A pair of standout seniors on the Eastern Washington University football team have been selected to the 2020 Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference Team announced Friday (July 24) by the league as part of the Big Sky's Virtual Media Days. The selections were made by a committee of media members in the league.
 
Quarterback Eric Barriere was selected as the preseason MVP of the Big Sky as he enters his senior season as a 2019 All-American and 2020 preseason All-American. Sixth-year senior offensive tackle Tristen Taylor, who has earned All-Big Sky Conference honors in all of his first three years as an Eagle, joined Barriere on the Big Sky's preseason all-conference squad.
 
Barriere hails from Inglewood, Calif., and is a 2016 graduate of La Habra HS. Taylor graduated in 2015 from Stagg High School and is from Stockton, Calif. That duo represents 71 total games worth of experience at EWU, including 64 total starts.
 
Barriere has previously earned third team All-Big Sky honors as both a sophomore (2018) and junior (2019). With 31 total games of experience, he is 16-7 in 23 career games as a starter, with 6,300 total passing yards and 7,519 yards of offense as an Eagle. He is a communication studies major.
 
"What an awesome honor it is to be recognized by the Big Sky as the preseason offensive MVP," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "Eric is such a special football talent and is also incredible off of the field. The four years of Eric's journey and his commitment to be the best have put him in this position. His exclamation point will be his senior year, and we are all certainly tuned in and ready to watch Eric after another year of preparation."
 
The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Taylor has started all 40 games he has played in his career thus far after missing the last 12 games in 2018 with a knee injury. A three-time All-Big Sky selection, he enters the 2020 season with the most starts on the offense and the most overall. He earned second team All-Big Sky honors in 2019 and was honorable mention in 2016 and 2017.
 
"It is certainly your body of work in your career up to this point which contributes to being selected preseason Big Sky All-Conference," said Best. "There are very few offensive linemen in this league who have played in as many games and at the high level Tristen plays week in and week out. His dedication to his craft has been recognized by the league. The season becomes his final opportunity as a senior to continue the EWU offensive line legacy that has remained consistent for over 30 years."
 
Since Taylor first played for EWU in 2016 in a season-opening victory at Washington State, Eastern has gone 38-14 overall and 27-5 in the league, with Big Sky titles in 2016 and 2018 and third-place finishes in 2017 and 2019. Eastern is 28-12 in the 40 games Taylor has started.
 
Barriere made his EWU debut as a redshirt freshman in 2017, took over as starter as an injury replacement in 2018 and then started all 12 games a year ago.
 
 
 

2020 Big Sky Football Preseason All-Conference Team

 
Offensive MVP: Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington, QB
Defensive MVP: Jace Lewis, Montana, LB
 
Offense
Quarterback: Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington
Wide Receiver: Samuel Akem, Montana
Wide Receiver: Samori Toure, Montana
Wide Receiver: Pierre Williams, Sacramento State
Offensive Lineman: Conlan Beaver, Montana
Offensive Lineman: Ben Bos, Weber State
Offensive Lineman: Lewis Kidd, Montana State*
Offensive Lineman: Tristen Taylor, Eastern Washington
Offensive Lineman: Taylor Tuiasosopo, Montana State
Offensive Lineman: Ty Whitworth, Weber State*
Tight End: Marshel Martin, Sacramento State
Running Back: Josh Davis, Weber State
Running Back: Elijah Dotson, Sacramento State
Fullback: Clay Moss, Weber State
 
Defense
Defensive Tackle: Bryce Rodgers, UC Davis
Defensive Tackle: Jared Scheiss, Weber State
Defensive End: Josiah Erickson, Sacramento State
Defensive End: George Tarlas, Weber State
Outside Linebacker: Nick Eaton, UC Davis
Outside Linebacker: Christian Ellis, Idaho
Inside Linebacker: Jace Lewis, Montana
Inside Linebacker: Tre Walker, Idaho
Defensive Back: Anthony Adams, Portland State*
Defensive Back: Daron Bland, Sacramento State
Defensive Back: Robby Hauck, Montana
Defensive Back: Eddie Heckard, Weber State
Defensive Back: Devon King, UC Davis
 
Special Teams/Other
Special Teams: Emmanuel Daigbe, Portland State
Kicker: Luis Aguilar, Northern Arizona
Punter: DJ Arnson, Northern Arizona
Kickoff Returner: Malik Flowers, Montana
Punt Returner: Rashid Shaheed, Weber State
All-Purpose: BJ Perkinson, Sacramento State
 
* Denotes unanimous selection
 
 

More on Eric Barriere . . .

Barriere earned second team recognition by HERO SPORTS on its NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Preseason All-America Team released May 28. On July 24, he was selected as the preseason MVP by the Big Sky Conference while being named to the preseason All-Big Sky squad. Phil Steele Publications also selected him to its preseason all-league team as a first team selection, and Barriere the lone Eagle on that organization's preseason All-America squad as a fourth team choice. Barriere is 16-7 as a starter at EWU, including a perfect 11-0 in home games at Roos Field. He enters his senior season with a streak of 239 passes without an interception, with his last interception coming on his 14th attempt at Sacramento State (10/5/19). 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. He has had six 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 addition he is seventh all-time at EWU in completion percentage (59.7), 10th in passing yards per game (203.2), fifth in average yards per pass play (8.1), seventh in average yards per completion (13.6), seventh in total completions (463), eighth in total attempts (775), seventh in offensive yards per game (242.5), sixth in total offense per play (7.44) and sixth in total touchdowns responsible for (73). Besides being 16-7 in 23 games as a starter, Eastern is 16-1 when he's rushed for at least 21 yards, with the lone loss coming at Sacramento State (10/5/19) when he finished with 103. Besides the Sac State game, he's rushed for at least 98 yards on four other occasions (98/Southern Utah/2018, 99/Portland State/2018, 101/Northern Arizona/2019, 164/Cal Poly/2019). He has now been honored three times in his career as Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week, including twice in the 2019 season. In 2019, Barriere finished fifth in the Voting for the prestigious Walter Payton Award presented by STATS and earned third team FCS All-America honors from Hero Sports. He was a third team All-Big Sky selection as chosen by the league's head coaches and was also EWU's offensive player of the year. He finished second in FCS in total offense with an average of 355.8 yards per game and was third in passing (309.3), ninth with 31 touchdown passes and fourth 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).
 
 

More on Tristen Taylor . . .

Besides being picked for the Big Sky Conference preseason all-conference team, Phil Steele Publications selected Taylor to its preseason All-Big Sky Conference squad as a second team offensive lineman. He was granted a sixth year in the offseason by the NCAA to complete four years of eligibility because of seasons lost because of injuries. In 2019, Taylor was a second team All-Big Sky selection as chosen by the league's head coaches after earning honorable mention accolades in 2016 and 2017. He started all 12 Eastern games at left offensive tackle as EWU closed the 2019 season with the best offense in FCS, finishing at 524.8 yards per game. The Eagles 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 also ended the regular season second in scoring (40.6), fifth in passing (317.1) and 19th in rushing (207.8), and were the only team in FCS to rank in the top 24 in total offense, rushing and passing. 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 13th in FCS. The Eagles had a season-high 320 versus Cal Poly (11/16/19), and their best game of total offense was a school-record 769 yards versus Lindenwood (9/7/19). He started and played in just three games in 2018 before being lost with a season-ending knee injury. At the time he was injured, EWU was leading the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, and the Eagles would go on to finish as the runner-up in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Taylor started all 11 games in 2017 and all 14 in 2016 when EWU advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs.