EWU Game Notes

Fresh off a bye week, the Eastern Washington University football team hosts Montana State University this Saturday (Sept. 24) at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., in a battle of nationally ranked opponents. Kickoff is set for 1:02 p.m. Pacific time locally on SWX and on ESPN+. The contest will also be broadcast on 700-AM ESPN and 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area. Larry Weir returns for his 32nd season calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen for the 20th season. Broadcasts begin one hour prior to kickoff and include an expanded post-game show.
 
Currently, Eastern is ranked No. 15 in both the Stats Perform and the AFCA top-25, while Montana State is ranked No. 4 in each.
 
The Eagles are 1-1 after a season-opening 36-29 win over Tennessee State at home on Sept. 3 before falling to Oregon on Sept. 17, 70-14, in Eugene. Montana State is 2-1 as is also coming off a loss to a Pac-12 member, as the Bobcats lost at Oregon State, 68-28, on Saturday. The Bobcats boast wins over McNeese State (40-17) and Morehead State (63-13), both at home.
 
Eastern Washington has won 14 of the last 16 meetings against the Bobcats and are 32-11 overall in the 43-game series dating back to 1948. The Eagles had a seven-game winning-streak snapped to MSU last year at home by a final score of 23-20, its first loss to the Bobcats since 2011.
 
Being nationally ranked while facing a nationally ranked Bobcat squad is nothing new to the Eagles. In 2016, the two foes were unranked when they played for the first time in seven meetings, but have met three times since then with each sitting in the nationally rankings.
 
Eastern is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history and its 15th Football Subdivision Championship playoff berth. Gone is 2021 Walter Payton Award winner and All-America quarterback, Eric Barriere, along with fellow All-Americans Tristen Taylor and Talolo Limu-Jones, but what's back is a group of players who learned under their tutelage and are ready to emerge.

Eastern Washington lost 10 starters from the 2021 squad that finished the year 10-3 (6-2 in league play). The Eagles did not lose a regular season game on the road, a feat that hadn't been done since 1967, and won their first seven games for the program's best start the FCS level. Starters lost include six on offense and four on defense along with 18 total letterwinners. Back are 12 starters (five offense, seven defense, plus three kickers, a punter and snapper) and 47 letterwinners.

Headlining the cast of returners are eight players who have previously earned All-Big Sky Conference honors, with five being honored following the 2021 season. Among the five are wide receivers Freddie Roberson and Efton Chism III, guard Wyatt Musser, and defensive line members Joshua Jerome and Mitchell Johnson. Safeties Anthany Smith and Tre Weed, along with kicker Seth Harrison, earned honors in 2020-21.

Eastern enters the Fall season with a total of 31 players returning with 285 games of starting experience, including 16 players on defense with 181 starts and 15 on offense with 104 starts.

And the Eagles will enter it as one of the top 25 teams in FCS as well. In the preseason rankings released in June by Athlon Sports, the Eagles ranked No. 15. In the HERO Sports preseason poll released in May, Eastern came in at No. 18. Eastern closed the 2021 season seventh in the Stats Perform NCAA Football Championship Subdivision top 25 poll, and EWU was ninth by the coaches.

Most recently, Eastern was picked to finish sixth by both the coaches and the media in the Big Sky preseason poll. It was also ranked No. 13 in the Stats Perform poll and No. 12 by the AFCA.

Consistency has been a cornerstone of EWU football, and the Eagles have cemented an 18-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-back-empty seasons in 2002 and 2003. Eastern has led the nation in total yards of offense per game twice in the last three years (2021, 554.5 and 2019, 524.8).

In 2018, Eastern secured its 10th Big Sky title. Three years later, the Eagles secured their 15th appearance in the FCS Playoffs in what is now 38 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 plus in 2020-21 and 2021.

While the Eagles were making their 15th appearance overall in the FCS Playoffs in the 2021 season, sixth-year head coach Aaron Best made his 12th as an EWU player or coach. In six years at the helm, Best owns an overall record of 42-18, including 30-8 in Big Sky play.
 
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 16 years (2007-2022), winning 79 percent of their games (99-26) 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.
 
