Eastern Washington University "Eagles" versus No. 10/11 University of Montana "Grizzlies"   Saturday, Oct. 26 • 11:10 a.m. Pacific Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217) • Missoula, Mont.
TV:	ROOT Sports & DirectTV Audience Network (Tom Glasgow, Taylor Barton)
Webcast:	None
Radio:	700-AM ESPN and 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area, as well as KTEL 1490-AM & 99.7-FM in Walla Walla. Larry Weir returns for his 29th season calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen for the 17th 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:	https://ewustats.com

The Eagles and Grizzlies are two of the most renowned football programs in the history of the Big Sky Conference, but in the past three weeks Sacramento State has stolen a little bit of that rivalry's thunder.
 
Nevertheless, in a match-up that has gone a long way in determining the league champion in past years, two of the blue bloods of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision play each other this week when Eastern Washington University plays at No. 10/11 Montana this Saturday (Oct. 26) in the 36th meeting between the two fierce rivals.
 
Kickoff is 11:10 a.m. Pacific time at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in a game broadcast regionally by ROOT Sports and nationally via the DirecTV Audience Network. Fans can also listen to the game on 700-AM ESPN, 105.3-FM, via the web at tunein.com and via mobile phone app, with pre-game coverage starting one hour prior to kickoff.
 
This week's game will continue a 21-game streak in which at least one of the teams has been nationally ranked, with 1998 being the last time neither team was. However, Sacramento State has put a monkey wrench into the championship hopes for both teams, as the Eagles and Grizzlies enter with identical 2-1 Big Sky Conference marks.
 
Back on Oct. 5, Eastern was ranked as high as 21st in the FCS when Sac State beat the Eagles 48-27 in Sacramento. A week later, the Hornets knocked off No. 6 Montana State 34-21 on the road, then last Saturday (Oct. 19) beat then fifth-ranked Montana 49-22 in Sacramento.
 
Overall this season, Eastern is 3-4 overall and the Grizzlies are 5-2. Montana is ranked in the top 10 in FCS, while EWU is unranked and came off a much-needed bye. A year ago, after losing on the road at Weber State 14-6, Eastern went on a six-game winning streak after its bye to advance to the NCAA Division I Championship Game.
 
 "Seven-straight is a long stretch to be playing back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "So the bye did come at a good time, much like last year (after a loss at Weber State). It allows us to re-group, re-focus and look back at a few things we need to do self-scout-wise in all three phases.
 
"Every game is a tall task," he added. "You put so much effort and energy into a week of preparation, and then you play it out in three hours."
 
While EWU is unranked for the third-straight week (only four times total since 2011), UM is 10th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision poll by STATS and 11th by the American Football Coaches Association. Sac State is off it its first 3-0 league start in school history, and has jumped to No. 7 in the STATS poll and No. 8 by the coaches. The Hornets are coached by former Eastern offensive coordinator Troy Taylor.
 
In their last outing, the Eagles had a 40-0 start to an overwhelming 54-21 home victory over Northern Colorado on Oct. 12, improving to 3-4 overall – a perfect 3-0 at home and 0-4 on the road. The Eagles, picked to repeat as Big Sky Champions, are 2-1 in the league.
 
After starting the 2019 season 2-4, Eastern dropped out of the national rankings on Oct. 7 for only the second time since 2011. When Eastern beat Northern Colorado 54-21 on Oct. 12, it was the first time since 2011 EWU had been unranked entering a game. The Eagles had been ranked 46-straight times in the STATS poll, and 103 of the last 104 (EWU had a 57-week streak ended with the final poll of the 2015 season). In preseason rankings in 2019, EWU was ranked fourth by STATS and third by the American Football Coaches Association – both the highest of the season -- before falling to Washington.
 
Last year was the first time since 1982 that Montana and Eastern didn't play on the football gridiron, which was the end result of the shuffling of teams and "rivals" in the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles will get a chance to host the Grizzlies in 2020, but that will be the lone Cheney meeting between the two schools in a seven-year span from 2017 to 2023.
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
Eastern is 30-17 Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents, Including 10-8 Versus Top 10 Foes
 
Montana will be the 63rd time Eastern has faced a team ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (STATS), as well as the 131st against a ranked foe.
 
The Jacksonville State game was the first time and only time thus far in the 2019 season the Eagles played a ranked team in FCS in the STATS weekly poll. Eastern, ranked fourth at the time by STATS, lost 49-45 to the 17th-ranked Gamecocks. However, Washington (ranked in FBS) and North Dakota (ranked 25th in the FCS coaches poll but not by STATS), means EWU actually faced three ranked foes in EWU's first five games.
 
Despite falling to the Gamecocks, Eastern was 5-2 versus ranked opponents in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 2018 and have now won 64 percent of its games (30-17) versus ranked teams since 2010. Eastern is 59-71 in 130 games overall against ranked teams since becoming a member of that classification in 1983 (then known as I-AA). Since 1983, Eastern is 1-7 versus ranked FBS foes, and a loss to Washington (ranked 13th by the media and 12th by the coaches) in 2019 was the eighth such foe EWU has faced.
 
The Eagles are 9-35 all-time versus top 5 opponents (4-7 since 2010), including 2-8 versus No. 1 (0-2 since 2010). Eastern is also 10-8 versus top 10 foes since 2010, including a 5-3 mark in the regular season and 5-5 in the playoffs Eastern is 19-43 in 62 games all-time versus top 10 opponents.
 
Overall, EWU has faced the No. 1 team in FCS 10 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. One of the losses was in 2016 in Fargo, N.D., when North Dakota State beat No. 8 Eastern 50-44 in overtime. The following season, EWU was ranked seventh and lost 40-13 to second-ranked NDSU in Cheney. Eastern lost a third time to the top-ranked Bison by a 38-24 score on Jan. 5, 2019, in the NCAA Division I Championship Game.
 
In 2018, Eastern also beat the No. 9 team in NCAA Division II at the time when EWU blasted Central Washington 58-13 to open the season. The Eagles then defeated a ranked 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 over a ranked opponent before that was versus No. 12 Richmond 38-0 on Dec. 10, 2016, in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs.
 
Eastern, however, fell 14-6 to No. 13 Weber State on Oct. 13, 2018, in Ogden, Utah, in another game versus a ranked foe, then registered victories over No. 4 UC Davis (59-20), No. 15 Nicholls (42-21), No. 7 UC Davis (34-29) and No. 12 Maine (50-19), with the latter three wins coming in the FCS Playoffs. The Eagles then fell to top-ranked North Dakota State 38-24 in the NCAA Division I Championship Game in Frisco, Texas.
 
 
For 21st-Straight Time, Eastern-Montana Game Includes a Nationally-Ranked Team
 
The answer to this week's Eagle-Grizzly trivia question is 1998.
 
Back in 1998, Eastern was just 3-3 and Montana was 4-3 when the two unranked teams met in Spokane, a game the Griz won 30-27. But from 1992-97 and in every meeting from 1999-2019 (two in 2014 and none in 2018), at least one of the two teams have been ranked – 27 of the last 28 games all totaled in a series Montana leads 27-17-1. However, EWU has had the upper hand in the series since 2012, winning six of the last seven meetings with a pair of victories in Missoula.
 
Even more impressive is the that the 2017 season was the first time in the 11 meetings that both teams were not nationally ranked, and now it's happened in two-straight meetings. Montana was not ranked in 2017 when EWU was 11th. Prior to 2008, the last time both teams were not game ranked came in 2007 when No. 1 Montana needed a field goal with 26 seconds left to beat the unranked Eagles 24-21 in Missoula.
 
In a series full of drama, the 2016 meeting between Eastern and Montana was 16th time in the last 22 meetings that both teams entered the game nationally ranked. Each won eight times in those 16 meetings. Interestingly, in the first nine Montana was the higher-ranked team; in the last seven EWU was rated higher. The higher-ranked team was 11-5 in those 16 nationally-ranked matchups. The 2013 game was the first time both teams entered ranked in the top 10, with the collective ranking of 13 the best ever.
 
Below are the 16 matchups from 1996-2016 (two in 2014) when both squads have entered the game nationally ranked. Eastern is 8-8 in those games, with road victories in 1997, 2005 and 2013. Eastern picked up a home win in 2010 in the debut of Eastern's red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field, and in 2012 in the debut of EWU's new videoboard.
 
2016 - #3 Eastern Washington 35, #16 Montana 16 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2015 - #22 Montana 57, #10 Eastern Washington 16 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2014 - #4 Eastern Washington 37, #12 Montana 20 (FCS Playoffs in Cheney, Wash.)
2014 - #5 Eastern Washington 36, #11 Montana 26 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2013 - #3 Eastern Washington 42, #10 Montana 37 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2012 - #7 Eastern Washington 32, #21 Montana 26 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2011 - #12 Montana 17, #10 Eastern Washington 14 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2010 - #18 Eastern Washington 36, #6 Montana 27 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2009 - #3 Montana 41, #21 Eastern Washington 34 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2008 - #12 Montana 19, #23 Eastern Washington 3 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2005 - #12 Eastern Washington 34, #2 Montana 20 (in Missoula, Mont.)
2004 - #5 Montana 31, #23 Eastern Washington 28 (in Cheney, Wash.)
2001 - #3 Montana 29, #15 Eastern Wash. 26 (2 overtimes in Missoula, Mont.)
2000 - #9 Montana 41, #18 Eastern Washington 31 (in Spokane, Wash.)
1997 - #17 Eastern Washington 40, #2 Montana 35 (in Missoula, Mont.)
1996 - #1 Montana 34, #20 Eastern Washington 30 (in Cheney, Wash.)
 
 
More Facts About the Eastern-Montana Rivalry
 
Eastern is 6-15-1 in Missoula, winning in Missoula in 1990, then again in 1992, 1997, 2005, 2013 and 2017 when EWU would go on to win Big Sky Conference titles. Head coach Aaron Best has been a part of EWU teams who have registered wins in Missoula in 1997, 2005, 2013 and 2017 (his first season as head coach), and losses in 1999, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2015.
 
Eastern has come out on top in six of the last seven meetings with the Griz, and seven of the last nine. In fact, the Eagles are 13-1 since 2012 against their rivals from the Treasure State – UM (6-1) and Montana State (7-0). The lone loss was EWU's venture to Missoula in 2015 which yielded a 57-16 thumping at the hands of the Griz.
 
Just one year after that humbling 41-point setback, the Eagle defense allowed just 16 points in the rematch in 2016 at Roos Field in EWU's 35-16 victory. The 16 points for the Griz was their lowest total in the last 33 games in the series dating back 32 years to a 14-14 tie in 1984. The two teams combined for 995 yards of offense, with EWU winning despite a 540-455 yardage advantage for Montana.
 
Eastern then won 48-41 in Montana in 2017, before the addition of Idaho to the league in 2018 resulted in EWU and Montana not playing each other that season for the first time since 1982. Idaho -- and no longer Montana – is now considered to be EWU's "rival" by the league and will play each other every season. Portland State is EWU's other "rival," while Idaho will face Montana every year starting in 2020.
 
The result is that Montana is now in the schedule rotation for EWU with the other nine league schools, and Eastern will host Montana just once in a four-year span (on Oct. 3, 2020). Eastern goes to UM on Oct. 8, 2022, but doesn't play the Griz in both 2021 and 2023. Thus, unless a non-conference game is scheduled, EWU will have played Montana at Roos Field just once in a seven-year span from 2017 to 2023.
 
 
Eagles Record Second-Most Points in the Second Quarter and First Half Versus UNC
 
Eastern scored early and often versus Northern Colorado on Oct. 12 in a 54-21 victory, and nearly broke a pair of school records in the process.
 
Eastern's 40 points in the first half were the second most since becoming a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 1983, ranking only behind the 41 EWU scored versus Cal Poly in 1994. The 30 points the Eagles scored in the second quarter ranked only behind the 31 Eastern scored in a 2014 game versus North Dakota.
 
Earlier this season, EWU had a 28-point effort versus Jacksonville State to equal the second-best effort in the first quarter (EWU had 29 versus Central Washington in 2004). Eastern has had numerous 40-point performances in the second half in school history, including 47 versus Portland State last year which were just two from the record of 49 set on two occasions. The most points scored in the third quarter were 36 versus UC Davis in 2016 and the most in the fourth quarter came versus Cal State Northridge with 35 in 2001.
 
 
Eastern in FCS Statistics
 
Eastern enters the Montana game ranked fifth in the FCS in total offense (497.6), eighth in passing (326.3), 41st in rushing (171.3) and 13th in scoring (37.3). Defensively, Eastern is 52nd in rushing defense (149.1), 107th in passing defense (274.4), 90th in total defense (423.6) and 102nd in scoring defense (35.9) among 116 FCS schools. Eastern also has the 12th-most first downs in FCS with 173, is 26th in third down conversions (43.8 percent) and 10th in blocked kicks (two field goals and one punt). Eastern is also 21st in turnovers gained (14) and 23rd in turnover margin (plus 0.71 per game, with 14 takeaways and nine giveaways).
 
Individually, Eastern's Eric Barriere is third in FCS in total offense per game (350.3) and fifth in passing (319.9), and is eighth with 20 touchdown passes and sixth in points responsible for (21.4 per game with 20 TDs passing and five rushing). Running back Antoine Custer Jr., who has had a pair of 100-yard performances this season, is 36th nationally in rushing (81.6) and 39th in rushing touchdowns (six). Talolo Limu-Jones is 34th with five touchdown catches, Dre' Sonte Dorton is 69th in receiving yards (68.1 per game) and Andrew Boston is 55th in receptions (5.0 per game; 30 total). Dehonta Hayes is eighth in tackles (10.4 per game; 73 total), and Dylan Ledbetter is second in FCS with two blocked kicks and is eighth with two fumble recoveries.
 
Montana, meanwhile, joins EWU in the top 10 in both total offense (sixth, 481.1) and passing (ninth, 317.9), but have been more efficient on third down (11th, 47.4 percent) and scoring (11th, 38.3). Individually, quarterback Dalton Snead is ninth in total offense (319.4) and 14th in passing (288.4), as well as sixth in completion percentage (.672). Snead, however, was injured versus Sacramento State and replaced by Cam Humphrey.
 
 
For Second-Straight Year, Eastern Picked to Win Title
 
The Eagles proved the prognosticators right in 2018, so they'll try to do the same thing again in 2019 with a current 2-1 start to the league season.
 
For the second-straight year, Eastern has been picked to win the 2019 league title by both the coaches and media as the picks were released July 15 at the Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff in Spokane. The Eagles are the defending NCAA Football Championship Subdivision runner-up after sharing the Big Sky Conference title with UC Davis and Weber State.
 
It's the third time since 2014 the Eagles have been picked No. 1 in both polls, 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 in 2017 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, 2016 and 2018, giving the Eagles a total of 10 league titles. Despite losing 25 seniors from last year's squad that finished 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the league, Eastern has another veteran squad with 22 seniors and 48 total letter winners back.
 
The Eagles received 25 first-place votes and 536 total points among the 43 ballots cast by the media, and received 10 of the 13 first-place tallies and 140 total votes by the league's 14 coaches (coaches don't vote on their own teams). UC Davis was second in both polls with 510 votes by the media and 127 from the coaches, followed closely by Weber State (472, 124). Montana and Montana State flip-flopped the next two places – the Grizzlies were picked fourth by the coaches and fifth by the media, and the Bobcats were fourth in the media poll and fifth in the rankings of coaches.
 
Interestingly, Eastern plays just one of the teams picked from No. 2 to No. 5, playing at Montana on Oct. 26. Besides the game versus the Griz and a Sept. 28 game versus Big Sky defector North Dakota, EWU's league games are versus Sacramento State (11th coaches/12th media), Northern Colorado (13th/13th), Northern Arizona (6th/6th), Idaho State (7th/7th), Cal Poly (9th/9th) and Portland State (10th/10th). Eastern plays Idaho (8th/8th) in a non-conference road game on Sept. 21.
  
 
Eagles Have Impressive 55-10 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
 
The Eagles have won 55 of their last 65 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. Included are current stretches of 45 victories in the last 53 games (including two at the end of the 2012 season) and 23 of the last 27 (since 2016). Including three wins at the end of the 2009 season, Eastern has a 65-13 record in league games since then
 
 Including four non-conference victories (two versus MSU, and one each against Cal Poly and Northern Arizona), two playoff wins (Montana and UC Davis) and one loss (Idaho), the Eagles are 61-11 since the 0-2 start in 2011 and 51-9 since the end of the 2012 campaign.
 
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 56-year history of the league was Montana, which won 50 of 55 games from 1995-2002 and 46 of 51 from 2003-2009.
 
What is perhaps most impressive is Eastern's ability to consistently win on the road versus conference foes, with records of 23-6 on the road, 27-3 at home and 50-9 overall in the last seven-plus seasons since 2012. Since then, Eastern has defeated every Big Sky team on the road at least once, including former Big Sky member North Dakota and a 2012 non-league road victory at Idaho, which re-joined the league in 2018. Until losing at Southern Utah in October of 2017, the Eagles had won their previous road game versus all 13 other league members.
 
