If all goes well later this week, the Eagles will further cement a nearly 20-year run of being a consistent playoff participant.
 
Currently 5-1 and ranked eighth in this week's STATS Perform NCAA Football Championship Subdivision top 25 poll, the Eastern Washington University football team finds out on Sunday (April 18) its fate for the 2020-21 FCS Playoffs slated to begin the following week.
 
Consistency has been a cornerstone of EWU Football, and the Eagles expect to extend a current 16-year run of winning the league title and/or advancing to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs at least every other year. Eastern has achieved that feat ever since its last back-to-back-empty seasons in 2002 and 2003.
 
Eastern has won its last five games since a season-opening loss to Idaho, and Weber State won all five of its games to capture the regular season Big Sky Conference title and the league's automatic berth. But Eastern expects to garner one of the six at-large berths available when pairings are revealed on a selection show aired on Sunday, April 18 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time on ESPNU.
 
"There is no doubt in my mind we belong – this team has done well in the playoffs in its experiences over the last decade, decade-and-a-half," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best, who has been a part of 10 previous playoff appearances as an EWU player or coach. "We have an exciting bunch of players and they are very committed."
 
In the last two weeks, Eastern beat No. 11 UC Davis 32-22 on the road, then won its 17th-straight at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., with a come-from-behind 38-31 victory over Idaho. For his 17 tackles versus UI, which equal the 19th-most in Eastern history, junior safety Anthany Smith was honored Monday (April 12) as the College Sports Madness Defensive Player of the Week.
 
The Eagles are led by Walter Payton Award candidate and the preseason league MVP Eric Barriere, who has 2,324 yards of total offense and 18 passing touchdowns in six games. Twice this year he has directed game-tying and game-winning scoring drives in the fourth quarter for EWU.
 
"We've done enough on our resume to get it done, and (the UC Davis) win cemented it," said Best. "We went on the road and beat a top 15 team in the nation, and we controlled that game from start to finish. The Idaho game wasn't pretty but it was still a win. We are 5-1 in the Big Sky Conference and have the best player in America, and that should get us into the 16-team bracket."
 
The NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs – just 16 teams this year with only six at-large berths (changed from five on 4/7/21) -- are slated to begin on April 24 with first-round games, followed by the quarterfinals on May 1-2 and the semifinals on May 8. All rounds of the FCS playoffs will be broadcast on ESPN's family of networks, with the national championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, taking place on Sunday, May 16, at 11 a.m. Pacific time on ABC.
 
Eastern finished 7-5 in 2019, including a 6-2 record in the Big Sky to finish in a third-place tie. However, the Eagles were passed over for a berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs despite finishing as the national runner-up in 2018. Eastern was also passed over for a berth in 2017 despite a 7-4 finish overall and 6-2 mark in the Big Sky.
 
"The opportunity is what we are looking for – it doesn't matter who it is against," said Best. "In '17 we didn't do enough in the committee's eyes. In '18 we obviously did enough and got the automatic bid, and then made a lot of noise in the playoffs. In '19 we started off rough, but we played really well after that and finished 6-2 in the league but didn't get in. Over the last four years we're 6-2, 7-1, 6-2 and now 5-1 in the Big Sky. In the league, we've taken care of business."
 
With those two rejections hanging over its head, Best says Eastern won't feel fully confident in gaining a berth until it hears its name on Sunday. Because of the reduction of teams and preferred regionalization of games, EWU could host a foe or head on the road to play. A potential match-up is at the third-ranked Wildcats, a recent FCS powerhouse the Eagles have not faced since falling 14-6 in Ogden, Utah, on Oct. 13, 2018.
 
 "Whether or not we see a Weber State team we haven't faced, the opportunity to play anybody is what we're after," added Best. "Everybody is 0-0 at that point moving forward. It doesn't matter what your record was, it only matters what your record is moving forward."
 