The Eagles take a brief pause from conference action after the contest with Montana State, as they head to Florida for the second-matchup against an FBS foe this season on Oct. 1. The Gators (3-0) are currently ranked No. 18 in the AP top-25 and play at Tennessee on Saturday as a part of ESPN's College Game Day. Big Sky play resumes at Weber State on Oct. 8. Conference action includes additional road games at Cal Poly, Idaho and Montana with home matchups against Sacramento State for Homecoming, Portland State, and Northern Colorado for the regular season finale.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have caused headaches and the need for adaptation, but it did allow 11 seniors to participate in a sixth Fall. Among them is quarterback Gunner Talkington who has been tabbed the starter by head coach Aaron Best following Fall Camp.
 
GAME NOTES
 
Series History with the Bobcats
 
The Eagles have won 14 of the last 16 meetings against the Bobcats, and are 32-11 overall in the 43-game series dating back to 1948. Eastern had its seven-game winning streak over Montana State snapped with a 23-20 home loss in 2021, having last lost to MSU by a 38-21 score at home in 2011. Eastern has won six of the last seven in Bozeman and eight of the last 10 meetings at home (including a 2003 win in Spokane). Overall, Eastern is 17-6 in Bozeman, 14-5 in home games and 1-0 on neutral fields.
 
During the last winning streak versus MSU, Eastern scored 267 points and generated 3,377 yards of total offense for averages of 44.5 points and 562.8 yards per game. The Eagles were held to 314 yards in the 2021 meeting.
 
The meeting in 2016 was the first time in seven seasons the Eagles and Bobcats did not enter their meeting both ranked nationally. The last time prior to that when both teams did not enter the game ranked, neither squad was. That 35-24 victory in Cheney on Oct. 24, 2009, also marked the date when EWU retired the No. 71 jersey of NFL standout offensive tackle Michael Roos (Tennessee Titans). Here are the rankings and results of the last seven matchups between nationally-ranked squads:

2021 (Cheney) - #4 MSU 23, #5 EWU 20
2015 (Cheney) - #14 EWU 55, #11 MSU 50
2014 (Bozeman) - #2 EWU 52, #14 MSU 51
2013 (Cheney) - #3 EWU 54, #4 MSU 29
2012 (Bozeman) - #6 EWU 27, #2 MSU 24
2011 (Cheney) - #4 MSU 36, #21 EWU 21
2010 (Bozeman) - #17 MSU 30, #9 EWU 7
 
Eastern is 33-21 Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents

Saturday's matchup against Montana State will be the first game against a ranked opponent this season. Oregon was ranked No. 11 to start the season, but fell out of the AP top-25 after a 49-3 loss to Georgia to open the season. The Ducks rose back into the polls after their victory over EWU.
 
Last season, including games on Oct. 2 versus fourth-ranked Montana, Nov. 6 against fourth-ranked Montana State and Nov. 13 against No. 6 UC Davis, Eastern has now won 61 percent of its games (33-21) versus ranked teams since 2010. Eastern is 62-75 (.453) in 137 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.

Eastern's 2021 games versus Montana twice, Montana State and UC Davis gives EWU 68 occasions Eastern has faced a team ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (STATS). Eastern is 12-12 versus top 10 foes since 2010, including a 7-5 mark in the regular season and 5-7 in the playoffs. Eastern is 21-47 in the 68 games all-time versus top 10 opponents. The Eagles are 10-37 all-time versus top 5 opponents (5-9 since 2010), including 2-8 versus No. 1 (0-2 since 2010).

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.
 
EWU Had an Eight-Game Regular Season Winning Streak Snapped at Oregon
 
Eastern ended the 2021 regular season with an eight-game regular season winning streak on the road, including a 38-20 win at UC Davis on Nov. 13 and 42-28 triumph at Portland State on Nov. 20. Eastern finished with its first unbeaten regular season road record since 1967 when the then-Savages were also 6-0.

Eastern had won the last two regular season road games in the 2020-21 winter/spring season to make up the streak. Prior to the Oregon loss on Sept. 10, the streak dated back to a 28-21 loss at Idaho on Feb. 27, and the lone blemish away from home since then was a 42-20 setback at North Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.