 
Walter Payton Award Candidate Eric Barriere Among FCS Leaders in Passing
 
Junior quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate Eric Barriere has had a productive start to the season, and is coming off the second-most productive outing of his career. He is third in FCS in total offense per game (350.3) and fifth in passing (319.9), and is eighth with 20 touchdown passes and sixth in points responsible for (21.4 per game with 20 TDs passing and five rushing).
 
He completed 28-of-43 passes for 445 yards and five touchdown passes for EWU in a 54-21 victory over Northern Colorado on Oct. 12 in which EWU led 40-0 at halftime. It was the sixth 300-yard passing performance of his career, and coupled with his 41 yards rushing, his 486 yards were the second-most of his career and 10th with at least 300. He now has 18 plays of at least 40 yards after a 58-yard scoring pass to Talolo Limu-Jones and a non-scoring 44-yarder to Jayson Williams.
 
One game earlier versus Sacramento State, he had 309 yards passing with two touchdowns and a career-high 103 rushing and a TD. He accounted for 412 of EWU's 497 yards of total offense, including a 92-yard touchdown run after he was flushed out of the pocket by Sacramento State. That equaled the fourth-longest run in school history, ranking only behind runs of 96 by Taiwan Jones (2009 versus Idaho State), 95 by John Ditz (1954 versus Lewis & Clark) and 94 by Sam McPherson (2018 versus Northern Arizona). It was the longest run by a quarterback, with the previous long set by Barriere versus Southern Utah in 2018 when he had an 85-yard TD run (he also had a 66-yard scoring run at Portland State in 2018). The Eagles had four runs of at least 81 yards in 2018.
 
He accounted for all four of EWU's touchdowns with two rushing and two passing against Idaho on Sept. 21. He had just 74 passing yards at halftime, but finished 28-of-46 for 365 yards, with another 20 on the ground. His rushing TDs (2), pass attempts (46), and total plays of offense (57, including 11 rushing) were all career highs. He had the second-most yards in total offense of his career with 424, ranking only behind the 556 he had versus Lindenwood on Sept. 7.
 
He had perhaps his fastest start as an Eagle on Sept. 14 at Jacksonville State, completing 11-of-12 passes for 156 yards in the opening quarter to help EWU to a 28-7 lead. However, EWU failed to score in the fourth quarter and JSU won 49-45, as Barriere finished 24-of-43 for 294 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
 
One game earlier versus Lindenwood when EWU had a school-record 769 yards of offense, Barriere accounted for 556  by himself to rank as the 14th-most in Big Sky Conference history and just four away from the school record. That helped him earn Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors from College Sports Madness, as well as honorable mention from STATS for the National FCS Offensive Player of the Week award that wide receiver Dre' Sonte Dorton won. Barriere completed 32-of-46 passes for 522 yards, five touchdowns and an impressive 200.76 passing efficiency rating. He recorded the second-most passing yards in school history and just missed the top 14 in the 56-year history of the league (528 yards is No. 14 on the list). He rushed for 34 more yards, giving him 556 to come four yards from the EWU total offense record of 560 set by Gage Gubrud in 2017 versus Montana in which he also set the passing yards record of 549. Barriere's previous career highs were 352 passing yards and 405 yards of total offense.
 
Barriere now has had 10 performances of at least 300 yards of total offense and six with at least 300 yards passing in his 26 games as an Eagle (12-6 as a starter). He has completed 60.3 percent of his passes (366-of-607), good for 4,827 yards, 45 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and has rushed 182 times for 874 yards and 14 more TDs. He had a passing efficiency rating of 146.9 as a sophomore, 150.8 this year and a 147.0 mark in his career to currently rank fifth in school history. His touchdown passes rank eight and his total of 5,701 yards of offense already rank seventh all-time at EWU.
 
Barriere was extremely productive throwing the ball in 2018 as an injury replacement for All-American Gage Gubrud (now at Washington State), finishing 13th in FCS in passing efficiency (146.9), 29th for passing yards overall (2,450) and 13th in touchdown passes with 24 after setting school and FCS Playoff records with seven versus Maine on Dec. 15. He was ninth with 198 total points responsible for and was 26th in average per game (14.14). He also finished 45th in total offense per game (218.8). Barriere averaged 6.2 per carry and finished with 613 yards on the ground to break the school record of 606 set by Gubrud in 2016.
 
In 2018, Eastern finished as the only school to rank in the top 20 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, rushing and passing. The Eagles averaged 528.2 yards on offense to rank third in FCS, including 255.9 rushing (10th) and 272.3 passing (20th). Eastern was also ranked fourth in scoring (43.1). The Eagles as a team finished the 2018 season with a school-record 6.62 average per rush on the season to break the previous record of 6.41 set in 2001. The Eagles set team records for rushing yards (3,839) and rushing touchdowns (41).
 
 
Custer Over 2,000 Yards Rushing in His Eagle Career With Eight Games of 100+
 
Behind a starting offensive line that has 193 games of experience and 152 total starts between them, Eastern has had a trio of impressive rushing performances this season, rushing for at least 174 yards in four of its seven outings.
 
Senior Antoine Custer Jr. had career highs for both rushing yards (184) and carries (28) at Jacksonville State on Sept. 14. His performance included a non-scoring 62-yard run, giving him eight plays of 40-plus yards in his career. One game later, he had 134 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in a 35-20 win over North Dakota on Sept. 28 when the Eagles had a season-high 284 on the ground. That eclipsed the total of 247 yards versus Lindenwood on Sept. 7 in which Custer had 47 yards and a score.
 
Custer, Tamarick Pierce and Dennis Merritt entered the 2019 season as seniors, although Merritt is a potential candidate for a sixth year after suffering a serious lower leg injury versus Lindenwood on Sept. 7. Through seven games, Custer has 571 yards and a 4.4 average per rush this season, ranking 36th nationally in rushing (81.6) and 39th in rushing touchdowns (six). He is followed by quarterback Eric Barriere with 213 yards (five touchdowns) and true freshman Silas Perreiah with 198 yards (4.5 per carry), including 126 and a score versus North Dakota. Merritt has 87 yards (7.2 per rush) and Pierce has yet to play in 2019 and may be a redshirt candidate. Redshirt freshman Micah Smith rounds out the running back corp in 2019, with Perreiah joining Smith in making their debuts as Eagles versus Lindenwood on Sept. 7.
 
Custer, an honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2018, was a second team all-league pick in 2017 when he rushed for 776 yards and 10 touchdowns. He now has 2,388 rushing yards (4.9 per carry) and 29 touchdowns in his 42-game career (27 as a starter). He also has 703 receiving yards on 83 catches with three scores, and 499 yards and one more score on kickoff returns for a total of 3,590 all-purpose yards (85.5 per game). He's scored a total of 33 touchdowns as an Eagle to rank sixth in school history. His rushing total currently ranks 10th and his average of 23.8 per kickoff return is 10th.
 
Although he has yet to make his first appearance in 2019, Pierce has rushed for 837 yards and 15 touchdowns in 35 games with 11 catches for 104 yards; Merritt has 559 yards and four touchdowns rushing, and another eight catches for 147 yards and a score in 30 games; and quarterback Eric Barriere has another 874 rushing yards with 14 scores in 25 games.
 
Eastern had a record-breaking 2018 campaign, with Custer, Pierce, Merritt and Barriere combining for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns with an average per carry of 7.21. Eastern's running game set school records for most yards (3,839) and rushing touchdowns (41) in a single season. The previous records were 3,130 yards set in 10 games in 1950 (313.0 average) and 32 TDs in 2014.
 
Eastern averaged 6.62 yards per carry to rank second in FCS in 2018, compared to a 4.0 average for opponents. Only Davidson's 7.44 average per rush was better in FCS, and the Eagles broke the previous school record of 6.4. The Eagles averaged 528.4 yards on offense to rank third in FCS, including 255.9 rushing to rank 10th.
 
Custer averaged 6.4 per carry as a junior, Pierce was at 7.86, Merritt had a 7.86 average and Lewis finished at 7.4 during a redshirt season that saw him play in three games. The school record is 7.88 set by Taiwan Jones in 2010. Custer finished his junior season with 613 yards and eight scores in 11 games played; Pierce had 550 yards and seven TDs; Merritt had 345 with a trio of scores; and Lewis has 52. From his quarterback position, Eric Barriere averaged 6.2 per carry and finished with 613 yards on the ground to break the school record of 606 set by Gage Gubrud in 2016.
 
 
Called "Eagle-Shirts," True Freshmen Getting Chance to Shine
 
Like they did in 2018, Eagle head coach Aaron Best and his coaching staff have made decisions on a game-by-game basis in 2019 on which, if any, of the team's 24 true freshmen would play in game. The team allows selected "Eagle-Shirts" to suit up and potentially play, but the No. 1 focus is on making sure those players are physically and mentally ready to play Division I football. Starting in 2018, the NCAA passed a rule that allows student-athletes to play in up to four games and retain their redshirt status for that season.
 
Thus far, seven true freshmen have seen action, starting Sept. 7 versus Lindenwood when running back Silas Perreiah and offensive lineman Isaac Flemmer played. Perreiah ended up rushing seven times for 19 yards in that game and scored his first career touchdown on a reception for three yards. In the next game at Jacksonville State, Perreiah and three others saw action, and two made big plays in the first quarter. Marlon Jones Jr. forced a fumble on a kickoff return that was recovered by EWU and led to a touchdown. Later, true freshman defensive lineman Sebastian Gomez deflected a pass that was intercepted. Gomez had a pair of tackles, and also seeing action on the defensive line was Brock Harrison. Gomez also played at Idaho, and was joined by Nick Kokich, who punted twice including a 54-yarder and Jordan White who played on special teams.
 
Perreiah, Kokich and White all played against North Dakota on Sept. 28, with Perreiah rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown and Kokich punting nine times for a 37.7 average with a long of 59 to equal the 38th-longest in EWU history. Perreiah, Kokich, and Harrison also played versus Sacramento State, with Kokich punting six times for a 41.3 average with a long of 54 and three punts downed inside the Hornet 20-yard line.
 
Eastern's 40-0 halftime lead versus UNC on Oct. 12 helped seven true freshmen to see action, including a trio making their Eagle debuts. Running back Kyle Bryant carried six times for 20 yards, offensive lineman Matthew Hewa-Baddege was in for 10 snaps and Warren Hardin saw action in eight. In addition. Flemmer, White, Perreiah and Kokich all played.
 
Perreiah has played in five games and is no longer a redshirt, and Kokich has played four but is expected to finish out the season as EWU's punter. Perreiah has 198 yards rushing, two catches for six yards and has scored twice. Kokich is averaging 40.9 yards in 21 punts this season, with seven downed inside the opponent 20-yard line and a long of 59 to equal the 38th longest in EWU history.
 
 
Ledbetter Recovers Two Fumbles Versus North Dakota After Two More Blocked Kicks at Idaho; Continues Legacy of #4 Jersey
 
Honored nationally for blocking two more kicks at Idaho on Sept. 21, Eastern senior Dylan Ledbetter has continued the legacy of being awarded the No. 4 jersey at Eastern, a tribute that has existed for more than 10 years. He blocked a field goal in both the first half and second half versus the Vandals to give him a school-record six in his career and earn honorable mention from STATS for the National FCS Defensive Player of the Week award. He followed that with the first two fumble recoveries of his career in a 35-20 win over North Dakota on Sept. 28. Entering EWU's game on Oct. 26, he is second in FCS with two blocked kicks and eighth with two fumble recoveries.
 
A team co-captain in 2019, Ledbetter earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a junior when he had 45 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, broke-up three passes and blocked three kicks. Ledbetter has 10 sacks in his 47-game career (28 as a starter), with totals of 141 tackles, five passes broken up, a school-record six blocked kicks and two fumble recoveries.
 
Since the 2008 season when senior Jason Belford had the number, the coaching staff has selected a leader on defense to wear the jersey. It symbolizes the defensive player who most embodies the characteristics of defense at Eastern -- grit, toughness, effort, leadership and academic success.
 
Although the honor isn't necessarily given to the most talented defensive player on the team, Eastern has had 11-straight players in that number earn All-Big Sky honors, and 13 of a possible 14 since Eastern joined the league in 1987. Below is the list of players who have worn that number since EWU became a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 1984 (Big Sky in 1987).
 
Name – Year - Pos. -  Hometown / Previous School
Hunter, Darryl - 1983-84-85-86 - DB - Tacoma, Wash. / Foss HS
%Corr, Dominic - 1986-87-88-89 - RB - Seattle, Wash. / Garfield HS
%Wright, Harold - 1990-91-92-93 - RB - Tacoma, Wash. / Lakes HS '89
Givens, Roderick - 1995 - DB - Auburn, Wash. / Auburn HS '94
#%Brightful, Lamont - 1998-99-00-01 - WR - Everett, Wash. /Mariner HS '97
%Williams, A.J. - 2002-03 - DB - Lacey, Wash. - North Thurston HS '01
%Dotson, Anthony - 2005-06-07 - DB - Federal Way, Wash. / Federal Way HS '03
%Belford, Jason - 2005-06-07-08 - DL - Tacoma, Wash. / Lincoln HS '04
#%Sherritt, J.C. - 2007-08-09-10 - LB - Pullman, Wash. / Pullman HS '06
%Brown, Allen - 2010-11-12-13 - DB - Tacoma, Wash. / Foss HS '09
%Raynes, Todd - 2012-13-14-15 - DB - Kenmore, Wash. / Inglemoor HS '11
%Zamora, Miquiyah - 2013-14-15-16 - LB - Pasco, Wash. / Chiawana HS '12
%Havili, Albert - 2013-14-16-17 - DL - Federal Way, Wash. / Federal Way HS '13
%Fettig, Mitch - 2015-16-17-18 - DB  - Olympia Wash. / Olympia HS '14
%Ledbetter, Dylan - 2016-17-18-19 - DL - West Seattle, Wash. / O'Dea HS '15
 
#All-America selection (Brightful was first team in 2001, second team in 2000 & second team in 1999 as return specialist, and honorable mention in 2001 as a wide receiver; Sherritt was the Buck Buchanan Award winner in 2010, and first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker).
 
%All-Big Sky Conference selection (Corr was first team in 1989 & second team in 1989 as return specialist; Wright was Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 1989, and first team in 1991 & second team in 1992 as a running back; Brightful was first team in 2001 as a wide receiver and return specialist, first team in 2000 as a return specialist, second team in 2000 as a wide receiver and first team in 1999 as a return specialist; Williams was honorable mention in 2003 and 2002 as a safety; Dotson was second team in 2007 as an outside linebacker; Belford was second team in 2008 and honorable mention in 2007 as a defensive end; Sherritt was the Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2010, first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker & honorable mention in 2008 as a linebacker; Brown was second team in 2012 & honorable mention in 2013 as a safety; Raynes was third team in 2015 as a safety; Zamora was first team in 2016 & honorable mention in 2014 as a linebacker; Havili was second team in 2017 as a defensive end; Fettig was third team in 2018 & 2017 & honorable mention in 2016 as a safety; Ledbetter was honorable mention in 2018 as a defensive tackle).
 
 
Senior Chris Schlichting Has Started All 47 Games in His Career For a Quartet of Offensive Linemen With 147 Career Starts
 
Second-team All-Big Sky senior offensive tackle Chris Schlichting has started in each of EWU's 47 games in his last three-plus seasons for the Eagles. He started all 14 games as a redshirt freshman in 2016, all 11 in 2017, all 15 in 2018 and seven thus far in 2019. Senior center Spencer Blackburn has a streak of 44 consecutive starts since taking over the position in the fourth game of the 2016 season. He's earned second-team All-Big Sky honors in each of the last three seasons.
 
Senior offensive tackle Tristen Taylor had started 28-of-28 games as an Eagle until a season-ending knee injury kept him out of the lineup on Sept. 22, 2018, versus Cal Poly. He has now started 35 games, and coupled with the 25 starts by Kaleb Levao, the four offensive linemen have combined to start 151 games (174 total games of experience) for the Eagles.
 
Guard Will Gram made the first start of his career against Washington, but now has 34 games worth of experience and started EWU's first six games. However, junior Conner Crist made his first start on Oct. 12 versus Northern Colorado and has 19 games of experience. Thus, including Crist in the starting lineup, that's a total of 152 starts and 193 games played for the EWU starting five through the first seven weeks of the season.
 
More importantly, EWU is 34-13 overall (72.3 percent) and 23-4 (85.2 percent) in Big Sky Conference play in the last three-plus seasons.
 
 
Total of 15 Players Have Made Starting Debuts Thus Far
 
Junior Conner Crist made the first start of his career (at left guard) versus Northern Colorado on Oct. 12, giving EWU a total of 15 players who have made their starting debuts in 2019. Crist is a 2016 graduate of Tigard (Ore.) High School, and the UNC game was his 19th as an Eagle.
 
