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2019 Eagle Football Season Wrap-Up
Eastern Washington
University "Eagles"
(7-5 Overall/6-2 Big Sky - tie for 3rd)
EWU Coach: Aaron Best (Eastern Washington '01)
School/Career Record: 26-12/19-5 Big Sky (Three Seasons)
EWU RECORDS BROKEN
Game
Most Yards Total Offense
769 - versus Lindenwood 9/7/19 . . . previous
record 743 versus Idaho State 11/2/13
Season
Fewest Interceptions per Attempt
.009 - Eric Barriere (4 interceptions, 438 attempts) . . . previous record .010 by Erik Meyer in 2005 (5 int. in 410 att.)
Highest Field Goal Percentage (tied)
12-of-12 - Seth Harrison . . . shares record with Roldan Alcobendas (16-of-16 in 2018) and Tyler McNannay (11-of-11 in 2014
Career
Games Started (tied)
52 - Chris Schlichting . . . shares record
with Cooper Kupp (2013-16)
Most Blocked Kicks
6 - Dylan Ledbetter 2016-19
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It was a roller-coaster kind of year for the Eastern Washington University football team in 2019, but there was so much to be proud of.
Although denied what could have been a 14th berth in the NCAA Football Championship Playoffs, the Eagles still finished the season as the champions in FCS in total offense, averaging 524.8 yards per game. Eastern also closed with its 13th-straight winning season and went undefeated at home on the red turf at Roos Field for the second-straight year.
Eastern finished 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference to finish in a three-way tie for third with two other league schools who were selected among the top six seeds in the 24-team playoffs. Big Sky co-champions Weber State and Sacramento State earned the No. 3 and 4 seeds, respectively, after finishing 7-1 in the league, while fifth-seeded Montana State and No. 6 Montana joined EWU with 6-2 records in the Big Sky.
Eastern started the season 1-3 and lost its first four road games. However, the Eagles finished a perfect 5-0 at home to extend its school-record winning streak at Roos Field to 14 games. Eastern won its last two road contests to finish the 2019 season with a four-game winning streak and its 13th-straight winning campaign.
Eastern will likely finish the 2019 season with the best offense in FCS, finishing at 524.8 yards per game. Playoff automatic qualifier San Diego is second at 498.8 per game, and postseason games count in the rankings. Eastern also ended the regular season fourth in scoring (40.6), fourth in first downs (290), fifth in passing (317.1) and seventh in turnover margin (+0.92 per game). The Eagles also ranked 21st in rushing at 207.8 yards per game, and joined Prairie View as the only team in FCS to rank in the top 21 in total offense, rushing and passing.
Individually, senior running back
Antoine Custer Jr. finished the season with the eighth-best rushing total in school history with 1,228 yards and scored 16 touchdowns to rank fourth. He finished his 47-game career with 3,045 yards to rank fourth and 39 touchdowns to rank second. He had the 18th performance in school history with at least 1,000 yards on the ground, and became just the fourth player to hit 3,000 yards in his career. Custer ended the season ranked 16th in FCS in rushing (102.3 per game), 10th in total rushing yards (1,228), sixth in passing TDs (31) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (16). In Big Sky games only, he led the league with 914 yards.
Junior quarterback
Eric Barriere finished his junior season with 239 passes without an interception, setting the school's single season record for interceptions-to-attempts ratio. He had only four picks in 438 attempts, a miniscule average of .009 per attempt compared to the previous record of .010 set by Erik Meyer in 2005 (five interceptions in 410 attempts). His last interception came on his 14th attempt at Sacramento State on Oct. 5, 2019.
Barriere finished with the seventh-most passing yards in school history with 3,712, and his 31 touchdown passes is eighth. Including 558 rushing yards, his 4,270 yards of total offense were the third-most all-time at EWU. He'll enter his senior season with 6,300 passing yards (seventh) and 56 touchdowns (sixth), with 7,519 yards of total offense (sixth) and 73 TDs responsible for (sixth).
He closed the 2018 regular season second in total offense with an average of 355.8, ranking only behind E.J. Perry of Brown at 367.8. He was also third in passing (309.3) and fifth in points responsible for (20.2 per game).
Eastern leaned on an all-senior offensive line which finished with 181 starts and 233 games played between them. Senior offensive tackle
Chris Schlichting started in each of EWU's 52 games in his four seasons for the Eagles, equaling the school record originally set by Cooper Kupp (now with the Los Angeles Rams) from 2013-16.
Spencer Blackburn finished his career with a streak of 49 consecutive starts (51 total games);
Tristen Taylor started all 40 games he played in his career;
Kaleb Levao had 30 starts and 51 total games; and
Will Gram had 10 starts and 39 games played.
Eastern's next game is scheduled for Sept. 5, 2020, at Florida. The Eagles open a six-game home schedule the following week versus Western Illinois on Sept. 12, and also host Northern Arizona (Sept. 19), Montana (Oct. 3), Idaho (Oct. 17), Weber State (Oct. 24) and Montana State (Nov. 7).
Eastern's honored 19 seniors in its season-ending 53-46 home win over Portland State, including several who are candidates to receive sixth years and return in 2020. One senior redshirted (
Tamarick Pierce) and one (
Jusstis Warren) elected not to take part in the pre-game introductions because of his intention to apply for a sixth year.
Together, those seniors helped Eastern go 38-14 overall (73.1 percent) and 27-5 (84.4 percent) in Big Sky Conference play in the last four seasons. After the PSU game, those 20 seniors (including Warren) combined for 791 games played and 364 total starts in their careers. One of them, defensive end
Darnell Hogan, made the second start of his career versus the Vikings.
Eastern's particularly large group of 27 seniors honored a year ago was reduced to 25 when
Spencer Blackburn and
Kaleb Levao each received a sixth year to complete four years of eligibility at EWU.
Eastern has a current school-record 14-game winning streak at "The Inferno," finishing a perfect 5-0 at home and 2-5 on the road in 2019. By winning its last four games, Eastern still hasn't had a losing season since 2006 when the Eagles were 3-8.
A week after snapping a five-game losing streak on the road with a 48-5 triumph at Idaho State, Eastern won at Cal Poly on Nov. 16 by a 42-41 score to extend EWU's streak of 26-straight seasons with at least two wins away from Roos Field/. The ISU win on Nov. 9 extended EWU's current streak of seasons with at least one road win to 51.
After starting the 2019 season 2-4, Eastern dropped out of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision 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.
Season Notes
Eagles Have Six-Game Home Schedule in 2020
Eastern's 2020 schedule is complete and has been announced, 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 Eagles 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.
The complete schedule for 2020 is available at
http://goeags.com.
Eagles Continue Big Sky Success With Impressive Consistency
Consistency has been a cornerstone of EWU Football, and the Eagles have cemented a 16-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 36 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 13 years (2007-2019), winning 80 percent of their games (83-21) 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 Current FCS Teams Since 2010 (after games played Nov. 23, 2019)
By percentage . . . 1. North Dakota State .911 (133-13); 2. Kennesaw State .770 (47-14); 3. San Diego .748 (86-29); 4. Harvard .740 (74-26);
5. Eastern Washington .735 (97-35); 6. James Madison .732 (93-34); 7. Jacksonville State .7280 (91-34); 8. Sam Houston State .7279 (99-37); 9. Dartmouth .700 (70-30); 10. Bethune-Cookman .690 (78-35); 11. North Carolina A&T .678 (78-37); 12. Dayton .676 (75-36); 13. Central Arkansas .672 (80-39); 14. Wofford .656 (80-42); 15. South Dakota State .654 (83-44).
By victories . . . 1. North Dakota State 133; 2. Sam Houston State 99;
3. Eastern Washington 97; 4. James Madison 93; 5. Jacksonville State 91; 6. San Diego 86; 7. South Dakota State 83; 8. New Hampshire, Central Arkansas & Wofford 80; 11. Bethune-Cookman & North Carolina A&T 78; 13. Montana State & Illinois State 76; 15. Northern Iowa & Dayton 75; 17. Harvard 74; 18. Montana & McNeese State 73.
Eagles Denied a Berth into NCAA FCS Playoffs
Unfortunately for the Eastern Washington University football team, a deep tradition in the postseason and overall in this decade didn't translate to a berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff when bids were handed out on Nov. 24, 2919.
Eastern finished 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the Big Sky Conference to finish in a three-way tie for third with two other league schools who were selected among the top six seeds in the 24-team tourney. Big Sky co-champions Weber State and Sacramento State earned the No. 3 and 4 seeds, respectively, after finishing 7-1 in the league, while fifth-seeded Montana State and No. 6 Montana joined EWU with 6-2 records in the league. North Dakota, a team EWU defeated 35-20 on Sept. 28, received one of 14 at-large berths. Eastern was 0-2 versus other teams who made the bracket (losses to Sacramento State and Montana).
Nevertheless, Eastern can take solace in that it finished the regular season with the third-most wins in this decade (2010-19) with 97 victories, and its winning percentage of .735 (97-35) is fifth-best among 124 schools currently in FCS. Moreover, the Eagles still rank 12th overall in FCS playoff berths with 13, and currently have the ninth-most victories (19) and the seventh-best percentage (.612, 19-12). Eastern has 10 playoff berths in a 16-year span (2004-19), ranking the Eagles as one of only six schools among 124 in FCS to accomplish that feat.
Seniors Combined for 38 Victories and a 27-5 Big Sky Record in the Last Four Seasons
Eastern had yet another special group of seniors, and for the second-straight year, honored at least 19 in EWU's season finale versus Portland State on Nov. 23. Eastern had 21 seniors on its 2019 roster, including several who are candidates to receive sixth years and return in 2020, plus running back
Tamarick Pierce, who played in just four games and received an automatic redshirt. Those other 20 seniors helped Eastern go 38-14 overall (73.1 percent) and 27-5 (84.4 percent) in Big Sky Conference play in the last four seasons. Eastern's particularly large group of 27 seniors honored a year ago was reduced to 25 when
Spencer Blackburn and
Kaleb Levao each received a sixth year to complete four years of eligibility at EWU.
Below is a list of EWU's 20 seniors (all were honored versus PSU except for
Jusstis Warren, who skipped the ceremony with the expectation of getting a sixth year for 2020). They have combined for 791 games played and 364 total starts in their careers.
32 -
Bradley Alexander - CB- 5-10 - 175 - Sr. - 1L* - Las Vegas, Nevada / Canyon Springs '19 & Grambling St. 18/0
28 -
Antoine Custer Jr. – RB- 5-9 - 190 - Sr. - 3L - Berkeley, Calif. / De La Salle '16 47/32
41 -
Trevor Davis Jr. - LB - 6-1 - 215 - Sr. - 2L* - Tumwater, Wash. / Tumwater HS '15 27/6
10 -
Dre' Sonte Dorton - WR - 5-10 - 185 - Sr. - 2L* - Pasco, Wash. / Chiawana HS '15 34/6
69 -
Will Gram - OL - 6-4 - 300 - Sr. - 2L* - Troy, Idaho / Troy HS '15 39/10
23 -
Dehonta Hayes - DB - 5-11 - 195 – Sr. - 2L* - Tacoma, Wash. / Lincoln HS '15 38/21
96 -
Darnell Hogan - DL - 6-4 - 250 - Sr. - 2L* - Seattle, Wash. / Cleveland HS '15 37/2
36 -
Andrew Katzenberger - LB - 6-1 - 220 - Sr. - 3L* - Lynnwood, Wash. / Lynnwood HS '15 45/5
66 -
Kaleb Levao - OL - 6-4 - 310 - Sr. - 3L* - Aberdeen, Wash. / Aberdeen HS '14 51/30
6 -
Dennis Merritt - RB - 5-10 - 180 - Sr. - 2L* - Leavenworth, Wash. / Cascade HS '15 30/1
22 -
Tysen Prunty - DB - 6-1 - 205 - Sr. - 3L* - Beaverton, Ore. / Tigard HS '15 42/12
64 -
Chris Schlichting - OL - 6-5 - 295 - Sr. - 3L* - North Bend, Wash. / Mount Si HS '15 52/52
65 -
Tristen Taylor - OL - 6-6 - 325 - Sr. - 2L* - Stockton, Calif. / Stagg HS '15 40/40
49 -
Jim Townsend - DL - 6-4 - 265 - Sr. - 3L* - Okanogan, Wash. / Okanogan HS '15 51/21
56 -
Jusstis Warren - LB/DL - 6-2 - 250 - Sr. - TR - Tacoma, Wash. / Lincoln HS '15 & University of Washington 1/0
2 -
Jayson Williams - WR - 6-1 - 205 - Sr. - 3L* - Tacoma, Wash. / Lincoln HS '15 48/12
Senior Co-Captains . . .
89 -
Jayce Gilder - TE - 6-4 - 245 - Sr. - 3L* - Corvallis, Mont. / Corvallis HS '15 52/17
4 -
Dylan Ledbetter - DL - 6-3 - 275 - Sr. - 3L* - West Seattle, Wash. / O'Dea HS '15 52/33
8 -
Jack Sendelbach - LB - 6-3 - 225 - Sr. - 2L* - Seattle, Wash. / Blanchet HS '15 36/15
75 -
Spencer Blackburn - OL - 6-2 - 290 - Sr. - 3L* - Bellingham, Wash. / Meridian HS '14 51/49
Eagles Now 57-10 on the Red Turf with Record 14-Game Winning Streak
Having won all five of its regular season home games in 2019 and all eight in 2018, Eastern will enter the 2020 season with a school-record 14-straight wins at Roos Field in the 2019 season. Eastern is now 57-10 (85.1 percent) overall at "The Inferno" 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" – 44-6 (88.0 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 85.1 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 170-65 record (72.3 percent) in 235 games at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) since 1967, with the Eagles utilizing Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane as the school's main home field from 1983-89.
Eagles Averaged 609 Yards and Outscored Opponents 267-156 at Roos Field
If only every game could be played at "The Inferno." Eastern averaged 609.6 yards of offense and 53.4 points per game in five games at Roos Field in the 2019 season, while defensively allowing 430.4 yards and 31.2 points. Eastern was quite impressive in the first half, out-scoring opponents 167-65 with advantages of 79-28 in the first quarter and 88-37 in the second period. On Oct. 12 versus Northern Colorado, EWU led 40-0 at intermission.
Quarterback
Eric Barriere, who is a perfect 11-0 in his career as a starter at Roos Field, completed 62.6 percent of his passes and had an efficiency rating of 176.32 in those four games. He passed for 1,687 yards and had 16 touchdown passes with no interceptions. He has also rushed for an additional 234 yards and four scores for an average of 384.2 yards of total offense, while running back
Antoine Custer Jr. totaled 606 yards on the ground with nine scores.
Defensively,
Dehonta Hayes had 45 tackles and an interception at home in 2019, and fellow safety
Calin Criner had 31 with a pair of picks. Linebacker
Jack Sendelbach added 38 tackles and a pair of sacks. Eastern had 11 sacks at home, compared to just seven in seven road contests. The Eagles also had an 14-3 advantage in turnovers forced on the red turf, but away from home had 10 turnovers while forcing eight.
Eastern Leads FCS in Total Offense for Third Time
Eastern will likely finish the 2019 season with the best offense in FCS, finishing at 524.8 yards per game. Playoff automatic qualifier San Diego is second at 498.8 per game, and postseason games count in the rankings. Eastern ended the regular season fourth in scoring (40.6), fourth in first downs (290), fifth in passing (317.1) and seventh in turnover margin (+0.92 per game). The Eagles also ranked 21st in rushing at 207.8 yards per game, and joined Prairie View as the only team in FCS to rank in the top 21 in total offense, rushing and passing.
In EWU's last 16 seasons (2004-2019), EWU has ranked in the top 10 in passing 13 times, total offense on 12 occasions and scoring seven times. In school history, EWU has won a trio of FCS titles for total offense (2019, 2001, 1997), as well as three passing offense titles (2016, 2015, 2011) and two for scoring offense (2014, 2001).
Junior quarterback
Eric Barriere was second in total offense with an average of 355.8 yards per game (E.J. Perry of Brown is at 367.8). Barriere was third in passing (309.3, with Northern Arizona's Case Cookus at 342.8) and was sixth with 31 touchdown passes and fifth in points responsible for (20.2 per game with 31 TDs passing, eight rushing and a two-point conversion).
Senior running back
Antoine Custer Jr. finished 16th in rushing (102.3), 10th in total rushing yards (1,228) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (16). Custer finished the year with six 100-yard performances – including his last four games.
On a balanced receiving corp, junior
Talolo Limu-Jones was 58th with seven touchdown catches and his average of 24.04 per catch (second in school history behind the record of 25.8) is currently second behind the 25.18 average of Isaiah Weston of Northern Iowa, which is also participating in the playoffs. Jones, interestingly, has 42 career catches for 841 yards and 11 touchdowns – an average of 20.0 per reception in his career (currently second in school history behind the record of 22.8) and a TD every 3.8 catches.
In addition,
Andrew Boston was 79th in receptions per game (4.5 with a total of 50) and 75th in receiving yards per game (66.4 with a total of 730).
Dehonta Hayes was 19th in tackles (9.6 per game; 115 total). Redshirt freshman
Seth Harrison will end the season first in field goal percentage, with a perfect 12-of-12 performance. He was the only kicker in FCS with at least one field goal attempt per game to make all of his field goals in 2019. He was 31st in field goals with an average of 1.09 per game).
Eastern had 2,450 yards of offense in the last four games of the season (612.5 per game) to take over the lead and maintain it. Eastern closed the year with 559 yards against Portland State on Nov. 23 and 496 at Cal Poly on Nov. 16. But the Eagles had 706 versus Northern Arizona on Nov. 2 to rank fifth in school history, and 689 at Idaho State on Nov. 9 to rank seventh all-time. Eastern has also had a school-record 769 in 2019 versus Lindenwood, and 637 against Northern Colorado on Oct. 12 to rank as the 19th most in EWU history.
In some of the more key categories, EWU finished 32nd in third down conversions (42.4 percent) and 15th in red zone scoring (89.1 percent). Defensively, Eastern was 73rd in third down conversions (40.5 percent) and 66th in red zone scoring (81.8 percent). They were also 84th in rushing defense (179.1), 110th in passing defense (266.3), 104th in total defense (445.4) and 97th in scoring defense (34.6) among 124 FCS schools. In addition, Eastern was seventh in turnover margin (plus 0.92 per game), with 24 takeaways (15th) and 13 giveaways (17th).