A victory at UNLV extended EWU's current streak seasons with at least one road win to 53. With only one game so far this season, EWU still has plenty of time to increase the streak to 54. The streak includes all 38 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.

Two weeks later at Western Illinois in 2021, Eastern extended its streak of seasons with at least two road wins to 28. Eastern has had at least two road wins in all but six seasons (1974, 1975, 1976, 1988, 1989, 1994) since 1969, including a current streak of 28-straight seasons with at least a pair.
 
Talkington Shines in Win Over Tennessee State

Eastern Washington University football player Gunner Talkington has been named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week after a stellar performance in a win over Tennessee State on Saturday, the league announced on Sept. 5.

It's the first player of the week nod for Talkington in his six-year career with the Eagles. Additionally, an Eastern Washington quarterback has claimed seven out of the last 13 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week awards. Eric Barriere set a Big Sky record with six last season and went on the win the Walter Payton Award.

Talkington, who made his second career start but the first since being officially named EWU's starting quarterback, guided the Eagles to a season-opening 36-29 victory over Tennessee State at Roos Field on Sept. 3.

The redshirt senior entered the game with five career touchdown passes and equaled that in one contest. He threw for 348 yards and led the team with 60 rushing yards, amassing 408 yards of total offense. Talkington completed 29 of his 46 pass attempts (63%) and did not throw an interception. Dating back to Oct. 12, 2019, Talkington has thrown 50-straight completions without an interception.

With the game tied 29-29 with just under seven minutes to go, Talkington orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard drive that took 3:53 off the clock and ended with a 13-yard strike to Efton Chism III for the game's winning touchdown.

Nationally, Talkington ranked third in total offense (408.0) in the FCS after the first week. He is currently ranked 23rd in completions per game (20.5), 13th in passing touchdowns (7), 23rd in points responsible for (44), and 36th in passing yards per game (217.5) through two games.

The Battle Ground, Wash., native joined the Eagles as a walk-on in 2017 and patiently played backup to All-American quarterbacks, Gage Gubrud and Eric Barriere, before earning the starting spot in his sixth season with the Eagles. He has played in 39 games for Eastern Washington, also appearing as a holder on special teams, and has completed 61 of his 110 career pass attempts for 713 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has added another 81 yards on the ground.
 
Eastern Now 67-1 Since 2010 When Winning the TO Battle

In the last 14+ seasons (2008-2022), the Eagles are now 76-2 when they've won the turnover battle, 25-9 when they've been tied and 26-38 when they've lost (total of 126-49).

However, Eastern's nearly 12-year, 63-game streak of winning the game when they won the turnover battle came to a halt on Nov. 6, 2021, versus Montana State when MSU had two turnovers to EWU's none. The last time EWU had 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 now 67-1 since 2010 when they've won the turnover battle, 22-9 when they've been tied and 24-30 when they've lost.

So far this season, EWU has won the turnover battle versus Tennessee State (3-1) with two forced fumbles and two recoveries, plus an interception by Tre Weed to end the game. They lost the turnover battle to Oregon, 2-0.

In 2021, EWU won the turnover battle versus Central Washington (2-0), Western Illinois (1-0), Southern Utah (1-0), Northern Colorado (2-1), Idaho (3-0), Montana State (2-0), UC Davis (2-0), Portland State (2-0) and Northern Iowa (3-1), and lost to UNLV (3-2) and Weber State (3-2). The Eagles were tied versus Montana (2-2) on Oct. 2 but lost (0-2) on Dec. 3.

In 2020-21, EWU opened the year by falling to Idaho 28-21 after losing the turnover battle 2-1. Eastern beat Northern Arizona 45-13 on March 6, but also lost the turnover battle in that one, 3-0. Eastern beat Idaho State by both score (46-42) and the turnover battle (3-2). Eastern won the turnover battle 2-1 against Cal Poly on March 27, but lost 1-0 at UC Davis in a 32-22 victory on April 3. The Eagles closed the regular season by registered two four-quarter interceptions – the only turnovers of the game – in a 38-31 win over Idaho on April 10. In the FCS Playoffs, the lone turnover was an Eagle interception on offense as North Dakota State won the turnover battle 1-0.
 
