Hunter has started 25 of 38 games played; Levao 16 of 36 games; and Byus nine of 35, giving EWU a total 123 starts and 184 games played among that quintet (average of 25/37). And that doesn't even account for the contributions of Belk, who started 11 of 43 games thus far in his career.
 
 "Getting all five offensive lineman some sort of recognition is huge, and has been accomplished very few times here," Best said. "Kudos to (offensive line) coach Jase Butorac and company for getting that done."
 
The Eagles led the league in offense with an average of 557.4 yards per league game, and was also second in defense at 346.6. That average advantage of 210.8 was also the best in the league by more than triple that of UC Davis with an advantage of 66.7.
 
"We had a good mix, although I would have liked to see a few more on the first team offensively," added Best of the entire squad of honorees. "We did some really good things in the conference with our running game and ranked second in the country in total offense. Nsimba obviously represents us well at the wide receiver position."
 
"Defensively we were very decorated on the defensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary," Best said. "With Mitch on the list as a freshman and Keenan as a senior, we had bookend defensive ends honored, with the senior going out with a bang as a first team selection."
 
"We were happy to see on special teams Roldan earn first team as a kicker and then doubling as a punter, and Curtis Billen getting recognized for paying his dues for four years here as a long snapper," added Best, with Billen serving as EWU's long snapper for all 49 out of 49 games the last four years. "It's incredible because he's been as consistent as anybody, and this is a huge honor for a player not too many people know about in the world of long snapping."
 
 
Pair of Eagle Senior Co-Captains on Academic All-District 8 Squad
 
Eastern football senior co-captains Sam McPherson and Spencer Blackburn were selected in November to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). They now advance to the national ballot to select Academic All-America honors.
 
Most recently, Cooper Kupp earned Academic All-America honors back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 for the Eagles, who have had eight different players win 12 Academic All-America honors since 1989. A total of 67 have now been honored since then on the All-District squad, which includes NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football players from schools in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii and British Columbia.
 
McPherson is a running back with a 3.75 grade point average as a mechanical engineering major, and Blackburn is a center with a 3.67 GPA in professional accounting. McPherson graduated from Bothell (Wash.) High School in 2015, and Blackburn graduated in 2014 from Meridian HS in Bellingham, Wash.
 
 
 

Player Notes

 
 
Barriere Leads EWU to Postseason Wins and is Now 7-1 as a Starter
 
Quarterback Eric Barriere took over as EWU's starter from the injured Gage Gubrud in Eastern's sixth game of the season, and has led EWU to six-game winning streak with a pair of playoff wins. Barriere is now 7-1 as a starter this season and 8-1 in his career.
 
He has led the Eagles to six-straight victories in which the Eagles have out-scored opponents 295-120. So far in 12 games played in 2018, Barriere has completed 156-of-256 passes (60.9 percent) for 1,900 yards and 17 touchdowns, with 83 rushes for 550 yards (6.6 per carry) and seven scores.
 
In his first postseason start against Nicholls on Dec. 1, he accounted for 216 yards of offense. He was 17-of-29 passing for 162 yards and a touchdown, and added 54 yards on the ground. He followed that with a 21-of-25 (84.0 percent) passing performance against UC Davis and 278 total yards (235 passing, 43 rushing). His 29-yard scramble was the first play of a game-winning 75-yard driving in the final minute for the Eagles in the 34-29 quarterfinal victory.
 
Barriere certainly had the Midas touch to end the regular season on Nov. 16 in Hillsboro, Ore., and as a result earned a pair of player of the week honors. He was not only the Big Sky Conference co-Offensive Player of the week, but College Football Performance Awards named Barriere as its FCS National Player of the Week. He accounted for 40 points and 315 yards of offense in EWU's 74-23 victory at Portland State in directing EWU to its 10th Big Sky Conference football title in school history.
 
Barriere scored on a 66-yard touchdown on the game's third offensive play, setting the stage for what was to come for the Eagles. Including his six rushes for 99 yards and 15 pass completions for 216, he averaged 15.0 yards on those plays. with a touchdown every 3.5 times he rushed or completed a pass. He completed 15-of-27 passes for a career-high five touchdowns and an efficiency rating of 176.5. Including his rushing touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversion passes, he accounted for 40 points for the Eagles.
 
 "He's been awesome and his teammates trust him," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best on the injury replacement for All-American Gage Gubrud. "He prepares well and he's a playmaker. He may not be as fluid in the pass game and as concrete with certain things that Gage was exposed to, but he's definitely a dynamic playmaker."
 
In his 17-game career, he has completed 60.6 percent of his passes (171-of-282) for 2,038 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions, and has rushed 101 times for 598 yards and eight more TDs. He has a passing efficiency rating of 140.5 this season and 137.4 in his career.
 
