­­­­#6/5 Ranked Eastern Washington Univ. "Eagles" versus Washington State University "Cougars" Saturday, September 15 • 5:05 p.m. Pacific Martin Stadium (32,952) • Pullman, Wash.
TV:	Nationally on the Pac-12 Networks
Webcast:	https://pac-12.com/live
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://wsucougars.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	Mondays through Oct. 1 at David's Pizza in downtown Spokane (Northern Quest Resort & Casino starting Oct. 8). Shows are at 6 p.m. via 700-AM ESPN, 105.3-FM & tunein radio, with video highlights and commentary by head coach Aaron Best at 5:30 p.m.
Watch Parties:	Consult EWU social media outlets for details the Friday before games. Those who may carry EWU games include "Epic" at Northern Quest in Airway Heights, and Borracho, David's Pizza and the Swinging Doors in Spokane.

The non-conference season certainly goes out with a bang as the Eagles return to the scene of one of the program's greatest triumphs.
 
The No. 6/5 Eastern Washington University football team travels to Pullman, Wash., this Saturday (Sept. 15) to play Pac-12 Conference member Washington State at Martin Stadium. Both teams are undefeated at 2-0 on the season.
 
Kickoff is 5:05 p.m. Pacific time in the fifth varsity meeting between the school schools, which are located less than 100 miles apart. The game will be televised live nationally via the Pac-12 Networks. 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.
 
It will be 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 won 60.2 percent of their 399 games in 34+ seasons, with a 239-158-2 record.
 
The game versus the Cougars is a rematch of a 45-42 Eagle upset to open the 2016 season on Sept. 3, 2016. In the first start of his Eagle career, Gage Gubrud had what was then a school-record 551 yards of total offense, passing for 474 yards and five touchdowns, and rushing for another 77 and a game-clinching score. He is one of 32 Eagles on this year's roster who played in that game, including five starters on offense, five on defense and 22 backups.
 
Both the Eagles and Cougars are 2-0 this season, with EWU out-scoring its two opponents by 50 points and WSU having a 53-point advantage. Eastern beat Central Washington (58-13) and Northern Arizona (31-26), while Washington State beat Wyoming (41-19) and San Jose State (31-0).
 
"It was a great team win and we shot everything we had at them from start to finish," said Aaron Best after his first victory as a head coach over a ranked opponent in the narrow win at 18th-ranked NAU. "It was just enough to win. We'll go back and look at things and get prepared for Washington State. Traveling down to Flagstaff is hard and traveling anywhere is never easy. But our team traveled well and they played well at NAU. I'm very appreciative of that and I'm proud to be a part of this operation and victory."
 
The Eagles lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 623.5 yards per game, and rank sixth in both rushing (288.0) and passing (335.5). But the Cougars have the second-best defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing just 157.5 yards per game – fifth in passing (83.5) and 14th in rushing (74.0).
 
Eastern plays a WSU team coming off a 9-4 finish in 2017. The Cougars were 6-3 in the Pac-12 Conference and ended the season with a 42-17 loss to Michigan State in the Holiday Bowl. Eastern lost the previous three meetings versus WSU dating back to 1907, but between 1921 and 1946 had an 8-10 record versus Washington State freshman or junior varsity squads.
 
The Cougars and Eagles have both had great success since that meeting in 2016. Washington State finished 8-5 in 2016, and has won 19 of its last 27 games, with Holiday Bowl appearances each of the last two years. The Cougars have also won their last eight games at Martin Stadium dating back to a season-ending loss in 2016 to Washington (WSU won its other five home games that season and its last two of 2015, thus, has won 15 of its last 17 at home with the lone losses to schools from the state of Washington).
 
The victory over the Cougars catapulted Eastern all the way to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs as EWU finished 12-2 in 2016. Coupled with a 7-4 record last season and 2-0 start this year, EWU is 20-6 overall and 14-2 in the Big Sky after the win over WSU.
 
The Eagles enter this week's game again ranked fifth in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll for NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams. Eastern is also sixth in the STATS poll of sportswriters, broadcasters and sports information directors for the second-straight week. Washington State received 21 votes this week in the Coaches Poll to rank 33rd in FBS, plus received four votes in the Associated Press poll.
 
Now 2-0 in 2018, Eastern closed the 2017 season with a 7-4 record overall and was 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference in the first season under head coach Aaron Best. Last season was the 11th-straight season the Eagles have finished 5-3 or better in the Big Sky, with an 11th-straight winning season and 20th in the last 22 years. But winning a 10th Big Sky title and making a 13th appearance in the FCS Playoffs is the quest for the 2018 Eagles, who are hungry to make that happen.
 
 

Links to EWU Football Information

 
A complete Season Outlook of Eagle Football: http://goeags.com/news/2018/8/2/football-season-outlook-eastern-working-out-kinks-after-base-built-in-2017.aspx?path=football
A .pdf version of the 2018 EWU Football Fact Book & Archives: http://goeags.com/sports/2016/1/8/FB_Other%20Links-Archives.aspx
More Information on the Eastern Football Team: http://goeags.com/index.aspx?path=football
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
Eagles Have Won Three of Last Eight Games Versus FBS
 
Since the early 1980's when it began the move to become a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (in 1984), Eastern is now 10-25 all-time versus Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Eastern has won three of its last eight games versus FBS foes.
 
Against current Pac-12 Conference members, EWU is now 2-9 (2-11 including losses to Washington State in 1907 and 1908) after a 49-46 upset of 25th-ranked Oregon State in 2013 and a 45-42 win over Washington State in 2016. A 35-17 win over Connecticut on Sept. 8, 2001, snapped a five-game losing streak versus FBS foes, then a 20-3 win at Idaho in 2012 snapped a 10-game skid.
 
The Eagles are scheduled to play at Washington on Aug. 31, 2019, at Florida on Sept. 5, 2020, and Oregon on Sept. 3, 2022 (subject to change)
.
 
Eagles Remain Ranked Fifth by Coaches and Sixth by STATS
 
For the second-straight week, Eastern will enter this week's game ranked sixth in the STATS poll of sportswriters, broadcasters and sports information directors. Eastern is also fifth in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll for NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams. Also ranked nationally from the Big Sky Conference are Weber State (11/13), Montana (15/16), Northern Arizona (22/22) and UC Davis (23/NR). Eastern pulled out a 31-26 victory on Sept. 8 at Northern Arizona, which at the time was ranked 18th by STATS and 20th by the AFCA last week.
 
In the preseason polls release in August, Eastern was ranked ninth by STATS and seventh by the AFCA, while NAU was unranked in both. The Lumberjacks received enough votes to rank 29th and 27th, respectively, but that was prior to NAU going on the road to crush UTEP 30-10 to open the 2018 season.
 
If the preseason polls are any indication, EWU and Weber State are on a collision course toward a Big Sky Conference title showdown in Ogden, Utah. Eastern and Weber State meet on Oct. 13, and that game has been picked 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 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, and Weber State was EWU's only 2018 opponent ranked in the top 25 in the AFCA poll 
 
Previously, 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.
 
 
Gubrud is Honored After Win Over Nationally-Ranked Opponent
 
For the second-straight week, senior quarterback Gage Gubrud was honored for a 300-yard passing performance when the Big Sky Conference selected him as its Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week. It was the seventh time in his career he's been honored with that award by the Big Sky, and he also earned the same honor this week from College Sports Madness.
 
He had 402 yards of total offense – 322 passing and 80 rushing – in EWU's nail-biting 31-26 victory over Northern Arizona on Sept. 8. He completed 18-of-33 passes and had four touchdowns and no interceptions, as he finished with his 13th game with at least 400 yards of total offense and his 18th with at least 300 passing. He helped Eastern finish with 570 yards of total offense.
 
Gubrud also went over the 10,000-yard mark in his career for total offense with a current total of 10,188. He is now just 754 from moving into third in EWU history and 12th all-time in the Big Sky. Gubrud also has 83 touchdown passes in his 29-game career to rank fourth in school history, just one from third.
 
One week earlier versus Central Washington, an 82.3 percent passing performance helped the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-American receive FCS Performer of the Week honors by College Football Performance Awards.  He completed 19-of-23 passes in EWU's 58-13 season-opening win over Central Washington on Sept. 1, finishing with 337 yards with no interceptions and five touchdown passes. It was part of a 677-yard onslaught by the Eagle offense – fifth-best in school history.
 
After two games, Gubrud already has 747 yards of total offense -- 659 through the air and 88 on the ground. He's completed 66.1 percent of his passes (37-of-56) and has an impressive 218.0 passing efficiency rating. He leads FCS with nine passing touchdowns and 54 total points accounted for, and is third in total offense (373.5), third in passing efficiency (218.0) and sixth in passing (329.5).
 
"Gage led us and will continue to lead us, and we'll ride him as long as we can," Best said after the Central win. "He had a cast of characters who played really well around him, but you are only as good as your quarterback no matter what offense you run."
 
Gubrud's completion percentage versus CWU was close to the record of 90.5 percent (19-of-21) set by Erik Meyer in 2004, and Gubrud also averaged 14.2 yards per attempt and 17.2 per completion. Those records, respectively, are 18.0 set by Meyer in 2004 and 26.0 set by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2012. The first play offensive play of the game started the avalanche for the Eagles when Gubrud found Webster for a 50-yard touchdown pass. Eastern scored 20 points on its first 12 plays in the game, and out-gained CWU 187-50 in those 12 plays (15.6 per play). Gubrud completed nine of his first 10 passes in that stretch for 172 yards and a pair of scores.
 
"It's not about stats – they help tell the story but the story can have different angles," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "His path from 2016 to 2017 was different, but now he is as senior quarterback in a pass-first offense. I'm excited to see what he's going to do this year. We are going to give him the ball and go win games."
 
Gubrud has played in just 29 career games, but he's still making his mark in a hurry on EWU's career leaders list and soon will make his mark on the Big Sky Conference leaders list as well. He's moved up to No. 4 in school history in career passing yards with 9,227, ranking only behind 10,000-yard passers Matt Nichols (12,616), Vernon Adams Jr. (10,438) and Erik Meyer (10,261). He is also fourth in total offense with 10,188 yards, ranking behind Nichols (13,308), Adams (11,670) and Meyer (10,942). Gubrud is 1,470 passing yards from making it onto the top 10 in Big Sky history, and is only 754 from the total offense mark of Meyer which ranks 13th in the 55-year history of the league.
 