Eagles Continue Big Sky Success With Impressive Consistency
 
Consistency has been a cornerstone of EWU Football, and the Eagles have cemented an 18-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.
 
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 five other playoff berths in school history (1985, 1992, 1997, 2020/21, 2021) 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.
 
Eagles Were One From Record of 50-Point Games in 2021

In 2021, Eastern had at least 50 points in five games, which was the second most in a single season. The school record is six (2018, 2014).

In EWU's last 19 games, Eastern has recorded its top five first-half scoring outputs in the school's 38-year history in FCS. Most recently, the Eagles scored 43 points versus Idaho in a 71-21 romp, and 43 one week earlier at Northern Colorado in a 63-17 victory. In 2021 EWU recorded the top two performances with 55 against Western Illinois and 46 versus Central Washington. Those games broke the previous record of 45 set versus Cal Poly on March 27, 2021, during EWU's abbreviated 2020-21 winter/spring schedule.

Eastern's 29 points in the first quarter versus Idaho are the most points in a first quarter (fifth overall for any quarter), eclipsing the 28 Eastern scored earlier that season against Western Illinois and Central Washington and on five other occasions.

Four times in 2021 -- plus the Cal Poly game on 3/27/21 -- Eastern has topped the 62-point mark, including a Roos Field record of 71 against Idaho, 63 versus both UNC and CWU, and 62 at WIU. Those represent five of the top 19 performances in school history (12 as a member of FCS). Of EWU's games of 62 points or more, head coach Aaron Best has had eight of those as head coach – and has been a part of all 12 as a member of FCS. Of the 71 games in school history with over 50 points (record of 68-3), Aaron Best has been the head coach in 16 of those.
 
Six Eagles Have Made Their Starting Debuts This Season

Five Eagles, including a trio of transfers, made their first career starts for the Eagles against Tennessee State. On the defensive side, linebackers Derek Tommasini and Jaren Banks made their first starts in an Eagle uniform. Tommasini transferred in from Idaho and had seven tackles. Banks, a Rice transfer, ended with seven as well.

On the offensive side, Seth Carnahan who also transferred from Idaho, started at right tackle. Brenden River, a sophomore, earned the start at right guard. Justice Jackson started at running back and was second on the team with 23 rushing yards.
 
Against Oregon, redshirt freshman Tuna Altahir made the start at running back.
 
Current Starts on Defense (203 starts by 18 players): Mitchell Johnson 32, Tre Weed 29, Darrien Sampson 25, Joshua Jerome 22, Debore'ae McClain 14, Anthany Smith 13, Matthew Brown 12, Marlon Jones Jr. 11, Ely Doyle 11, Brock Harrison 8, Jacob Newsom 7, Caleb Davis 5, Keshaun King 4, Demetrius Crosby Jr. 4, Derek Tommasini 2, Jaren Banks 2, Cage Schenck 1, Ahmani Williams 1.

Current Starts on Offense (126 starts by 19 players): Wyatt Musser 22, Freddie Roberson 21, Wyatt Hansen 20,  Dylan Ingram 17, Efton Chism III 11, Matthew Hewa Baddege 5, Anthony Stell Jr. 4, Luke Dahlgren 4, Jakobie James 4, Blake Gobel 3, Gunner Talkington 3,  Andrei Leonardi 2, Brad Godwin 2, Brenden Rivera 2, Seth Carnahan 2, Robert Mason III 1, Nolan Ulm 1, Justice Jackson 1, Tuna Altahir 1.
 
2022 Season Tidbits
 
An early bye week is rare, but not unprecedented. Eastern Washington had byes after the first two games in both 2008 and 2012. They had a bye after the first game of the season in 2001.

The crowd of the 47,289 at Oregon was the 10th largest crowd Eastern has played in front of in program history. It was the largest since 2019 when EWU played against a program record 65,709 at Washington. The 70 points scored by the Oregon Ducks were the most scored by an opponent since 1990 when EWU allowed 84 to No. 10 Houston. The game was head coach Aaron Best's 60^th as head coach.
 
Eastern started the season 1-0 for the second-straight year after beating Tennessee State. The win streak extends to two games at Roos Field. Eastern is now 3-1 against teams from the Ohio Valley Conference.