"His leadership will continue to grow, but we didn't expect that as a sophomore in the shoes he's in," Best continued. "It's going to take time, and it took Gage some time. The thing I'm most impressed with by Eric is that he's very unflappable for the most part. No matter if he throws a good ball or a bad ball, he's very competitive and he expects a lot out of himself. A lot of times you wouldn't know that from his mannerisms because he always smiles. That what makes him who he is."
 
Gubrud started for the Eagles in the first five games before suffering a season-ending foot injury against Montana State on Sept. 29. Barriere took the reins in the eight games after that, and they've produced nearly identical total offense numbers as starters. Gubrud averaged 283.2 passing and 33.8 rushing for a total of 317.0 per game; Barriere has averaged 235.9 passing and 63.2 rushing for a 299.1 average. Gubrud accounted for 17 touchdowns (13 passing, 2 rushing), and Barriere has had 23 (16 passing, seven rushing).
 
"He came here because we win and he wanted to be a part of a highly-productive, quarter-back driven football team," added Best. "He just got the opportunity to have the keys thrown up to him a little sooner than expected. Why wouldn't you rev that thing up? We tell him to go warm-up the car and drive it."
 
Barriere guided a 59-20 victory over fourth-ranked UC Davis on Nov. 10, in which EWU scored 21-straight points to take the lead for good in the first half. He also engineered a 48-13 win at Northern Colorado on Nov. 3 in a game the Eagles took a 20-0 halftime line. One game earlier, he led the Eagles to a 31-0 halftime lead and 38-14 victory over Idaho on Oct. 27.
 
In the sixth start of his career, Barriere completed 16-of-30 passes for 285 yards and a score against UCD, and finished with 60 yards rushing to give him 345 yards of total offense. Versus UNC, Barriere accounted for 309 yards of total offense for EWU – 245 passing and 64 rushing. He completed 24-of-36 passes and TD passes of 4 and 19 yards, plus he scored runs of on 9 and 15 yards.
 
Against the Vandals, 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. Barriere and the Eagles had a near-perfect first half versus UI, scoring 31 points and having a 364-129 advantage in total offense.
 
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.
 
 
Junior Chris Schlichting Has Started All 38 Games in His Career
 
Second-team All-Big Sky junior offensive tackle Chris Schlichting has started in each of EWU's 38 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 13 thus far this season. Senior center Spencer Blackburn has a streak of 35 consecutive starts since taking over the position in the fourth game of the 2016 season. He's earned second-team All-Big Sky honors in each of the last three seasons.
 
Junior offensive tackle Tristen Taylor had started 28-of-28 games as an Eagle until a season-ending knee injury kept him out of the lineup on Sept. 22 versus Cal Poly. Safety Mitch Fettig, a third-team All-Big Sky selection in 2018, had started 33-straight games until sitting out the Northern Colorado game on Nov. 3
 
Eastern's offensive line entering the year boasted a starting five with 88 starts between them. Currently they have 142, including 38 by Schlichting; 35 by Blackburn; 28 by Taylor; 25 by Jack Hunter and 16 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, then started instead of Levao on Nov. 10. Levao earned second-team All-Big Sky honors, Hunter was on the third team and Byus received honorable mention as all five Eagle offensive linemen received all-league accolades.
 
A total of 16 players have started at least 18 games. The others include Fettig (43 starts/44 played), linebacker Ketner Kupp (25/46), cornerback Josh Lewis (34/49), cornerback Nzuzi Webster (26/51), defensive end Keenan Williams (26/42), rover Cole Karstetter (25/35) and Kurt Calhoun (18/34) on defense; and quarterback Gage Gubrud (28/32), running back Antoine Custer Jr. (21/33), wide receiver Nsimba Webster (24/42) and guard Matt Meyer (18/34) on offense.
 
 
Kupp Up to 18th in School History in Tackles with 249
 
One of the team's co-captains, Ketner Kupp leads the Eagles in tackles with 97, and has also broke-up three passes and has five quarterback hurries. The second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection has 249 tackles in his career to rank 18th in school history, and has started 25 of the 45 games he's played in his career.
 
He had his eighth career double-figure tackling game against UC Davis on Dec. 8 in the FCS Playoffs, finishing with 16 to surpass his previous career high of 12. Against Nicholls on Dec. 1 he had 12 tackles and a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown, which ranks second in school history. The only return longer was a 96-yarder by Maurice Perigo versus Southwest Texas State on Sept. 21, 1996.
 
Kupp is the younger brother of four-time EWU FCS All-American Cooper Kupp, who now plays for the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL. Interestingly, Cooper's longest plays as an Eagle were pass plays of 78 and 75 yards and a pair of 76-yard punt returns. Cooper is a third-generation NFL player from his family – his grandfather, Jake, played from 1964-75 as a guard with Dallas, the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. Cooper and Ketner's father, Craig, was a fifth-round draft pick by the New York Giants in 1990 and played in 1991 for the Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys.
 