Eagles Continue Excellence in November and Beyond
November has long been a successful month for Eastern, and they continued that in 2019 with a 4-0 record. Since 2004, EWU has lost just seven regular season games in November (Weber State in 2017; NAU, Portland State and Montana in 2015; Sac State and Weber State in 2006; and Cal Poly in 2005), with an overall record of 39-7 and a current nine-game winning streak in the month. Until losing to Northern Arizona on Nov. 7, 2015, Eastern had won its last 19 regular season games in November, dating back to a 15-13 loss to Sacramento State on Nov. 1, 2008.
In November and beyond since 2004, the Eagles are now 55-16, including a 39-7 regular season mark and 16-9 record in the FCS Playoffs. Since 2010, Eastern is 40-9 overall in November and beyond (26-4 regular season and 14-5 in the playoffs), with the lone setbacks coming in 2019 to North Dakota State in the NCAA Division I Championship game; 2017 to Weber State; 2016 to Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs; 2015 to Portland State, Montana and Northern Arizona; 2014 to Illinois State in the playoff quarterfinals; 2013 to Towson in the playoff semifinals; and 2012 to Sam Houston State in the playoff semifinals.
Eagles Extend Record String of Winning Seasons to 13
With a 7-5 finish in the 2019 season, Eastern has now had 22 winning seasons in the last 24 years (1996-2019), including a current school record string of 13-straight (2007-19) and another stretch of seven straight (1999-2005). The last time Eastern had that many winning seasons in a row came 75 years earlier in the Red Reese era when Eastern had a string of 11-straight winning seasons from 1931-1941. Since 1996, the only losing seasons for the Eagles came in 1998 under Mike Kramer (5-6) and 2006 under Paul Wulff (3-8).
Eagles Have Impressive 59-11 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011
The Eagles have won 59 of their last 70 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in 2011. Included are current stretches of 49 victories in the last 58 games (including two at the end of the 2012 season) and 27 of the last 32 (since 2016).
Including three wins at the end of the 2009 season, Eastern has a 69-14 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 65-12 since the 0-2 start in 2011 and 55-9 since winning the last two games at 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 25-7 on the road, 29-3 at home and 54-10 overall in the last eight 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.
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 1007 games and has 560 wins, 424 losses and 23 ties for a .568 winning percentage since 1901. The Eagles concluded 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 in 2019.
Eastern Now 55-0 Since 2010 When Winning the TO Battle
In the last 12 seasons (2008-19), the Eagles are now 64-1 when they've won the turnover battle, 24-9 when they've been tied and 23-33 when they've lost (total of 111-43). 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 55-0 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 21-9 when they've been tied and 21-26 when they've lost. That's a collective record of 97-35 (73.5 percent), with 26 of those 35 losses (74 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 57 percent of EWU's wins coming when they've won the turnover battle (78 percent when including ties).
Eastern finished the 2019 season seventh in turnover margin (plus 0.92 per game), with 24 takeaways (15th) and 13 giveaways (17th). 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, won 2-1 versus Northern Colorado, tied 1-1 against Montana and won 2-0 against Northern Arizona. In a game in which EWU had to settle for field goals three times in the red zone and converted 43 percent on third down, Eastern's 3-0 turnover advantage led to a 48-5 win against Idaho State on Nov. 9. Eastern lost the turnover battle at Cal Poly 3-1 on Nov. 16, but won the game 42-41. Eastern was 3-0 in turnovers in a season-ending 53-46 win over Portland State on Nov. 23. In 2019, Eastern was 5-0 when it has won the turnover battle, 2-2 when it has more turnovers and 0-3 when tied.
"We are unbeaten since 2010 when we've won the turnover battle, so when you don't give the ball up you have a chance," said Eastern head coach
Aaron Best after the ISU win. "We've done a good job of that all season. That helps when you have struggles in the red zone like we did in the first half against Idaho State, and when your third down efficiency dips a little bit. Being heavy on the plus side of turnovers allows you to overcome some of those deficiencies."
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).
2019 Honors
Blackburn One of 12 Finalists for Prestigious NFF Campbell Trophy
Spencer Blackburn, a sixth-year senior center for the Eastern Washington University football team, has been selected to the 2019 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Class and is one of 12 finalists nationally for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy
® Presented by Mazda, the NFF & College Hall of Fame announced Oct. 30. The Campbell Trophy annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The winner of the award will be announced on Dec. 10.
"It's a huge honor, and it's a testament to not just being a player on the field but being a student in the classroom as well," said Blackburn, who also recently became a repeat selection on the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Football Team. "I wouldn't be able to earn an honor like this if it wasn't for the coaching staff and the people around me. It's cliché to say that, but it's a group which actually truly says school comes first."
"He hits the books harder than football, and he hits football pretty hard," said Eastern head coach
Aaron Best. "It's more than football in our program here at Eastern, and he's the epitome of that."
Blackburn and the other 11 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. They will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 10, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 30th William V. Campbell Trophy
® Presented by Mazda and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The event will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown and will be streamed live on ESPN3 starting at 5:30 p.m. Pacific time and can be watched
via this link.
"This is a great honor and will be a great experience for Spencer," added EWU Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics
Lynn Hickey. "Spencer is the epitome of what Eastern has built with its football program. He is an outstanding young man who excels both academically and athletically. He will represent this award very well and we congratulate Spencer on this award."
Blackburn is a 2014 graduate of Meridian High School in Bellingham, Wash., ended his career with a streak of 49 consecutive starts (51 total games played) since taking over the center position in the fourth game of the 2016 season. He was a first-team All-Big Sky selection in 2019 after earning second-team honors in each of the previous three seasons. He earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors a year ago.
He has completed his economics major, but won't graduate until he finishes his second major in accounting this fall. In addition, Blackburn was a team co-captain in both 2019 and 2018, and both years was also named to the 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 grade point average. He was the 2017 recipient of the Larry Hattemer Offensive Lineman Scholarship.
"He's a great friend to others, he's a great student and he's a great athlete, and when you put those things together great things happen," added Best. "For him to be in that group of 12 is prestigious and we're proud to be a part of such an honor. It speaks volumes to what he's done off the field, and he brings that to the field as well."
Last summer, Blackburn was one of just 28 players nationally to be honored on the Athlon 2019 Preseason NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team. 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 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. 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).
Dehonta Hayes & Spencer Blackburn on Academic All-District 8 Squad
Eastern Washington University football senior safety
Dehonta Hayes and sixth-year senior center
Spencer Blackburn have been selected to the Academic All-District 8 Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). A total of 14 Big Sky Conference players earned spots on the 2019 academic all-district teams.
Hayes, a 2015 graduate of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash., completed studies toward his communications studies degree at the end of summer quarter and is enrolled in communication studies graduate school for fall quarter. He has a 3.80 grade point average at Eastern. A 3.69 student, Blackburn has completed his economics major, but won't graduate until he finishes his second major in accounting this fall. He is a 2014 graduate of Meridian High School in Bellingham, Wash., and was a member of the Academic All-District 8 Football Team a year ago. Blackburn has been honored three times on the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team, and Hayes has been honored twice previously.
Both Hayes and Blackburn now advance to the national ballot to select Academic All-America honors. Most recently,
Cooper Kupp earned Academic All-America honors back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 for the Eagles, who have had eight different players win 12 Academic All-America honors since 1989. A total of 69 have now been honored since then on the All-District squad, which includes NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football players from schools in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii and British Columbia.
Both earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in 2019 – Blackburn on the first team and Hayes on the third squad. On the field, Hayes was EWU's leading tackler in 2019 with 115, and ranked 19th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 9.6 per game. He also had a pair of interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass broken up in 12 games played. In 38 career games (21 as a starter), Hayes had 208 tackles to rank 38th in school history, three interceptions, five passes broken up, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Headlined by Offensive Linemen, Total of 13 Eagles Earn Honors on All-Big Sky Conference Team
Totals of 171 starts and 194 games played says a lot about a quartet of special Eagles. Senior offensive linemen
Spencer Blackburn and
Chris Schlichting – who combined for 101 starts in their collegiate careers -- are among the 13 Eastern Washington University players recognized on the All-Big Sky Conference football team announced Tuesday (Nov. 26) by the league office.
Among the four offensive linemen honored, Blackburn and Schlichting helped the Eagles lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in offense, averaging 524.8 yards per game. A sixth-year senior honored the three previous seasons as a second team pick, Blackburn closed the season with 49-straight starts at center and played in a total of 51 games. Schlichting tied Cooper Kupp for the school record for career starts with 52 – starting all 52 games he played while also earning second team All-BSC honors in 2018.
Senior running back
Antoine Custer Jr. and senior offensive lineman
Tristen Taylor earned spots on the second team. Custer, honored three times by the league, finished the season with the eighth-best rushing total in school history with 1,228 yards and scored 16 touchdowns to rank fourth. In Big Sky games only, he led the league with 914 yards and a 7.1 average per rush.
On the third team were junior quarterback
Eric Barriere, sophomore wide receiver
Andrew Boston, senior offensive lineman
Kaleb Levao, senior tight end
Jayce Gilder, senior defensive end
Jim Townsend and senior defensive back
Dehonta Hayes. Barriere, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, ranked second in FCS in total offense with an average of 355.8 per game and had a total of 4,270 yards to rank third all-time at EWU.