Prior to that, senior defensive end Darnell Hogan made the first start of his career at Sacramento State on Oct. 5. Hogan is from Seattle and graduated in 2015 from Cleveland High School, and the Sac State game was his 31st as an Eagle as he finished with 23 total snaps.
 
Nose tackle Keith Moore made the first start of his Eastern career against North Dakota on Sept. 28, as did Dylan Ingram as a second tight end to begin the game. Moore, a 2016 graduate of Olympic High School in Bremerton, Wash., finished with four tackles, including a forced fumble on a sack for a loss of nine yards, and another tackle for loss of three yards. Ingram is a 2017 graduate of Camas (Wash.) HS, and his brother, Dawson, is a true freshman for the Eagles in 2019.
 
Senior linebacker Trevor Davis Jr. made the first start of his career as an injury replacement for Chris Ojoh against Idaho on Sept. 21, and the 2015 graduate of Tumwater (Wash.) High School finished with a career-high eight tackles. Junior defensive nose tackle Rudolph Mataia Jr., made the first start of his career one game earlier in EWU's game at Jacksonville State on Sept. 14, becoming the 10th Eagle to make his starting debut this season. The 2016 graduate of Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Wash., wasn't credited with any tackles, but did play 40 snaps in the game.
 
Against Lindenwood on Sept. 7, redshirt freshman cornerback Tre Weed made the first start of his career for the Eagles at cornerback. Weed finished with three tackles and had a pass broken up. The 2018 Sumner (Wash.) also returned three punts for 10 yards with a long of eight. He played in four games a year ago as a true freshman, mostly on special teams, but retained his redshirt status.  
 
Eight Eastern players made the first starts of their careers in Seattle on Aug. 31 when EWU played Washington. They included senior Will Gram as the starter at left guard, Dennis Merritt at running back and Dre' Sonte Dorton at wide receiver. On defense, first-time starters include "Buck" end Mitchell Johnson, nose tackle Caleb Davis, rover Joe Lang and cornerbacks Ira Branch and Darreon Moore. On special teams, sophomore Trevor Bowens made his debut as EWU's punter, junior Andre Slyter takes over as EWU's placekicker and sophomore Cody Clements is in his first year as long snapper.
 
Gram is a 2015 graduate of Troy (Idaho) High School where he played 8-man football, and the UW game was his 28th as an Eagle. Merritt is a senior from Cascade HS in Leavenworth, Wash., and entered the 2019 season with 28 games of experience. Dorton is also a senior and is out of Chiawana HS in Pasco, Wash., and he saw action in his 28th game versus Washington.
 
Johnson played in all 15 games in 2018 and earned first team Freshman All-America honors as a backup to Nick Foerstel (first two games behind Keenan Williams). He is a 2017 graduate of West Linn (Ore.) HS. Davis is a 2017 Bonney Lake (Wash.) HS graduate who finished with 26 tackles and a sack in 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2018.
 
Both sophomores, Branch is a 2017 graduate of Mount Tahoma HS in Tacoma, Wash., and Moore is from Pasco, Wash., and graduated the same year from Kamiakin HS. Both were backups in 2018, with Branch finishing with three tackles in seven games played, and Moore having 11 in 14 games.
 
Four other players in a group of 21 redshirt freshmen also made their Eagle playing debuts at Washington, including tackle Brad Godwin, guard Charlie Baumann, wide receiver Freddie Roberson and tight end Julian Houston on offense. Also playing versus UW among that group of 21 redshirts were seven of the nine players who played as true freshmen in 2018 and were able to still redshirt because of new NCAA legislation. They included defensive tackle Joshua Jerome, defensive end Zion Fa'aopega, running back Isaiah Lewis, tight end Aiden Nellor, linebacker Justin Patterson and cornerbacks Darrien Sampson and Tre Weed. In addition, Washington transfer Jusstis Warren made his Eagle debut versus his former team.
 
In the next game versus Lindenwood, running back Micah Smith, running back Silas Perreiah, offensive lineman Isaac Flemmer, kicker Seth Harrison and wide receiver Michael Taras played in their first games as an Eagle. Perreiah and Flemmer were the first two Eagle true freshmen to play this season, but can retain their redshirt status if they play in four games or less this season. In addition, wide receiver Anthony Stell Jr. made his season debut for EWU versus Lindenwood after playing in one game as a true freshman in 2018.
 
Three true freshmen – Sebastian Gomez, Marlon Jones Jr. and Brock Harrison -- made their Eagle debuts at Jacksonville State on Sept. 14. Two more, Nick Kokich and Jordan White, made their debuts on special teams at Idaho on Sept. 21. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Champ Grayson made his Eagle debut versus North Dakota on Sept. 28. A trio of true freshmen – Warren Hardin, Kyle Bryant and Matthew Hewa-Baddege – made the first appearances of their Eagle careers on Oct. 12 versus Northern Colorado.
 
On special teams, Slyter handled kickoffs previously for EWU, but had only kicked four extra points and hadn't attempted a field goal prior to the 2019 season. Eastern's Roldan Alcobendas was a perfect 16-of-16 a year ago, and also handled EWU's punting duties. Clements is replacing Curtis Billen, who spent the previous four seasons as EWU's long snapper.
 
Eastern entered the 2019 season with a total of 20 players returning with 253 games of starting experience, including 10 players on defense with 72 starts and 10 on offense with 181 starts. Here are the current number of starts by EWU players on the 2019 roster.
 
Current Starts on Defense (149 starts by 20 players): Dylan Ledbetter 28, Dehonta Hayes 16, Jim Townsend 16, Chris Ojoh 11, Tysen Prunty 11, Calin Criner 11, Jack Sendelbach 10, Mitchell Johnson 7, Tre Weed 6, Joe Lang 5, Darreon Moore 5, Trevor Davis Jr. 4, Kedrick Johnson 3, Ira Branch 3, Anfernee Gurley 3, Keith Moore 3, Caleb Davis 2, Rudolph Mataia Jr. 2, Andrew Katzenberger 2, Darnell Hogan 1.
 
Current Starts on Offense (258 starts by 15 players): Chris Schlichting 47, Spencer Blackburn 44, Tristen Taylor 35, Antoine Custer Jr. 27, Kaleb Levao 25 (including 1 as defensive lineman), Eric Barriere 18, Andrew Boston 18, Jayce Gilder 12, Jayson Williams 9, Johnny Edwards IV 8, Will Gram 6, Dre' Sonte Dorton 6, Conner Crist 1, Dylan Ingram 1, Dennis Merritt 1.
  

Eagles Play 1,000th Game in School History
 
Eastern beat North Dakota 35-20 on Sept. 28 on Hall of Fame Day at EWU, but it was also Eastern's 1,000th football game in school history. Now in its 111th season in program history, Eastern has played 1002 games and has 556 wins, 423 losses and 23 ties for a .566 winning percentage since 1901. The Eagles are in their 36th season as a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) and 33rd season as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
 
 
Eastern Now 52-0 Since 2010 When Winning the TO Battle
 
In the last 11+ seasons (2008-19), the Eagles are now 61-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 24-8 when they've been tied and 22-33 when they've lost (total of 107-42). The last time EWU lost a game 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 52-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 21-8 when they've been tied and 20-26 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 93-34 (73.2 percent), with 26 of those 34 losses (76 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 56 percent of EWU's wins coming when they've won the turnover battle (78 percent when including ties).
 
Eastern is currently 21st in FCS in turnovers gained (14) and 23rd in turnover margin (plus 0.71 per game, with 14 takeaways and nine giveaways). Neither team had a turnover in the first game of the season between EWU and Washington, then EWU lost the battle versus Lindenwood 2-1 and tied Jacksonville State 2-2. Eastern lost by another 2-1 margin at Idaho, but swung the tide by winning 6-0 versus North Dakota. Eastern was tied 2-2 versus Sacramento State and won 2-1 versus Northern Colorado. In 2019 thus far, Eastern is 2-0 when it has won the turnover battle, 1-2 when it has more turnovers and 0-2 when tied.
 
In the final 12 games of the 2018 season, Eastern had a plus-16 turnover advantage (32 takeaways and 16 giveaways), but in the first three the Eagles were a negative six (two takeaways and eight giveaways). For the season, Eastern was second in turnovers gained with 34, was third with 22 interceptions and ranked 16th overall in turnover margin (34 takeaways, 24 giveaways, +0.67 per game).
 
In 2018, Eastern was 9-0 it when it won the turnover battle, 1-3 when it had more turnovers and 2-0 when tied. In 2017, EWU was 3-0 when it won the turnover battle, 3-3 when it lost and 1-1 when it was tied. Eastern finished the 2017 season at minus 10 turnovers for the season, ranking EWU 105th out of 123 FCS schools in turnover margin (-0.91 per game), 90th in turnovers lost (23) and 105th in turnovers gained (13).
 

Dorton Returns Kickoff For Touchdown a Week After Receiving National Accolades for Receiving
 
The day started off with another bang for Dre' Sonte Dorton on Sept. 14 at Jacksonville State when he returned the game's opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. It was his second career return for a TD, dating back to his first on Sept. 17, 2016, when he had a 93-yarder versus Northern Iowa. After a 50-yard catch at Idaho on Sept. 21, Dorton now has nine plays of at least 40 yards in his career, including a 78-yard reception for a touchdown on the game's first offensive play on Sept. 7 against Lindenwood.
 
Dorton had a record-breaking day receiving against Lindenwood, helping him earn honors as the STATS NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Week in helping EWU to a school-record 769 yards of total offense.  Dorton broke the school record with 289 receiving yards on 15 receptions, which equaled the fourth most. For his breakout game, he also earned honorable mention FCS National Player of the Week honors from College Football Performance Awards.
 
Dorton's 289 yards broke the receiving yardage record set by current Los Angeles Ram Cooper Kupp with 275 at Northern Colorado on Oct. 24, 2015. Interestingly, both Kupp and Dorton wore the No. 10 jersey on their record-setting days, which came up short of the Big Sky record of 333 yards. Dorton's 15 catches equaled the 15th-most in Big Sky history, and were fourth in school history with Kupp owning the record of 20 at UNC. Dorton's previous single-game bests were two catches and 52 yards, and he entered the game with 17 catches for 220 yards and four touchdowns in 28 career outings. Dorton's reception was a career long, and later in the game he had 59-yard TD catch.
 
He was injured on the game's opening kickoff against Northern Colorado on Oct. 12 and didn't return. After seven games in 2019, Dorton is ranked 69th in FCS in receiving yards (66.1 per game), 135th in receptions (3.9 per game; 27 total) and 64th with four touchdown catches. In his 34-game career (six as a starter), he had 43 receptions for 691 yards (16.1 per catch) and eight touchdowns, as well as 54 kickoff returns for 1,248 yards (seventh in EWU history) and a 23.1 average with two touchdowns. Including minus three yards in rushing, that gives him a total of 1,936 all-purpose yards as an Eagle.
 
 
Earning National Honorable Mention Player of the Week Honors, Calin Criner Has Big Day as an Eagle
 
Helping Eastern to a dominating 6-0 advantage in turnovers forced, junior Calin Criner had a pair of interceptions and seven tackles in EWU's 35-20 victory over North Dakota on Sept. 28. He was rewarded by earning honorable mention for STATS National Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
His first interception came in the first quarter and helped lead to a short Eastern drive and 14-0 lead. His second pick came with 11:46 to play and Eastern nursing a 28-20 lead. It was the first of four-straight empty possessions for the Fighting Hawks to close out the game. He also had a pair of tackles in the decisive fourth quarter as EWU allowed a season-low 20 points and 369 total yards. Eastern scored 21 of its 35 points as a result of the turnovers the Eagles forced.
 
Through seven games, Criner is third on the team with 438 tackles on the season, and also has two passes broken up and his two picks. He has five interceptions, 141 tackles, nine passes broken up, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his 33-game career (11 as a starter). He had 12 tackles versus Sacramento State on Oct. 5 for the fourth performance of his career with at least 10.
 
The 2016 graduate of Rocky Mountain High School in Boise, Idaho, has deep collegiate football roots. His father, Mark, is a former player at Boise State (1990 graduate) and long-time college coach with tenures at Idaho, Portland State, Utah State, Minnesota, Eastern Michigan, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, Lamar, and Colorado State Pueblo, as well as with the Las Vegas Outlaws of the now defunct Xtreme Football League. Calin is the grandson of former Boise State University head football coach Jim Criner (1976-82), who guided the Broncos to the 1980 NCAA Championship Subdivision (then I-AA) title. He was 59-21-1 overall and 34-12 in the Big Sky at BSU, and was later head coach at Iowa State (1983-86).
 
 
Slyter Has Longest Field Goal in 11 Years Versus Lindenwood, But Harrison Has Been Kicker as of Late
 
The first field goal made in the EWU career of junior Andre Slyter turned out to be the longest in 11 years for the Eagles on Sept. 7 versus Lindenwood. His 50-yarder ranked as the 17th-best in school history and it was the longest in 11 years and one day since Felipe Macias made a 52-yarder on Sept. 6, 2008. Slyter also missed a 47-yard attempt against Lindenwood, and had a 63.4 average on five kickoffs with one touchback.
 
However, he missed the second half of that game and every game after that as he has been replaced by redshirt freshman Seth Harrison. In his first action as the No. 1 kicker, Harrison made a 22-yard field goal against Jacksonville State, converted all six of his extra points, had eight kickoffs for a 58.1 average with two touchbacks and even recovered a fumble that led to an EWU touchdown.
 
Most recently, He kicked four field goals (32, 21, 21 and 23) and made all six of his extra points to finish with 18 points in Eastern's 54-21 romp over Northern Colorado on Oct. 12. All four of his field goals came in the first half as he came one kick away from the school record of five. He also had 10 kickoffs for a 52.9 average.
 
For the season, Slyter has made 1-of-3 field goals, all six of his extra points and has a 61.9 average on kickoffs with three touchbacks in his first season as EWU's placekicker. In his career he has averaged 58.6 yards in 123 kickoffs with 50 touchbacks. He's averaged 61.9 yards per kick with three touchbacks this season. He's made 10-of-13 extra points as an Eagle and had not attempted a field goal until this season.
 
Harrison is now 27-of-29 kicking extra points, 5-of-5 on field goals and has averaged 51.6 yards on 37 kickoffs (three touchbacks). Harrison and Slyter are replacing EWU career and single season kick scoring leader Roldan Alcobendas, who was a perfect 16-of-16 kicking field goals in 2018 to win the Fred Mitchell Award as the top placekicker in the nation (all levels but FBS).
 
 
Lang's Big Day Includes Fumble Return for a TD
 
Redshirt junior rover Joe Lang had some big performances as an athlete at class 1A Royal (Wash.) High School, but he had an equally huge game in EWU's 54-21 victory over Northern Colorado on Oct. 12. Starting his fifth game as an Eagle – but first in three weeks – he had a career-high seven tackles, a forced fumble, a pass broken up and a 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown which opened the floodgates to help EWU open a 40-0 lead at halftime. His forced fumble on a kickoff earlier in the quarter led to an Eastern field goal.
 
On its way to a dominating 637-352 advantage in offense – 409-112 in the first half alone -- Eastern established a new school record for consecutive home victories at the current site of Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field), plus extended a long winning streak over UNC. Both streaks are at 12, as EWU hasn't lost a home on the red turf since Nov. 4, 2017.
 
For the season, Lang has 23 tackles and three passes broken up, in addition to his fumble forced and fumble recovered. The former walk-on had just six tackles in six previous games as an Eagle special teams player entering the 2019 season.
 
While an All-State defensive back and running back in high school, he led Royal to a perfect 14-0 record with a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 28-7 win over Kings for the State 1A title. He went on to win state titles in the long jump (21-9 1/4) and triple jump (42-0) at the State 1A Championships in 2016 at EWU, which has been the site of the meet annually since 1996.
 
 
Four Current Eagles Have Completed Coursework Toward Degrees
 
Four seniors have already completed requirements toward their bachelor's degree, and another seven are on track to finish by the end of the fall quarter, which begins on Sept. 25.
 
Linebacker Jack Sendelbach graduated following spring quarter in marketing, and is now in a graduate program for sport and recreation administration. Safety Dehonta Hayes completed studies toward his communications studies degree at the end of summer quarter and is enrolled in communication studies graduate school for fall quarter. Center Spencer Blackburn has completed his economics major, but won't graduate until he finishes his second major in accounting this fall. Wide receiver Jayson Williams completed his marketing major, but won't graduate until winter with a double major in finance.
 
The student-athletes who can complete requirements toward their degrees this fall are Bradley Alexander (business management), Conner Crist (communication studies), Darnell Hogan (communication studies), Andrew Katzenberger (business management), Tysen Prunty (communication studies), Jim Townsend (biology) and Kaleb Levao (communication studies).
 