 
With Careers Nearing an End, Webster Twins Contribute Mightily in Late-Season Wins
 
The Webster twins are making their mark in Eastern history, and both had a huge game on Nov. 10 when EWU defeated fourth-ranked UC Davis 59-20. They now have 93 games played between them, with a collective total of 50 starts.
 
Nsimba Webster, a senior wide receiver who earned first team All-Big Sky honors in 2018, became the 20th player in school history to go over the 1,000-yard mark for receiving in a single season. He is 13th in FCS receiving yards (1,099), 26th in receiving yards per game (84.5) and 30th in catches (5.5 per game with a total of 71). His yardage total is 15th in school history and his catches rank 18th all-time. In his 42-game career (24 as a starter), he has caught 143 passes to rank 19th in school history, good for 1,953 yards and 14 touchdowns.
 
Nzuzi Webster has 28 tackles with seven passes broken up and an interception he returned for key 45-yard touchdown in EWU's victory over UC Davis on Nov. 10. In his 51-game career (26 as a starter), he has 161 total tackles and a trio of interceptions. A third team selection as a sophomore in 2016 and honorable mention in 2018, he also has 29 passes broken up in his career to rank fourth in school history.
 
 Nzuzi's third career interception was returned 45 yards for a key touchdown in the third quarter versus UC Davis to give the Eagles a 28-17 lead. He also had three tackles and recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter, and as a result earned ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
Nsimba caught three passes against UC Davis for 103 yards, including grabs of 32, 35 and 36 yards. It was the seventh 100-yard performance of his career and fourth of the season. He then followed that with five catches for 96 yards and a 68-yard score versus Portland State, plus had a 57-yard punt return in the win. He 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.
 
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.
 
 
Fettig's Career Ends Six Tackles Short From Record for Defensive Back
 
Senior co-captain Mitch Fettig started 43 of the 44 games he's played in his Eastern career, but an injury has ended his career just short of the school record for tackles by a defensive back. He finished with 282 tackles to rank 13th in school history – just six from the school record by a defensive back of 288 set by Julian Williams from 1997-00. He passed the 263 by cornerback T.J. Lee (2010-13), who now plays for the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League.
 
Fettig also had six interceptions and 17 passes broken up in his career – including three break-ups in EWU's 59-20 victory over UC Davis on Nov. 10. A 2014 graduate from Olympia HS, Fettig was a third team All-Big Sky selection as a senior and junior, and earned honorable mention in 2016. He missed a pair of games with injuries as a freshman in 2015, but played in every games possible after that until missing EWU's game in 2018 versus Northern Colorado. He started all 14 games in 2016, all 11 in 2017 and the first eight in 2018 for a streak of 33 Eagle games in a row which was ended Nov. 3 at UNC. He played and started his last game as an Eagle versus Portland State on Nov. 16.
 
 
More Player Notes & Superlatives on All-Big Sky Performers
 
A first-team All-Big Sky performer, senior Keenan Williams has 142 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks and three forced fumbles in his 42-game career (26 as a starter). However, he suffered a late-season injury and is out for the rest of the year.
 
Senior cornerback Josh Lewis has started 34 out of the 49 games he's played as an Eagle, and has career totals of 141 tackles, eight interceptions and 20 passes broken up to rank 10th in school history.  He was a second-team All-Big Sky selection in 2018 and is expected to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Jan. 19.
 
Redshirt freshman Mitchell Johnson burst on the scene in 2018 and responded with 27 tackles with four sacks, a pair of interceptions, two passes broken up, a pair of quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Johnson earned second-team All-Big Sky honors in his first season as an Eagle.
 
A sixth-year senior, D'londo Tucker has 98 tackles, seven interceptions and also has 19 PBUs in his 48-game career (21 as a starter). He has a team-high four interceptions to go along with his 41 tackles and seven pass breakups. He earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors in 2018.
 
Honorable mention All-Big Sky defensive tackle Dylan Ledbetter has 8 1/2 sacks in his 38-game career (19 as a starter), with totals of 115 tackles, five passes broken up and four blocked kicks. His blocks in 2018 have come against Northern Arizona, Weber State and Nicholls in the FCS Playoffs. After falling behind 14-3 against Nicholls, sophomore Kedrick Johnson returned a blocked field goal by Ledbetter for a touchdown and start a run of 39 unanswered points in the 42-21 win. His father, Mark, played as a linebacker at Washington State and lettered from 1986-89. He played in the Aloha Bowl on Dec. 25, 1988 and had eight tackles with a sack. He went on the play in the World League after signing a free agent contract with New Orleans in the NFL, and then played in the Canadian Football League for Sacramento, Birmingham and Calgary.
 