Not including championship games in 2010 and 2018, Eastern's last 17 games in the playoffs have come at home at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles have won 13 of them, and their last road game in the playoffs was Nov. 28, 2009, in Nacogdoches, Texas, in a 44-33 loss to Stephen F. Austin. Eastern's last playoff road win was on Nov. 24, 2007, when Eastern upset second-seeded and No. 3 ranked McNeese State 44-15.
 
 
 

EWU Playoff Notes

 
* The NCAA Division I Football Championship committee announced on April 8 the selection of 14 predetermined preliminary round sites for this year's playoffs. Due to the health and safety protocols surrounding the pandemic, it was deemed necessary to conduct NCAA championship competition at predetermined sites. Of the 14 selected sites, eight will be chosen to host first-round games. Twelve of the 14 sites will be in contention to host the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the championship. The sites include: Newark, Delaware – Delaware; Cheney, Washington – Eastern Washington; Jacksonville, Alabama – Jacksonville State; Harrisonburg, Virginia – James Madison; Kennesaw, Georgia – Kennesaw State; Orono, Maine – Maine; Springfield, Missouri – Missouri State; Murray, Kentucky – Murray State; Grand Forks, North Dakota – North Dakota; Fargo, North Dakota – North Dakota State; Huntsville, Texas – Sam Houston; Brookings, South Dakota – South Dakota State; Villanova, Pennsylvania – Villanova; and Ogden, Utah – Weber State. The designation of predetermined sites will have no bearing on the teams selected to participate in the 2020 Division I Football Championship. The championship field will consist of 10 automatic qualifiers and six at-large qualifiers (changed from five on 4/7/21), and fall competitions will be considered when determining the field for the spring championship.
 
* Eastern made a 13th appearance in the playoffs in 2018, becoming just the 12th team in FCS to have 13 or more appearances (still ranked 12th following 2019 selections). The other appearances for the Eagles came in 1985, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. With a 6-5 record during an injury-ravaged season in 2011, Eastern fell a victory shy of making its first back-to-back-to-back appearances, but accomplished that feat in 2012-13-14. The Eagles were also 6-5 in 2015 and missed the postseason, and 7-4 in 2017 when they were also passed over.  Eastern was also 7-5 in 2019 and did not receive a bid.
 
• The 2018 season was Aaron Best's first playoff appearance as head coach, but 10th overall. He was a player in 1997, then coached in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and now 2018). He has now been a part of 26 playoff games (17-9), with 23 as a coach (15-8) and three as a player (2-1). He has been involved in 21 of those games at home (15-6), just three on the road (1-2) and was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 2010 when the Eagles won the NCAA Division I title with a 20-19 victory over Delaware on a neutral field in Frisco, Texas. He returned to Frisco as head coach in 2018, with the Eagles falling 38-24 to North Dakota State.
 
• Eastern still 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. Montana (2004-05-06-07-08-09- 11-13-14-15-19) has 11 appearances in that stretch, as does James Madison (2004-06-07-08-11-14-15-16-17-18-19). Northern Iowa (2005-07-08-10-11-14-15-17-18-19) and North Dakota State (2010-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19) each have 10. New Hampshire (2004-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17) made the playoffs for the 14th-straight time in 2017 but has not qualified the last two seasons.
 
• The Eagles have a 19-12 record in their 13 playoff appearances, ranking 10th all-time for wins, seventh for percentage (.613, 19-12) and 12th for appearances. Eastern has a 15-6 record at home, 3-5 on the road and 1-1 in the championship game on a neutral field. Eastern has advanced to the semifinals in the FCS Playoffs six times (1997, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018) and is 2-4 in those games. The Eagles have won their opener 10 times (1985, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018) and are 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The Eagles won the title in 2010 in its first appearance in the championship game. The Eagles have received first-round byes in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 (the playoffs were expanded to 20 teams in 2010 and to 24 teams in 2013).
 