After setting three FCS, seven Big Sky marks and 18 school records in the 2016 season, Gubrud now seeks to maintain a pair of career marks. Now 19-6 in 25 games as a starter, he remains the Eastern career leader in passing yards per game (318.2) and total offense per game (351.3), and is second in completion percentage (.651).  He is also third in efficiency rating (158.3), fourth in touchdown passes (83), fourth in completions (691) and fifth in attempts (1,061).
 
Gubrud now has a school-record 10 400-yard passing performances in his career, three more than Adams with seven. He has had back-to-back-to-back 400-yard performances on three occasions, and Adams, Jordan West and Matt Nichols are the only other quarterbacks in EWU history to have accomplished that feat two games in a row. Gubrud's 18 300-yard passing performances rank only behind Nichols (19) and Adams (20).
 
Gubrud owns the school record 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.
 
During Eastern's five-game winning streak from Sept. 16 to Oct. 14 in 2017, Gubrud had 2,071 passing yards (414.2 average per game) while completing 69 percent of his passes. He passed for 19 touchdowns and accounted for another four (three rushing, one receiving). In his best five-game stretch in 2016, he completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,160 yards (432.0 average) and 20 touchdowns in five victories from Sept. 24 to Oct. 29.
 
In addition, he had an impressive string of 222 passes without an interception in 2016, going four full games in 2016 from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22 without a pick. He had what was then a school-record 551 yards of total offense in the first start of his career, a 45-42 season-opening victory over Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference.
 
 
32 Eagles Played in 2016 Game Versus WSU
 
A total of 32 Eastern players on this year's roster played in the 2016 game versus Washington State, including 10 starters and 22 backups. Offensive starters in that game included Tristen Taylor, Chris Schlichting, Matt Meyer, Antoine Custer Jr., and Gage Gubrud; defensive starters were Jay-Tee Tiuli, Cole Karstetter, Josh Lewis, Nzuzi Webster and Mitch Fettig. All but Meyer and Custer have started games this season, as well as 11 backups in 2016 -- D'londo Tucker, Sam McPherson, Nsimba Webster, Jim Townsend, Dylan Ledbetter, Kurt Calhoun, Jack Hunter, Kaleb Levao, Spencer Blackburn, Henderson Belk and Keenan Williams. Thus, of the 24 players who have started this season, 19 of them played versus the Cougars in 2016, in addition to kicker Roldan Alcobendas and snapper Curtis Billen.
 
 
Eagle Offense Faces Stiff Challenge versus Cougar Defense
 
It will be a tough task for the Eastern Washington University football team this week to duplicate its production in the last two games, but for a week at least the Eagles are riding high in NCAA Statistics.
 
The Eagles lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 623.5 yards per game, and rank sixth in both rushing (288.0) and passing (335.5) as the only school in FCS to rank in the top 10 in both. Eastern is also second in team passing efficiency rating (213.9) and seventh in third down conversions (50.0 percent), while allowing only one sack to rank fourth nationally.
 
However, the Cougars have the second-best defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing just 157.5 yards per game – fifth in passing (83.5) and 14th in rushing (74.0). They've also held opponents to 19.2 percent on third down to rank third in the nation, and are 10th in fewest first downs allowed (10 total) and 13th in scoring defense (9.5 per game).
 
On the opposite side of the ball, Washington State is eighth in FBS in passing offense at 369.5 per game, with a ranking of 42nd in total offense (469.0) and 53rd in scoring (36.0). Eastern is 27th in FCS in scoring defense (19.5) and 45th in total defense (366.0), plus are 18th in sacks with an average of 3.5 per game. The Cougars have yet to allow a sack.
Individually, Eastern's Gage Gubrud leads FCS with nine passing touchdowns and 54 total points accounted for, and is third in total offense (373.5), third in passing efficiency (218.0) and sixth in passing (329.5). Receiver Nsimba Webster leads in touchdown receptions with four, and is third in receiving yards (194.0 per game) and fifth in catches (8.5 per game). Running back Sam McPherson is third in rushing (173.0). Eastern punt returners Tre Weed and Zach Eagle both rank in the top 21, with averages of 12.6 (12th) and 8.6 (21st), respectively, helping EWU rank 32nd as a team (10.6).
 
Washington State's transfer quarterback, Gardner Minshew II, is sixth in FBS in passing (366.5), and fourth in total offense (383.5), while leading the nation in completions per game (36.0).
 
 
Eagles Have Averaged 277 Yards on the Ground in Last Four Games
With senior Sam McPherson and a veteran offensive line leading the way, the Eagles have now had a 100-yard rusher in four-straight games dating back to 2017, and have had at least 244 yards rushing as a team in those four contests (277.0 average with 1,108 total yards and eight total touchdowns).
 
Eastern had 248 against Northern Arizona on Sept. 8, including 161 on 22 carries by McPherson and 80 yards by quarterback Gage Gubrud. One game earlier against Central Washington, McPherson had 185 yards on just 15 carries and Dennis Merritt added 75 as the Eagles finished with 328 as a team. It was 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.
 
"When you start getting rushing yards like that, it's not just first and second level blocking, but it's third level blocking," explained head coach Aaron Best. "Receivers don't just catch balls here, they block downfield too. If we can be as balanced as we were against Central, we can continue to be a successful offensive unit."
 
Eastern finished with 677 yards of offense (349 passing) against Central and had 570 versus NAU (322 passing). Last year, Eastern ended the season with 728 yards against Portland State (440 passing/228 rushing) and one game before that had 376 against North Dakota (132 passing/244 rushing). McPherson had 118 yards on eight carries on just one half of action against UND, with Antoine Custer Jr. contributing another 70 on 19 carries. Custer, who has yet to play in 2018, had 177 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries against PSU to end the season.
 
Eastern's offensive line boasts a starting five with 98 starts between them, including 27 each by Tristen Taylor and Chris Schlichting; 24 by Spencer Blackburn; 14 by Jack Hunter and 6 by Kaleb Levao.
 
 
With Fast Starts, Eagles Have Yet to Trail
 
Eastern has yet to trail this season after getting off to fast starts against both Northern Arizona and Central Washington in leading from start to finish.
 
Against NAU on Sept. 8, EWU scored two touchdowns just 4:45 into the game on only nine plays. Eastern's defense opened the game with a three-and-out, then the Eagles scored on a four-play, 53-yard drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass from Gage Gubrud to Jayce Gilder. After an interception by D'londo Tucker, EWU scored again on a five-play, 82-yard drive that included a 62-yard TD from Gubrud to Nsimba Webster.
 
One game earlier versus Central Washington, Eastern needed just 12 offensive plays to take a 20-0 lead just 10:49 into the contest. The Eagles out-gained CWU 187-50 in those 12 plays (15.6 per play) as Gubrud completed nine of his first 10 passes for 172 yards and a pair of scores. After scoring on the first offensive play of the game (following a 20-yard return by Calin Criner off a short kickoff), Eastern scored the next two times it had the ball as well.
 
 
Eagles Use Roster to the Fullest in First Two Games
 
To battle the near 7,000-feet elevation of Flagstaff, Eastern once again used the majority of its 60-man travel roster versus Northern Arizona on Sept. 8. A total of 56 of the 59 Eagles who suited up played, including 55 in the first quarter alone. In 2016, the last time the Eagles traveled to Flagstaff, 57 of 60 players saw action, including 53 in the first quarter.
 
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 Tre Weed was the only true freshman to see action for the Eagles.
 
 
Eastern is 26-14 Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents
 
Eastern beat a ranked NCAA Football Championship Subdivision opponent for the first time since 2016 when the Eagles beat Northern Arizona 31-26 on Sept. 8. Northern Arizona had entered the game ranked 18th in the STATS Top 25 poll, and the win snapped a three-game losing streak in games versus ranked foes. The last win came over No. 12 Richmond 38-0 on Dec. 10, 2016, in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs.
 
The Eagles have now played 123 games against ranked teams in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision since becoming a member of that classification in 1983 (then known as I-AA). Eastern is 55-68 (.447 in those games, including a 17-42 mark (.288) versus top 10 foes. Since 2010, though, the Eagles are 26-14 overall (.650) and 8-7 (.533 versus top 10 teams.
 
In 2017, Weber State was the second ranked FCS foe Eastern played that year and the first in Big Sky Conference play. Prior to beating EWU 28-20, Weber State was ranked 19th in the STATS Top 25 poll, and 14th by the coaches. Eastern was 11th in both at the time. Earlier, Eastern lost 40-13 to second-ranked North Dakota State (the Eagles were ranked seventh).
 
Eastern was 6-2 against ranked teams in 2016, having lost to top-ranked North Dakota State by a 50-44 score in overtime and then falling 40-38 to 13th-ranked Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. Eastern defeated Northern Iowa, ranked 10th at the time, by a 34-30 score on Sept. 17, beat No. 25 Northern Arizona 50-35 on Sept. 24, defeated No. 16 Montana 35-16 on Oct. 29 and knocked off No. 14 Cal Poly 42-21 on Nov. 5. In the playoffs, EWU beat No. 14 Central Arkansas 31-14 on Dec. 3 and was victorious over No. 12 Richmond 38-0 on Dec. 10.
 
Overall, EWU has faced the No. 1 team in FCS nine times, winning twice (35-31 in 2004 over Southern Illinois in the FCS Playoffs and 30-21 in 2002 over Montana at Albi Stadium in Spokane, Wash.
 
 
Karstetter and Kupp Families Near End of College Football Whirlwind
 
With linebacker Ketner Kupp and rover Cole Karstetter playing in the final season of their careers for EWU, their parents are also winding down their association with college football.
 
Kupp was a sophomore in 2016 when he and his brother Cooper Kupp helped EWU to a 45-42 win over WSU, with Ketner getting one tackle and Cooper finishing with 12 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Cooper has since gone on to National Football League stardom with the Los Angeles Rams, and their parents are still following them both. In fact, parents Craig and Karin Kupp, as well as grandparents Jake and Carla Kupp, were in Flagstaff, Ariz., for EWU's game on Sept. 8, then headed to Oakland for the season opener for the Rams against the Raiders two nights later.
 