In fall quarter of 2018, Eastern's players had a combined 3.07 grade point average, and the accumulative average GPA of the Eagles is 3.06. 
 
 
EWU Board Approves Task Force Recommendation to Renovate Football Stadium
 
The Eastern Washington University Board of Trustees (BOT) unanimously approved a $25 million private fundraising strategy to renovate the existing football stadium after long-awaited pre-design plans were unveiled Sept. 6, 2019, on the EWU campus.
 
A BOT-appointed task force recommended the renovation plan after studying all fundraising and facility enhancement opportunities, since state dollars cannot be used. Part of the review involved working with ALSC Architects of Spokane to create stadium renderings that would reflect a realistic project the university could pursue.
 
Renovating the stadium will be a game-changer for Eastern as it will create a dynamic venue with all new seats, premium seating options and an expansion of the east side stands. 
 
"We like to talk about Eagle grit, and it's certainly taken a lot of grit and hard work to get to this point," says Lynn Hickey, director of athletics at EWU. "Eagle Nation deserves a space that matches the strength, passion and hard-work of a program and is a point of pride throughout the region and beyond. This is a reasonable plan that will give us that space."
 
Hickey notes the stadium's overall seating capacity won't increase much under the plan, but fans will enjoy better seats and improved sight lines, with more seatback chairs, covered club level seating and private loge box seating. Additional amenities include more concessions and new restrooms located on both sides of the stadium, reflecting feedback from surveys and focus groups. The track will also be removed to create a more intimate environment.
 
"This stadium renovation plan will elevate the whole campus year-round," says EWU President Mary Cullinan. "It will help Eastern recruit more high-caliber student-athletes and make that game day experience even more memorable."
 
Construction will begin once the funds are raised, however the immediate need is to replace the red turf before the beginning of the 2020 football season. For more information including a media kit with renderings and frequently asked questions, visit http://ewu.edu/stadium.
 
 
Eastern Receives $5 Million Gift Toward Stadium Renovation
 
Just two weeks after unveiling renovation plans, EWU announced a $5 million gift from a prominent local business owner—the largest individual private gift ever made to Eastern. EWU Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey revealed on Sept. 19 that Jack Gillingham, a Cheney resident who owns several businesses on the West Plains and in Spokane, made the gift to inspire others to also "Advance the Standard" of Eastern Athletics. The $5 million gift will be structured around an initial payment to expedite the replacement of the Roos Field's red turf, with the remainder disbursed over the next four years.
 
"I wanted to step up because I believe in the vision and the team Lynn Hickey has put together to move the Eastern athletic department further into greatness," said Gillingham. "This gift is a statement to and for the community to get behind this project, which can be a catalyst for the local economy. It's a rallying cry for current and future supporters to get involved to make this a reality."
 
"Jack and I discussed EWU's need for a champion to get this renovation kick-started," said Hickey. "He didn't hesitate to get on board, and he is very gracious and generous to make this commitment. The entire university will benefit from this—not just our department, the football program and our fans—as it will open doors for other philanthropists to support academics, scholarships and programs."
 
Sr. Associate Athletic Director Devon Thomas said Eastern has been accepting gifts and pledges since the announcement of the stadium renovation. The 52-year-old stadium will be completely renovated with all new seats including new premium seating offerings. Those who make gifts and pledges now will be contacted regarding options of how their contributions may be utilized toward future seating options.
 
Thomas said stadium naming rights are still available, and that the school is working with Gillingham to thoughtfully recognize his generous contribution, which included an on-field check presentation at North Dakota game on Sept. 28.
 
"I'm overjoyed to contribute to this visionary project," added Gillingham, who owns American Onsite Services, Barr-Tech and Northwest Industrial Services. "This project is real and EWU Athletics and the rest of the university will get it done."
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* Montana leads the all-time series 27-17-1, but EWU has won six of the last seven and seven of the last nine. But prior to that, Montana had won six of the previous seven meetings. Overall, Eastern is 6-15-1 in Missoula, 10-11 in home games and 1-1 in games played at neutral sites.
 
* The Eagles shared the 2004 and 2005 Big Sky titles with Montana, but the Grizzlies won or shared every league title from 1998-2009. Until Southern Utah won the title outright in 2015, Eastern was the only Big Sky school other than Montana to win the outright title from 1997-2014, doing it in 1997, 2013 and 2014. The Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs in both 1997 and 2013. The 1997 team was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. Montana's streak of league titles ended at 12 as EWU and MSU shared the 2010 title.
 
Like the History of the Series, Eagle-Grizzly Game in 2017 Comes Down to Wire Again
 
The 2017 meeting was the renewal of a rivalry that has seen Eastern now come out on top in six of the last seven meetings and seven of the last nine. Since 1990, Eastern has now won six times on UM's home field in Missoula (after the 1990 victory, wins in Missoula in 1992, 1997, 2005 and 2013 have eventually yielded Big Sky titles for the Eagles, and the sixth win was in 2017).
 
Eastern, however, won just twice at home from 1990-2009. The lone win over Montana from 1990-2009 at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) came in 1991, but Eastern's change to a red synthetic Sprinturf surface and change of name altered its success in Cheney with consecutive home wins in 2010, 2012, 2014 (twice) and 2016. Eastern also won in 2002 in a home game played at Spokane's Albi Stadium against the top-ranked Grizzlies.
 
Fourteen recent games in the Eastern versus Montana series have been decided by margins of 10 points or less. In the 2014 regular season meeting, Eastern took a 33-10 lead in the third quarter before Montana rallied to make it a one-score game. Eastern kicker Tyler McNanny capped a late 58-yard drive with a 34-yard field goal with 28 seconds to play to provide the final margin in a 36-26 Eagle win. In 2013, the Eagles had to recover an onside kick with 1:41 to play to preserve a 42-37 victory. In 2012, Eastern prevailed 32-26, scoring twice in the last 2:19 to pull out the victory. The game in 2011 also went down to the wire as the Eagles lost 17-14 after edging Montana 36-27 in 2010 in the first game on the red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field. Eastern ended that meeting with a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
 
The winner has usually piled up points and yardage by the ton. In 2017, Eastern had 617 yards and Montana finished with 538 for a total of 1,155 in EWU's 48-41 victory. In 2016, the two teams combined for 995 yards, with EWU winning 35-16 despite a 540-455 yardage advantage for Montana.
 
In fact, Eastern has had at least 600 yards in total offense in four games against the Grizzlies. Eastern had 697 yards of total offense in 1986, 658 yards in 1997 in a 40-35 win, 564 in a 24-23 loss in 2007, 541 yards by the Eagles in a 34-20 win in Missoula in 2005, 540 in a 42-37 win in 2013 and 503 in a 2010 victory in Cheney. In 2013, the two teams combined for 1,029 total yards, and one year earlier had 980. In the last 32 meetings the winning team has averaged 34.6 points. In 10 of those 32 games the two teams have combined for at least 70 points, including a 41-34 Grizzly win in Missoula in 2009, EWU's 42-37 victory in 2013, Montana's 57-16 romp in 2015 and EWU's 48-41 triumph in 2017.
 
The 2017 meeting was the first time in the last 11 meetings that both teams were not nationally ranked. The last time that happened was in 2007 when top-ranked Montana needed a field goal with 26 seconds left to beat the unranked Eagles 24-21 in Missoula.
 
 
Looking Back to 2017 . . . #11 Eastern Washington 48, Montana 41: The 11th-ranked Eagles scored 42 second-half points to rally from a 24-6 halftime deficit and opened the 2017 Big Sky Conference season with a 48-41 victory over Montana Sept. 23, 2017, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana. Junior quarterback Gage 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, and wide receiver Nic Sblendorio had the second-best receiving performance in Eagle history with 18 catches, good for 189 yards. He had tie-breaking 3-yard TD pass from Gubrud with 6:53 left to cap a 58-yard drive to give the Eagles a 41-34 lead. Eastern expanded it to 48-34 on a 10-yard TD run by Antoine Custer Jr. with 2:12 to play. The EWU defense did its part by recording three key stops in the fourth quarter. Montana punted on the first, then EWU's Nzuzi Webster had the tackle on a fourth-down play with 4:54 remaining. After Eastern took the lead for good, the defense followed with another fourth-down stop with inside of three minutes left. Eastern's first 10 possessions included seven trips inside the Montana 25-yard line for the Eagles, but EWU managed only a pair of field goals. After getting out-gained 307-220 in the first half, the Eagles had a dominating 259-68 advantage in the third quarter. The Eagles finished with 617 yards while Montana finished with 538. Eastern opened the third quarter with a 51-yard kickoff return by Dre' Sonte Dorton, and that led to EWU's first touchdown drive of the day. After a Montana field goal gave the Grizzlies a 27-13 advantage, Eastern scored two touchdowns within a 27-second span to knot the game at 27-all. A 32-yard touchdown pass from Gubrud to Dorton started the barrage, then the next two plays were an interception by Josh Lewis and then a 50-yard TD reception by McPherson to tie the game. Gubrud completed 44-of-65 passes for 549 yards, four touchdowns and had 11 rushing yards. Nsimba Webster had 13 catches for 143 yards, and Dorton finished with 174 all-purpose yards (two receptions for 40 yards and a TD, five kickoff returns for 134 yards). Mitch Fettig had 13 and Ketner Kupp had 10.
 
Looking Back to 2016 . . . #3 Eastern Washington 36, #16 Montana 16: Third-ranked Eastern scored 21 unanswered first half points and then struck twice in the third quarter to run past 16th-ranked Montana 35-16 in a Big Sky Conference showdown Oct. 29, 2016, at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Eastern's sensational senior receiver Cooper Kupp had touchdown receptions of 69, 40 and 5 yards, plus a 54-yard pass to sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud that set-up another score. Gubrud passed for 327 yards and four scores, with Kupp finishing with eight catches for 140 yards. But it was Eastern's defense that reversed a 57-16 loss in 2015 in Missoula to a 19-point victory in the 2016 rematch. Eastern held Montana nearly 30 points below its season average of 44.9 points per game, and it was the fewest Montana has scored in the series since 1984. Although Montana out-gained Eastern 540-455, Eastern averaged 7.3 yards per play compared to 5.7 for the Grizzlies.  Montana had 94 offensive plays, but Eastern's defense held the Grizzlies to just two touchdowns, plus a field goal for UM's only points in a 43:50 span and 35-3 EWU scoring run. Eastern had interceptions by sophomores Mitch Fettig and Alek Kacmarcik, and sacks by Samson Ebukam and Dylan Donohue. Four of Montana's seven possessions in the first half ended with an interception, a missed fourth-down conversion, a missed field goal and two punts. In the second half, Eastern had an interception and forced Montana to punt four times – including a pair of three-and-outs. Trailing 7-0, Eastern scored late in the first quarter on a 69-yard scoring strike from Gubrud to Kupp. On EWU's next possession, on what appeared to be a reverse, Kupp found Gubrud for a 54-yard pass play to the Montana 2-yard line. Eastern's Tamarick Pierce then scored to give Eastern a 14-7 lead it wouldn't relinquish. Gubrud completed just two of his first nine passes, but finished 21-of-37 and extended his string of passes of passes without an interception to 222 until the Grizzlies tipped and intercepted a pass in the third quarter. Senior Kendrick Bourne had five catches for 124 yards. Fettig and safety Zach Bruce each had 13 tackles, and linebackers Miquiyah Zamora and Kacmarcik finished with 11 apiece.
 
Looking Back to 2015 . . . #22 Montana 57, #10 Eastern Washington 16: The 10th-ranked Eagles had six turnovers and allowed No. 22 Montana to open leads of 27-3 in the first half and 50-9 in the third quarter in a resounding 57-16 Big Sky Conference loss to the Grizzlies Nov. 14, 2015, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont. The turnover total included two that were returned for scores by Montana. The Grizzlies took a 27-3 lead just 20 minutes into the game, then scored 20 points in the first 7:21 of the second half. Cooper Kupp finished with six catches for 118 yards, and also had a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first half. Terence Grady had six grabs for 78 yards, and Kendrick Bourne had five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown reception from Kupp. Three Eastern quarterbacks combined to complete 22-of-45 passes for 319 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Reilly Hennessey made his first career start and completed 7-of-12 passes for 113 yards in the first half. He was shaken up on a sack in the second quarter and didn't return. Jordan West was 7-of-19 for 119 yards and two interceptions, and Gage Gubrud made his Eagle debut at quarterback and finished 7-of-13 for 66 yards, a 1-yard touchdown run and an interception. Alek Kacmarcik led the Eagles with 11 tackles, Keenan Williams had seven tackles and Victor Gamboa forced a fumble and recovered it at the EWU 32-yard line, leading to a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kupp to Bourne. Eastern was just 2-of-15 on third down while the Grizzlies converted half of theirs (9-of-18).
 

More Series Notes . . .
 
* Eastern's 1990 game one of the greatest comebacks in school history, as EWU picked up its first victory at Washington-Grizzly Stadium with a 36-35 victory. Trailing 35-17 with 11:03 left in the game, Tom Owens caught three touchdown passes from Scott Stuart in the final 7:46, including the game-winning score with 18 seconds to play on an 80-yard drive. In relief of EWU starter Mark Tenneson, Stuart was 12-of-24 for 217 yards, and Owens caught 12 passes for 177 yards.

* In EWU's 2014 playoff win, it was a story of balance for Eastern as the Eagles defeated Big Sky Conference rival Montana 37-20 in a second-round game in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs Dec. 6 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles won the turnover battle 3-1, and turned a pair of Grizzly turnovers into 10 points in the second half. Eastern also used a blocked punt by senior Ronnie Hamlin to help open a 7-0 lead early in the game, and led by as many as 17. The Eagles never trailed and scored in every quarter, increasing their streak to 44-straight quarters dating back to August 30. Eastern passed for 182 yards in the game and rushed for 212, with Quincy Forte finishing with 128 on the ground for his fourth 100-yard performance in seven games played. The Eagles finished with a season-low 394 yards of offense, but their defense made up for it by holding Montana to 347. The Eagle defense finished with two interceptions, a fumble, four sacks and three passes broken up, and held Montana to just 5-of-14 on third down. Junior Vernon Adams Jr., who passed for 410 yards and four touchdowns against Montana on Nov. 8 in his return from a foot injury, completed 24-of-35 passes for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore Cooper Kupp had a career-high 12 catches – the eighth-most in school history – for 86 yards for the Eagles. The Eagles were up just 7-3 late in the second quarter when they mounted a 15-play, 81-yard scoring drive that took 3:35 off the clock. A 3-yard touchdown run by Adams gave EWU a 13-3 halftime lead, then EWU made it 20-3 by scoring with the first possession of the second half. Adams capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 23-yard TD pass to Cory Mitchell, as Montana had the ball in that stretch for just nine seconds compared to 7:36 for the Eagles.

* Earlier in the 2014 season, Vernon Adams Jr. returned after missing four games with a broken foot to pass for 410 yards and four touchdowns, and the fifth-ranked Eagles held off No. 11 Montana 36-26 on Nov. 8 in a pivotal game in the chase to the 2014 Big Sky Conference football title. Thanks to the passing of Adams and a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by sophomore Cooper Kupp, Eastern jumped out to a 33-10 lead in the third quarter. Montana rallied to make it a one-score game, but EWU kicker Tyler McNanny capped a late 58-yard drive with a 34-yard field goal with 28 seconds to play to provide the final margin.  Adams completed 25-of-37 passes against the Grizzlies with no interceptions, and Kupp finished with eight catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. Shaq Hill finished with eight catches for 114 yards and a touchdown and had a total of 179 all-purpose yards. Nic Sblendorio had career highs with five catches for 89 yards for the Eagles, including a brilliant one-handed 32-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. Eastern had interceptions by Ronnie Hamlin and Tevin McDonald to win the turnover battle 2-1. Montana entered the game leading FCS with just four turnovers in nine games and was 10th in turnover margin (+0.89 per game with 12 takeaways). Ahead just 33-26 with 2:32 to play, Adams had completions of 17 yards to Kupp and 23 and eight yards to Sblendorio to pick up key first downs and move the ball to the Montana 16-yard line. Included was a key third-down completion after the Eagles had converted on just 5-of-12 to that point. The Eagles converted in the red zone with a 34-yard field goal by Tyler McNanny to clinch the win, which was set-up by a 10-yard run by Mario Brown -- the longest rush for an Eagle running back in the game.  Eastern's defense had a total of 11 passes broken up, three quarterback hurries and a pair of sacks. A crowd of 11,339 attended the Montana game, ranking third in school history behind crowds versus Montana of 11,702 in 2010 and 11,583 in 2006.