A trio of Eagles received honorable mention – senior wide receiver
Jayson Williams, senior defensive tackle
Dylan Ledbetter and redshirt freshman kicker
Seth Harrison. Of the 13 players honored by the league, nine were seniors, with Taylor eligible to apply for a sixth year and possibly return in 2020. Barriere, Boston and Harrison will all be back next season.
The four senior offensive linemen honored combined for 194 total games played in their careers, with 171 starts between them. They were also honored a collective total of 10 times on All-Big Sky Conference squads from 2016-19. More importantly, EWU was 38-14 overall (73.1 percent) and 27-5 (84.9 percent) in Big Sky Conference play in the last four seasons. That matches the second-best four-year stretch in EWU's 33 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles were also 27-5 in three other four-year stretches – 2010-13, 2011-14 and 2012-15 – and were 28-4 from 2013-16.
Blackburn earned second team honors in each of the past three seasons, while Schlichting and Levao were both second team in 2018. Custer was honored for a third time, having also won second team honors in 2017 and honorable mention last season. Barriere earned third-team honors for the second-straight season, and Ledbetter earned his second straight honorable mention nod. Taylor was honorable mention in 2017.
First Team All-Big Sky Conference Selections
Offensive Line - #75 - ~
Spencer Blackburn - 6-2 - 290 - Sr. - 4L* - Bellingham, Wash. / Meridian HS '14
Offensive Line - #64 - +
Chris Schlichting - 6-5 - 295 - Sr. - 4L* - North Bend, Wash. / Mount Si HS '15
Second Team All-Big Sky Conference Selections
Running Back - #28 - &
Antoine Custer Jr. - 5-9 - 190 - Sr. - 4L - Berkeley, Calif. / De La Salle '16
Offensive Line - #65 - @
Tristen Taylor - 6-6 - 325 - Sr. - 3L* - Stockton, Calif. / Stagg HS '15
Third Team All-Big Sky Conference Selections
Quarterback - #3 - ^
Eric Barriere - 6-0 - 200 - Jr. - 3L* - Inglewood, Calif. / La Habra HS '16
Wide Receiver - #9 -
Andrew Boston - 6-3 - 185 - So. - 2L* - Puyallup, Wash. / Emerald Ridge HS '17
Offensive Line - #66 - +
Kaleb Levao - 6-4 - 310 - Sr. - 4L* - Aberdeen, Wash. / Aberdeen HS '14
Tight End - #89 -
Jayce Gilder - 6-4 - 245 - Sr. - 4L* - Corvallis, Mont. / Corvallis HS '15
Defensive End - #49 -
Jim Townsend - 6-4 - 265 - Sr. - 4L* - Okanogan, Wash. / Okanogan HS '15
Defensive Back - #23 -
Dehonta Hayes - 5-11 - 195 - Sr. - 3L* - Tacoma, Wash. / Lincoln HS '15
Honorable Mention All-Big Sky Conference Selections
Wide Receiver - #2 -
Jayson Williams - 6-1 - 205 - Sr. - 4L* - Tacoma, Wash. / Lincoln HS '15
Defensive Tackle - #4 - =
Dylan Ledbetter - 6-3 - 275 - Sr. - 4L* - West Seattle, Wash. / O'Dea HS '15
Kicker - #83 -
Seth Harrison - 5-10 - 180 - Fr. – 1L* - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / Coeur d'Alene HS '18
~Second Team All-Big Sky in 2016, 2017 and 2018. ^Third team in 2018. +Second team in 2018. &Second team in 2017 and honorable mention in 2018. =Honorable mention in 2018. @Honorable mention in 2017. *Has used redshirt season.
Comments from Head Coach Aaron Best on the All-Big Sky Selections . . .
Aaron Best on Blackburn: "Spencer left his mark in an Eagle uniform as not only a first team all-conference offensive lineman, but as one of the best centers this program has witnessed. In 2019 was a commitment to being the best and he completed his mission."
Aaron Best on Schlichting: "He had 52 starts and he has reached the pinnacle with first team all-league honors. The EWU offensive line tradition has been, is, and will be alive and well – and will stay that way. He is now part of a very special offensive line fraternity – we welcome him."
Aaron Best on Custer: "Antoine had a phenomenal senior season. He carried much of the load at running back and put a first class season on display during the 2019 campaign. He led the league in rushing yards per game and average per carry. It speaks to his commitment to pushing the limits. He is one of the most well-rounded and finest running backs to don the Eagle jersey in my time here at EWU."
Aaron Best on Taylor: "Tristan is a tough-minded and gritty player. He had a brilliant bounce-back season coming off an injury in 2018. He's a physical player who still has room to grow and lead as a player, and with time to accomplish those tasks."
Aaron Best on Levao: "Kaleb was the vocal leader of the 2019 Eastern offensive line. He practiced every day to get better at his craft. As a senior he stayed healthy and had a very good 'second' senior campaign. He was very well-respected in the locker room and I'm proud the coaches in this league felt the same way in his play."
Aaron Best on Barriere: "Eric is one of the most electrifying playmakers I have witnessed play in person. He made a huge jump in touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2019, which in turn made him that much harder to defend. I expect his senior season to be even better. He is certainly one of the best players in this league and at this level. I can't wait to see what is in store."
Aaron Best on Boston: "Andrew is a film junky and he absolutely gives all he has on Saturdays. He will strive for more in the future and the best version of 'Boss' is yet to come. He followed up a productive freshman year with a solid sophomore campaign."
Aaron Best on Williams: "Jayson practices and plays like a pro. He respects the game and is a great teammate to his peers. Five years has flown by, and to cap it off being recognized for his production is awesome to see."
Aaron Best on Townsend: "What a great career by a great person. Jim is the consummate teammate and is well respected by his peers. We will miss Jimmy and he left his senior year on a high note."
Aaron Best on Hayes: "Dehonta is a fierce competitor on the field – he's a downhill safety that loves to tackle. He battled some dings this year while all the while being productive in the process. We are excited to see his recognition as a senior to end his career."
Aaron Best on Ledbetter: "Dylan is a blue collar, hard-nosed overachiever. He wore the No. 4 jersey this year and wore it well. His savvy play will be sorely missed."
Aaron Best on Gilder: "Jayce has gone from being a walk-on former high school quarterback to a college all-league tight end. He was voted team captain and did not disappoint with his play in 2019. He was a counted on individual both on and off of the field."
Aaron Best on Harrison: "Seth started the season as a backup and ended as the guy at our kicker position. He followed our perfect 2018 season kicking field goals with one of his own. We're excited to see him continue to grow and compete for more."
More on EWU's Offensive Line . . .
A total of 61 Eastern offensive linemen have earned All-Big Sky accolades in 33 seasons in the league (1987-19), including 27 who have earned first team honors. They have combined for 103 honors (34 first team, 24 second team, 3 third team, 42 honorable mention).
Eastern will likely finish the 2019 season with the best offense in FCS, finishing at 524.8 yards per game. Playoff automatic qualifier San Diego is second at 498.8 per game, and postseason games count in the rankings. Eastern also ended the regular season fourth in scoring (40.6), fourth in first downs (290), fifth in passing (317.1) and seventh in turnover margin (+0.92 per game). The Eagles also ranked 21st in rushing at 207.8 yards per game, and joined Prairie View as the only team in FCS to rank in the top 21 in total offense, rushing and passing.
The four linemen honored combined to start 171 games, with 194 total games of experience. Offensive tackle
Chris Schlichting started all 52 he played, and offensive tackle
Tristen Taylor has started all 40 games he has played in his career. Center
Spencer Blackburn started the last 49 of his 51-game career, and
Kaleb Levao started 30 of the 51 he played.
Eastern had some impressive rushing performances in 2019, rushing for at least 174 yards eight times and at least 247 in six games (including the last four). The school's 5.29 average per rush ranked 15th in FCS. The Eagles had a season-high 320 versus Cal Poly on Nov. 16 as quarterback
Eric Barriere rushed for a career-high 164 and a score and Custer finished with 107 and four touchdowns on just nine carries.
More on Custer . . .
Senior
Antoine Custer Jr. finished the 2019 season with the eighth-best rushing total in school history with 1,228 yards and scored 16 touchdowns to rank fourth. He finished his 47-game career (32 as a starter) with 3,045 yards to rank fourth and 39 touchdowns to rank second, as he became just the fourth player in EWU history to hit 3,000 yards in his career. His career average of 5.6 per carry ranks eighth in school history.
Custer ended the season ranked 16th in FCS in rushing (102.3 per game), 10th in total rushing yards (1,228), sixth in passing TDs (31) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (16). He had 12 100-yard games as an Eagle – six times in 2019 including the last four games.
He concluded his Eastern career by rushing for a career-best 218 yards – 15th-best in school history -- and two touchdowns in a 53-46 win over Portland State on Nov. 23. He scored on runs of 29 and 2 yards, and had a non-scoring 88-yarder that was the seventh-longest in school history and the second-longest of his career behind an 89-yard TD run versus Idaho State on Nov. 9. That gave him 12 plays in his career of at least 40 yards, including nine rushes, two kickoff returns and a reception.
His is the 18th performance in school history of at least 1,000 yards in a single season, and he became the 13th different Eastern player to accomplish that feat (five have hit 1,000 yards twice in their careers). Eastern has now had a 1,000 yard rusher – including 10 different players – in 14 of the last 25 seasons (1995-2019),
Sam McPherson had 1,510 in 2018, and he was the first since Quincy Forte in the 2013 season when he finished with 1,208.