Former Eastern basketball player Jerry Karstetter and his wife Perrianne – also an Eastern graduate -- are in their 10th year as college football parents. They started with son Jared Karstetter as a wide receiver for the Cougars, then middle son Kurt as a linebacker at Idaho State. Jerry's sister, Sue, played in 123 games as a standout basketball player for the Eagles from 1978-83. Perrianne's brother, Scott Dahlquist, was a tight end at Idaho.
 
Ketner has played in 35 games as an Eagle (15 as a starter), and has career totals of 165 tackles with an interception and three sacks. He is just 35 tackles from 200 and ranking in the top 40 in school history. Cole has 83 tackles and a pair of passes broken up in 26 games (16 as a starter).
 
 
Eastern Has 34 Players With Combined 408 Career Starts
 
Eastern's experience is not questioned, with 34 total players with a total of 408 games of starting experience – 204 on both sides of the ball. Thus far in 2018, Eastern has had one new starter on each side of the ball – Jim Townsend at defensive end and Andrew Boston at wide receiver, with both making their starting debuts versus Central Washington in EWU's opener.
 
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 (204 starts by 16 players): Mitch Fettig 35, Nzuzi Webster 26, Josh Lewis 23, Keenan Williams 21, Cole Karstetter 16, Ketner Kupp 15, Jay-Tee Tiuli 13, Kurt Calhoun 13, Dylan Ledbetter 10, D'londo Tucker 10, Jonah Jordan 7, Tysen Prunty 6, Jack Sendelbach 4, Jim Townsend 2, Conner Baumann 2 (including 1 as a fullback), Anfernee Gurley 1.
 
Current Starts on Offense (204 starts by 18 players): Tristen Taylor 27, Chris Schlichting 27, Gage Gubrud 25, Spencer Blackburn 24, Matt Meyer 16, Antoine Custer Jr. 16, Nsimba Webster 14, Jack Hunter 14, Zach Eagle 10, Jayce Gilder 6, Terence Grady 6, Kaleb Levao 6 (including 1 as defensive lineman), Jayson Williams 3, Henderson Belk 3, Sam McPherson 3, Andrew Boston 2, Johnny Edwards IV 1, Eric Barriere 1.
 
 
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 listed as 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. Ebukam is listed as 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. 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 was with the Cleveland Browns for less than a week until being cut before the team's regular season opener. He had spent his rookie season with the Rams.
 
In fact, 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, 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).
 
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.
 
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).
 
 
Hall of Fame Class Includes Football Players Rick Worman and Jeff Ogden
 
Featuring former football players Rick Worman and Jeff Ogden, the 18th class of the Eastern Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame will be inducted on Sept. 22, as six former Eastern greats and the 1998 and 1998 EWU volleyball teams will be honored that day at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
 
The class of inductees will be recognized at the breakfast ceremony at 8 a.m. on Sept. 22 at Reese Court in Cheney, and the public is invited to attend at a cost of $20 per person. Guests may register via a link that is available at http://goeags.com/HOF. Inductees will also be honored at halftime of EWU's football game against Cal Poly later that day (kickoff is 1:05 p.m.).
 
Those to be enshrined include football players Rick Worman and Jeff Ogden, men's basketball player Alvin Snow, volleyball player Kim Maxwell-Dempsey and track and field standout Kurt Kraemer as individual members of this year's class of inductees. The 1998 and 1999 volleyball teams Maxwell-Dempsey played on will also be inducted, and former Eastern basketball player and long-time collegiate coach/administrator Richard Hannan will receive the Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award.
 
Established in 1996, the Hall of Fame will consist of 88 individuals and 17 teams after the addition of the 2018 class. In addition, there will be 20 individuals and one organization honored as recipients of the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award. All of the inductees and induction classes may be viewed at: http://goeags.com/HOF.
 
A transfer from Fresno State, Worman played in 1984 and 1985 for the Eagles, and helped the team to 16 victories in two seasons. As a senior, he led EWU to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Playoffs (then I-AA), beating Idaho 42-38 in the first round. He set 10 school records, including the record for single season passing yards (2,842) which stood for 16 years. Worman went on to play and coach in the Canadian Football League.
 
Ogden was a pole vaulter in junior college before walking on to the Eagle program. He developed into a I-AA All-America selection and first team Academic All-American in 1997. He caught 57 passes in 1997 for school records at the time of 1,148 yards and 13 touchdowns as Eastern finished with a 12-2 record, won the outright Big Sky Conference title and advanced to the I-AA "Final Four." He closed his career with 84 receptions for 1,632 yards, 13 touchdowns and an average of 19.4 yards per reception, which stood as a school record for two years. He went on to play five years in the NFL starting with the Dallas Cowboys where he made the team as a rookie wide receiver/return specialist in 1998 as a non-drafted free agent.
 
Bringing an incredible competitive fire and drive with him from Franklin High School in Seattle, Wash., Snow was Eastern's first basketball All-American at the NCAA Division I level – and the school's first Big Sky Conference MVP in the sport. He helped Eastern win 69 games with a NIT appearance in 2003 followed by the school's first Big Sky Conference Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth in 2004. He had 1,396 points, 212 steals and 318 assists in 118 games as an Eagle and was one of just 17 players in league history (now 20) to win first team All-Big Sky honors three seasons. He was the league's MVP in 2004 when he earned honorable mention All-America honors, and was also the league's 2002 Defensive Player of the Year. He played professionally for more than 10 years, and he works in Seattle is a player representative for Worldwide Sports Management.
 
Kraemer was a four-time Big Sky Conference Champion while competing from 1999-2003 for the Eagles. His career culminated in All-America honors in the triple jump in 2003 to become just the second EWU track and field athlete to accomplish that feat in the school's NCAA Division I history. Just prior to that, he was the "'Field" Athlete of the Meet at the Big Sky Conference Championships when he recorded titles in the triple jump and long jump, and was fourth in the high jump. His top career mark in the triple jump was 53-5 1/2 indoors, which still ranks third all-time in league history and is a school record. His career best indoors in the long jump (24-7 1/4) also still stands as a school record. In all, Kraemer had 19 top-six finishes at Big Sky competitions, including 11 times in the top three to earn All-Big Sky honors (seven indoors, four outdoors). He scored 71 points indoors, which is still a school record and at the time ranked third in conference history. He was also honored seven times on Big Sky Conference All-Academic teams.
 
Formerly from Calgary, Alberta, Maxwell-Dempsey played for the Eagles from 1996-99 and capped her career by being honored as a first team All-Big Sky Conference selection and as a two-time member of the Academic All-District VIII team. She was EWU's recipient of the Big Sky Scholar-Athlete Award after finishing her career with 3,475 assists to rank in the top 15 in league history. Maxwell helped Eastern to a 72-20 record overall and 38-10 Big Sky Conference record, including a co-Big Sky title in 1997 and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998 and 1999.
 
The 1998 team finished 24-6 and was led by the record-breaking exploits of two-time Big Sky Player of the Year Kim Exner. The Eagles were an impressive 10-1 in non-conference play and 13-3 in the Big Sky Conference standings to finish second. Eastern lost in the Big Sky title match, but still advanced to the NCAA Tournament where the Eagles fell 3-1 to Notre Dame. The Eagles started a streak of 29-straight home victories that season which didn't come to an end until the 2001 season.
 
In 1999, a hot stretch of 16 victories in a 17-match span and two wins after the conference tournament helped Eastern secure a second-straight at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles were 12-4 in the Big Sky Conference season, and finished the year 24-8 after it was swept by UCLA in the NCAA tourney.
 
Previously, Exner was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 along with the team's head coach Pamela Parks. In 2014, multi-sport standout Janelle Ruen was inducted after starting her EWU volleyball career with the 1999 squad. Parks concluded her Eastern career as head coach in 1999, finishing with a 291-256 record in 18 seasons. Also inducted into the Inland Northwest Hall of Fame, Parks retired as an administrator in the EWU athletic department at the conclusion of the 2017-18 school year after 40 years at Eastern.
 
A native of Spokane and North Central High School, Hannan played for W.B. "Red" Reese at Eastern in 1960 and 1961 before receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1963 and 1969, respectively. He went on to spend nearly 50 years as a collegiate coach and administrator, much of it in the Inland Northwest. His stops included Columbia Basin College, Lewis-Clark State, Weber State and Southwest Texas State, then concluded his career as commissioner of the Great Northwest Conference for more than 10 years. While at Lewis-Clark State in nearby Lewiston, Idaho, Hannan won 212 games in 15 seasons as basketball coach, including five seasons with 18 or more wins and a school-record 21 victories in 1985-86. As an administrator, he played a critical role in bringing the NAIA World Series to Lewiston and helped keep the championship baseball tournament there for eight-straight tournaments (1984-1991).
 
The Service and Contribution award was created in 2007 to recognize extraordinary achievements and contributions by individuals with a past association with the Eastern athletic department. This award, selected by the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Committee, seeks to honor individuals who have contributed not only to EWU, but to other outside endeavors such as education, community service and coaching.
 
 
First Meeting with Vandals in Cheney Since 1994 is One of Eight League Matchups
 
The return of Idaho to the Big Sky Conference and a rare meeting with the Vandals in Cheney on Oct. 27 is among the highlights of EWU's league schedule in 2018.
 
The University of Idaho re-joined the Big Sky in football in 2018, and EWU will play the Vandals on Oct. 27, in the first meeting between the two schools since 2012 when Eastern won in Moscow 20-3. The last time the former league rivals met in a Big Sky game was in 1995 when the Vandals prevailed 37-10 and the last time they met in Cheney was 1994.
 
After finishing 5-3 in league play a year ago en route to an overall 7-4 finish, Eastern's eight Big Sky Conference foes this coming season combined for a 45-59 record overall and, including Idaho in the Sun Belt, were 34-48 in league play in 2017. Eastern will play back-to-back games in October versus the 2017 Big Sky co-champions, Southern Utah and Weber State, who were a collective 20-6 overall and 14-2 in the Big Sky.
 