* In the 2013 meeting, the third-ranked Eagles couldn't shake 10th-ranked Montana and had to hold off the Grizzlies 42-37 on Oct. 26 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Behind career days for sophomore quarterback Vernon Adams and freshman Cooper Kupp, the Eagles won in Missoula for the first time since 2005. Eastern scored 21-straight points spanning halftime to take a 42-17 lead entering the final period. Eastern had a 214-46 advantage in offense in the decisive third quarter. Adams completed 27-of-40 passes for a career-high 457 yards, and his six TDs tied the school record. Kupp had his 10th and 11th touchdown catches of the season to finish with 11 grabs for 182 yards. Kupp also recovered an onside kick with 1:41 left to enable the Eagles to run out the clock for the win. Eagle speedster Shaq Hill had an 86-yard TD grab in the first half. The Eagles finished with a 540-489 advantage in total offense. Quincy Forte rushed for 70 yards in the win, and senior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin led the defense with 10 tackles.
* In 2012, No. 7 Eastern scored two touchdowns in the final 2:19 to rally for a 32-26 victory over 21st-ranked Montana Grizzlies on Sept. 29 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The two scores, aided by a successful onside kick, came within 1:26 of each other. Eastern put together an 82-yard scoring drive to pull within two points on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Vernon Adams to Brandon Kaufman. After Shaq Hill successfully recovered an onside kick for the Eagles that was deflected by Kaufman, Eastern scored again on a 20-yard TD pass from Adams to Ashton Clark with 53 seconds to play. Adams completed 25-of-41 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns in his second career start for EWU, and also added a team-leading 54 yards rushing. He overcame an interception and a fumble in the fourth quarter to become one of several heroes for the Eagles. In the final quarter alone, Adams was 13-of-21 for 171 yards and a pair of scores.  Kaufman finished with eight catches for 138 yards and a pair of scores as he had his fifth-straight 100-yard receiving game. Four Eagles finished in double figures in tackles, including linebackers Ronnie Hamlin (14), Grant Williams (13) and Tyler Washburn (12). Safety Allen Brown had 11 stops, and redshirt freshman Jordan Tonani added eight tackles after starter Jeff Minnerly broke his collarbone on EWU's first defensive series. Montana rushed 61 times and had three players with 95 yards or more. The 407 rushing yards by Montana were the most against the Eagles since Southern Utah rushed for 535 yards in the final game of the 1998 season. The game was Eastern's home opener -- EWU's latest home start since 1981. The game also marked the debut of a new scoreboard and videoboard at The Inferno, two years after the Eagles unveiled their new red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field in a 36-27 victory over UM. The "men in black" also played in new black helmets, to go along with black pants and black jerseys.

* In the 2011 meeting in Missoula, Eastern fell behind 10-0 to the Grizzlies, but rallied to pull within three points in the fourth quarter. The 10th-ranked Eagles held No. 12 Montana scoreless on its final five possessions of the game, but Eastern was unable to score in its last three. An interception with 25 seconds to play iced the win for the Grizzlies. Montana rushed for 316 yards versus the Eagles, but was held to 34 passing yards and was out-gained in total offense 376-350.

* In 2010, the first football game on Eastern's new red Sprinturf surface was a huge success as the 18th-ranked Eagles knocked off the No. 6 Grizzlies in the Big Sky Conference opener for both schools on Sept. 18, 2010, at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Mike Jarrett nailed a 31-yard field goal with four seconds left to give Eastern a 30-27 lead, then the Eagles iced it on the final play of the game with a 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown by junior defensive tackle Renard Williams after a sack and forced fumble by sophomore end Jerry Ceja with additional pressure by senior Tyler Jolley. Junior All-America running back Taiwan Jones had 305 all-purpose yards -- including 221 rushing yards -- to lead EWU's 503-yard offensive output. The sold-out stadium featured a crowd of 11,702 as it set a new Roos Field record. The previous record of 11,583 was set on Oct. 7, 2006 versus Montana. Eastern also set a new record for student attendance of 3,105, as the previous high was 2,218 in a 2008 game versus Montana.

* Other games in the series have also been filled with suspense. Eastern knotted the 2009 meeting at 34 with 4:58 to play, only to have the Grizzlies drive for the winning score with 1:18 left in a 41-34 victory. In 2007, Eastern kicked a go-ahead field goal with 2:20 to play before top-ranked Montana kicked the game-winner with 26 seconds to play after converting a fourth-and-10 play. Eastern wide receiver Aaron Boyce had the fourth-best receiving effort in Big Sky Conference history with a school-record 17 catches in the 2007 meeting to earn NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Week honors from The Sports Network. His 232 receiving yards were the second-most in school history, and Eagle quarterback Matt Nichols passed for a career-high 451 yards to rank third all-time at EWU at the time.

* In 2004, Montana blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt by the Eagles with 18 seconds remaining as the 23rd-ranked Eagles fell to the fifth-ranked Grizzlies 31-28 in a showdown for first place in front of a Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) record crowd of 10,754.

* In 2002 at Albi Stadium in Spokane, Eastern beat the No. 1 ranked and unbeaten Grizzlies 30-21, ending Montana's record-tying winning streak in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision at 24 games. It was the first Big Sky Conference loss for UM head coach Joe Glenn, and snapped Montana's record winning streaks of 25 Big Sky games in a row and 13 league road games in a row. And in the process, the Eagle victory opened the door for Montana State and Idaho State to share the conference title with the Grizzlies.
 
 
 
 

More Team Notes

 
Eagles Now 54-10 on The Red Turf With Record 12-Game Winning Streak
 
Having won all five of its regular season home games in 2018 and a trio of playoff games, Eastern has extended its current home winning streak to a school-record 12 in the 2019 season. Eastern is now 55-10 (84.6 percent) overall at Roos Field since 2010. The stadium has been known as "Roos Field" since 2010 when a new red synthetic Sprinturf surface made its debut. Eastern's last home loss came on Nov. 4, 2017, versus Weber State.
 
At its current site, the previous school record was 11 consecutive home wins set between 9/16/78 and 9/27/80 (between losses was from 11/19/77 to 11/1/80). Overall, the school record is 21 set from 1935-40. Eastern had a nine-game winning streak snapped in a 36-21 loss to Montana State on Sept. 24, 2011. The Eagles also had a nine-game winning streak at that venue snapped against Sacramento State on Oct. 21, 2000, when the Hornets made a 23-yard field goal with no time remaining.
 
Eastern has lost just six regular season games at "The Inferno" – 42-6 (87.5 percent), plus are 13-4 (76.5 percent) in playoff games. The only regular season losses at home for EWU since 2010 are to conference foes Montana State (2011), Portland State (2011 and 2015), Northern Arizona (2015) and Weber State (2017), as well as North Dakota State (2017).
 
Eastern finished a perfect 8-0 in its debut season at "The Inferno," including three playoff victories. Eastern has won 84.1 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 166-65 record (71.9 percent) in 231 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.
 
 
Through First Six Games, Eagles Were Looking for More Consistency
 
Through six games and an uncharacteristic 2-4 start to the season, Eastern head coach Aaron Best found his team looking for improved consistency– "Jekyll and Hyde" performances as he pointed out after a particularly lopsided performance at Idaho on Sept. 21.
 
In the 13 quarters Eastern had an advantage in total offense in those first six games, the Eagles were averaging 163.8 yards per quarter (52.2 rushing/111.5 passing) and 13.1 points while completing 65.0 percent of their passes. That equated to a game average of 655.0 yards (208.9/446.2) and 52.3 points. Opponents in those 13 quarters were averaging 77.8 yards (29.7/48.2) and 7.5 points, equating to a game average of 311.1 yards (118.5/192.6) and 30.2 points. Eastern registered four shutouts of their opponent in those 13 quarters.
 
In the other 11 quarters, EWU was shut-out five times and has scored a total of 37 points (3.4 per quarter, equating to 13.5 per game), while opponents scored 132 (12.0 per quarter, equating to 48.0 per game). The yardage totals were 65.2 per quarter for EWU (31.5 rushing/33.7 passing) to equate to 260.7 per game (125.8/134.9), compared to 145.6 per quarter for opponents (50.7/94.9) to equate to a game total of 582.5 yards (202.9/379.6).
 
Most recently, Eastern dominated Northern Colorado in a 40-0 first half before laying off the gas in the second half of the 54-21 win. Eastern had a 215-75 advantage in yards and 10-0 in scoring in the first quarter, and 194-37 and 30-0 in the second quarter. Thus, when adding those statistics to the 13 previous quarters EWU had a yardage advantage, the numbers in 15 quarters looked like this:
 

• EWU – 169.2 yards per quarter (51.3 rushing/117.9 passing) and 14.0 points, 65.7 percent pass completion rate (equates to game average of 676.8 yards/205.1 rushing/471.7 passing) and 56.0 points.
• Opponents - 74.9 yards (27.5/47.3) and 6.5 points, (equates to a game average of 299.5 yards/110.1/189.3) and 26.1 points. Eastern registered six shutouts of their opponent in those 15 quarters.

 
Against Sacramento State on Oct. 5, both teams had advantages in two quarters, and the game ended with EWU having a 497-471 edge in total offense. However, the difference in the game turned out to be two Eastern turnovers returned for touchdowns by the Hornets.
 
Eastern out-gained North Dakota in the first two quarters en route to a 28-7 lead at halftime. The Eagles were out-gained both quarters of the second half, but did have a 7-6 scoring edge in the final quarter thanks to a pair of turnovers gained en route to a 6-0 victory in the turnover battle.
 
Versus Idaho in a 35-27 loss on Sept. 21 in Moscow, Eastern fell behind 28-0 at halftime and was out-gained in total offense 329-103. In the second half, Eastern had a 27-7 advantage on the scoreboard and 357-134 in yards. The outcome was a reversal of a 38-14 romp past the Vandals in 2018 in which EWU led 31-0 at intermission.
 
Eastern fell at Jacksonville State 49-45 on Sept. 14 in a game in which the Eagles won the total offense battle and held the lead for all but 1:12 of the game – including leading for at least 10 points for 48:34. But the Gamecocks scored 21 points in the final 14:49 to overcome a 45-28 Eagle lead late in the third quarter. The Eagles had jumped out to a 28-7 lead in the first quarter.
 
Prior to the loss to the then No. 17/16-ranked Gamecocks, EWU beat Lindenwood 59-21 in which quarterback Eric Barriere had the 14th-best performance in Big Sky history (second all-time at EWU) with 556 yards of total offense. Eastern finished with a school record 769 yards as a team, with senior wide receiver Dre' Sonte Dorton setting a school record with his 289 yards receiving and ranking fourth with 15 catches.
 
The Eagles opened their 2019 campaign with a 47-14 loss at Washington of the Pac-12 Conference. The Huskies had entered the game ranked 13th in the Associated Press media poll and 12th by the coaches in the NCAA Bowl Subdivision after a 2018 season which saw them finish 10-4 overall and 7-2 in the Pac-12 North Division. Washington beat Utah 10-3 in the league championship game, then fell 28-23 to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
 
 
Eagles Lose at Sacramento to Snap Winning Streak in California From 2006-2018
 
Until the Eagles lost at Sacramento State on Oct. 5, it had been 14 years since Eastern had lost to a current NCAA Football Championship Subdivision opponent in California – an 8-0 record starting back to 2008. Eastern was 2-0 versus Sacramento State, 3-0 against Cal Poly and 2-0 at UC Davis in that span, with the last road loss to those three teams a 40-35 setback at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Nov. 5, 2005. The Eagles did lose to California of the Pac-12 Conference 59-7 on Sept. 12, 2009, in Berkeley, Calif.
 
Eastern, in fact, hadn't lost to a California FCS team in its previous 17 match-ups, dating back to a 15-13 home loss to Sacramento State on Nov. 1, 2008. Since then, EWU was 5-0 versus Sac State and 6-0 against both Cal Poly and UC Davis. Overall, the Eagles are now 35-7 against those three foes (83.3 percent), but are better on the road (17-3 for 85.0 percent) than at home (18-4 for 81.8 percent). Eastern is now 12-1 at Sacramento State (19-5 overall), 2-0 at UC Davis (8-0 overall) and 3-2 at Cal Poly (8-2 overall).
 
 
Eastern's 15 Pass Attempts Versus North Dakota Fewest in Nearly 30 Years
 
For an Eastern Washington football team to have just 100 yards passing and win by 15 points, you know the running game was clicking. Eastern had its fewest yards in 21 years and 255 games, equaled its fewest attempts in 29 years and 345 games, and its fewest completions in 40 years and 466 games in Eastern's weather-impacted 35-20 victory over North Dakota on Sept. 28.
 
In blizzard-like conditions, the Eagles completed 6-of-15 passes for 93 yards in the victory, while rushing for 284 and five scores. It was EWU's fewest passing yards since having 91 on Oct. 31, 1998, when EWU rushed for 192 in a 31-25 victory over Sacramento State. Eastern was 10-of-17 through the air in that Halloween contest.
 
The last time EWU had fewer attempts than 15 was back on Oct. 27, 1990, when EWU attempted 14 versus Portland State in a 21-13 win. The Eagles were 8-of-14 for 100 yards in that game, and rushed for 210. Eastern also had 15 pass attempts at Weber State on Oct. 23, 2004 (10-of-15 for 121 yards, 295 rushing in a 51-7 win) and 15 in the 1997 FCS Playoffs versus Northwestern State (9-of-15 for 196 yards, 241 rushing in a 40-10 win).
 
Eastern has never had fewer than six completions in 36 seasons (1984-2019) as a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA). You have to go back to the first game in the coaching career of Dick Zornes to find a game in which EWU completed less than that. The Eagles were 4-of-11 for 40 yards on Sept. 13, 1979, and also rushed for 237 in the 20-7 victory.
 
Even in 1999 when the Eagles rushed for a school-record 456 yards in a 48-41 victory over Cal State Northridge, EWU completed 9-of-18 passes for 132 yards.
 
 
In Terms of Weather, Eagles Face Another Extreme in Sacramento
 
The temperature at kickoff against North Dakota on Sept. 28 in Cheney, Wash., was 35 degrees and snowing, with 20-mile-an-hour winds – weather not unlike some of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoff games EWU has hosted since 2010. It was the first September snowfall in the Spokane area since 1926. The 35 degrees equaled the 17th-coldest in EWU history, but the top 16 on that list include no games prior to Nov. 4.
 
That was sandwiched around a pair of trips to sweltering locales, including an Oct. 5 game at Sacramento, Calif., where two of the four hottest games in EWU history have been played. Eastern played there in 97-degree heat (second all-time) on Sept. 26, 2009, and it was 93 (fourth) on Sept. 26, 2015, with both kickoffs at 6 p.m. The high for the Sacramento State game this time around in 2019 was 79 degrees at kickoff and sunny.
 
Eastern's game on Sept. 21 at Jacksonville State equaled the eighth-hottest at 90 degrees. The hottest home game for EWU was 93 degrees when EWU tied Portland State 31-31 at Albi Stadium in Spokane on Sept. 3, 1988. The coldest game was 12 degrees when Eastern hosted Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs at Roos Field on Dec. 16, 2016.
 
The hottest game in school history at kickoff was 106 degrees at Arizona State at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2002. It was 94 at Southwest Texas on Sept. 7, 1995, also at 6 p.m. local time, to rank third in school history.
 
 
Eagles Trade Hot & Humid for Indoors
 
The game Sept. 21 versus Idaho was Eastern's 59th game inside a dome, where the temperatures are always at about 72 degrees and wind or humidity are not factors. After the 35-27 loss, Eastern is 30-29 all-time in domes, including a 4-9 record at the Kibbie Dome. Eastern is also 14-4 at Idaho State's Holt Arena, 10-7 at NAU's Walkup Skydome, 2-0 at North Dakota, 0-1 at North Dakota State, 0-1 at South Dakota, 0-6 at Northern Iowa and 0-1 at the Houston Astrodome.
 
Playing in a dome is a far cry from what Eastern faced Sept. 14 in Jacksonville, Ala., where the game was delayed by 30 minutes to 3:35 p.m. because of lightning in the area. At kickoff it was 90 degrees with 67 percent humidity. That was the eighth-hottest game in recorded EWU history (since 1980), ranking behind the 106 at Arizona State (8/31/02 at 6 p.m.), 97 at Sacramento State (9/26/09 at 6 p.m.), 94 at Southwest Texas State (9/7/95 at 6 p.m. in San Marcos, Texas), 93 at Spokane's Albi Stadium versus Portland State (9/3/88 at 7 p.m.), 93 at Sacramento State (9/26/15 at 6 p.m.), 92 at Eastern Illinois (9/14/91 at 6:30 p.m.) and 91 at Nicholls State (9/2/04 at 6:30 p.m. at Thibodeaux, La.). On two other occasions the temperature has hit 90 degrees at kickoff.
 
The temperature for the Nicholls State game in 2004 also came with considerable humidity, and a pre-game rain shower soaked Eastern's footballs prior to the 37-14 loss. Eastern also faced severe weather at Sam Houston State on Sept. 28, 2013, when a thunder, lightning and rain storm stopped the game for 78 minutes. With a temperature of 84 degrees and 81 percent humidity, Eastern fell 49-34. There was also a similar one-hour weather delay when Eastern played at Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, Texas, on a 94-degree day on Sept. 7, 1995. Eastern won that game 34-16.
 