Custer also had 780 receiving yards on 93 catches with three scores, and 499 yards and one more score on kickoff returns for a total of 4,324 all-purpose yards (92.0 per game) to rank eighth in school history. He scored a total of 43 touchdowns as an Eagle to rank fourth in school history. His average of 23.8 per kickoff return is 10th and his 39 rushing touchdowns only ranks behind the record of 48 set by Jesse Chatman (1999-01).
More on Barriere . . .
Junior quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate
Eric Barriere finished his junior season ranked second in total offense with an average of 355.8 yards per game (E.J. Perry of Brown was at 367.8). Barriere was third in passing (309.3, with Northern Arizona's Case Cookus at 342.8) and was sixth with 31 touchdown passes and fifth in points responsible for (20.2 per game with 31 TDs passing, eight rushing and a two-point conversion).
He closed his junior season with 239 passes without an interception, setting the school's single season record for interceptions-to-attempts ratio. He had only four picks in 438 attempts, a miniscule average of .009 per attempt compared to the previous record of .010 set by Erik Meyer in 2005 (five interceptions in 410 attempts). His last interception came on his 14th attempt at Sacramento State on Oct. 5, 2019.
Barriere finished with the seventh-most passing yards in school history with 3,712, and his 31 touchdown passes is eighth. Including 558 rushing yards, his 4,270 yards of total offense was third-most all-time at EWU.
He ended the season with 260 yards and three touchdowns passing, and other 23 yards and a score on the ground in EWU's 53-46 win over Portland State on Nov. 23. He had pass completions of 46 and 50 yards, giving him 28 plays in his career of at least 40 yards. One game earlier, he had a career-best 164-yard rushing performance at Cal Poly, finishing with one TD rushing and one passing. He also had 176 yards through the air to give him his 340 yards of total offense.
Barriere has had 13 performances of at least 300 yards of total offense and eight with at least 300 yards passing in his 31 games as an Eagle (16-7 as a starter, including 11-0 at home). He has had seven with at least 400 yards of total offense and three with at least 400 passing. He has completed 59.7 percent of his passes (463-of-775), good for 6,300 yards, 56 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and has rushed 236 times for 1,219 yards and 17 more TDs. He had a passing efficiency rating of 146.9 as a sophomore, 151.6 in 2019 and a 148.3 mark in his career to currently rank fifth in school history. His touchdown passes rank sixth, his total of 7,519 yards of offense already rank sixth all-time at EWU and his passing yardage is seventh. He is just 13 yards behind the career rushing record for a quarterback of 1,232 yards set by Vernon Adams Jr. (2012-14).
In Eastern's first two games in November, Barriere had a total of 935 yards of total offense to earn him two-straight ROOT Sports Offensive Player of the Week honors as announced by the Big Sky Conference office. He has now been honored twice in 2019 and three times in his career.
More on Boston . . .
A freshman All-America selection in 2018,
Andrew Boston finished the 2019 season 79th in FCS in receptions per game (4.5 with a total of 50) and 75th in receiving yards per game (66.4 with a total of 730). In two seasons as an Eagle, he has 93 receptions for 1,291 yards and 10 touchdowns in 26 career games (19 as a starter). He caught a career-high 10 passes for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Idaho State on Nov. 9. Earlier in the season, he had six catches for 112 yards and a TD versus Washington in EWU's opener on Aug. 31.
More on Gilder . . .
Senior
Jayce Gilder finished his 2019 season with 25 catches for 292 yards and three scores while starting all but one contest. He finished his 52-game career (17 starts) with 54 receptions for 634 yards and 13 scores. Gilder caught four passes in each of his first two games, and had a career-high five receptions against Northern Arizona on Nov. 2.
More on Townsend . . .
Senior defensive end
Jim Townsend led the Eagles with 3 1/2 sacks, and was fourth on the team and tops among defensive linemen with 61 tackles. He had a total of 11 tackles for loss with two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and one pass broken up. He finished his 51-game career (21 starts) with 143 tackles, including 8 1/2 sacks and a total of 23 tackles for loss. He had five forced fumbles to rank eighth in school history, and also had two fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) and two passes broken up. He had a career-high 12 tackles against Idaho on Sept. 21, and had the second double-figure tackle performance of his career with 10 at Cal Poly on Nov. 19.
More on Hayes . . .
Senior safety
Dehonta Hayes was EWU's leading tackler in 2019 with 115, and ranked 19th in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 9.6 per game. He also had a pair of interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass broken up in 12 games played. His 115 tackles ranks as the 13th-most in school history, finishing with at least 10 in five games. He had career highs of 17 in games versus Idaho on Sept. 21 and Sacramento State on Oct. 5. In 38 career games (21 as a starter), Hayes had 208 tackles to rank 38th in school history, three interceptions, five passes broken up, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He had eight double-figure tackle performances in his career.
More on Williams . . .
Senior
Jayson Williams closed his career with 46 catches for 553 yards and five touchdowns in 2019. In his 48-game career (12 starts), he had 91 catches for 1,122 yards and six scores. Williams had the first two 100-yard receiving performances in his career as a senior, finishing with seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown against Sacramento State on Oct. 5. One game later he had eight grabs for 115 yards versus Northern Colorado.
More on Ledbetter . . .
Honored nationally for blocking two more kicks at Idaho on Sept. 21, Eastern senior
Dylan Ledbetter 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, and forced a key fumble on Nov. 2 in the third quarter against Northern Arizona. He finished eighth in FCS with two blocked kicks and 35th with two fumble recoveries.
A team co-captain in 2019, Ledbetter finished his senior season with 49 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. That gave him 10 sacks in his 52-game career (33 as a starter), with totals of 168 tackles, five passes broken up, a school-record six blocked kicks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He had a season-high nine tackles versus Cal Poly on Nov. 16, coming one shy from his career high of 10 in 2018 versus the Mustangs.
More on Harrison . . .
Redshirt freshman
Seth Harrison ended the 2019 season first in FCS in field goal percentage, with a perfect 12-of-12 performance. He was the only kicker in FCS with at least one field goal attempt per game to make all of his field goals in 2019, and was 31st in field goals with an average of 1.09 per game. Twice he kicked four field goals in a single game, including Oct. 12 against Northern Colorado when he made field goals of 32, 21, 21 and 23 yards. He also made all six of his extra points to finish with 18 points in Eastern's 54-21 romp. In a 48-5 victory over Idaho State on Nov. 9, he had makes of 40, 36, 21 and 36, and his 40-yarder was a career long. In both of those games, all of his field goals came in the first half.
Harrison was also 50-of-53 on extra points in 2019, having a string of 22-straight makes from Oct. 5 until missing his first attempt at Cal Poly on Nov. 16. He also averaged 52.9 yards on 78 kickoffs (six touchbacks).
More Player Notes
Custer Over 1,000-Yard Mark in 2019, With 12 Games of 100+ in His Career and Total of 3,045
Senior
Antoine Custer Jr. finished the 2019 season with the eighth-best rushing total in school history with 1,228 yards and scored 16 touchdowns to rank fourth. He finished his 47-game career with 3,045 yards to rank fourth and 39 touchdowns to rank second. He recorded the 18th performance in school history with 1,000 yards on the ground in a single season, and he became just the fourth Eagle to hit 3,000 yards in his career.
Custer ended the season ranked 16th in FCS in rushing (102.3 per game), 10th in total rushing yards (1,228), sixth in passing TDs (31) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (16). In Big Sky games only, he led the league with 914 yards and a 7.1 average per carry.
He had 12 100-yard game as an Eagle – six times in 2019 including the last four games. He concluded his Eastern career by rushing for 218 yards – 15th-most in school history -- and two touchdowns in a 53-46 win over Portland State on Nov. 23. He scored on runs of 29 and 2 yards, and had a non-scoring 88-yarder that was the seventh-longest in school history and the second-longest of his career behind an 89-yard TD run versus Idaho State on Nov. 9. That gave him 12 plays in his career of at least 40 yards, including nine rushes, two kickoff returns and a reception.
His is the 18th performance in school history of at least 1,000 yards in a single season, and he became the 13th different Eastern player to accomplish that feat (five have hit 1,000 yards twice in their careers). Eastern has now had a 1,000 yard rusher – including 10 different players – in 14 of the last 25 seasons (1995-2019),
Sam McPherson had 1,510 in 2018, and he was the first since Quincy Forte in the 2013 season when he finished with 1,208.
Custer finished with 1,228 rushing yards on the year and 16 touchdowns on the ground, and finished with 3,045 rushing yards (5.6 per carry to rank eighth in school history) and 39 touchdowns in his 47-game career (32 as a starter). He also had 780 receiving yards on 93 catches with three scores, and 499 yards and one more score on kickoff returns for a total of 4,324 all-purpose yards (92.0 per game) to rank eighth in school history. He scored a total of 43 touchdowns as an Eagle to rank fourth in school history. His average of 23.8 per kickoff return is 10th and his 39 rushing touchdowns only ranks behind the record of 48 set by Jesse Chatman (1999-01).
Behind a starting offensive line that finished with 233 games of experience and 181 total starts between them, Eastern has had some impressive rushing performances in 2019, rushing for at least 174 yards eight times and at least 247 in six games (including the last four). The school's 5.29 average per rush ranked 15th in FCS. The Eagles had a season-high 320 versus Cal Poly on Nov. 16 as quarterback
Eric Barriere rushed for a career-high 164 and a score and Custer finished with 107 and four touchdowns on just nine carries.