Eastern opens league play Sept. 22 at home versus Cal Poly (1-10/1-7 Big Sky) on Hall of Fame Day at EWU. The Eagles then go on the road to play at Montana State (5-6/5-3) in Bozeman in a game televised live regionally by ROOT Sports. Eastern has won the last five meetings versus Cal Poly with a 7-2 all-time record, and are 31-10 all-time versus the Bobcats with a six-game winning streak.
 
The schedule gets significantly tougher when EWU hosts Southern Utah (9-3/7-1) on Oct. 6 on ROOT Sports and then travels to Ogden, Utah, to play FCS Playoffs semifinalist Weber State (11-3/7-1) on Oct. 13. The Eagles are 6-3 all-time versus the Thunderbirds, but lost 46-28 a year ago in Cedar City, Utah. Weber State defeated EWU the week after that 28-20 in Cheney, to snap EWU's five-game winning streak in the series. Eastern is 19-15 all-time versus the Wildcats.
 
After an open date in the schedule on Oct. 20, Eastern will once again be on ROOT Sports on Sept. 27 in the renewal of a regional rivalry. Idaho (4-8/3-5 Sun Belt) visits Cheney. Eastern hosted Idaho at Albi Stadium in Spokane six times (1999, 1997, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1984) with a pair of wins, and have played in Cheney just three times (1994, 1992, 1942) with no wins versus the Vandals. The Eagles trail in the all-time series 15-6, but have won three of the last five.
 
The Eagles close the regular season with two of their last three on the road – Nov. 3 at Northern Colorado (3-7/2-6) and Nov. 16 at Portland State (0-11/0-8) – sandwiched around Senior Day at home against UC Davis (5-6/3-5). The Eagles are 11-1 all-time versus the Bears with a 10-game winning streak, and are a perfect 6-0 versus UC Davis. Eastern is 19-20-1 against Portland State, but have won the last two, five of the last six and seven of the last nine versus the Vikings.
 
The Eagles actually played a ninth Big Sky foe when EWU started a home-and-home series with Northern Arizona on Sept. 8. Eastern won 31-26, and the return game will come two years later in Cheney, Wash., on Sept. 19, 2020. The two teams didn't play in 2017, and NAU finished 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the league.
 
Eastern now has a 21-12 all-time series lead against NAU, with Eastern winning 50-35 in Flagstaff on Sept. 24, 2016, in a meeting between the fourth-ranked Eagles and the 26th-ranked Lumberjacks. Eastern was also ranked fourth when the two teams met on Nov. 7, 2015, in Cheney, but EWU was defeated 52-30 to end its six-game winning streak. The last time EWU and NAU played in a non-conference game came in 1986 – the year before the Eagles joined the league.
 
Non-conference Big Sky matchups such as the Eagles versus Lumberjacks showdown can actually be used in a tiebreaker situation at the end of the year. The first tiebreaker, head-to-head competition, applies to not only league games, but non-conference games played between conference members. The second tiebreaker is record against common conference opponents, then record against common non-conference opponents. Sagarin ratings will be used as the final tiebreaker, or, in the unlikely event of a tie, a coin toss.
 
 
 
 

Series History

 
* The short 90-mile trek to Pullman, Wash., to face WSU will be just the fifth varsity meeting between the two schools in more than 100 years. Eastern lost to the Cougars in 1907 (46-0), 1908 (73-0) and 2012 (24-20), then beat them 45-42 in 2016. Eastern was also 8-10-1 from 1921-46 against WSU's junior varsity or freshman teams.
 
* Eastern's enters the WSU game 2-11 all-time versus current members of the Pac-12 Conference. Five of the games have been against in-state schools – four games against Washington State and two narrow losses to Washington (30-27 in 2011 and 59-52 in 2014). Eastern's other games versus Pac-12 opponents have been against Oregon State (losses in 2000 and 2006, and a 49-46 win in 2013), Arizona State (2002), California (2009) and Oregon (2015). Eastern has also played recent Pac-12 newcomer Colorado (2008).
 
* Eastern was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for most of its history before becoming a member of FCS in 1984. But despite playing 27 games against NCAA Football Bowl Division members from 1983-2010 -- including four against the Pac-12 Conference -- the Eagles did not play Washington State or Washington during that time span. Eastern had never played Washington until a narrow, 30-27 loss to open the 2011 season.
 
 
Looking Back to 2016 . . . No. 14 Eagles Roll Up 606 Yards in 45-42 Win Over Washington State
 
Cooper Kupp was at his very best on the biggest stage, but so was Gage Gubrud in his starting debut. Thanks to record-setting days for the wide receiver and quarterback, Eastern upset Washington State 45-42 Sept. 3 at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. It was EWU's second victory in four seasons over a Pac-12 opponent, having defeated Oregon State to open the 2013 campaign.
 
Eastern's offense, with five first-time starters, rolled up 606 total yards – 17th-most in school history. They included 474 passing and 77 rushing by Gubrud, then a sophomore from McMinnville, Ore. He had five TD passes and ran for a game-clinching 30-yard score to give him a school record at the time with 551 yards of total offense. The previous record was 518 set by Vernon Adams Jr. against the Beavers in the 49-46 victory over 25th-ranked OSU.
 
With 12 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns against the Cougars, eventual four-time All-America receiver Cooper Kupp broke the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record for career touchdown receptions (59 at the time but he finished his career with 73). He finished with 40 catches for 716 yards and 11 touchdowns in four career games against Pacific-12 opponents (WSU, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State). In 2015, Kupp set Autzen Stadium records of 15 catches for 246 yards against Oregon (9/5/15).
 
Eastern's defense allowed 515 yards but kept the Cougars scoreless for a critical 31-minute stretch from the second quarter to the fourth quarter. Washington State scored on four-straight possessions in the first half, but then the Eagle defense stiffened and didn't allow another score for 30:56. The Eagle offense scored 17-straight points to take a 38-28 lead it held until WSU scored with 4:42 left. The Eagles all but clinched the win with a 30-yard touchdown run by Gubrud on EWU's ensuing possession. The Cougars scored with 14 seconds left, but EWU's Kendrick Bourne recovered the onside kick to secure the victory.
 
Eastern dominated the third quarter, out-gaining WSU in total offense 196-58 after leading 332-288 at halftime. In the game, Eastern had a 606-515 advantage, and the turnovers were tied at one apiece.
 
An interception by safety Mitch Fettig late in the second quarter was just the stop and turnover the Eagle defense needed for confidence. Eastern turned that into momentum, with a 48-yard field goal by former Cougar Jordan Dascalo beginning a string of 17 unanswered Eastern points and a 38-28 Eagle lead.
 
Senior wide receivers Bourne and Shaq Hill combined for 14 catches for 206 yards. Hill had seven for 119 yards and Bourne finished with seven for 87. Dascalo, a former Cougar, punted three times for a 55.3 average and kicked a 48-yard field goal that started a decisive 17-0 scoring run by the Eagles.
 
Alek Kacmarcik led the defense with nine tackles, and Fettig, senior safety Zach Bruce and senior linebacker Miquiyah Zamora each had seven. Senior defensive end Samson Ebukam had six tackles, including a pair of sacks for minus 13 yards in losses.
 
 
Looking Back to 2012
 
In 2012 for the second-straight year, a pass in the end zone in the final seconds against a Pac-12 Conference opponent didn't result in an Eagle touchdown, and the Eagles fell to Washington State 24-20 Sept. 8, 2012, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash.
 
A 12-play, 99 yard drive pulled Eastern to within three with 2:17 to play on the second of two Kyle Padron to Brandon Kaufman touchdown passes on the day. Eastern got the ball back with 1:29 left and converted a pair of fourth-down conversions, but Padron, who finished with 379 yards passing, had his final desperation pass batted away in the end zone. A year earlier, in a 30-27 loss to Washington in Seattle, a similar pass intended for Kaufman was intercepted by the Huskies with 29 ticks left on the clock.
 
Eastern out-gained WSU in total offense 469-355, as a sell-out crowd of 33,598 witnessed the game. The game essentially came down to Eastern mistakes, and the ninth-ranked Eagles allowed the Cougars to take advantage. Included was a critical blocked extra point after EWU's final TD. With the game knotted in the second quarter, Eastern had two costly interceptions that both led to scores and gave WSU a 24-14 lead at halftime. Eventually, the turnover margin ended up tied at two apiece and both teams combined for 18 penalties for 173 yards. Eastern had 10 for 93.
 
Padron was troubled by a twisted ankle, but managed to complete 26-of-54 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers. Kaufman finished with five receptions for 142 yards. Padron's 93-yard TD to Kaufman in the first quarter knotted the score at seven, and it equaled the fourth-longest pass play in school history. Sophomore running Jordan Talley chipped in 71 yards on 14 carries.
 
Defensively, the Eagles pitched a shutout in the second half. Linebacker Cody McCarthy led Eastern with 11 tackles, and senior linebacker Zach Johnson had eight and forced a fumble. Safety Allen Brown had seven tackles and a fumble recovery, and cornerback T.J. Lee had six tackles and an interception. Eastern sophomore punter Jake Miller, who transferred from WSU, averaged 46.3 yards on seven punts, including a school-record 74-yard punt on his first effort of the day. He broke the previous record of 71 yards set in 2006 by Ryan Donckers.
 
 
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
Eagles Survive for 31-26 Win Over Lumberjacks
 
In a battle of nationally-ranked NCAA Football Championship Subdivision powerhouses, Eastern edged Northern Arizona 31-26 Sept. 8 in a non-conference game at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz. Earlier in the week, the match-up was selected by STATS as the FCS Game of the Week.
 
Senior quarterback Gage Gubrud and senior wide receiver Nsimba Webster made plenty of plays on offense again, but it was a nail-biter right down to the finish with the nail in the coffin provided by senior running back Sam McPherson.
 
Gubrud passed for 322 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 80, and found Webster through the air seven times for 176 yards. Webster scored twice, and almost a third before his fumble was alertly recovered for a TD by Dre' Sonte Dorton with 18 minutes left in the game.
 