 
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).
 
 
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 required surgery on Oct. 31. Gubrud suffered the injury late in the game versus Montana State on Sept. 29 and has been replaced ever since 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."
 
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 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 (Eastern Kind of Guy), 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).
 
 
 

More 2018 Team Notes

 
Eagles Equal Their Highest Rankings of the Season at End of Regular Season
 
At the end of the regular season, Eastern held steady at fourth in the STATS NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 poll of sportswriters, broadcasters and sports information directors, and remained third by the American Football Coaches Association. Entering the postseason matching its highest rankings of the season, Eastern was also a high of third in the coaches poll and was fourth in the STATS ranking before a 14-6 loss at Weber State on Oct. 13. Eastern dropped five positions in each poll after that loss, but remained in the top 10 on Oct. 15.
 
Also ranked nationally from the Big Sky Conference to end the regular season were Weber State (3 STATS/4 AFCA), UC Davis (7/10) and Montana State (23/24). The Eagles beat UC Davis 59-20 on Nov. 10 in Cheney in in a key game for both schools with league championship and playoff implications. However, EWU suffered a 14-6 loss at Weber State on Oct. 13, allowing the Wildcats to earn the automatic berth in the FCS Playoffs. Eastern, which beat MSU 34-17 on the road back on Sept. 29, also 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 and again on Nov. 5, 12 and 19, 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.
 
 
EWU Outscores Last Six Opponents 295-120, Averaging 555 Yards Per Game
 
A 295-120 advantage on the scoreboard – an average score of 49-20 – only scratches the surface of how dominating the Eagles have been during their six-game winning streak. Most notably, Eastern is averaging 555.0 yards of offense, compared to 362.7 for opponents, including a 280.0 to 156.5 advantage in rushing.
 
Sophomore quarterback Eric Barriere has averaged 244.8 passing and 65.0 rushing for an average of 309.8 yards of total offense per game. Sam McPherson has averaged 100.8 yards on the ground with six touchdowns, and Antoine Custer Jr. has averaged 62.0, with the Eagles rushing for a total of 21 touchdowns and Barriere passing for another 15. His favorite receivers have been Nsimba Webster (33-419) and Andrew Boston (22-268), with eight different Eagles catching the 15 TD receptions.
 
Defensively, Eastern has forced 19 turnovers while having just seven giveaways on offense. The Eagles have had 13 interceptions, and for the first time since at least 1987 had at least three in three-straight games (Nov. 3-16). The Eagle defense also has 13 sacks, 30 passes broken up and 19 quarterback hurries in just those six games. Sophomore linebacker Chris Ojoh has started the last five games and leads the way during the winning streak with 51 tackles, a touchdown-saving interception, four quarterback hurries, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass broken up. Ketner Kupp and Nzuzi Webster both returned interceptions for touchdowns, and Nsimba Webster returned a punt for a score. Kupp has had 48 tackles and a pair of passes broken up in those six outings.
 
In a 59-20 win over UC Davis on Nov. 10, the Eagles finished with their most passes broken up (13) – the second-most in school history behind the school-record 14 EWU had in 1984 versus Montana State. Eastern also equaled the most turnovers forced since 2010 with five against UCD. One game earlier in a 48-13 win at Northern Colorado, the Eagles finished with the rare combination of three interceptions and six sacks. Only one other time in EWU's recorded history has that happened, and the six sacks were the most in a league game since 2014. Eastern's three interceptions equaled the most since 2009, and D'londo Tucker was the first player to have two in the same game since 2014.
 
Eastern started the winning streak with a 38-14 victory over Idaho following a bye week. The Eagles jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead and held the Vandals scoreless for the first 38:27 of the game. Eastern finished with five sacks, six quarterback hurries and broke up five passes in holding Idaho to 204 yards passing and 159 on the ground.
 
 
Eastern Honored Huge Class of 27 Seniors Versus UC Davis on Nov. 10
 
If the number 27 isn't monstrous enough, 1,048 and 469 is.
 
Eastern honored a large group of 27 seniors on Nov. 10 when the Eagles played UC Davis. Those 27 seniors now represent 1,048 games worth of experience and 469 career starts. Broken down, the list includes 13 seniors on defense who have a collective total of 547 games played and 264 starts; the offense has 411 games worth of experience and 205 starts. In addition, kicker/punter Roldan Alcobendas and long snapper Curtis Billen have 41 and 49 games worth of experience, respectively, on special teams. The group of seniors won 33 of 40 Big Sky Conference games and 47 games overall in the last five years, starting in 2014 when many of the seniors were redshirts.
 