* Not including championship games in 2010 and 2018, Eastern's last 17 preliminary games in the playoffs have come at home at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. Eastern has won 13 of them, falling in the semifinals at "The Inferno" in 2016, 2013 and 2012, and the quarterfinals in 2014.
 
* Eastern's last road game in the playoffs was Nov. 28, 2009, in Nacogdoches, Texas, in a 44-33 loss to Stephen F. Austin. Eastern's last playoff road win was on Nov. 24, 2007, when Eastern upset second-seeded and No. 3 ranked McNeese State 44-15. The other two road victories for the Eagles came in 2004 over top-seeded and No. 1 ranked Southern Illinois (35-31), and in 1985 in EWU's first-ever playoff game at fifth-ranked/seeded Idaho (42-38).

 

Eagles Ranked Second in Total Offense in FCS

 
Through six games this season, Eastern is averaging 558.7 yards of offense to rank second in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and first in the league. Eastern is also third nationally in passing (386.8) and seventh in scoring offense (40.7). In addition, the Eagles are 26th in rushing (171.8) and eighth in passing efficiency (152.0). Leading the nation in offense is Incarnate Word (599.2) and passing is Houston Baptist (459.5).
 
Quarterback Eric Barriere is ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense (fourth, 387.3 per game), passing offense (fourth, 364.8), passing touchdowns (third, 18) and points responsible for (11th, 18.3 per game). Wide receiver Talolo Limu-Jones is leading FCS in receiving yards per game (120.2) and is fifth in receptions per game (7.3, total of 44).
 
Eastern had just 426 yards of total offense at Idaho on Feb. 27 and 476 in the rematch on April 10, but has averaged 612.3 in its other four games – 622 versus Northern Arizona, 581 at Idaho State, 683 against Cal Poly (eighth-most in school history) and 563 at UC Davis.
 
The Eagles are ranked 57th in total defense in the 2020-21 season, allowing an average of 367.2 yards per game and allowing 24,3 points per game to rank 49th. In third down conversion percentage, Eastern is 16th offensively (.468) and 38th defensively (.364), and on fourth down are 10th on offense (.706) and 16th on defense (.267).
 
 
 

A Look at EWU's Season Thus Far . . .

 
On Feb. 27 in the 2020-21 season opener for both teams, Eastern was finally able to begin its 112th season in school history after a delay of five months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Eagles opened a 14-0 lead at Idaho, but the Vandals would take their only lead of the game with 54 seconds left and won 28-21. Eastern had 426 yards of total offense – including 339 by Eric Barriere – while holding the Vandals to 366 yards.
 
Two days prior to that game, Eastern confirmed that Best had tested positive for Covid-19 and would miss the season-opening game at Idaho.  He followed proper isolation protocols via CDC guidelines and the Spokane Regional Health District, and came out of isolation on Saturday, March 6 to coach versus Northern Arizona.
 
The Eagles beat Northern Arizona 45-13 on March 6 in the first game on the new red Astroturf surface installed at "The Inferno" last summer. The Eagles then won on the road at Idaho State 46-42, needing two fourth quarter touchdowns to pull out that victory. Eastern followed with a 62-10 romp past Cal Poly at home on March 27, then EWU won at 11th-ranked UC Davis 32-22, extending EWU's streak of seasons with at least two road wins to 27. At ISU EWU extended its streak of at least one to 52 seasons.
 
Through games played on April 10, Weber State sits atop the league standings at 5-0, followed by Eastern Washington at 5-1 and UC Davis at 3-2. Northern Arizona is 2-2, Idaho is 2-3 and Idaho State is 2-4, while the bottom two teams in the standings are Southern Utah (1-5) and Cal Poly (0-3).
 
On April 17th, a make-up day for games previous postponed because of Covid-19 protocols, Idaho is at NAU. Because they decided after its loss to Eastern to cancel the rest of its spring schedule, Cal Poly had games canceled at NAU, as well as home versus UC Davis and Weber State. Those games are considered a "no contest" and do not affect records.