Eastern used a six-minute scoring drive to open an 11-point lead with 6:10 to play, only to see NAU score with 1:51 left. But the two-point pass conversion fell incomplete, thanks to a quarterback hurry on a blitz by Eagle rover Cole Karstetter.
 
With that slim five-point lead, Eastern ended up with the ball at its own 4-yard line after the ensuing kickoff, but a 94-yard rush by McPherson – the third-longest in school history behind runs of 96 and 95 yards – gave EWU the ball at the NAU 2. After a pair of NAU timeouts, a knee-down ended the game for EWU as McPherson finished with 161 yards on the ground to help the Eagles out-gain NAU 570-411 in total offense.
 
Eastern got off to a quick start for the second-straight game, scoring two touchdowns just 4:45 into the game on only nine plays. Eastern's defense opened the game with a three-and-out, then the Eagles scored on a four-play, 53-yard drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass from Gubrud to Jayce Gilder – his third-straight game with a TD catch. After an interception by D'londo Tucker, EWU scored again on a five-play, 82-yard drive that included a 62-yard TD from Gubrud to Webster. The Eagles led 21-10 at halftime, with Gubrud hitting Webster again for a 46-yard TD to end a three-play, 69-yard drive.
 
After NAU cut EWU's' lead to 28-20 in the fourth quarter, Eastern used four big plays – two on third-and-long – to put together a 12 play, 57-yard scoring drive that took 6:10 off the clock. After Gubrud completions of 12 yards to Terence Grady, 14 to Zach Eagle and 27 to Henderson Belk – plus a 15-yard run by McPherson – the drive ended with a 40-yard field goal by Roldan Alcobendas to give EWU an 11-point lead with 6:10 to play.
 
Senior safety Mitch Fettig, defensive tackle Dylan Ledbetter and cornerback Josh Lewis each had seven tackles for the Eagles. Lewis also has a pass broken up and Ledbetter also had a blocked field goal and sack as Eastern finished with five for the day. Senior linebackers Kurt Calhoun and Ketner Kupp each had six tackles, while sacks were recorded by Tysen Prunty, Mitchell Johnson, Trevor Davis Jr. and Andrew Katzenberger.
 
 
 

2018 Team Notes

 
 
Superlatives Galore in Convincing 58-13 Opener, Including Most Rushing Yards Since 2004
 
Both as a team and individually, there were plenty of superlatives from Eastern's season-opening 58-13 victory over Central Washington on Sept. 1, when EWU doubled-up the Wildcats in total offense (677-321). The Eagles finished with 349 yards through the air and 328 rushing.
 
The yardage total were the fifth-most yards of offense in EWU history, and Eastern's 58 points scored ranks tied for 17th and was most in the all-time series with Central. For the game, Eastern averaged 10.7 yards per play compared to 4.4 for the Wildcats. It was also 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 has had 17 50-point games in the last 6+ seasons (including three in 2017 and one thus far in 2018), with one in 2015, six in 2014, three in 2017 and two each in 2013 and 2012. Eastern is now 53-3 in the 56 games they have scored at least 50 in school history.
 
Here were the individual milestones from the avalanche of points and yards:
 
* Sixth-year senior kicker Roldan Alcobendas made a 47-yard field goal – the second-longest in his career – and finished with 10 total points. His seven extra points in eight attempts helped him establish career records in both of those categories. Alcobendas is also EWU's new punter, but EWU didn't punt after scoring on nine of 12 possessions and fumbling on three of them.
 
* Senior quarterback Gage Gubrud completed 82.3 percent of his passes (19-of-23) to finish with 337 yards with no interceptions and five touchdown passes. His completion percentage was close to the record of 90.5 percent (19-of-21) set by Erik Meyer in 2004, and Gubrud also averaged 14.2 yards per attempt and 17.2 per completion. Those records, respectively, are 18.0 set by Meyer in 2004 and 26.0 set by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2012.
 
* Senior wide receiver Nsimba Webster had 10 catches for a career-high 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He scored on receptions of 50 and 15 yards, as he had the 16th 200-yard performance in school history to rank ninth overall.
 
* Senior running back Sam McPherson had 185 yard rushing on 15 carries (12.3 per carry), scoring on a 13-yard run. His yardage total ranks 39th in school history and was the most since Jabari Wilson had 188 versus Montana State in 2015. The record for average per rush in a game is 16.3 set by Mike MacKenzie in 1997.
 
* Junior Dennis Merritt added 75 yards on 10 carries, and had a long of 46 and a 10-yard touchdown run.
 
 
Eastern Picked by Both Coaches and Media to Win Title
 
The Eagles are hoping a return to No. 1 in the preseason polls means a return to No. 1 in November and beyond. Eastern was picked to win the 2018 league title by both the coaches and media as the picks were released July 16 at the Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff in Spokane.
 
It's the first time since 2014 the Eagles have been picked No. 1 in both, and in 2015 EWU was selected first by the media. In 2016 the Eagles were fourth by the coaches and third by the media, and last year Eastern was second in both. In 2013, EWU was second in both as well.
 
Since winning the league and NCAA Division I titles in 2010, Eastern has won Big Sky championships in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. With 28 seniors and 17 starters returning, plus the team's starting kicker and long snapper, the Eagles are poised to return to the top slot again.
 
The Eagles received six first-place votes and 134 total points by the media, and had 27 first-place tallies and 651 total votes by the coaches. Weber State was second in both polls, receiving a trio of No. 1 votes and 124 overall by the coaches, and the media giving the Wildcats 19 first-place votes and 636 points overall.
 
A year ago, Eastern finished 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the league under first-year head coach Aaron Best, but the Eagles were passed over for the FCS Playoffs. Co-champion Weber State went on to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs, while NAU bowed out in the first round. Southern Utah, which was picked sixth by the coaches and fifth by the media in this year's poll, was also the co-champion last season and received a first-round bye before falling to WSU in the quarterfinals.
 
 
Walter Payton Watch List Includes Two-Time Finalist Gage Gubrud
 
Already a two-time finalist, quarterback Gage Gubrud once again starts the season as a bona fide candidate for the highest honor in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. The senior from McMinnville, Ore., was among 25 players nationally and five from the Big Sky Conference selected Aug. 1 to the Watch List for the Walter Payton Award to be presented by STATS at the end of the 2018 season to the top offensive player in FCS. One day earlier, Gubrud was a third team choice on the STATS FCS Preseason All-America squad.
 
The other three players in the Big Sky selected to the Watch List include quarterbacks Case Cookus (Northern Arizona), and Jake Maier (UC Davis), as well as wide receiver Keelan Doss (UC Davis). Doss is the reigning Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP, an honor Gubrud shared with former Eagle wide receiver Cooper Kupp in 2016. Doss was also the preseason choice to repeat as MVP in 2018.
 
Later in August, Gubrud was announced as one of 36 players in the nation to be on the Watch List for the FCS National Performer of the Year selected at the end of the year by College Football Performance Awards.
 
As a first-year starter in 2016, Gubrud earned FCS Player of the Year honors from the Football Club of Columbus and shared Big Sky Conference MVP honors with four-time All-America wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Gubrud was third in the voting for the Walter Payton Award and was selected to six FCS All-America teams after leading EWU to a 12-2 record and perfect 8-0 Big Sky Conference record.
 
His record-breaking season included the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record for passing yards with 5,160. In all, he broke three FCS records, seven Big Sky Conference marks and 19 EWU records. He finished with 48 touchdown passes and a Big Sky record of 5,766 yards of total offense, and was also the team's leading rusher with 606 yards and five more scores.
 
In 2017, Gubrud earned second team All-Big Sky honors from the league's head coaches. He was the College Sports Madness FCS Offensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week after directing EWU's fourth-quarter rally in a 41-38 win at UC Davis (10/7/17), one week after a win versus Sacramento State (9/30/17).
 
He also won his third-straight Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor for his performance against Sac State – the sixth time overall in his career he has been honored and the first Eagle to win it three consecutive weeks.
 
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).
 
 
Eagle Trio Honored on Preseason FCS All-America Team; 10 Receive All-Big Sky Honors
 
Eastern Washington University senior football players Gage Gubrud, Jay-Tee Tiuli and Spencer Blackburn have been selected by Phil Steele FCS Magazine as preseason All-Americans, joining seven other Eagles on the Phil Steele preseason All-Big Sky squad.
 
Gubrud was selected to the second team, and is a highly-honored quarterback who graduated from McMinnville (Ore.) High School in 2014. Named to the third team, Tiuli was an injury redshirt last season, and is from Seattle and a 2014 graduate of Federal Way (Wash.) High School. Blackburn, a fourth team pick, is a center from Bellingham, Wash., and graduated from Meridian High School, also in 2014.
 
Gubrud was also among 15 players from the Big Sky Conference honored July 31 on the STATS NCAA Football Championship Preseason All-America squad. The 2016 FCS All-American was a third team choice among the group of 98 players honored nationally representing 56 teams and 13 conferences. Eastern head coach Aaron Best already knows he has one of the best field generals in FCS, but he also likes the supporting cast Gubrud has this season.
 
"I think having nine starters back on offense really helps," said Best, whose team lost just a starter at wide receiver and another at offensive tackle from last year's team. "I tell our team that just because you have guys back doesn't mean you're going to be better. One would assume that's the case, but just because you're older doesn't mean your better. That's what I challenge Gage with."
 
Besides the All-America honor, Tiuli was picked as one of 50 players to the 2018 Watch List for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding Polynesian college football player that epitomizes great ability and integrity. The Watch List is composed of 50 players from 34 different schools, with Tiuli the lone representative from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. The winner will be announced on Dec. 14, and prior to that five finalists will be unveiled on Dec. 5.
 
On the Phil Steele preseason All-Big Sky team, Gubrud, Tiuli and Blackburn all earned a spot on the first team. Named to the second team were junior running back Antoine Custer Jr., junior offensive lineman Tristen Taylor, senior safety Mitch Fettig, junior kick returner Dre' Sonte Dorton and senior long snapper Curtis Billen. On the third team were senior receiver Nsimba Webster and senior cornerback Josh Lewis.
 
Earlier in the summer Gubrud was selected by Athlon Sports as the lone quarterback on its 27-player preseason All-America team. He was also a third team preseason All-America selection by Hero Sports, and joined Tiuli and Custer as preseason All-Big Sky selections. 
 