No. – Name – Position – Height – Weight – Year – Experience Entering 2018 – Hometown (High School) – Games/Starts
#37 - Roldan Alcobendas – Kicker/Punter - 6-0 - 170 - Sr. - 3L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS '13) – 41
#46 - Conner Baumann – Defensive End - 6-2 - 250 - Sr. - 3L* - Bellevue, Wash. (Newport HS '14) – 35/2
#85 - Henderson Belk – Tight End - 6-4 - 245 - Sr. - 3L* - Mukilteo, Wash. (Kamiak HS '14) – 43/11
#39 - Curtis Billen – Long Snapper - 6-2 - 215 - Sr. - 3L* - Everett, Wash. (Mariner HS '14) – 49
#74 - Beau Byus – Offensive Tackle - 6-5 - 265 - Sr. - 2L* - Spokane, Wash. (Central Valley HS '14) – 35/9
#59 - Kurt Calhoun - Linebacker - 6-2 - 235 - Sr. - 3L* - Zillah, Wash. (Zillah HS '14) – 34/18
#80 - Zach Eagle – Wide Receiver - 5-8 - 175 - Sr. - 2L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS '14) – 25/13
#35 - Roy Ebong – Wide Receiver - 5-8 - 175 - Sr. - SQ* - New York, N.Y. (Kingston HS '13) – 1/0
#92 - Nick Foerstel – Defensive End - 6-3 - 240 - Sr. - 3L* - Tumwater, Wash. (Tumwater HS '14) – 36/11
#11 - Terence Grady – Wide Receiver - 6-5 - 205 - Sr. - 3L* - Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS '14) – 44/17
#63 - Jack Hunter – Offensive Guard - 6-4 - 295 - Sr. - 2L* - Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga Prep HS '14) – 38/25
#91 - Jonah Jordan – Defensive Tackle - 6-1 - 265 - Sr. - 3L* - Spokane, Wash. (Mead HS '14) – 41/9
#33 - Cole Karstetter - Rover - 5-11 - 205 - Sr. - 3L* - Spokane, Wash. (Ferris HS '14) – 35/25
#66 - Kaleb Levao – Offensive Guard - 6-4 - 310 - Sr. - 2L* - Aberdeen, Wash. (Aberdeen HS '14) – 37/16
#1 - Josh Lewis - Cornerback - 6-0 - 190 - Sr. - 3L* - Lakewood, Wash. (Steilacoom HS '14) – 49/34
#70 - Matt Meyer – Offensive Guard - 6-5 - 315 - Sr. - 2L/TR* - Lynden, Wash. (Lynden HS '13 & Wash. St. Univ.) – 34/18
#31 - Brandon Montgomery - Cornerback - 5-10 - 185 - Sr. - 2L* - Tacoma, Wash. (Wilson HS '14) – 37/0
#99 - Jay-Tee Tiuli – Defensive Nose Tackle - 6-4 - 320 - Sr. - 3L* - Seattle, Wash. (Federal Way HS '14) – 49/24
#18 - D'londo Tucker - Cornerback - 6-0 - 180 - Sr. - 3L* - Federal Way, Wash. (Federal Way HS '13) – 48/21
#5 - Nsimba Webster – Wide Receiver - 5-10 - 180 - Sr. - 3L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS '14) – 42/24
#6 - Nzuzi Webster - Cornerback - 5-10 - 180 - Sr. - 3L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS '14) – 51/26
#90 - Keenan Williams – Defensive End - 6-3 - 265 - Sr. - 3L - Cheney, Wash. (Cheney HS '15) – 42/26
Senior Co-Captains . . .
#75 - Spencer Blackburn - Center - 6-2 - 290 - Sr. - 2L* - Bellingham, Wash. (Meridian HS '14) – 37/35
#4 - Mitch Fettig - Safety - 6-1 - 200 - Sr. - 3L* - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS '14) – 44/43
#8 - Gage Gubrud - Quarterback - 6-2 - 205 - Sr. - 3L* - McMinnville, Ore. (McMinnville HS '14) – 32/28
40 - Ketner Kupp - Linebacker - 6-0 - 225 - Sr. - 3L - Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS '15) – 46/25
#20 - Sam McPherson – Running Back - 5-10 - 200 - Sr. - 3L - Bothell, Wash. (Bothell 'HS '15) – 43/9
 
 
Eagles Now 51-10 on The Red Turf, Including 12-4 in the Playoffs
 
After winning all five of its regular season home games in 2018 and a pair of playoff games to extend its current home winning streak to eight, Eastern is now 51-10 (83.6 percent) overall at Roos Field since 2010. Eastern has lost just six regular season games at "The Inferno" – 39-6 (86.7 percent), plus are 12-4 (75.0 percent) 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 83.3 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 164-65 record (71.6 percent) in 229 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.
 