Custer had 145 and a touchdown in EWU's 48-5 win at Idaho State on Nov. 9. He had an 89-yard touchdown run early in the second half, ranking as the sixth-longest in school history. That was his career-longest run, having had an 83-yard TD against Idaho State in 2016 in the last meeting between the two teams in Cheney, Wash. His longest play, though, was a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in 2016 versus Northern Iowa.
One game earlier versus Northern Arizona on Nov. 2, he hit the 100-yard mark in the first half alone. He finished with 139 and three touchdowns as the Eagles had 312 as a team. He had what was then a career high for rushing (184 yards) at Jacksonville State on Sept. 14, including a non-scoring 62-yard run. Two games 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 284 on the ground. Eastern had 247 yards versus Lindenwood on Sept. 7 in which Custer had 47 yards and a score. He had a career-high 28 carries versus both Jacksonville State and North Dakota.
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 and missed the remainder of the season. Besides Custer's 1,228 yards, Barriere had 558 yards (eight touchdowns and 4.7 per carry) and true freshman
Silas Perreiah finished with 255 yards (4.5 per carry), including 126 and a score versus North Dakota. Merritt had 87 yards (7.2 per rush) and Pierce made his 2019 debut versus Montana and had a team-leading 57 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries (long of 30). He finished with 177 yards in four games played, and retained his redshirt status. Pierce will enter his senior season in 2020 with a 6.3 career average per rush which currently ranks fourth in school history. Redshirt freshman
Micah Smith rounded 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. Pierce has rushed for 1,014 yards and 18 touchdowns in 39 games with 13 catches for 107 yards and another score; 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 1,219 rushing yards with 17 scores in 31 games. Barriere is just 36 yards behind the rushing record for a quarterback of 1,232 yards set by Vernon Adams Jr. (2012-14).
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.
Walter Payton Award Finalist Eric Barriere Finishes Second in FCS in Total Offense
Junior quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate
Eric Barriere finished his junior season ranked second in total offense with an average of 355.8 yards per game (E.J. Perry of Brown was at 367.8). Barriere was third in passing (309.3, with Northern Arizona's Case Cookus at 342.8) and was sixth with 31 touchdown passes and fifth in points responsible for (20.2 per game with 31 TDs passing, eight rushing and a two-point conversion).
He closed his junior season with 239 passes without an interception, setting the school's single season record for interceptions-to-attempts ratio. He had only four picks in 438 attempts, a miniscule average of .009 per attempt compared to the previous record of .010 set by Erik Meyer in 2005 (five interceptions in 410 attempts). His last interception came on his 14th attempt at Sacramento State on Oct. 5, 2019.
Barriere finished with the seventh-most passing yards in school history with 3,712, and his 31 touchdown passes is eighth. Including 558 rushing yards, his 4,270 yards of total offense was third-most all-time at EWU.
He ended the season with 260 yards and three touchdowns passing, and other 23 yards and a score on the ground in EWU's 53-46 win over Portland State on Nov. 23. He had pass completions of 46 and 50 yards, giving him 28 plays in his career of at least 40 yards. One game earlier, he had a career-best 164-yard rushing performance at Cal Poly, finishing with one TD rushing and one passing. He also had 176 yards through the air to give him his 340 yards of total offense.
Barriere has had 13 performances of at least 300 yards of total offense and eight with at least 300 yards passing in his 31 games as an Eagle (16-7 as a starter, including 11-0 at home). He has had seven with at least 400 yards of total offense and three with at least 400 passing. He has completed 59.7 percent of his passes (463-of-775), good for 6,300 yards, 56 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and has rushed 236 times for 1,219 yards and 17 more TDs. He had a passing efficiency rating of 146.9 as a sophomore, 151.6 in 2019 and a 148.3 mark in his career to currently rank fifth in school history. His touchdown passes rank sixth, his total of 7,519 yards of offense already rank sixth all-time at EWU and his passing yardage is seventh. He is just 13 yards behind the career rushing record for a quarterback of 1,232 yards set by Vernon Adams Jr. (2012-14).
In Eastern's first two games in November, Barriere had a total of 935 yards of total offense to earn him two-straight ROOT Sports Offensive Player of the Week honors as announced by the Big Sky Conference office. He has now been honored twice in 2019 and three times in his career.
His latest honor came after his 467-yard performance in a 48-5 win at Idaho State on Nov. 9, and he also received honorable mention as the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Week (STATS). Barriere passed for 406 – his eighth of his career of at least 300 and third with 400 -- and rushed for 61 versus the Bengals. With a total of 467 yards of total offense, he now has seven performances with at least 400 yards of total offense. He had three passes of at least 58 yards versus Idaho State (58, 59, 80), and the 80-yarder against ISU was the longest of his career.
One week before the ISU game, he was rewarded for totaling 488 yards in EWU's 66-38 win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 2 by earning his player of the week honors from the Big Sky and also received honorable mention as the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Offensive Player of the Week (STATS) and Performer of the Week (College Football Performance Awards).
In a 66-38 win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 2, he had 367 through the air and 101 on the ground for 468 yards of total offense. He had a trio of touchdown passes, and finished 30-of-46 with no interceptions for an impressive 183.5 passing efficiency rating. He had a 75-yard touchdown pass to
Talolo Limu-Jones on EWU's first offensive play of the game, and also caught a 20-yard pass from wide receiver
Johnny Edwards IV.
In his previous home game on Oct. 12, he completed 28-of-43 passes for 445 yards and five touchdown passes for EWU in a 54-21 victory over Northern Colorado in which EWU led 40-0 at halftime. Coupled with his 41 yards rushing, his 486 yards were the second-most of his career.
Barriere had 309 yards passing with two touchdowns and 103 rushing and a TD versus Sacramento State on Oct. 5. 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 at the time 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 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).
Criner Honored Again After Another Big Day as an Eagle in Front of Family at ISU
On big turnover days – and in front of family and friends too – junior
Calin Criner has been at his best.
The 2016 graduate of Rocky Mountain High School in Boise, Idaho, had his second two-interception game of his career and had eight tackles in EWU's 48-5 victory over Idaho State on Nov. 9 to earn College Sports Madness Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors. Playing in front of a crowd of 14 family and friends which included his well-known father and grandfather, he also broke-up a pass and one of his tackles was for a loss of two yards.
It was the first time in 37 games that EWU hasn't allowed a touchdown since beating Richmond 38-0 in the FCS Playoffs in 2016. It had been 40 Big Sky Conference games since the Eagles held a league opponent out of the end zone, dating back to a 54-3 win over North Dakota in 2014. Eastern had a 3-0 advantage in turnovers forced, and held ISU to 4-of-17 on third down and 0-of-4 on fourth.
Earlier in the season, Criner helped Eastern to a dominating 6-0 advantage in turnovers forced with another 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 (at the time) and 369 total yards. Eastern scored 21 of its 35 points as a result of the turnovers the Eagles forced.
Through 12 games, Criner was third on the team with 85 tackles on the season, and also had three passes broken up and his four picks. He has seven interceptions, 183 tackles, 10 passes broken up, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his 38-game career (16 as a starter). He had a career-high 16 tackles at Montana on Oct. 26 for the fifth performance of his career with at least 10.
Criner 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).
Harrison Leads FCS With Perfect 12-of-12 Field Goal Accuracy
Redshirt freshman kicker
Seth Harrison was the only player in FCS with an average of at least one field goal attempt per game to be perfect, going 12-of-1 in the 2019 season. He was 31st in field goals with an average of 1.09 per game, including four field goals – the second time in four games he did that -- in a 48-5 victory over Idaho State on Nov. 9. He had makes of 40, 36, 21 and 36 in the first half, and his 40-yarder was a career long. He also had 10 kickoffs for a 57.5 average with one touchback.
Harrison was also 50-of-53 on extra points in 2019, having a string of 22-straight makes from Oct. 5 until missing his first attempt at Cal Poly on Nov. 16. He also averaged 52.9 yards on 78 kickoffs (six touchbacks).
Harrison garnered Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the league after converting all nine of his extra point attempts and booting a 27-yard field goal in a 66-38 win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 2. He also had 10 kickoffs for a 50.8 average versus the Lumberjacks with one touchback.
In EWU's previous home game, 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.
Harrison had a field goal of 35 yards versus Montana on Oct. 26. In his first action as the No. 1 kicker on Sept. 14 versus Jacksonville State, Harrison made a 22-yard field goal, 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.
Harrison, a redshirt freshman from Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) High School, didn't even start out the year as EWU's kicker. That role fell to junior
Andre Slyter, whose first field goal made in his EWU career 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. 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 in 2019. He's made 10-of-13 extra points as an Eagle and had not attempted a field goal until the 2019 season.
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).
Called "Eagle-Shirts," True Freshmen Received Chance to Shine
Like they did in 2018, Eagle head coach
Aaron Best and his coaching staff made decisions on a game-by-game basis in 2019 on which, if any, of the team's 24 true freshmen would play in games. 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.
In 2019, 15 true freshmen saw 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.
Perreiah played in 10 games did not redshirt, and Kokich played in nine as EWU's punter. Perreiah had 255 yards rushing, two catches for six yards and scored twice. Kokich averaged 39.0 yards in 41 punts in 2019, with 10 downed inside the opponent 20-yard line and a long of 59 to equal the 38th longest in EWU history.