 
Sam McPherson Among 169 Nominees Nationally for AFCA Good Works Team
 
Eastern Washington University senior running back Sam McPherson is among 169 football players nationally who were announced by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as nominees for the 2018 Allstate Insurance AFCA Good Works Team^®. The student-athletes who are nominated for this award not only demonstrate a unique dedication to community service and desire to make a positive impact on the lives around them, but they also show tremendous perseverance as well as the ability to overcome personal struggles and come out victorious against all odds.  
 
McPherson was among 99 players nominated in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. There were 70 nominees at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.
 
"Sam is true reflection of what we identify, recruit and expect from out of an EKG (Eastern Kind of Guy)," said Eagle head coach Aaron Best. "Sam is a good player but an even better person. His off-field commitments are an example for all."
 
A 2016 graduate of Bothell (Wash.) High School, McPherson served on Eastern Washington University's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. SAAC exists to create a safe environment for discussion of all aspects of the student-athlete's life. They strive to better their community with community service, event organization, and leadership. As leaders, they hope to promote open communication between student-athletes, students, and staff.
 
Academically, McPherson is an Academic All-America candidate and has been selected to the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. An interdisciplinary studies major, he has a 3.75 grade point average thus far at EWU and hopes to go into the aerospace industry.
 
While at Bothell High School, McPherson was a first-team 4A All-State selection by the Associated Press as both a running back and defensive back. He was named by the Seattle Times as a "Red Chip" selection as one of the top 18 prospects in the state of Washington.
 
 
Five Seniors Selected as Co-Captains for the 2018 Season
 
On a team chock full of veterans, seniors Gage Gubrud, Spencer Blackburn, Sam McPherson, Mitch Fettig and Ketner Kupp have been selected by their teammates as Eastern football captains for the 2018 season. The five seniors are among the 28 seniors playing under second-year head coach Aaron Best.
 
Gubrud is a 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School and was a captain in 2017 as well. The other four are products from the state of Washington -- Blackburn is a 2014 graduate of Meridian HS in Bellingham, Wash.; McPherson graduated in 2015 from Bothell HS; Fettig graduated in 2014 from Olympia HS; and Kupp graduated from Davis HS in Yakima, Wash., in 2015.
 
 
NCAA Passes Legislation to Allow True Freshmen to Play Four Games and Still Redshirt
 
The days of four years of eligibility are a thing of the past – now it's 4 1/2. The NCAA Division I Council passed a proposal in June of 2018 that will allow players to participate in any four games in a season and still use a redshirt that year. The change, not retroactive, took effect in 2018.
 
Eagle head coach Aaron Best said he and his coaching staff will make decisions on a game-by-game basis on which, if any, of the team's 23 true freshmen will play. The team will allow selected "Eagle-Shirts" to suit up and possibly play, but the No. 1 focus will be on making sure those players are physically and mentally ready to play Division I football. In Eastern's first two games, Tre Weed was the only true freshman among the 65 players who saw action.
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive 46-8 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 46 of their last 54 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 41 of their last 47 versus conference foes, and are 51-8 since the 0-2 start in 2011. Including three wins at the end of the 2009 season, Eastern has a 57-11 record in league games since then.
 
What's perhaps most impressive is Eastern's ability to consistently win on the road. Until losing at Southern Utah last October, the Eagles had won their previous road game versus all 13 other league members, as well a 2012 road victory at Idaho, which will join the league in 2018.
 
 
Eagles Set School Record with 10,000+ Fans Per Game
 
The Eagles set a school record with an average of 10,123 fans per game in 2017 (50,617 in five games), besting the previous record of 9,577 set in five home games in 2015. Eastern's 2016 average attendance was 8,435 (67,477 in eight home games). Eastern had its fifth-most fans in school history against MSU (11,301), No. 8 against Sacramento State (10,917), No. 17 versus North Dakota State (10,231) and No. 23 against Weber State (9,451). Eastern had 8,717 fans at their home finale versus Portland State, ranking 32nd and giving EWU 25 consecutive sell-outs and 37 total in school history (crowds of 8,600 or more). The Eagles extended that to 26 versus Central Washington with 8,658 fans in EWU's 2018 opener.
 
 
Eagles Continue Stretch of Success in FCS Statistics in Passing and Total Offense
 
In EWU's last 14 seasons (2004-2017), EWU has ranked in the top 10 in passing 12 times, total offense on 10 occasions and scoring five times. In school history, EWU has won two FCS titles for total offense (2001, 1997), as well as three passing offense titles (2016, 2015, 2011) and two for scoring offense (2014, 2001).
 
In the 2017 season, Eastern was eighth in FCS in passing (320.5 per game) and fifth in total offense (476.7), and was also 14th in scoring (34.5) and 11th in third down conversions (46.1 percent).
 
Quarterback Gage Gubrud was second in FCS in total offense per game (357.8), and was fourth in passing yards per game (334.2), third in FCS in points responsible for per game (19.4), fourth in completions per game (26.1) and 13th in total passing touchdowns (26). In 2016 he led FCS in both passing and total offense (368.6 and 411.0, respectively).
 
Nsimba Webster was 36th in receptions (5.4, total of 59) and 68th in yards (63.0, total of 693). Running back Antoine Custer Jr. had 177 yards rushing and three touchdowns in his last game of the season versus Portland State, and finished 42nd in FCS and fifth in the Big Sky with an average of 70.5 yards per game (776 total). His 10 rushing touchdowns ranked him 25th in FCS and third in the league.
 
Gubrud's average of 334.2 passing yards per game is the fourth-best single season performance in school history, and his 357.8 average per game of total offense is fifth. His 32 total touchdowns responsible for (26 passing, five rushing, one receiving) is eighth.
 
In addition, EWU's special teams were ranked high in FCS statistics in 2017. Dre' Sonte Dorton, who entered his junior season with the fourth-best career average all-time at EWU (26.7), ranked ninth in FCS with in 2017 with an average of 27.4 on 22 returns. The team was ninth in FCS at 24.3 per return in 2017.
 
In other national statistics in 2017, Eastern was 16th in net punting (38.24), allowing just 3.50 yards by opponents on punt returns in 2017 to rank seventh nationally. Punter Jordan Dascalo led the Big Sky and was 14th in FCS in average per punt (42.6). Thanks to a career-long 33-yard return in EWU's final game of the season against Portland State, junior Zach Eagle ranked 31st in FCS with an average of 6.8 yards per punt return.
 
Safety Mitch Fettig averaged 8.4 tackles per game (total of 92) to rank 61st nationally and ninth in the Big Sky. With three fumble recoveries, sophomore Jack Sendelbach ranked ninth in FCS. Senior defensive end Albert Havili was 46th in FCS and fifth in the league in sacks with an average of 0.64 per game (seven total), and the team averaged 2.55 per game (total of 28) to rank 28th in FCS.
 
 
Eagles Now 45-10 on The Red Turf, Including 35-6 in the Regular Season
 
After winning its opener in 2018, Eastern is now 45-10 overall at Roos Field since 2010. Eastern has lost just six regular season games at "The Inferno" – 35-6 (85.4 percent), plus are 10-4 in playoff games. The only regular season losses at home for EWU since then are to conference foes Montana State (2011), Portland State (2011 and 2015) and Northern Arizona (2015), as well as North Dakota State and Weber State (2017).
 
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 81.8 percent of its games since the red turf was installed in 2010 – including a 4-0 record versus rival Montana.
 
The North Dakota State game on Sept. 9, 2017, was the 50th at Roos Field since the red turf surface was installed in 2010. In 2016, Eastern finished 7-1 in the 50th season of football at EWU's current stadium location, which opened in 1967. Eastern has a 158-65 record (70.9 percent) in 223 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.
 
 
Eastern Now 41-0 Since 2010 When Winning the TO Battle
 
In the last 10 seasons (2008-17), the Eagles are now 50-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 22-6 when they've been tied and 21-29 when they've lost (total of 93-36). The last time EWU lost when it won the turnover battle came in the 2009 FCS Playoffs at Stephen F. Austin when EWU had two miscues and forced four in the 44-33 loss. Thus, EWU is 41-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 20-5 when they've been tied and 19-22 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 80-27 (74.7 percent), with 21 of those 27 losses (78 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 51 percent of EWU's wins coming when they've won the turnover battle (76 percent when including ties).
 
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. 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).
 
 
Eagles Have Now Won 23 Games Since 2010 When Trailing or Tied in Fourth Quarter
 
Eastern has now won 23 games since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, including two in the 2017 season, two in 2016 and 2015, one in 2014, two in 2013, six in 2012, two in 2011 and six during EWU's national championship season in 2010
 
Three of the 23 comebacks have been against Montana, including Eagle victories in 2017 (48-41), 2012 (32-26) and 2010 (36-27). In the 2017 season, No. 11 Eastern trailed 24-6 at halftime but scored 42 points in the second half to stun the Grizzlies. In the second half, Eastern scored on touchdowns on five of its six possessions after intermission, and had a dominating 259-68 yardage advantage in the third quarter. After knotting the game at 27 and 34, Eastern took the lead for good on a tie-breaking 3-yard TD pass from Gage Gubrud to Nic Sblendorio with 6:53 left. Eastern expanded it to 48-34 on a 10-yard TD run by Antoine Custer Jr. with 2:12 to play. The defense did its part by recording three key stops in the fourth quarter Gubrud broke his own school record with a 549-yard passing performance, finishing with four touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. His 560 yards of offense were also a record, as he eclipsed his own previous records of 520 passing and 551 total yards. The 549 team passing yards were also a school record, breaking the previous mark of 526 set in 2015 versus Northern Iowa.
 
At UC Davis on Oct. 7, No. 10 Eastern rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter by scoring 21 points in the period and went on to win a heart-stopping 41-38 victory over the Aggies at Davis, Calif. Gubrud engineered scoring drives of 71, 55 and 75 yards in the final quarter, and finished with six touchdown passes and 452 yards passing. He passed 6 yards to Sblendorio for a game-winning TD with 1:37 to play, followed by a missed 49-yard field goal by the Aggies that could have knotted the game. Gubrud passed for 452 yards and six touchdowns in the win.
 