 
Eagles Seek to Continue Excellence in November and Beyond
 
November has long been a successful month for Eastern, and they continued that in 2018. 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 35-7 and a current five-game winning streak in the month.
 
In November and beyond since 2004, the Eagles are now 50-15, including a 15-8 record in the FCS Playoffs. Since 2010, Eastern is 35-8 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.
 
 
Eastern Now 49-0 Since 2010 When Winning the TO Battle
 
In the last 10+ seasons (2008-18), the Eagles are now 58-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 24-6 when they've been tied and 21-31 when they've lost (total of 103-38). 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 49-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 21-5 when they've been tied and 19-24 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 89-29 (75.0 percent), with 24 of those 29 losses (83 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 55 percent of EWU's wins coming when they've won the turnover battle (79 percent when including ties).
 
In the last 10 games, Eastern has a plus-14 turnover advantage (26 takeaways and 12 giveaways), but in the first three the Eagles were a negative six (two takeaways and eight giveaways). For the season, EWU is 18th in FCS with a plus 0.62 margin per game (28 takeaways to rank sixth in FCS, 20 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.
 
During its current six-game winning streak, Eastern has a 19-7 advantage in turnovers forced. The Eagles won the battle 1-0 in beating Idaho 38-14 and 3-2 in defeating Northern Colorado 48-13. Eastern forced five turnovers – equaling its most since 2010 – and had only one giveaway in a 59-20 victory over UC Davis on Nov. 10. The Aggies had entered the game with a plus-12 margin, ranking them fifth in FCS. Eastern ended the regular season with a 4-1 advantage over Portland State, including EWU's third-straight game with three interceptions, the first time EWU has accomplished that feat since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1987. In the FCS Playoffs against Nicholls, EWU tied 2-2, then had a 4-1 advantage over UC Davis in the quarterfinals.
 
So far in 2018, Eastern is 8-0 it when it wins the turnover battle, 1-2 when it has more turnovers and 2-0 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).
 
 
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 60.6 percent of its 409 games in 34+ seasons in FCS, with a 247-160-2 record.
 
 
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 Lewis. Jerome had nine tackles in his debut, and Davis carried once for five yards. Jerome played at Montana State, then Weed, Nellor, Jerome and Lewis all played versus Southern Utah on Oct. 6. No true freshmen played at Weber State on Oct. 13, but Anthony Stell played in four-straight games from Nov. 3 against Northern Colorado to Dec. 1 versus Nicholls. Weed played in his fourth game versus UC Davis in the regular season. Zion Fa'aopega made his Eagle debut on Nov. 16 versus Portland State and saw action in both playoff games, and Darrien Sampson and Justin Patterson made their debuts versus Nicholls in the FCS Playoffs. Sampson and Lewis both played versus UC Davis in the playoffs.
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive 53-9 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 53 of their last 62 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 53 of their last 61 versus conference foes (2012-2018), and are 58-9 since the 0-2 start in 2011. Including three wins at the end of the 2009 season, Eastern has a 63-12 record in league games since then.
 
What's perhaps most impressive is Eastern's ability to consistently win on the road versus conference foes, with records of 23-5 on the road, 25-3 at home and 48-8 overall in the last seven 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-joined 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. Eastern also lost at Weber State in 2018.
 
 
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. Eastern is poised to add to that with current rankings of No. 2 in total offense and No. 4 in scoring in FCS in 2018. 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).
 
 
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).
 
Mitchell led the Calgary to the 2018 Grey Cup title after leading the Stampeders to the title back in 2014. He was the CFL's Most Outstanding Player in 2018 after throwing a league-best 35 touchdowns passes. He was 24-of-36 passing for 253 yards and two TDs in a 27-16 victory over Ottawa in the Grey Cup on Nov. 25 in Edmonton, Alberta.
 
 
 
 

Series History & Notes

 
* The Eagles have never played Maine, but are 3-1 versus current members of the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association), with all of those meetings coming in the FCS Playoffs. Eastern beat Villanova (41-31) in the 2010 semifinals, Delaware (20-19) in the 2010 championship game and Richmond (38-0) in the 2016 quarterfinals, but also fell to Towson (35-31) in the 2013 semifinals.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
Eastern Rallies for 34-29 Win in Quarterfinals With a Touchdown With 26 Ticks Left
 
