CHENEY, Wash. — Derek Ganter Jr. is a true freshman defensive back who had never played a snap of college football. As Eastern Washington University capped its 100th Homecoming celebrations on Saturday, including a warm on-field welcome for over 100 football alumni earlier in the afternoon, it was one of the newest Eags who made the game-clinching play in front of a frenetic crowd at Roos Field.
"It just goes to show you, anybody is capable at any time to make the biggest play, and that's what Derek did," said head coach Aaron Best. "I'm proud of not only him but all of those guys who stepped up tonight. A lot of guys had big efforts."
It was indeed a game that showcased balance across the board. Eastern earned 26 first downs on the day, 14 through the air and 11 on the ground (one by penalty). They threw for 228 yards and rushed for 192. Four receivers had 3 or more catches and four players had four or more rushes.
In a battle that went back and forth all night, the Eagles emerged the victors, edging the Wildcats 31-28 to improve to 3-4 on the season (2-2 in conference), while Weber State dropped to 3-5 (1-4).
The Eagles deployed three quarterbacks, though only sophomore Kekoa Visperas attempted a pass, finishing 20-for-27 for 228 and 1 TD. Transfers Jared Taylor and Michael Wortham both lined up behind center for spurts, rushing for a combined 124 yards on 25 carries. At one point, all three quarterbacks were on the field for the same play.
"I don't know if anybody in the country has ever had that (used three quarterbacks at once)," said Best. "It's what we've got to lean on. (Running back) Justice Jackson was unavailable going into the game. We found out midweek that he wasn't going to be able, so we were trying to do what we could with what we had. You've got a guy like Tuna (Altahir) who was going to carry the workload."
As the only back with extended experience, Altahir responded with perhaps the best game of his young career, rushing for 61 yards and a score while adding a career-best 4 receptions for 64 yards and second touchdown.
"On Tuesday, Coach Best told me to be ready to take every snap that (was) personnel with a running back. (The offensive line) doesn't get much credit, but if it wasn't for those guys, we wouldn't be where we're at."
The Eagles scored three of their four touchdowns through the run game, utilizing several wildcat formation looks to push the highly decorated Weber State defense off the line of scrimmage. The success of the run game was no more evident than in the team's final drive, when they marched down the field for 84 yards in 18 plays — 15 rushes — over 8:40 on the clock, capped by a three-yard designed run from Taylor to push the lead to 8 points with under two minutes left.
"It just felt good to finish a game," said senior transfer linebacker Ben Allen, who finished with six tackles. "That's a complete team win. So many guys did special things tonight in special moments."
On the defensive side of the ball, Eastern piled up 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 5 quarterback hurries while holding the Wildcats to 369 yards of total offense. Fourteen Eagles recorded multiple tackles and six were in on at least one play behind the line of scrimmage. Neither team forced a turnover, but Ganter's clutch pass breakup on 4th and 8 at the Eagle 16-yard-line was just as good.
"It falls on deaf ears if (young guys) never get a chance," Best added. "You can only tell them to practice so hard and so long if they don't get chances… I told the coaches, don't fret to put those guys in. A true freshman against a great team, just play them if they've earned the right to play. When someone earns the right to play, you've got to give them a chance… it's awesome to see an 18-year-old knock that ball down late and be able to celebrate."
The Eagles next play at Portland State (3-4, 2-2) on Oct. 28, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. Their next home game will be on Nov. 4 when they host Cal Poly, coached by former EWU head coach Paul Wulff. It will be Hometown Heroes day at Roos Field, with tickets available at goeags.com.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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