 
Eagles Continue November Excellence
 
The month of November has long been a successful month for Eastern, and they continued that in 2017. Since 2004, EWU has lost just seven regular season games in November (Weber State in 2017; NAU, Portland State and Montana in 2015; Sac State and Weber State in 2006; and Cal Poly in 2005), with an overall record of 32-7.
 
In November and beyond since 2004, the Eagles are now 45-15, including a 13-8 record in the FCS Playoffs. Since 2010, Eastern is 30-8 overall in November and beyond, with the lone setbacks coming in 2017 to Weber State; 2016 to Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs; 2015 to Portland State, Montana and Northern Arizona; 2014 to Illinois State in the playoff quarterfinals; 2013 to Towson in the playoff semifinals; and 2012 to Sam Houston State in the playoff semifinals. Until losing to Northern Arizona on Nov. 7, 2015, Eastern had won its last 19 regular season games in November, dating back to a 15-13 loss to Sacramento State on Nov. 1, 2008.
 
 
 

2018 Player Notes

 
Total of 64 Players Play in Opener, Including Debuts by 16
 
A total of 64 Eagles played in EWU's opener versus Central Washington, including 16 players making their debuts in an Eastern uniform. Of the newbies, redshirt freshman Andrew Boston received the first start of his career in his first game, and finished with one catch for 10 yards. He is from Puyallup, Wash., and is a 2017 graduate of Emerald Ridge High School. Tre Weed was the only true freshman to see action for the Eagles, and he ended up returning four punts for 43 yards with a long of 22.
 
 
78 Percent of EWU's Roster are Players from Washington
 
The Eagles have 105 players in their program, and 82 of them – 78 percent – are from the state of Washington. Eastern's coaching staff is Washington-based as well, with eight of the team's 11 full-time coaches (73 percent) hailing from the Evergreen State. Head coach Aaron Best is a 1996 graduate of Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., and shares the same alma mater with Brian Strandley (1990) and Jay Dumas (1992).
 
 
10 of 13 Eagles Selected to 2017 All-Big Sky Team Return, Plus Two From 2016
 
The Eagles had 13 players honored on the All-Big Sky Conference team in 2017, but even more noteworthy is the number 10. That's the number of selections returning for the 2018 campaign, as only a trio of seniors were on the list of Eagles selected by the league's head coaches for yearly honors in the Big Sky.
 
However, one of them, special teams standout Anfernee Gurley, will redshirt the 2018 season after suffering a knee injury in preseason practices. He went on to earn first team Freshman All-America honors from Hero Sports in 2017.
 
Four of six second team selections return, including quarterback Gage Gubrud, who was also one of 25 finalists for the Walter Payton Award presented by STATS to the top offensive player in FCS. The other second team selections back are center Spencer Blackburn, running back Antoine Custer Jr., and kickoff return specialist Dre' Sonte Dorton. Custer also earned honorable mention honors on the sophomore All-America team as chosen by Hero Sports.
 
All six of EWU's third team or honorable mention selections are back, including wide receiver Nsimba Webster, safety Mitch Fettig and Gurley on the third team. Running back Sam McPherson, cornerback Josh Lewis, and sophomore offensive guard Tristen Taylor received honorable mention and are back. In addition, Jay-Tee Tiuli returns after earning first team All-Big Sky honors in 2016 before having to redshirt in 2017 after an early-season injury.
 
Also on the 2016 All-Big Sky squad was third team cornerback Nzuzi Webster, thus giving EWU 12 players who have previously won all-league accolades. Blackburn also earned second team honors in 2016, and Fettig and Taylor were both honorable mention that season.
 
Blackburn, with 24 starts and 26 games played in his career, is among several of the returning All-Conference performers with extensive experience as starters in the Eagle program. Most notably, Fettig has started 35 of the 36 games he's played. He has 245 tackles to rank 17th in school history, five interceptions and 12 passes broken up in his career.
 
Lewis has 97 tackles, five interceptions and 13 passes broken up in his 38-game career (23 as a starter). McPherson has played in 31 career games (three as a starter), and has career totals of 995 on the ground, 463 receiving and 1,620 all-purpose yards. He's even a perfect 3-of-3 passing for 77 yards and touchdowns on all three passes.
 
Kupp has started 15 of the 35 career games he's played, and has 165 career tackles with three sacks after finishing with 66 stops in eight games as a junior. He is the younger brother of four-time EWU FCS All-American Cooper Kupp, who now plays for the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL.
 
Tiuli has started 13 of the 38 games he has played in his career, and has had 82 total tackles with 8 1/2 sacks, three quarterback hurries and two passes deflected. Prior to the 2017 season, he earned third team preseason All-America honors from STATS.
 
In Custer's 24-game career (16 as a starter), he has 1,192 yards on the ground, 463 receiving and 499 on kickoff returns for a total of 2,154 all-purpose yards (89.8 per game). His career 23.8 average returning kickoffs ranked 11th in school history entering the 2018 season.
 
2017 All-Big Sky Selections Returning in 2018
Second Team -- #Quarterback - 8 - Gage Gubrud - 6-2 - 205 - Jr. - 3L* - McMinnville, Ore. (McMinnville HS '14)
Second Team -- Running Back - 28 - Antoine Custer Jr. - 5-9 - 190 - So. - 2L - Berkeley, Calif. (De La Salle '16)
Second Team -- ~Center - 75 - Spencer Blackburn - 6-2 - 285 - Jr. - 2L * - Bellingham, Wash. (Meridian HS '14)
Second Team -- Return Specialist - 87 - Dre' Sonte Dorton - 5-10 - 185 - So. – 1L* - Pasco, Wash. (Chiawana HS '15)
Third Team -- Wide Receiver - 5 - Nsimba Webster - 5-10 - 180 - Jr. - 3L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS '14)
Third Team -- ^Safety - 13 - Mitch Fettig - 6-1 - 200 - Jr. - 3L* - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS '14)
Third Team -- Special Teams - 34 - Anfernee Gurley - DB - 5-10 - 180 - Fr. – 1L - Everett, Wash. (Archbishop Murphy HS '17)
Honorable Mention -- ^Offensive Guard - 65 - Tristen Taylor - 6-6 - 315 - So. - 2L * - Stockton, Calif. (Stagg HS '15)
Honorable Mention -- Running Back - 20 - Sam McPherson - 5-10 - 200 - Jr. - 2L - Bothell, Wash. (Bothell 'HS '15)
Honorable Mention -- Cornerback - 1 - Josh Lewis - 6-0 - 190 - Jr. - 2L* - Lakewood, Wash. (Steilacoom HS '14)

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

#Big Sky MVP & First Team All-Big Sky in 2016. ~Second Team All-Big Sky in 2016. ^Honorable mention All-Big Sky in 2016. *Has used redshirt year.
 
 
One Webster on a Roll, Another Ranked Eighth in School History
 
The Webster twins are making their mark in Eastern history through their junior seasons.
 
With 24 passes broken up in his career, senior cornerback Nzuzi Webster is ranked seventh in school history. In his 40-game career (26 as a starter), he has 140 total tackles and a pair of interceptions. In the 2017 season, he had 31 tackles and seven passes broken up.
 
His twin brother Nsimba Webster, a senior wide receiver, opened the 2018 season in blazing fashion with 10 catches, two touchdowns and a career-best 212 yards to rank as the ninth-most in school history. He followed that victory over Central Washington with two more touchdowns on seven catches for 176 yards in a win over nationally-ranked Northern Arizona.
 
In his 31-game career (14 as a starter), he has caught 89 passes for 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns, and should eventually approach Eastern's career leaders lists in several categories. He had a touchdown catch in five-straight games in 2017 from Sept. 30 to Nov. 4, and for the season he caught 59 passes for 693 yards and five scores.
 
The twins are from Antioch, Calif., and were 2014 graduates of Deer Valley High School where they helped the Wolverines to an 11-2 record and semifinal appearance in the 2013 CIF Division I North Coast Section Playoffs. They lost to eventual champion De La Salle 57-27, whose roster included future Eagle Antoine Custer Jr. (who rushed for 1,141 yards and 14 TDs as his team's Sophomore of the Year). Nsimba passed and ran for 50 touchdowns as a senior and Nzuzi contributed greatly on offense, defense and special teams. Former Eagle and current Buffalo Bill Taiwan Jones ('07) also attended Deer Valley High School.
 
 
On Fred Mitchell Award Watch List, Sixth-Year Senior Roldan Alcobendas is Nearing Career Kick Scoring Record
 
Sixth-year senior kicker Roldan Alcobendas has been selected as one of 34 placekickers nationwide to be named to the watch list for the 2018 Fred Mitchell Award. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award will be chosen at the end of the year based on excellence on the football field and in the community.
 
Thus far, Alcobendas is 2-of-2 kicking field goals and has converted on 11-of-12 extra points to currently have 17 points on the season. He made a 47-yard field goal versus Central Washington and then had a 40-yarder at Northern Arizona. He is also EWU's punter this season, and after a puntless opener he had a 45.6 average on five punts with a long of 60 versus the Lumberjacks.
 
 As a bonus for his past suffering, the 2013 graduate of Camas (Wash.) High School received a sixth year to complete four years of eligibility because of injuries that cost him a pair of seasons. In his 31-game career, he has scored 218 points to rank third in school history in points kicking. He is only 13 points from No. 2 (Troy Griggs, 231, 1998-01) and 18 from the record (Mike Jarrett, 236, 2008-11). He has also established EWU career records for extra points made (152) and attempted (158), breaking the previous records held by Mike Jarrett (2009-11) with 143 makes and 150 attempts. He has made 22-of-33 field goals in his career to rank seventh in school history for both field goal attempts and made. In his career, he has 107 kickoffs for a 57.4 average (6,143 total yards) with 17 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.
 
Alcobendas had to sit out both the 2013 and 2015 seasons because of knee injuries. He finished the 2016 season 9-of-15 kicking field goals and made 73-of-74 extra points. He made his last 63 extra points in a row in 2016 to shatter the previous season record of 47. His 73 total extra points made in 2016 were one behind the Big Sky Conference record of 74 set by former Eagle Kevin Miller in 2013. He also averaged 54.6 yards on 44 kickoffs with seven touchbacks.
 