After all the blowouts, the Eagles needed a fourth-quarter comeback on their resume. Eastern rallied twice in the fourth quarter to get by UC Davis 34-29 in a rematch between Big Sky Conference teams on Dec. 8 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Eastern trailed 21-14 in the fourth quarter, but scored twice within a less than three minute span to pull ahead. After the Aggies regained the lead with 1:13 to play on a two-point conversion to take 29-28 lead, Eastern scored on a four-play, 75-yard drive to advance to the school's sixth semifinal in school history. Sophomore quarterback Eric Barriere accounted for 278 yards of offense and four touchdowns for the Eagles, with 235 through the air and 43 on the ground. Running back Sam McPherson had 143 rushing yards, including a game-winning 35-yard touchdown run. Four Eagles finished in double figures in tackles for the Eagle defense, which had three interceptions and forced a total of four turnovers. Senior linebacker Ketner Kupp led the way with a career-high 16 tackles. Eastern has now won 23 games since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, but it was the first this season for the Eagles. Eastern forced UC Davis to punt on five-straight possessions late in the game, and during that time held the Aggies to 1-of-6 on third down. Trailing 21-14 entering the fourth quarter, Eastern went on an eight-play, 82-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard TD run by Barriere, and featured a 33-yard pass by McPherson to Dennis Merritt. Eastern took a 28-21 lead on a 7-yard TD pass from Barriere to Nsimba Webster to cap a two-play, 62-yard drive. The first play was a 55-yard TD pass from Barriere to Andrew Boston. After UC Davis went on a seven-play, 42-yard drive to pull within one, the Aggies took a 29-28 lead with a successful two-point conversion with 1:13 left. Eastern, though, needed just four plays to take the lead back, starting with a 29-yard run by Barriere. A pass for 10 yards to Webster gave EWU another first down, then McPherson went around the left end for the final 35 and a TD with 26 seconds to play. Eastern clinched the win on a sack and forced fumble by Jim Townsend that was recovered by Chris Ojoh with 15 seconds left. The Eagles had a slight edge in total offense 482-469, with nearly identical numbers rushing and passing. Eastern rushed for 214 while UCD had 191, and the Aggies had a 278-268 advantage in passing yards. Although Eastern didn't turn any of them into points, the Eagles did win the turnover battle 4-1.
 
 

More Aaron Best Comments

 
On Challenge of Playoffs: "Our players are ready and our coaches are ready, and we don't flinch. That's a quality not a lot of people have. There is a lot of belief in the locker room and we carry that to the football field. We talk all the time about how the team is won from Sunday through Friday, and you have to put that on display on Saturday. We have to have our best preparation during the week – you aren't just going to wing it on Saturday. Our coaches have put players in positions to master what we are asking them to do on Saturday, and our guys are professional in their preparation. We lean on our 27 seniors, and some have had their careers cut short. But they are as important as any to get our younger players to get their eyes and minds in the right spot. Collectively we've done a great job to continue to be consistent  in our approach in all three phases, and guys have been making plays. If we can continue to do that we always give ourselves a shot on Saturday."
 
On Playing a New Opponent: "We like preparing for opponents we haven't played against. Both teams are going lean on what has gotten us to this point, and each team will throw a few things at each other. When the bell rings it will be a matter of executing what we put in place during the week. It maybe leads to an exciting atmosphere because it's not a common opponent. It's fun to play a team from another conference, and, again, a conference champion for the third-straight week."
 
On Maine Offense: "Their quarterback is special, their tight end is special and their offensive line is sound, very well-coached and physical. Muck like us, they are going to lean on the run and then try to hit you deep. We have to be ready, play honest and play fast. We just have to play our brand of football."
 
On Journey to Success Since Becoming Head Coach: "This 22-month journey has aged me about 20 years. The people in our program are amazing, as well as our administration. The fans were incredible against UC Davis. They were heard and it was awesome. Their energy helped us and the crowd was even better than I anticipated with school being out for winter break. A lot of credit goes to those folks. I'm an Eastern alum and my wife is an Eastern alum – I couldn't write this script. I want us to continue to create an unwritten script, because those are best scripts. This is truly authentic."
 
On Playing Again at The Inferno: "That's why you want to do well in the regular season so you can hopefully have a home field advantage in the playoffs. Things just play out for certain reasons. The red is a special place, and it's an incredible venue and fun to have. It's a unique field and we play unique football – we have some unique outcomes on it as well."
 
On Rally Versus UC Davis to Advance to Semis: "That's what teams do. We're not individuals but are a collective bunch who like to play football with each other and work hard doing it. I never envisioned this 25 years ago that I'd be in this seat and our team would be in the final four. Beating UC Davis and hosting a semifinal game at home gives me chills and the tears are real. This is an absolute blast."
 
On Backups Getting Thrust Into Starting Roles: "It's who we are and how we do things. Eric is a backup and one of seven backups who have had to step into starting roles in the playoffs. It's incredible – we like to make it hard, but iron sharpens iron. I'm proud of this bunch and can't say enough about them."
 