 
Blackburn and Levao Get Sixth Year to Help Ease the Loss of a Huge Senior Class
 
After having only 12 seniors in 2016 and 14 in 2017, Eastern had 27 on its 2018 roster. However, two of those 27 -- All-Big Sky offensive linemen Spencer Blackburn and Kaleb Levao -- were granted a sixth year by the NCAA to complete four years of eligibility because of seasons lost because of injuries. Both entered the 2019 season with 39 games worth of experience, and Blackburn entered the year with 37-straight starts with Levao starting 18.
 
Thus, Eastern's 25 lost seniors included 18 four-year letterwinners and another five who earned three. Combined, those 25 players had a total of 1,006 games played and 441 starts. Injuries to numerous Eagles helped give so many players opportunities to play and start.
 
 
Eagles Rank in the Top 12 in Both Playoff Appearances and Victories
 
The Eagles made their 13th appearance in the FCS Playoffs in 2018 to rank 12th in history, and have a 19-12 record all-time to rank eighth in wins. Head coach Aaron Best and his team had the mantra all season of "Leave No Doubt" after the team was denied a berth in 2017  after finishing 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the league.
 
"The standard around here are Big Sky championships and playoff berths, so when we don't do that it hurts," he explained. "I've been here 20-plus years and have been a part of a lot of victories, so it hurt when I couldn't tell those players in 2017 why we didn't get in. The natural response is we didn't do enough on our resume to get in, but in 2018 we didn't want to put it anybody else's hands. We weren't going to let a committee or people decide our fate. We decided our own fate."
 
 
70 Percent of EWU's Roster are from Washington in 2019
 
The Eagles have 102 players in their program in 2019, and 71 of them – 70 percent – are from the state of Washington. Eastern's coaching staff is Washington-based as well, with nine of the team's 11 full-time coaches (82 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).
 

Eagles Continue Big Sky Success With Impressive Consistency
 
Consistency has been a cornerstone of EWU Football, and the Eagles have cemented a 15-year run of winning the league title and/or advancing to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs at least every other year. Since 2004, Eastern has advanced to the playoffs and/or won the league title at least every other year, and hasn't had back-back-empty seasons since 2002 and 2003.
 
In 2018, Eastern secured its 10th Big Sky title and 13th appearance in the FCS Playoffs in what is now 35 years as a member of the FCS (formerly I-AA). Since 2010 when EWU won the NCAA Division I title, the Eagles have won league titles six times (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018) and advanced to the playoffs all six of those seasons. From 2004 to 2009 Eastern advanced to the playoffs four times (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009), and won the league title twice (2004, 2005). Eastern has three other playoff berths in school history (1985, 1992, 1997) and two other titles (1992, 1997), and has only had two multi-year stretches in which they accomplished neither. Those were both six-year stretches from between 1986-1991 and 1998-2003.
 
The Eagles have been impressive – if not dominant – in the league in the last 12 years (2007-2018), winning 80 percent of their games (77-19) and six titles. In that span, Eastern has had no league finish below 5-3 and five of them have included 7-1 or 8-0 records.


Winningest FCS Teams Since 2010 (entering 2019 season)
 
By victories . . . 1. North Dakota State 121; 2. Sam Houston State 92; 3. Eastern Washington 90; 4. Jacksonville State 85; 5. James Madison 82; 6. Kennesaw State 79; 7. San Diego 77; 8. South Dakota State 75; 9. New Hampshire 74; 10. Wofford 72.
 
By percentage . . . 1. North Dakota State .903 (121-13); 2. Harvard .778 (70-20); 3. Kennesaw State .7524 (79-26); 4. Jacksonville State .7522 (85-28); 5. Eastern Washington .750 (90-30); 6. Sam Houston State .742 (92-32); 7. San Diego .740 (77-27); 8. James Madison .713 (82-33); 9. Bethune-Cookman .696 (71-31); 10. North Carolina A&T .680 (70-53).
 
 
Eagles Continue Stretch of Success in FCS Statistics in Passing and Total Offense
 
In EWU's last 15 seasons (2004-2018), EWU has ranked in the top 10 in passing 12 times, total offense on 11 occasions and scoring six 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).
 
 
Six Eagles Make NFL Rosters in 2019, Including Rookie Nsimba Webster
 
The numbers have been tabulated, and only Harvard has more players in the National Football League than Eastern Washington University among schools at the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision level.
 
Six former Eagles were on 53-man rosters announced at the end of the 2019 preseason, including a trio of players with the Los Angeles Rams. The six former Eagles were one less than Harvard with seven, and equals the six FCS powerhouse North Dakota State has. Eastern had more than fellow Big Sky Conference member Idaho (5), as well as Delaware (5), James Madison (5), Montana (1) and Montana State (1).
 
A total of 167 players from 67 current FCS schools were part of the 32 rosters for the NFL's 100th season, which kicked off Sept. 5. Add in 43 players signed to practice squads (which go through frequent changes) and the FCS haul in the NFL was 210.
 
In 2019, rookie wide receiver/kick returner Nsimba Webster made the 53-man roster for the Rams, joining former Eagles and NFL veterans Cooper Kupp (wide receiver) and Samson Ebukam (outside linebacker). Also making NFL teams were Kendrick Bourne (wide receiver) with San Francisco, Jake Rodgers (offensive lineman) with Denver and Taiwan Jones (running back) with Houston.
 
Offensive lineman Aaron Neary had an excellent chance to make the Rams 53-man roster, but suffered a fractured ankle in late August which required surgery. Two former Eagles were released at the end of the preseason, including Jay-Tee Tiuli with the Seattle Seahawks and Ketner Kupp with the Rams.
 
Webster was an undrafted free agent, but caught 15 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown in four preseason games in 2019 for Los Angeles. He also returned three punts for 28 yards (long of 12) and three kickoffs for 70 (long of 28) to show his versatility. In his 44-game career (26 as a starter) at Eastern, Webster caught 156 passes to rank 15th in school history, good for 2,233 yards to rank 17th and 18 touchdowns to equal the 16th-most all-time at EWU.
 
Still looking for his first regular season action in the NFL, Rodgers entered the 2019 season on the roster of the Denver Broncos after originally joining the league in 2015. However, he was later taken off the 53-man roster and placed on the practice squad for Denver. He has had two stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and has also been a part of the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons organizations.
 
Bourne saw action in all 16 games for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2018 season, finishing with 42 catches for 487 yards and four touchdowns. Bourne scored his first NFL touchdown on Sept. 16, 2018, against the Detroit Lions in a 30–27 victory. In Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, he recorded his second touchdown in the 29–27 loss. He had a career-high seven catches for 71 yards versus Arizona on Oct. 28, then had a season-high 73 yards on four catches in the final game of the season on Dec. 23. 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 enters his ninth year in the NFL in 2019 and is with his third team. Jones signed a contract with the Houston Texans on May 14, 2019, as a free agent. In his eight-year NFL career entering 2019 as both a running back and cornerback, Jones has played in 80 total games with career totals of 183 yards rushing, 18 receptions for 251 yards and a touchdown, 82 kickoff returns for 1,890 yards (23.0 average) and 52 total tackles. He signed with the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 2, 2017, after getting released from the Oakland Raiders on July 28, 2017.
 
But it's the Los Angeles Rams who have captured the hearts of EWU Eagles fans since the NFL Draft in spring of 2017.
 
Cooper Kupp was a starting receiver for the Rams in 2018 after bursting onto the scene in 2017 with 62 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns to earn All-Rookie honors by the Pro Football Writers Association. His second season was cut short with a knee injury, and he missed the team's march to the Super Bowl. Kupp caught 40 passes for 566 yards and six touchdowns in the first eight games of the 2018 season for the Rams, who would go on to finish 15-4 after losing to the New England Patriots 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII.
 
Before he was injured, he and his wife, Anna, and their newborn son, Cooper Jamison, actually attended the MSU game on Sept. 29, 2018, to watch his brother Ketner Kupp play. Cooper returned to a venue he caught nine passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in 2014, and 13 for 154 and a score in his senior year in 2016. In all, Kupp caught 42 passes for 617 yards and seven touchdowns in four victories versus the Bobcats. It was the first time in two years with the Rams that Kupp was able to see the Eagles play. Just two days prior to attending the EWU-MSU game, he caught nine passes for a career-high 162 yards and had the first two-touchdown day of his career versus Minnesota. He had a 70-yard TD reception in the 38-31 victory, giving him 24 catches for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the first four games – all wins – for the Rams.
 
After his 2018 injury, Cooper, Anna and Cooper Jr. (nicknamed "June") watched Ketner play his final collegiate game on Jan. 5, 2019, at the NCAA Division I Championship Game in Frisco, Texas. After receiving a tryout with the San Francisco 49ers, Ketner Kupp reunited with four fellow former Eagles by signing a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams on May 15, 2019. Cooper was present at the signing, which was headlined by the Rams as a "Kupple of brothers living the dream." Ketner Kupp finished with 267 tackles in his career to rank 14th all-time at EWU, and started 27 of the 48 games he played as an Eagle.
 
Ebukam was a starter for the Los Angeles Rams at outside linebacker in the 2018 season, finishing with 40 total tackles, three sacks, an interception, three forced fumbles and a pass broken up. In Week 11 on Monday Night Football, Ebukam scored two defensive touchdowns off turnovers (one fumble, one interception he returned 25 yards) and forced another interception with his pass broken up in a 54-51 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, earning him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. In the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints, he recorded three tackles and a forced fumble in a tough 26-23 overtime victory. He had four tackles in a 13-3 loss in Super Bowl LIII to the New England Patriots. Ebukam had 31 tackles, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble in 16 games (two as a starter) as a rookie.
 
Neary signed a reserve/future contract on Feb. 8, 2019, to remain with the Los Angeles Rams after spending the 2017 and 2018 seasons as a practice squad player. He went with the team to Atlanta, Ga., for Super Bowl LIII where the Rams lost to New England 13-3. He did not play in a regular season games in 2018, and originally signed with the Rams on Sept. 3, 2017. He made his NFL debut on Dec. 31, 2017, versus San Francisco in the final game of the regular season for the NFC West champions.
 
With Kupp, Ebukam, Bourne and Neary, Eastern had four rookies play in the regular season in the NFL in 2017 – certainly extremely rare if not unprecedented by a FCS school. As NFL 53-man rosters were announced for 2018, STATS reported there were 157 players from 71 different FCS schools on regular season rosters, and Eastern had five to lead the Big Sky and rank sixth in FCS, trailing only Harvard (8), North Dakota State (6), James Madison (6), Illinois State (6) and Delaware (6).
 
Eastern also has five Eagles active in the Canadian Football League in 2019, including quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell (Calgary), Matt Nichols (Winnipeg) and Vernon Adams Jr. (Montreal). Defensive backs T.J. Lee III and Victor Gamboa both play for British Columbia. D'londo Tucker and Albert Havili were also both with British Columbia but didn't make the team.
 
Mitchell led the Calgary to the 2018 Grey Cup title after leading the Stampeders to the title back in 2014. He was the CFL's Most Outstanding Player in 2018 after throwing a league-best 35 touchdowns passes. He was 24-of-36 passing for 253 yards and two TDs in a 27-16 victory over Ottawa in the Grey Cup on Nov. 25 in Edmonton, Alberta. J.C. Sherritt, a veteran of eight CFL seasons, announced his retirement on Jan. 16, 2019.
  
 
Seven of EWU's 12 Games Will be on the Road in 2019
 
Eastern 12-game football schedule in 2019 includes seven road games, five at home and a couple of twists and turns along the way.
 
With the return of Idaho to the Big Sky Conference in 2018 and the departure of North Dakota, Eastern will annually play the Vandals in a league game. However, 2019 was left out as a league game because of schedules already in place. It worked out that both the Eagles and Vandals had the same open date in their schedule.
 
The Eagles and Idaho will play the final non-conference game against each other on Sept. 21 in Moscow. Starting in 2020, the two schools will be considered "rivals" by the league and will play each other every season. Portland State is EWU's other "rival," while Idaho will face Montana every year starting in 2020.
 
The Eagles opened their five-game home schedule with a 59-31 victory over Lindenwood, a NCAA Division II school in St. Charles, Mo., in EWU's home opener on Sept. 7. The Lions were a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2018, and begin play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2019.
 
Eastern's second home game was a 35-20 victory on Sept. 28 versus North Dakota, which is the last game for EWU that counts in the league standings versus the Fighting Hawks. North Dakota is in transition after leaving the Big Sky for the Missouri Valley Conference, and will begin play in that league in 2020.
 
Other home games for the Eagles are Oct. 12 versus Northern Colorado, Nov. 2 against Northern Arizona and Nov. 23 versus Portland State on Senior Day at EWU. The game versus North Dakota is Hall of Fame Day at EWU, and Homecoming is scheduled for the UNC game.
 
Eastern opened the 2019 season with a 47-14 loss at Washington of the Pac-12 Conference, and then lost a non-conference road game at Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference by a 49-45 score on Sept. 14. That game is part of a home-and home series that will also include a home game for EWU at Roos Field on Sept. 11, 2021.
 
Eastern plays four league road games – Oct. 5 at Sacramento State (a 48-27 loss), Sept. 26 at Montana, Nov. 9 at Idaho State and Nov. 16 at Cal Poly. Because of the way the calendar falls in 2019, an additional game is allowed by the NCAA in lieu of the traditional 11-game schedule collegiate teams play. The FCS Playoffs will begin on Nov. 30.
 
Eastern's 2020 schedule is also complete, and will include Big Sky home games against the top three favorites of Eagle fans – Montana (Oct. 3), Idaho (Oct. 17) and Montana State (Nov. 7). The Eagles will also host Weber State (Oct. 24) in a league counter, and host Western Illinois (Sept. 12) and Northern Arizona (Sept. 19) in non-conference games.
 
The Big Sky Conference has already announced its league football schedules for the 2020 through 2023 seasons, and as a result the Eastern Washington University football team will play Idaho on a regular basis and Montana less regularly.
 
All 13 Big Sky teams will continue to play eight conference games with four at home and four on the road. Each team will have two "rivals" it will play each season. Over the course of the four years, each Big Sky team will play each other a minimum of two times.
 
Montana, EWU's former rival prior to the return of Idaho, is now in the rotation with the other 10 league schools. Thus, EWU will host Montana just once in that four-year span (on Oct. 3, 2020), while going to UM on Oct. 8, 2022, and not playing the Griz in both 2021 and 2023. Thus, unless a non-conference game is scheduled, EWU will have played Montana at Roos Field just once in a seven-year span from 2017 to 2023.
 
On the positive side, Eastern's 2020 schedule is an anomaly, with the Eagles hosting Idaho, Montana and Montana State in the same year – the first time in EWU history that will have taken place. Eastern also hosts Montana State in 2023 and plays in Bozeman in 2021, but does not play the Bobcats in the 2022 season.
 
Complete schedules for 2019 and 2020 are available at http://goeags.com.
 
 
A Little About the Eagles in 2018
 
Despite missing nine players near the end of the season who had begun the season as starters – six on defense and three on offense -- the Eagles finished 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the Big Sky Conference to share the league title with Weber State and UC Davis. The Eagles won their last four games of the regular season, then won three home games in the NCAA Football Championship Playoffs before falling to North Dakota State 38-24 in the title game in Frisco, Texas.
 
Eastern was unbeaten with a perfect 8-0 record at Roos Field – 5-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs -- and then more than 4,000 fans showed up to support the Eagles in Frisco.
 
A total of 47 returning letterwinners are on EWU's roster as Best begins his third season at the helm. The Eagles return nine total starters – five on offense and four on defense – with 23 letterwinners back on offense, 24 on defense and a kicker. Best said on Aug. 24 following the team's final scrimmage of preseason practices that "it's going to take the entire season to get to where we need to be."
 
The veteran-laden team in 2018 will see significant changes in 2019 – from both a player and coach standpoint. Besides the returning letterwinners, Eastern also has 21 redshirt freshmen competing for repetitions. Nine of those players saw action in 2018 as part of the new NCAA rule allowing freshman to play in as many as four games and still redshirt.
 
The success of 2018 resulted in four coaches moving on, and four new coaches have been with the Eagles since spring practices began. Replacements include new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ian Shoemaker, defensive passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Allen Brown, wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Pat McCann and safeties coach Bryan Mills. In addition, Eti Ena was promoted to defensive coordinator.
 
The Eagles have back four full-time starters on defense (DT Dylan Ledbetter, DE Jim Townsend, LB Chris Ojoh, S Dehonta Hayes), plus three others who received starts and significant playing time (S Tysen Prunty, S Calin Criner, Rover Kedrick Johnson). Offensively, five starters return (QB Eric Barriere, WR Andrew Boston, C Spencer Blackburn, G Kaleb Levao, T Chris Schlichting).
 