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 and White also played.
Blake Gobel made his Eagle debut on Oct. 26 versus Montana, and Harrison and Jones also played in that game. Harrison had his first career tackle and Jones had his first career kickoff return with a 22-yarder versus the Griz.
Soli Paleso'o made his Eagle debut with nine snaps against Northern Arizona on Nov. 2, and finished with a tackle.
Jakobie James also made his debut, and Jones, Hewa-Baddege and Flemmer also played in the blowout 66-38 win.
Against Idaho State on Nov. 9 in a 48-5 victory, linebacker
Steven Flowers made his Eagle debut and saw action on 11 plays, mostly on special teams. Gobel had his first career catch on a 15-yard touchdown on a fake field goal attempt, and James had his first career catch for six yards. Bryant and Paleso'o also played.
In Eastern's 42-41 win over Cal Poly on Nov. 16, Gobel actually made the first start of his career when EWU started in a three tight end formation and turned it into a 25-yard rushing gain on EWU's first offensive play. Flowers, Bryant, Harrison and Gomez all played in that game.
In EWU's season-ending 53-46 win over Portland State,
Trey Edwards got into the game to become the 15th true freshman to play in the 2019 season. Flowers, Bryant and James also played.
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 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, and forced a key fumble on Nov. 2 in the third quarter against Northern Arizona. He finished eighth in FCS with two blocked kicks and 35th 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 finished his senior season with 49 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks, giving him 10 sacks in his 52-game career (33 as a starter), with totals of 168 tackles, five passes broken up, a school-record six blocked kicks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
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 Started All 52 Games in His Career For a Quartet of Offensive Linemen With 171 Career Starts
Offensive tackle
Chris Schlichting started in each of EWU's 52 games in his four seasons for the Eagles, equaling the school record originally set by Cooper Kupp (now with the Los Angeles Rams) from 2013-16. He started all 14 games as a redshirt freshman in 2016, all 11 in 2017, all 15 in 2018 and all 12 in 2019, earning first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors as a senior and second team accolades as a junior.
Senior center
Spencer Blackburn finished his career with a streak of 49 consecutive starts since taking over the position in the fourth game of the 2016 season. He earned first-team All-Big Sky accolades in 2019, and was on the second team in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
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 finished starting all 40 games he played in his career, and coupled with the 30 starts by
Kaleb Levao, the four offensive linemen combined to start 171 games (194 total games of experience) for the Eagles. Taylor was a second-team All-Big Sky selection in 2019 and honorable mention in 2017, and Levao was third team in 2019 and second team in 2018.
Guard
Will Gram made the first start of his career against Washington, but finished his career with 39 games worth of experience and started EWU's first six games and four after that (total of 10). Junior
Conner Crist started on Oct. 12 versus Northern Colorado and Oct. 26 against Montana, and has 22 games of experience. Thus, including Gram in the starting lineup, that's a total of 181 starts and 233 games played for the EWU starting five through the first nine weeks of the season.
More importantly, EWU was 38-14 overall (73.1 percent) and 27-5 (84.9 percent) in Big Sky Conference play in the last four seasons.
Total of 19 Made Starting Debuts in 2019
True freshman
Blake Gobel made the first start of his young career when EWU started the Cal Poly game on Nov. 16 in a three tight end formation. He helped block for a 25-yard run by
Talolo Limu-Jones on the first play of the game, leading to an Eagle touchdown and early lead. He gave EWU a total of 19 players who made their starting debuts in 2019.
Redshirt freshman wide receiver
Freddie Roberson made the first start of his Eastern career against Idaho State on Nov. 9 in his ninth game as an Eagle. He is a 2018 graduate of Rainer Beach High School in Seattle, Wash. One game earlier, junior wide receiver
Talolo Limu-Jones made the first start of his Eastern career against Northern Arizona on Nov. 2 and he made it a big one. On the first offensive play of the game for EWU, he caught a short pass from
Eric Barriere and turned it into a 75-yard touchdown. Limu-Jones would finish the day with career highs of eight catches for 147 yards. He entered the game with 29 career catches for 553 yards and nine touchdowns – a TD for every 3.2 catches.
Redshirt freshman cornerback
Darrien Sampson also made the first start of his young career, having entered the NAU game with seven games played. He finished with five tackles, a pass broken up and a quarterback hurry. Limu-Jones is from Vallejo, Calif., and graduated from Grace Davis High School in 2016. Sampson is from South Seattle, Wash., and graduated from Rainier Beach HS in 2018.
Junior
Conner Crist made the first start of his career (at left guard) versus Northern Colorado on Oct. 12. He 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 in 2019. 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 in 2019, but can retain their redshirt status if they play in four games or less in 2019. 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.
Blake Gobel made his Eagle debut against Montana on Oct. 26, and
Soli Paleso'o and
Jakobie James made their debuts versus Northern Arizona on Nov. 2, and
Steven Flowers made his a week later against Idaho State on Nov. 9, and
Trey Edwards played in his first game as an Eagle versus Portland State on Nov. 23.
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 (204 starts by 21 players):
Dylan Ledbetter 33,
Dehonta Hayes 21,
Jim Townsend 21,
Calin Criner 16,
Jack Sendelbach 15,
Tysen Prunty 12,
Chris Ojoh 11,
Mitchell Johnson 11,
Tre Weed 11,
Keith Moore 8,
Darreon Moore 7,
Kedrick Johnson 7,
Trevor Davis Jr. 6,
Joe Lang 5,
Andrew Katzenberger 5,
Ira Branch 3,
Anfernee Gurley 3,
Darrien Sampson 3,
Caleb Davis 2,
Rudolph Mataia Jr. 2,
Darnell Hogan 2.
Current Starts on Offense (313 starts by 18 players):
Chris Schlichting 52,
Spencer Blackburn 49,
Tristen Taylor 40,
Antoine Custer Jr. 32,
Kaleb Levao 30 (including 1 as defensive lineman),
Eric Barriere 23,
Andrew Boston 19,
Jayce Gilder 17,
Jayson Williams 12,
Johnny Edwards IV 12,
Will Gram 10,
Dre' Sonte Dorton 6,
Conner Crist 2,
Talolo Limu Jones 2,
Freddie Roberson 2,
Dylan Ingram 3,
Blake Gobel 1,
Dennis Merritt 1.
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 (12 at the time) at the current site of Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field), plus extended a long winning streak to 12 over UNC.
For the season, Lang has 38 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.
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 play the rest of the season. 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 gave him a total of 1,936 all-purpose yards as an Eagle.
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, and ended the season as one of the finalists.
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.
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 was 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 was a team co-captain in 2018 – and again in 2019 -- and was named in both years to the Academic All-District 8 Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He will also earn his fourth Big Sky All-Academic honor in 2019, 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.
Eastern finished as the only school to rank in the top 20 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, rushing and passing in 2018. 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).
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).
More 2019 Season Notes
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."
Eagle Now 18-1 Versus FCS Schools in California From 2006-2019
Following a 42-41 win at Cal Poly on Nov. 16, the Eagles have won 18 of their last 19 matchups against NCAA Football Championship Subdivision opponents from California. In addition, until the Eagles lost at Sacramento State on Oct. 5, it had been 14 years since Eastern had lost a road game to a FCS school 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.
The Sac State loss earlier in 2019 ended a 17-game streak versus FCS foes from California dating back to a 15-13 home loss to Sacramento State on Nov. 1, 2008. During that streak, EWU was 5-0 versus Sac State and 6-0 against both Cal Poly and UC Davis. Overall, the Eagles are now 36-7 against those three foes (83.7 percent), but are better on the road (18-3 for 85.7 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 4-2 at Cal Poly (9-2 overall).
Streak of At Least One Road Win Extended to 51 Seasons
A 50-year streak was extended to 51 when Eastern Washington won its first road game at Idaho State on Nov. 9 in Pocatello, Idaho. That streak now includes all 36 seasons Eastern has been a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA). The last time Eastern was winless on the road was 1969 when the then-Savages were 0-4 away from home and finished 4-5 on the season. In fact, since then, Eastern has had at least two road wins in all but six seasons (1974, 1975, 1976, 1988, 1989, 1994), a current streak of 26-straight seasons with at least a pair. Eastern extended that from 25 to 26 against Cal Poly on Nov. 16.
Eagles Trade Hot & Humid for Indoors
The game Nov. 9 versus Idaho State was Eastern's 60th game inside a dome, where the temperatures are always at about 72 degrees and wind or humidity are not factors. After the 48-5 win, Eastern is 31-29 all-time in domes, including a 15-4 record at Idaho State's Holt Arena. Eastern lost earlier in 2019 at Idaho, where EWU is now 4-9 at the Kibbie Dome. Eastern is also 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.
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 the Eagles 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.
In Eastern's next home game, a 66-38 win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 2, the Eagles scored 37 in the first half to rank in a tie for third on the list. Earlier in 2019, 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 is 30-18 Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents, Including 10-9 Versus Top 10 Foes
Montana was 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. Eastern lost that game 34-17 in Missoula.
The Jacksonville State game was the first time and only other 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.
Eastern was 5-2 versus ranked opponents in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 2018 and thus far are 0-2, and have now won 63 percent of its games (30-18) versus ranked teams since 2010. Eastern is 59-72 in 131 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 10-9 versus top 10 foes since 2010, including a 5-4 mark in the regular season and 5-5 in the playoffs Eastern is 19-44 in 63 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.