On Injuries: "You go and play games with the players you have -- we just find a way. We've been healthy at some positions and that's helped us in certain areas. We don't worry about who we don't have, but it's unfortunate that a lot of the lost players are seniors. They've played their last football for us and their final season is shortened. I think there is a respect factor by the players filling in for seniors and getting the opportunity to play. They've done a marvelous job – closing the gap between starters and the next man up is our job as coaches to develop players and depth over time. This is selfless team which does selfless acts."
 
On UC Davis Playoff Win: "I can't say enough about this team. It's incredible to be at my alma mater and to win this in front of our home fans. This was an impressive win and I'm a proud dad, friend and coach of all 105 players and our staff."
 
On Game-Winning Drive: "That was some last drive. I challenged our team to get us a field goal attempt – we had three timeouts to make it happen. It just shows you what kind of player Eric Barriere is. He wasn't on for most of the night, but when we needed it most he showed up and made some big plays. We've been around enough to know that nothing is ever perfect. We embrace adversity, we fight adversity and we are better for facing adverse situations."
 
On Season Ending for Loser: "It was unfortunate that somebody had to lose. The worst thing about this situation is that you wish both teams could advance. It was a very energy-driven game, especially by the fans. We felt it on the field and we thank them immensely."
 
On Nicholls Victory: "It's incredible. We have a lot of grit and resilience – that's who we are at Eastern. You can hang around about 40 seconds and you'll understand. I'm proud of this team and it's awesome to come back from a 14-3 deficit and end up winning 42-21. When two champions get together, there are going to be punches thrown back and forth. They threw more way early on, but we absorbed the punches and got our own punch in when Dylan Ledbetter blocked that ball. The block was awesome, but the return by Kedrick was even more awesome. We could have had momentum at 14-3, but at 14-10 we had a ton of momentum."
 
On All-Big Sky Running Backs: "Seeing Sam as a second team running back was phenomenal after watching him become our first 1,000-yard rusher since Quincy Forte. It was great to see his teammate in the backfield, Antoine Custer Jr., get honorable mention too after being banged up early in the year."
 
On Emotions This Season Compared to Last Year: "The feelings were different. We knew we would be hearing our name this year, but we didn't know where we would be in the bracket. Last year we were hoping to see our name anywhere and we didn't, so it was a little more emotional last year than this year. It's great to see the Big Sky get three seeds in the top eight – really the top six. The Big Sky is well-represented with Montana State also getting a ticket. This conversation is more fun than the one we had 365 days ago."
 
On Seniors Embracing Leave No Doubt Mantra: "A lot of it has to do with our 27 seniors. A quarter of our team – 27 out of 105 – are seniors. They got stung as juniors, and it's a lot easier when you echo something when it's heard and driven home by a quarter of the team. It truly helps when you have that type of veteran leadership on both sides of the ball. We learned from going 7-4 – we said we needed to get to eight to give us a better chance and leave no doubt. We got to nine so we exceeded those expectations.
 
On Innovation & Depth on Offense: "We're not boring – we're among the national leaders in total offense for a reason. We're innovative and coach Bodie Reeder does a great job. Earlier this season everybody wanted to know what we were going to do without Gage Gubrud. I'm passionate when I say that it's the people in place – we have competitive depth here and when you miss a piece you don't have to reach very far. Eric Barriere has filled in amicably and he's only going to get better as his career goes on. It's fun to have trick plays and we practice and make them good during the week."
 
On UC Davis Win: "All-in-all it was awesome. We have to embrace the challenges, and that's what sports are all about. You want to play the best to see if you can become the best. And we did that against UC Davis. Everybody outside of Eagle Nation didn't give us a chance – and we love it. We are a complete team and we've showed that. I'm going to continue to beat our drum – this team is selfless and they showed how well they can execute. And to be at home made for a ruckus environment, even though it was a little chilly, the advantage went to us. We did what we were capable of doing, and I'm proud of each and every player on our team. Everybody was prepared and focused, and for the most part executed the way they are supposed to."
 
On Defense: "Our defense has been good from game one. We aren't with all of our starters and we continue to make strides. When you create turnovers, are decent on third down and when you stop a team and make them one-dimensional, it bodes well for us."
 
On Senior Day: "Having 27 seniors is a high number, but they have all those games under their belts too. We have a couple of sixth-year guys with a few more games than the average fifth-year senior would have. But it's an incredible group. To be able to rely on a quarter of your team to perform on and off the field is like having 27 other assistant coaches out there. We are very privileged and very thankful for everything they've done not only on the rectangle, but in the classroom, weight room and in the community. They mean a ton and Senior Day is a special day they will never forget the rest of their lives."
 
On Barriere: "He's not a veteran yet, but he's growing up in front of our eyes. I commend him 100 percent. He's a great man, his preparation was awesome and he's a great team player. 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 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 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."