A total of 23 All-Big Sky Conference honors were won by Eastern players in the 2018 season, including five on the first team. Six Eagles went on to win FCS All-America honors, with senior Roldan Alcobendas winning the Fred Mitchell Award as the top placekicker in the nation. Blackburn won second team All-America honors, while Barriere was honored as a sophomore All-American and Boston and defensive end Mitchell Johnson earned freshman All-America accolades.
 
And the Eagles did all that while combining for a 3.07 grade point average in the fall, and the entire team currently has a collective 3.06 accumulative GPA. In January, 32 Eagles were named to the Big Sky Conference Academic All-Conference team.
 
Now in his 23rd season as a player or coach in the Eagle program, Best was FCS Coach of the Year in a fan vote conducted by Hero Sports, and was the Big Sky Conference co-Coach of the Year. In his first two-plus years at the helm, he has compiled a 20-9 record overall (69.0 percent) and 13-3 mark in the league (81.3 percent). Both percentages ranked among the best in school history, just behind Beau Baldwin with an 85-32 overall mark (72.6 percent) in nine seasons from 2008-16, and just ahead of Baldwin's 58-14 league record (80.6 percent).
 
 
Pair of Teammates Inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 28
 
Former Eastern All-America defensive tackles Chris Scott and Dario Romero were among the 19th class of inductees into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 28, 2019, in conjunction with EWU's football game versus North Dakota at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash.
 
Scott earned Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1997 when he went on to earn six NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors, including a trio of first team accolades. He finished his career with 236 tackles, which at the time ranked sixth in school history (22nd overall through 2018) and remains a record for an Eagle defensive lineman. He had 25 1/2 career sacks to rank second in school history at the time (currently fourth through 2018), including 11 as a senior to rank at the time as the fourth-most in school history (seventh through the 2018 season). After losing 20 pounds prior to his senior season, he had a school-record 21 tackles for loss in 1997 (now third through 2018) and the 47 in his career were second at the time (now fifth). His six career forced fumbles were a school record for 13 seasons (now tied for second), and his six fumble recoveries were third (now fifth).
 
Romero, who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League and four in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins, was a 1996 graduate of Lewis & Clark High School in Spokane, and then played as a freshman on EWU's 1997 team. Before his playing career was through he would have 369 total tackles and 47 1/2 sacks in 15 total years of collegiate and pro football. Romero finished his EWU career with 172 tackles, including 22 sacks to rank fifth in school history at the time (now ninth through 2018). Romero was an honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference selection as a sophomore, then earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) All-America honors as both a junior and senior.
 
Romero began his professional career in 2001 for the Edmonton Eskimos, then spent four seasons from 2002-2005 on the roster of the Miami Dolphins and playing a total of 26 games (two as a starter) and registering 26 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks and two passes broken up. He returned to the CFL in 2006, and in 2008 and 2009 he was a West Division All-Star for the Edmonton Eskimos. He retired from professional football in 2012, and had 171 career regular season tackles in seven CFL seasons, including 22 sacks to go along with an interception and five fumble recoveries. Those are nearly identical to his stats while at EWU (172, 22).
 
Scott and Romero helped the 1997 team win the Big Sky title with a 7-1 record, advance to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs and finish 12-2. That team was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012, and both Scott and Romero were selected by the Eastern Athletic Department to the "100 for 100" All-Time Football Team, which was honored on Sept. 27, 2008, to commemorate Eastern's 100th year of football. In a fan vote, Scott was selected as the top defensive lineman in school history among the 11 players who were honored at that position.
 
Also inducted were track and field competitor Lisa Sorrell and volleyball standout Keva Sonderen, as well as the 1980 men's track and field team which was coached by Hall of Famer Jerry Martin. Established in 1996, the Hall of Fame now consists of 92 individuals and 18 teams following the 2019 induction. In addition, there have also been 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.
 
 

 

More Player Notes

 
 
Barriere and Blackburn Earn Variety of Preseason All-America Honors
 
Eastern's "battery" of junior quarterback Eric Barriere and sixth-year center Spencer Blackburn led the way in preseason honors given to EWU players entering the 2019 season. Barriere earned recognition as a first team All-American by Hero Sports, and was a listed as a FCS Player of the Year candidate by three media outlets. Blackburn was on four All-America squads, including first team accolades as one of just 24 players honored by Athlon.
 
In addition, Blackburn and Barriere were among the nine Eastern players selected to Phil Steele's All-Big Sky Conference squad. Blackburn joined defensive end Mitchell Johnson as first team selections, with offensive tackle Chris Schlichting, offensive guard Kaleb Levao and defensive tackle Dylan Ledbetter earning second team honors. Named to the third team were Barriere, running back Antoine Custer Jr., offensive tackle Tristen Taylor and linebacker Chris Ojoh.
 
 
Barriere Selected to Walter Payton Award Watch List
 
Junior quarterback Eric Barriere was selected by STATS on July 31 as one of 25 players in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision to be selected to the Walter Payton Award Watch List. Barriere was also selected to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List and was the FCS Fans Nation choice to be the division's Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, he received first team preseason All-America recognition by Hero Sports, and third team honors on the Phil Steele All-Big Sky team.
 
Barriere took over as EWU's starter midway through the 2018 season and helped lead the Eagles to the cusp of the NCAA Division I title, going 8-1 as a starter before EWU fell in the title game. He passed for 24 touchdowns and rushed for another eight in a total of 14 games played as a sophomore.
 
He is joined on this year's watch list by fellow Big Sky Conference players Troy Andersen (Montana State), Case Cookus (Northern Arizona), Jake Maier (UC Davis) and Charlie Taumoepeau (Portland State). The Eagles don't play MSU or UC Davis in the regular season in 2019, but will host Northern Arizona on Nov. 2 and Portland State three weeks later.
 
Also on the list were a pair of players from Jacksonville State, which EWU played on Sept. 14 at Jacksonville, Ala. Junior quarterback Zerrick Cooper passed for JSU school records of 3,416 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2018, and senior wide receiver Josh Pearson was the FCS co-leader and set the school record with 17 touchdown receptions in 2018. Both players were first team All-Ohio Valley Conference performers last season.
 
Eastern has previously had three Walter Payton Award Winners – wide receiver Cooper Kupp in 2015, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell in 2011 and quarterback Erik Meyer in 2005. The Eagles are the only FCS program with three Payton winners since 2000.
 
In 2016, Kupp and Gage Gubrud were second and third, respectively, in the voting. Gubrud, who was an All-American in 2016 and a starter in both 2017 and 2018, was on the preseason watch list the past two seasons. In both 2013 and 2014, Vernon Adams Jr. was the runner-up for the Payton Award.
 
In June, Barriere earned first team honors on the Hero Sports Preseason FCS All-America team. In 2018, Gubrud suffered a foot injury five games into the season and Barriere took his place for the final 10 contests. EWU won eight of those games to finish 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the Big Sky Conference to share the league title with Weber State and UC Davis.
 
 
Spencer Blackburn Among Elite Group of 28 Players Recognized on Athlon Preseason A-A Team
 
The center position is crowded when it comes to NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors, let alone Big Sky Conference honors. Sixth-year center Spencer Blackburn was selected as one of just 28 players nationally to be honored on the Athlon 2019 Preseason NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team announced June 11.
 
It was one of four preseason All-America honors Blackburn earned in the summer, as he also earned second team preseason All-America honors from STATS, Hero Sports and Phil Steele. Blackburn was listed as an offensive lineman on the Athlon team, with Zach Larsen from Southern Utah listed as the center. Larsen also earned first team honors from the other three outlets.
 
Larsen and Blackburn are the two best centers in the Big Sky Conference as evidenced by all-league teams. Larsen has been the first team All-BSC center each of the last two seasons while Blackburn has earned second team accolades in each of the last three years. In 2016 when Blackburn was a sophomore and started his string of 37-straight starts (entering 2019), Joey Kuperman from Cal Poly earned first team honors.
 
Blackburn is a sixth-year senior in 2019 after he received approval from the Big Sky Conference and the NCAA for their hardship waiver requests to receive a sixth year to complete four years of eligibility.  Blackburn is a 2014 graduate of Meridian High School in Bellingham, Wash. He redshirted in 2014, but couldn't play in 2015 because of a thumb injury. In 2018 he earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors by Associated Press (second team) and STATS (third team).
 
Blackburn entered his senior season having started 37 of the 39 games he played as an Eagle. In addition, Blackburn was a team co-captain in 2018 – and again in 2019 -- and was named in November to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He has also earned three Big Sky All-Academic honors, and has a 3.69 GPA in professional accounting. He was the 2017 recipient of the Larry Hattemer Offensive Lineman Scholarship.
 
Eastern finished as the only school to rank in the top 20 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, rushing and passing. The Eagles averaged 528.2 yards on offense to rank third in FCS, including 255.9 rushing (10th) and 272.3 passing (20th). Eastern was also ranked fourth in scoring (43.1). The Eagles as a team finished the 2018 season with a school-record 6.62 average per rush on the season to break the previous record of 6.41 set in 2001. The Eagles set team records for rushing yards (3,839) and rushing touchdowns (41).
 
 
Chris Schlichting is Lone Eagle on Preseason All-Big Sky Team
 
On a team of worthy candidates, senior offensive tackle Chris Schlichting was the lone Eastern Washington University football player picked to the 2019 Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference Team announced July 15 by the league.
 
The 2015 graduate of Mount Si High School in North Bend, Wash., entered the 2019 season having started all 40 games he played as an Eagle. He was a second team All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2018, and is one of nine Eagles returning who have previously received Big Sky accolades. Included were fellow offensive linemen Spencer Blackburn (center) and Kaleb Levao (guard), who also earned second team honors in 2018.
 
The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Schlichting started all 14 games as a redshirt freshman in 2016, all 11 in 2017 and all 15 in 2018 when EWU won a share of the Big Sky Conference championship and lost to North Dakota State 38-24 in the NCAA Division I Championship game.
 
He helped Eastern rank second in FCS in total offense with an average of 529.6 yards per game, trailing only Sam Houston State at 547.3 per outing. Eastern was the FCS leader in passing offense (401.0 yards per game), and was third in third down conversions (52.1 percent), third in completion percentage (.679), third in scoring offense (42.4), and third in passing efficiency (168.2). Eastern quarterbacks were sacked only 24 times in 620 passing attempts (one sack per 25.8 attempts).
 
In 2017, he helped Eastern rank fifth in FCS in total offense (476.7 per game), and was also eighth in passing (320.5), 14th in scoring (34.5) and 11th in third down conversions (46.1 percent).
 
In 2016, Schlichting made his debut as an Eagle starter versus Washington State (9/3/16) in EWU's thrilling 45-42 win. He helped Eastern rank second in FCS in total offense with an average of 529.6 yards per game, trailing only Sam Houston State at 547.3 per outing. Eastern was the FCS leader in passing offense (401.0 yards per game), and was third in third down conversions (52.1 percent), third in completion percentage (.679), third in scoring offense (42.4), and third in passing efficiency (168.2).


Eagles Get Two Offensive Linemen Back as Sixth-Year Seniors
 
Eagle All-America center Spencer Blackburn and All-Big Sky offensive guard Kaleb Levao will return for the 2019 football season after their hardship waiver requests to receive a sixth year to complete four years of eligibility were approved by the Big Sky Conference and the NCAA. That gave EWU four starters back on the offensive line with a collective 146 games of experience, including 123 starts (entering 2019 season).
 
Honored the past three years as a second team All-Big Sky Conference selection, Blackburn is a 2014 graduate of Meridian High School in Bellingham, Wash. He redshirted in 2014, but couldn't play in 2015 because of a thumb injury. In 2018 he earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors by Associated Press (second team) and STATS (third team).
 
"It means a ton to be able to come back and be a part of another year with such a special program," said Blackburn. "This team has the experience and structure to further advance the standard we set this last season all the way to January. Go Eags!"
 
Entering 2019, Blackburn started 37 of the 39 games he played as an Eagle, including the last 37. The Eagles finished 12-3 overall in 2018 after winning a share of the Big Sky Conference title, then won three FCS Playoff games at home to advance to the NCAA Division I Championship game. Blackburn started all 15 games for the Eagles.
 
In addition, Blackburn was a team co-captain in 2018 and was named in November to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 8 Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He has also earned three Big Sky All-Academic honors, and has a 3.69 GPA in professional accounting. He was the 2017 recipient of the Larry Hattemer Offensive Lineman Scholarship.
 
"We're excited and eager for Spencer to be back with us again in 2019," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "We're happy that he will continue to be a leader and example for his brothers on and off the field for one more season."
 
Levao, who played just two games out of 11 in 2017, started 14 of EWU's 15 games in 2018 alongside Blackburn. That means EWU will have three returning starters along the offensive line (tackle Chris Schlichting is the other), while also having back tackle Tristen Taylor who played in just three games in 2018 before being lost with a season-ending knee injury.
 
That leaves 2014 Spokane High School graduates Jack Hunter (Gonzaga Prep; 27 starts in 40 career games at guard) and Beau Byus (Central Valley; 11 starts in 37 career games as a tackle and tight end) as the lone seniors lost from the 2018 squad.
 
Eastern finished as the only school to rank in the top 20 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, rushing and passing. The Eagles averaged 528.2 yards on offense to rank third in FCS, including 255.9 rushing (10th) and 272.3 passing (20th). Eastern was also ranked fourth in scoring (43.1).
 
En route to a 12-3 finish overall and runner-up finish in the NCAA Division I Championship Game, the Eagles as a team finished the 2018 season with a school-record 6.62 average per rush on the season to break the previous record of 6.41 set in 2001. The Eagles set team records for rushing yards (3,839) and rushing touchdowns (41).
 
"It's very good and fortunate news to hear of the NCAA granting Kaleb a sixth fall," said Best. "He was one of our most consistent offensive linemen on our run to the national championship game. Having the RG and C tandem intact for another run will be exciting as we watch them write more chapters to their already incredible stories."
 
Entering 2019, Levao started 18 of the 39 games he played as an Eagle, including one as a defensive lineman. He had 14 tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2015 before moving over to the offensive line after that season. He started twice as a sophomore in 2016, both games in 2017 prior to his injury and 14 of 15 in 2018. The 2014 graduate of Aberdeen (Wash.) High School had four tackles and a sack versus Montana on Nov. 14, 2015.
 
 
Six Eagles Receive All-America Recognition, Including Four Returning in 2019
 
Among Eastern's six players to earn All-America honors in the 2018 season, four are slated to return in the 2019 season. They include Spencer Blackburn, who earned his first All-America honors after earning second team All-Big Sky Conference honors for three-straight seasons from 2016-18.  The other three were honored as All-Americans in their respective classes – quarterback Eric Barriere as a sophomore All-American (honorable mention by Hero Sports) and defensive end Mitchell Johnson and wide receiver Andrew Boston as Freshman All-Americans.
 
Blackburn was on the Associated Press second team and the STATS third squad. The Eagles have now had 23 offensive linemen earn All-America accolades in 35 years in FCS (1984-2018), including 14 first team All-Americans. They have combined for 73 honors (37 first team, 19 second team, 5 third team and 12 honorable mention).
 
Sixth-year senior kicker Roldan Alcobendas was honored on seven NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America teams as a first team selection. He was honored by the American Football Coaches Association, the FCS Athletics Directors Association, Associated Press, STATS, Hero Sports, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Publications. In being honored for his perfect season kicking field goals, he was one of just 11 players nationwide to be honored on the FCS ADA All-America squad. In addition, he was also named on Dec. 9 as the winner of the Fred Mitchell Award as the top placekicker among FCS, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and NJCAA schools.
 
Alcobendas is only the third All-America kicker in EWU's history as a member of FCS, and the first since Jimmy Pavel was honored as a first team All-American in 2012. The 2013 graduate of Camas (Wash.) High School earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors as both a kicker and punter in the 2018 season.
 
Jay-Tee Tiuli, a senior nose tackle, was a second team All-America selection by both STATS and Associated Press, and a third team pick by Phil Steele. Tiuli was the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP in 2018 and earned first team All-Big Sky honors. He is the first interior defensive lineman (not including defensive ends) to earn All-America honors for the Eagles since Renard Williams earned honorable mention in 2011 and first team accolades in 2010.
 

Freshman All-America Accolades Awarded to Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Boston
 
In a big year for the defense at Eastern, redshirt freshman Mitchell Johnson was awarded first team Freshman All-America honors in 2018 from Hero Sports. In addition, fellow redshirt freshman Andrew Boston earned honorable mention as a wide receiver. In addition, Johnson received first team honors from Phil Steele Publications and Boston was on the third team.
 
Mitchell burst on the scene in 2018 and responded with 31 tackles, a team-leading 4 1/2 sacks, a pair of interceptions, two passes broken up, a pair of quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. Johnson earned second-team All-Big Sky honors in his first season as an Eagle.
 