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 had 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 had advantages in the middle two quarters against Portland State in a 53-46 victory on Nov. 23, the first three quarters at Cal Poly on Nov. 16 in a 42-41 win, and all four quarters in a 48-5 victory over Idaho State on Nov. 9. One game earlier, the Eagles had an incredible 331 yards of total offense in the first quarter (NAU had 151) in what would become a 706-yard effort in a 66-38 win over Northern Arizona. Eastern was edged out by NAU in the middle two quarters, then had a 111-66 advantage in the final quarter.
Eastern had a 174-104 advantage in yards and 14-7 on the scoreboard in the second quarter of what would become a 34-17 loss at Montana on Oct. 26. One game earlier, 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, here are the numbers in 27 quarters in 2019 in which EWU has had an advantage in total offense:
- EWU – 171.9 yards per quarter (62.9 rushing/109.0 passing) and 13.1 points, 64.9 percent pass completion rate (equates to game average of 687.4 yards/251.4 rushing/436.0 passing) and 52.4 points.
- Opponents – 89.4 yards (38.3/51.1) and 6.6 points, (equates to a game average of 357.6 yards/153.0/204.6) and 26.2 points. Eastern registered nine shutouts of their opponent in those 27 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.
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 passing 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. Eastern won the 2019 game against North Dakota by rushing 284 yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries, including 134 yards and three scores by
Antoine Custer Jr. and another 126 and a TD for
Silas Perreiah.
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.
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.
70 Percent of EWU's Roster were from Washington in 2019
The Eagles had 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).
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. Nichols played in nine of Winnipeg's first 10 games in 2019 before he was injured and missed the rest of the season, as the Blue Bombers beat Hamilton 33-12 for the Grey Cup title.
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 Were on the Road in 2019
Eastern 12-game football schedule in 2019 included 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 played 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 (54-21 victory), Nov. 2 against Northern Arizona (66-38 win) and Nov. 23 versus Portland State on Senior Day at EWU (53-46 triumph). The game versus North Dakota was Hall of Fame Day at EWU, and the UNC game was Homecoming.
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 played four league road games – Oct. 5 at Sacramento State (a 48-27 loss), Sept. 26 at Montana (a 34-17 loss), Nov. 9 at Idaho State (48-5 win) and Nov. 16 at Cal Poly (42-41 win). Because of the way the calendar fell in 2019, an additional game was allowed by the NCAA in lieu of the traditional 11-game schedule collegiate teams play.
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.
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).
Freshman All-America Accolades Awarded to Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Boston in 2018
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.
Recent Game Recap
Eastern Extends Streaks in 53-46 Win Over Portland State
Senior Day for
Antoine Custer Jr. was a memorable experience. The senior running back from Berkeley, Calif., had a career-high 218 yards rushing to help Eastern to its 13th-straight winning season and remain unbeaten at home with a 53-46 victory over Portland State on Nov. 23 at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Finishing the regular season 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the Big Sky, EWU closed with its fourth-straight victory – the team's only multiple game winning streak of the season. EWU has a current school-record 14-game winning streak at "The Inferno," with Eastern going a perfect 5-0 at home and 2-5 on the road in 2019. Eastern scored 28 unanswered points spanning halftime to break it open from a 17-all tie. Portland State rallied to pull within a single score in the fourth quarter, but Eastern senior wide receiver
Jayson Williams recovered an onside kick with two minutes left and EWU was able to run out the clock. Custer averaged 13.6 yards per carry, and scored on runs of 29 and 2 yards. He had an 88-yard non-scoring rush, and finished with the 15th-most yards in school history. He finished the regular season with 1,228 yards for eighth all-time at EWU and his 3,045 career yards are fourth. Quarterback
Eric Barriere passed for 260 yards and rushed for 23 in the win, passing for three and scoring another on a 10-yard rush. Redshirt freshman
Freddie Roberson had his first 100-yard receiving performance as an Eagle with four catches for 104 yards. Senior
Andrew Katzenberger had a team-high 14 tackles, with senior
Jack Sendelbach and junior
Kedrick Johnson finishing with 10 apiece. Senior
Dehonta Hayes, Eastern's leading tackler, had nine to give him 115 for the year. Eastern scored 14 of its points in the first half off a pair of interceptions. The Eagles took a 17-7 lead in the first quarter on a 10-yard run by Barriere after the first career interception for senior
Tysen Prunty. In the second quarter after PSU knotted the score at 17, an interception by redshirt freshman
Tre Weed led to a 29-yard touchdown run by Custer. Weed originally returned the pick 33 yards for a TD, but a penalty shortened the penalty. That started the run of 28-straight points for the Eagles. A strategic EWU timeout late in the first half helped Eastern get the ball back with 2:31 to play. But the Eagles only needed 1:12 to go 88 yards on four plays, with sophomore
Andrew Boston scoring on a 14-yard pass from Barriere and giving EWU a 30-17 halftime lead. Barriere had passes on the drive of 33 yards to Boston, 24 to senior
Jayson Williams and 22 to redshirt freshmen
Freddie Roberson. Eastern then scored the first two times it had the ball in the second half, including drives of 90 yards and 56. Custer scored on a 2-yard run after his 88-yarder, and then
Tamarick Pierce caught a 4-yard TD pass from Barriere. Eastern added an insurance TD in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by Pierce, who finished with 54 yards in just his fourth game played in 2019, ensuring he can still redshirt and return in 2020.
On Finishing With Four-Game Winning Streak: "Here we are 6-2 in the conference after going 8-0, 6-2 and 7-1 before that – there aren't many teams in this conference that can boast of that. So it's not how you start but it's how you finish. I'm proud of this bunch of seniors and our entire program."
On Antoine Custer Jr.: "Antoine embodies who we are. He shows up to work and he has fun during practice, and it shows during games. He's arguably one of the better backs if not the best back in this league. He's paid his dues and it's shown, not only today, but over the past four years with his body of work."
On Seniors: "You never like to see your family members – in this case our student-athletes – leave the nest and enter new territory. But I think we've done a good job of instilling the next phase of experiences to them and with them throughout life. They've been resilient with as much adversity as these seniors have faced throughout their careers. That's what the game of football is about, and we find a little bit more of that in Cheney than most. I'm really, really proud of everybody involved, but especially those players exhausting their eligibility here at Eastern. It's a long journey and we talked about it all week. Not everybody finishes their career as a senior – there is a lot of blood, a lot of sweat and a lot of tears involved in getting to this point, and they should be commended. This is the ultimate team sport, and it's a physical sport and is an unruly sport at times. Nonetheless, they all made it a memorable finish after starting the season 1-3."
On Running Game: "We're still pass/RPO first, but we're going to rely heavily on the run. Teams that are great and play at the end of November and into December are teams that play defense and run the ball consistently. That's what we've adopted here. You have to have to have different variations of running the ball, and yards per carry is where it's at. The No. 1 offense in the nation resides in Cheney, and we haven't been able to say that too often. We've been in the top five and top 10 many times, but we've done it this year after starting 1-3 on the season."
On Keys to Winning Consistently: "It starts with turnovers, then it's third down conversion percentage and red zone. You have to move the sticks to get to the red zone, and those are the three things we've hammered home these past three years. We have to be better in those three areas than our opponent."
On Cal Poly Win: "It was a game between two gutsy teams and we ended up a point better. When you give up turnovers on your last two possessions, that usually doesn't equate to victories. But our guys were resilient – our energy is zapped. It took every ounce of energy to get to this point and we ended up on top. I proud of how scrappy we were today. We found a way to win a close game late, which is what we haven't been able to do very much in 2019."
On First Road Win at ISU & Defense: "It's game 10 and we finally won on the road. I'm not sure what we're supposed to do to celebrate – this team hasn't won on the road before. This bunch is happy and excited, and we know that winning on the road is hard to do. Even as depleted as our defense is, the 64 guys in pads only gave up three points. I couldn't be prouder of this bunch."
On Defense Versus ISU: "Great is an understatement. It's awesome to only give up three offensive points on the road against a team that is going to lean on the run and the run-pass option, and then take some shots deep. They were withstanding some storms by our offense, and we just couldn't get untracked. Finally we got it going, and once the offense got going with its tempo, the defense still played up to par. Coach (Eti) Ena put in a great game plan not knowing who the quarterback would be, and them coming in with the top rusher in the league."
On Offense Versus ISU: "We started picking up steam in the second quarter, but we let er' rip in the third quarter. We did that early and got the long run by Antoine, and then we got the long plays that really opened it up and started sealing their fate a little bit. Our offense and defense played off each other really well, and when you play that well – especially on the road – you give yourself a chance to win the ballgame."
On NAU Win: "We probably played our best game overall. There were some explosive plays – probably a few too many given up by our defense. But we were balanced in a lot of ways, and distributed the ball to various players well. Eric (Barriere) orchestrated the offense almost flawlessly – we had zero turnovers and caused two so that is another win when we are on the plus side of turnover margin. We're really proud of our bunch of players and coaches."
On Montana Loss: "We played really good football for a half, and didn't play very good football for the other half. That seems to be a common theme. I thought our protection was actually pretty good for the better part of the day. They gave Eric enough time, but our receivers weren't open when we expected them to be open. They didn't opportunistically catch the ball or tuck the ball when they were open and the ball was thrown to them."