Returning to the venue he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2014, Alcobendas made field goals of 48 and 31 yards and had a career-high 11 total points in EWU's 41-17 victory over Montana State in 2016 to earn Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors. His 48-yarder was the best of his career, and equals the 23rd-longest in school history. He also had a 31-yarder blocked and made all five of his extra point attempts to account for 11 of EWU's points. In addition, he averaged 64.0 yards in three kickoffs, including one touchback.
 
 
Custer Has Most Rushing Yards for an Eagle in 29 Games, Then Tops It
 
Although he has yet to play in 2018, junior running back Antoine Custer Jr. finished his sophomore season with 776 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, to go along with 21 receptions for 276 yards and two more scores. In his 24-game career (16 as a starter), he has 1,192 yards on the ground, 463 receiving and 499 on kickoff returns for a total of 2,154 all-purpose yards (89.8 per game). His career 23.8 average returning kickoffs is currently 11th in school history.
 
Custer had what was then a career-best 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns in EWU's 31-19 victory over Montana State on Oct. 14, 2017. It eclipsed the 141 he had as a true freshman in 2016 against Idaho State, and were the most for an Eagle in 29 games since Jabari Wilson had 188 versus Montana State early in the 2015 season. Custer then ended the year with a career-high 177-yard effort with three touchdowns on 24 carries against Portland State on Nov. 18, scoring on runs of 6, 28 and 27 yards.
 
As a true freshman in 2016, he finished his debut season with 977 all-purpose yards and a pair of Big Sky Conference Player of the Week accolades for his kickoff returning prowess. He averaged 26.7 yards on 14 kickoff returns with a touchdown. Custer started at running back in six games, including Eastern's opener against Washington State, and scored the first touchdown of the season for the Eagles on a pass from Gage Gubrud.
 
 
Hometown Product Has 119 Tackles and Seven Sacks in Career
 
Senior defensive end Keenan Williams finished the 2017 season with 55 tackles to rank fourth on the team and first among EWU defensive linemen. He also had four sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries to go along a fumble recovery. In his 35-game career (21 as a starter), he has 120 tackles with seven sacks.
 
Williams had an October stretch in 2017 in which he had 31 tackles in three games, including the first two double-figure performances of his career. He finished with nine tackles, a key fumble recovery in the fourth quarter and a quarterback hurry in EWU's 31-19 win over Montana State on Oct. 14. His recovery came with 8:52 to play in the game, and the Eagles turned that into a game-clinching 13-play, 78-yard TD drive that took 5:43 off the clock. The hurry for Williams came on a second down play on MSU's last possession of the game, a possession which ended with an interception by EWU's Victor Gamboa with 2:01 remaining.
 
Eastern held the Bobcats to 353 yards of total offense, including 218 rushing and 135 passing. Bobcat quarterback Chris Murray had a 54-yard touchdown run, but finished with only 88 rushing yards and 135 through the air. Thus, outside his long run, he averaged only 4.7 yards per play. Murray, the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year in 2016, entered the game with a team-leading 543 yards (108.6 per game to lead the league) and three touchdowns, and had passed for another 646 and eight scores. The Bobcats entered 10th in FCS in rushing, averaging 250.6 yards per game.
 
The performance by Williams – a 2015 graduate of Cheney, Wash., High School -- came after back-to-back weeks in which he had a career highs for tackles with 12 (UC Davis) and 10 (Sacramento State).
 
 
Filling Middle Linebacker Role, Sendelbach Receives Pair of Honors
 
Junior Jack Sendelbach was Eastern's super-sub in 2017, filling in for a starter four times in 2017 and finishing with 49 tackles for the season with two sacks. He now has 65 tackles in his 25-game career.
 
He earned a pair of Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors after helping lead EWU's sterling defensive effort in a 21-14 victory over North Dakota on Nov. 11, 2017. He was the official Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, and earned the same honor from College Sports Madness after his double-figure tackle performance against UND. The 2015 graduate of Blanchet High School in Seattle finished with 11 tackles and recovered a key fumble in the win. He was credited with a half-sack, and his fumble recovery came with 13:21 left in the game at the EWU 1-yard line and the Eagles clinging to a 21-7 lead. Five of his tackles came in the second quarter when EWU outscored UND 14-0 and had a dominating 191-29 advantage in total offense.
 
Sendelbach was replacing suspended starting middle linebacker Kurt Calhoun in the lineup, and earlier in the 2017 season had started three games as an injury replacement for Ketner Kupp at strong-side linebacker. With three fumble recoveries in 2017, Sendelbach ranked ninth in FCS.
 
 
Barriere Wins First Start of Career Versus UND
 
Sophomore Eric Barriere was 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 was as a replacement for starter Gage Gubrud, who was serving a one-game team suspension for violation of team rules.
 
Barriere had 185 yards of total offense, had a touchdown pass and scored once on the ground on a fourth down play to end the first half. He completed 13-of-23 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 15 times for 55 yards. He was sacked only once and had no turnovers. He rushed for a pair of first downs, and passed for another eight. Barriere helped Eastern to a turnoverless game, but had to recover his own fumble late in the game that was followed by a key 67-yard punt by Jordan Dascalo that was downed at the UND 3-yard line. Had Barriere not recovered the fumble, UND would have taken over at the EWU 31 trailing just 21-14.
 
By contrast, Vernon Adams Jr. – a former Eagle who Barriere draws comparisons to – had 75 yards passing (7-of-12) and 62 rushing (five carries) in his starting debut in 2012 at Weber State in a 32-26 victory. Adams missed most of the second half with cramping, and rushed for five first downs and passed for four. Before the UND game, Barriere had appeared in three games in 2017 and was 1-of-2 for 13 yards and an interception, all coming against Texas Tech on Sept. 2.
 
 
 

More Aaron Best Comments

 
On Offense: "We made some dynamic plays early on offense, which made it feel like the machine was oiled and running well. We had some tough possessions after that, but we had some big plays on third down late in the game. One was a 10-yard catch by Terence Grady on third-and 10, and that was as big a play as any. We talked about being a difference maker in their roles, and he was a difference maker in that situation. For the most part Gage stayed upright and clean. We knew they were going to heat it up, so we knew we had to be ready for a lot of pressure situations and I think we handled them accordingly."
 
On Special Teams: "When you are on the road you need special teams to play well. Having a field goal unit that is a weapon makes life as a head coach a bit easier – not a ton, but a bit easier. Everything is not always four-down territory, and we can count on those guys to get three points. And when you talk about going from an eight-point lead to 11, it's huge. That forced NAU to go for two points, and that's two games in a row Roldan has hit one of 40 yards plus. That was as big as any play we had, and we expect Roldan to continue to do that as the season wears on."
 
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."
 
On Injury to Case Cookus: "We hope Case is okay. I know it didn't sound good or look good, but it's part of the game and it sucks. The bad part of this game is that injuries happen. I hope he's okay and he's a pleasure to watch, and I hope we see him in the near future. It hurts my heart to see a player like that go down – he's a great person and our entire football team and athletic department feel bad for him."
 
On New Redshirt Rule for True Freshmen: "We as a coaching staff wrote down a ton of ideas before we even got the 2018 class on campus. We put those in the blender, and we talked about it. Now it's just a matter of determining who is capable of doing it on Saturdays in a winnable fashion. It's not a tryout, that's what we have to understand. We have great players, we have good players, and we have guys that could potentially fill the good or great roles. We are not just going to throw out the balls – it's not a PE class in the sense that everybody gets a chance to see how good they are in a game of kickball. We are not going to put something on the special teams plate of coach (Heath) Pulver, where a player is not trusted in a one-play sequence. It's not going to be, 'Hey let's get them some reps, and see how it goes.' If they have earned the reps they will get the reps. There is also the question that if they have earned the reps to play in four games, then what decision are we going to make for game five? That could even come in our ninth game of the season the way the rule works. That's where I think the decision-making takes place. By no means are we going to put a player on the field that's not going to be capable of doing what a non-first year player can do. We will try identify three or four guys that could be Eagle-Shirts and we'll have the redshirt in our minds. When you become an Eagle-Shirt, you will suit up that week but not necessarily play. They will have the opportunity to play if the coaches decide to put that player in. Then, three weeks after that they could be a redshirt, and the fifth week could be an Eagle-Shirt again. Every Sunday we're going to sit as a staff and see who the Eagle-Shirt candidates are. We'll ask ourselves who do we see suiting up -- whether it be home or away – and want to see on that roster while we work it out as the week progresses. Number one, the new redshirt rule not really a try out. Number two, it's not only the first four games. Number three, if we see that they have earned the right to play in the fifth game we will look into it when the time comes."
 
On Defense: "A lot of people have asked how much we are going to lean on the defense. I've always rooted on the defense secretly -- a team's best friend is a running game and a defense. We're certainly going to lean on those guys and we have a lot of experienced players back. We are putting them in positions situationally to allow them to make plays, rather than trying to make them make plays. We're allowing guys to play a little freer and a little faster, and hopefully that leads to a lot more plays being made."
 
On Gage Gubrud and Veteran Leadership: "Here's some coach-speak again, but the best teams are player-led.  You can only do so much as a coach. It's more of the players keeping other players accountable, and watching our p's and q's while making sure we are communicating on and off the field. Gage is just one of those guys. I will say that over the years, and I have been here a long time, most offenses are not really rah-rah types of outfits. Usually if you want that on one side of the ball, you want it on the defensive side of the ball, because those guys are go-getters. Five of the 11 on offense want to conserve their energy, and that's from tackle to tackle. They don't want to spend a ton of energy, because then they can't zone block, or pull, or run pass pro on third downs. So, five of the 11 players really aren't looking forward to spending their energy to rally the troops. So, we do lean on the quarterbacks, the Sam McPherson's, the Antoine Custer's, the Terence Grady's, and the Zach Eagle's of the group that have been there and done that. It is noticeable and it's very nice to see as a coach, because nothing's forced and nothing is scripted. We don't slip a note in Gage's pocket and say, 'Hey, go talk to the guys and get this figured out.'"