A 2017 graduate of West Linn (Ore.) High School, Johnson was EWU's Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year when he redshirted in 2017. He played in all 15 games as a backup in 2018, and had season highs of four tackles in three different games. He had four of his sacks in consecutive games versus Northern Arizona, Washington State and Cal Poly. Two of them came against the Cougars, and he also had a half-sack versus Maine on Dec. 15 to advance EWU to the NCAA Division I Championship Game on Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas. Mitchell also had interceptions against Southern Utah in the regular season and UC Davis in the playoffs. His fumble recovery came against Weber State on Oct. 13 – Eastern's last setback until losing to North Dakota State in Frisco. He also had a sack and forced fumble against Cal Poly on Sept. 22 which was returned 62 yards for a touchdown by teammate Jim Townsend.
 
Boston finished the season second on the team with 43 receptions for 531 yards (12.3 per catch) and four touchdowns. He had a career-high nine catches versus Idaho on Oct. 27, and had five grabs for a season-high 89 yards and a TD against Nicholls in the first round of the FCS Playoffs on Dec. 1. He scored a touchdown versus Maine in the semifinals, and had scores against Washington State and Cal Poly in back-to-back games early in the season. He is from Puyallup, Wash., and is a 2017 graduate of Emerald Ridge High School. He was the 2017 co-Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year.

 
Nine Eagles Return After Earning All-Big Sky Conference Honors
 
A total of 21 EWU players were recognized with a total of 23 honors on the All-Big Sky Conference football team in 2018, and seven of them return for the 2019 season. Plus, two other injured players who have been honored previously are playing again in 2019.
 
Center Spencer Blackburn earned second team honors for the third-straight year, and was joined by offensive tackle Chris Schlichting, offensive guard Kaleb Levao and defensive end Mitchell Johnson. On the third team was quarterback Eric Barriere, and receiving honorable mention were running back Antoine Custer Jr. and defensive tackle Dylan Ledbetter. In addition, offensive tackle Tristen Taylor was honorable mention in 2016 and 2017 and safety Anfernee Gurley received honorable mention as a freshman in 2017 for his play on special teams.
 
Blackburn, a second-team All-Big Sky choice the last three seasons, entered the 2019 season having started 37 of the 39 games he has played as an Eagle, including the last 37. Schlichting entered having started all 40 games he has played and Levao had started 18 of 39. Taylor had started all 28 he played until being sidelined with a knee injury in 2018. Thus, EWU entered 2019 with four starters back on the offensive line with a collective 146 games of experience and 123 starts.
 
Entering 2019, Ledbetter had 8 1/2 sacks in his 40-game career (21 as a starter), with totals of 119 tackles, five passes broken up and four blocked kicks. His blocks in 2018 came against Northern Arizona, Weber State and Nicholls in the FCS Playoffs. After falling behind 14-3 against Nicholls, sophomore Kedrick Johnson returned a blocked field goal by Ledbetter for a touchdown and start a run of 39 unanswered points in the 42-21 win. Ledbetter's father, Mark, played as a linebacker at Washington State and lettered from 1986-89. He played in the Aloha Bowl on Dec. 25, 1988 and had eight tackles with a sack. He went on the play in the World League after signing a free agent contract with New Orleans in the NFL, and then played in the Canadian Football League for Sacramento, Birmingham and Calgary.
 
 
Barriere Leads EWU to Trio of Postseason Wins and Was 8-2 as a Starter in 2018
 
Quarterback Eric Barriere took over as EWU's starter from the injured Gage Gubrud in Eastern's sixth game of the 2018 season, and led EWU on a seven-game winning streak with a trio of playoff wins. Barriere finished 8-2 as a starter in his sophomore campaign and was selected on Dec. 18, 2018, as an honorable mention Sophomore All-America selection by Hero Sports besides earning third team All-Big Sky honors.
 
He steadily climbed the national rankings despite playing in three of EWU's first five games of the season as a backup to Gubrud. He finished 13th in FCS in passing efficiency (146.9), 29th for passing yards overall (2,450) and 13th in touchdown passes with 24 after setting school and FCS Playoff records with seven versus Maine on Dec. 15. He was ninth with 198 total points responsible for and was 26th in average per game (14.14). He finished 45th in total offense per game (218.8).
 
During the seven-game winning streak he directed from Oct. 27 to Dec. 15, the Eagles out-scored opponents 345-139 for an average score of 49-20 and a winning margin of 29.4 points. In 14 games played in 2018, Barriere completed 190-of-311 passes (61.1 percent) for 2,450 yards and 24 touchdowns, with 99 rushes for 613 yards (6.2 per carry) and eight scores. He broke Gubrud's single season record for rushing yards by a quarterback of 606 in 2016.
 
In his first postseason start against Nicholls on Dec. 1, Barriere accounted for 216 yards of offense. He was 17-of-29 passing for 162 yards and a touchdown, and added 54 yards on the ground. He followed that with a 21-of-25 (84.0 percent) passing performance against UC Davis and 278 total yards (235 passing, 43 rushing). His 29-yard scramble was the first play of a game-winning 75-yard driving in the final minute for the Eagles in the 34-29 quarterfinal victory.
 
His third playoff game featured a career-high 405 yards of total offense, with 352 passing and 53 rushing. He had seven touchdown passes to set new school and FCS Playoff records. He tied the EWU record of seven set by Vernon Adams Jr. versus Washington on Sept. 6, 2014, and broke the previous FCS Playoffs record of six held by five former players, including Eagles Kyle Padron and Adams in 2012.
 
Barriere certainly had the Midas touch to end the regular season on Nov. 16 in Hillsboro, Ore., and as a result earned a pair of player of the week honors. He was not only the Big Sky Conference co-Offensive Player of the week, but College Football Performance Awards named Barriere as its FCS National Player of the Week. He accounted for 40 points and 315 yards of offense in EWU's 74-23 victory at Portland State in directing EWU to its 10th Big Sky Conference football title in school history.
 
Barriere scored on a 66-yard touchdown on the game's third offensive play, setting the stage for what was to come for the Eagles. Including his six rushes for 99 yards and 15 pass completions for 216, he averaged 15.0 yards on those plays. with a touchdown every 3.5 times he rushed or completed a pass. He completed 15-of-27 passes for a career-high five touchdowns and an efficiency rating of 176.5. Including his rushing touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversion passes, he accounted for 40 points for the Eagles.
 
Gubrud started for the Eagles in the first five games before suffering a season-ending foot injury against Montana State on Sept. 29. Barriere took the reins in the 10 games after that, and they produced nearly identical total offense averages as starters. Gubrud averaged 283.2 passing and 33.8 rushing for a total of 317.0 per game; Barriere averaged 243.7 passing and 56.9 rushing for a 300.6 average. Gubrud accounted for 17 touchdowns (13 passing, 2 rushing), and Barriere had 32 (24 passing, eight rushing).
 
"He came here because we win and he wanted to be a part of a highly-productive, quarterback driven football team," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "He just got the opportunity to have the keys thrown up to him a little sooner than expected. Why wouldn't you rev that thing up? We tell him to go warm-up the car and drive it."
 
Barriere guided a 59-20 victory over fourth-ranked UC Davis on Nov. 10, in which EWU scored 21-straight points to take the lead for good in the first half. In the sixth start of his career, Barriere completed 16-of-30 passes for 285 yards and a score against UCD, and finished with 60 yards rushing to give him 345 yards of total offense.
 
He also engineered a 48-13 win at Northern Colorado on Nov. 3 in a game the Eagles took a 20-0 halftime line. Versus UNC, Barriere accounted for 309 yards of total offense for EWU – 245 passing and 64 rushing. He completed 24-of-36 passes and TD passes of 4 and 19 yards, plus he scored runs of on 9 and 15 yards.
 
One game earlier, he led the Eagles to a 31-0 halftime lead and 38-14 victory over Idaho on Oct. 27. Against the Vandals, he completed 29-of-42 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns in his first 300-yard passing performance of his career. He also rushed for 70 yards and a TD, giving him what was then a career-high 396 yards of total offense. His previous high was 331 versus Southern Utah on Oct. 6 in a 55-17 Eagle win. Barriere and the Eagles had a near-perfect first half versus UI, scoring 31 points and having a 364-129 advantage in total offense.
 
In a 55-17 win over Southern Utah on Oct. 6 in his first start of the 2018 season, he passed for 233 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another 98 and two more TDs in just three quarters of action. He completed 13-of-21 passes and had his rushing yardage on five carries with no sacks. Making just his second career start, he completed a 48-yard pass on the first offensive play of the day for the Eagles, then later had an 85-yard rush for a touchdown – a school record for a quarterback and ninth-longest overall all-time -- to give the Eagles a 31-10 lead in the second quarter. He accounted for three of EWU's seven touchdowns, rushing for two scores and passing for another.
 
However, in a 14-6 loss at Weber State on Oct. 13, Eastern was held without a touchdown for the first time in 10 years. Barriere completed 19-of-42 passes for 185 yards and was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter to squelch Eagle drives. He had a net rushing gain of 18 yards despite getting sacked four times.
 
Barriere was also thrown to the fire during his redshirt freshman season when he made the first start of his career against North Dakota on Nov. 11, 2017, and led the Eagles to a 21-14 win. The 2016 graduate of La Habra (Calif.) High School had 185 yards of total offense, had a touchdown pass and scored once on the ground on a fourth down play to end the first half. He completed 13-of-23 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 15 times for 55 yards. He was sacked only once and had no turnovers. He rushed for a pair of first downs, and passed for another eight. Barriere helped Eastern to a turnoverless game, but had to recover his own fumble late in the game that was followed by a key 67-yard punt by Jordan Dascalo that was downed at the UND 3-yard line. Had Barriere not recovered the fumble, UND would have taken over at the EWU 31 trailing just 21-14.
 
By contrast, Vernon Adams Jr. – a former Eagle who Barriere draws comparisons to – had 75 yards passing (7-of-12) and 62 rushing (five carries) in his starting debut in 2012 at Weber State in a 32-26 victory. Before the UND game, Barriere had appeared in three games in 2017 and was 1-of-2 for 13 yards and an interception, all coming against Texas Tech on Sept. 2.
 
 
  

Recent Game Recap

 
Eagles Blow Past Northern Colorado 54-21 After 40-0 Start
 
Taking a 40-0 lead after the first 30 minutes, Eastern romped past Northern Colorado 54-21 for a record-setting victory in EWU's 93rd Homecoming Game at Roos Field on Saturday (Oct. 12). Eastern scored 17 points within a 4 1/2 minute stretch in the second quarter, six scored on a 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Joe Lang after a force by Tre Weed. That helped EWU score 30 points in the quarter and take a 40-0 lead at halftime as EWU finished the game with its 17th-most yards in school history and had its 63rd game with at least 50 points (record of 60-3). Eastern's 30 points in the second quarter and 41 in the first half were both the second-most since EWU became a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 1983. On its way to a dominating 637-352 advantage in offense – 409-112 in the first half alone -- Eastern established a new school record for consecutive home victories at the current site of Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field), plus extended a long winning streak over UNC. Both streaks are at 12, as EWU hasn't lost a home on the red turf since Nov. 4, 2017. The Eagles fell at Northern Colorado in 1981, but haven't lost since in the 13-game history of the series. Eastern's 12-game winning streak includes the last 11 with the Bears as a member of the Big Sky Conference. Junior Eric Barriere completed 28-of-43 passes for 445 yards and five touchdown passes for EWU. Junior Talolo Limu-Jones had a hat-trick with three touchdown receptions, to go along with career highs of four catches for 96 yards. Senior Antoine Custer Jr. added 68 yards rushing, and senior Jayson Williams had a career-high eight receptions for 115 yards while sophomore Andrew Boston added seven for 96. The Eagles had a 215-yard first quarter, and scored 10 early points on a 58-yard touchdown pass from Barriere to Talolo Limu-Jones and a 32-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Seth Harrison – one of four he would kick on the day. Eastern scored early in the second quarter on a 19-yard pass from Barriere to senior tight end Jayce Gilder, then EWU got the ball back on a forced fumble by Lang on the ensuing kickoff which was recovered by Keshaun King. Harrison kicked a field goal to give EWU a 20-0 lead with 10:48 left in the quarter. A blocked punt by redshirt freshman Justin Patterson led to another field goal, then Lang had his fumble recovery for a TD on the next UNC possession at the 8:08 mark. After a failed try on fourth down by the Bears, the Eagles scored again on a 32-yard scoring pass from Barriere to Johnny Edwards IV with 3:59 to play. Harrison kicked another field goal on the final play of a 40-point half. Special teams had a hand in the second quarter onslaught, blocking a punt and creating a turnover off a kickoff return. Eastern was playing its first game as an unranked team since 2011.
 
 

More Aaron Best Comments

 
On UNC Win: "In all three phases, it was probably our best output in seven games. Scoring 40 in any half is awesome, especially on your home field. We were on the plus side of the turnover margin and on third down we were better both on offense and defense. We had an upper hand in those areas and that helped us score as many points as we did. It goes to show that when you protect the quarterbacks, chances are they'll keep their eyes downfield and make plays. We did a much better job up front of protecting – we had variations of protections and called the game well to keep them off-balance."
 
On 40-0 Lead Versus UNC: "Any points we'll take at this point, whether it is from offense, defense or special teams – luck or no luck, they all count the same. Defense flat-out owned the day in the first half. We got a little bend-ish and not break-ish in the second half, but the defense was put in some situations of having to go back out there after some three-and-outs by our offense after halftime. Kudos to the Coach Eti Ena and his staff – they did a great job of game-planning and the players did a great job of executing."
 
On Limu-Jones & Receivers Versus UNC: "He was a weapon today. He's prepared at practice and in the film room to have a game like this. I'm going to challenge him to continue to do those things because it's showing dividends right now. The hard part is to continue to try to do more to get more; the easy part is to rest on your laurels and hope you can get it done again. He's put himself in positions and then has made plays when they are there. We lost Dre' Sonte Dorton early in the game, but thankfully Limu-Jones, Jayson Williams and Andrew Boston stepped up, and Johnny Edwards had some big catches. They helped pick up the slack."
 
On Red Zone & Kicking Field Goals: "We want Seth Harrison to end all drives, but we want him kicking one-pointers instead of three-pointers. We have to find different, more creative and more efficient ways to get into the end zone instead of settling for field goals. Productivity on first down and a mixed down and distance on second down will give you an opportunity on third down to become a choice down as well. That red zone area is our challenge a bit on offense – we're scoring, but kicking field goals is not the end result we want in those situations."
 
On Defense: "We were playing in front of our home fans on Homecoming, and those guys had something to prove. They felt they were flat in the first half last week, and they came out and played a flat-out almost flawless first half. We were kind of sputtering in the red zone on defense, but collectively on defense we put pressure on Jacob Knipp and kept Milo Hall in check a little bit. In any half when you put up a bagel, it's huge no matter what the circumstances or situations are. On top of that we put up 40 points, seven of those coming via Joe Lang. That sideline must be magical, because Talolo tight-roped that same sideline as Joe did."
 
On Special Teams: "We got two bonus babies in the special teams arena. We had a blocked punt from Justin Patterson which then flips the field. And then we had the forced fumble on kickoff cover. So two times our special teams put our offense in a situation where our offense is staring at three points minimum. It was a tremendous job by Coach Heath Pulver – they executed and played with an absolutely resiliency and relentless on special teams. That's what it takes. It's 11 guys playing fearlessly and they did that today."
 
On North Dakota Win: "It does feel good – I can't say this enough, a win is a win is a win is a win. It doesn't matter how pretty, it's still a win. It doesn't matter how ugly it is, it's still a win. It doesn't matter what kind of weather it's in, it's still a win. We passed for under 100 yards, it's still a win. We were at 25 percent converting third downs, but it's still a win. So it was a collective effort – six turnovers on defense help us out immensely."
 
On Custer and Perreiah Versus UND: "You are talking about a freshman and a senior – guys who are on opposite ends of the spectrum and both had over 100 yards. They ran tough and they held onto the football. The conditions were breezy, snowy, rainy and slushy, and we came out with two players we gave the ball to consistently. They spelled one another and did a great job, not to mention those guys up front. Our offensive line and tight ends were a factor in our running game as well."
 
On Not Playing UC Davis, Montana & Weber State in the Regular Season: "It's unfortunate. I would rather play them because I like playing the tougher teams and I like the challenge. I wouldn't mind playing Weber State again after that ugly game down there in 2018, but it is what it is and there's nothing we can do about it. We just have to focus on our schedule and maybe we will see them in the playoffs. Maybe if they make it to the playoffs and we do as well, we will see them and get another chance at them."
 
On Being Picked as Big Sky Preseason Favorites: "We are humbled and grateful to the coaches and media for determining our football team as the Big Sky Conference preseason No. 1 team. Everyone aspires to be No. 1, and our mission will be to be champions at the end of the 2019 campaign after all the scores have been kept. Nothing is ever earned on paper and must be substantiated on the field of play. We must understand the challenges of a 12-game schedule with seven road contests, and the rigors of an always tough Big Sky Conference schedule."