MINNEAPOLIS — The Eastern Washington Eagles battled all afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, but the #2-ranked North Dakota State Bison pulled away in the second half, downing the Eags, 35-10. Receiver
Nolan Ulm scored Eastern's lone touchdown on a 34-yard strike from
Kekoa Visperas in the first quarter.
"We all saw the same things," said head coach Aaron Best after the game. "The people who were here last year… it's only 60 minutes of a game, but a ton of growth (from last year). Even though the scoreboard didn't indicate it from a win perspective, we weren't outmatched."
After two quick scores by the Bison on their first two possessions, Visperas found Ulm wide open down the left side to cap a seven-play, 75-yard drive and make it a one-score game at 14-7. The Eagles threatened several other times — including a blocked 41-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter — but couldn't muster any damage on the scoreboard against a stout, senior-laden NDSU defense.
"There were about four or five big plays. If you look at the pure stats, you'd think it got out of hand. That was not an 'out of hand' game," Best continued.
NDSU led in total offense 513 to 338, but there was a clear impression that the Eagle defense was much improved from a year ago, when they struggled especially to stop the run. The Bison gained 337 on the ground on Saturday, but 124 of those yards came on two big plays in the first half; on touchdown runs of 54 yards and 70.
Preseason All-Big Sky cornerback Marlon Jones Jr. — who finished the game with 5 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass break-up — echoed the sentiment, noting that despite the early breakdowns, the Eagles responded with strong effort and relentless ball pursuit through the final whistle.
"We came out a little slow to start the game, but I'm really proud, even though it didn't turn out the way we wanted to, of how resilient our defense was and the plays we did make," Jones said. "Credit to the (defensive line), credit to the coaching staff for getting us schemed up correctly. There's much room to grow and I'm excited for where we're headed this season."
Down 21-7 at the break, Eastern forced a punt on NDSU's first two drives of the second half but the Bison defense once again stood its ground, holding the Eagles out of the endzone. Soren McKee converted a 36-yard field goal in the waning minutes of the fourth to avoid the second-half shutout.
Visperas finished with 266 yards on 23-for-39 passing, 1 TD and 1 INT, with the interception thrown on the final play of the first half with the Eagles outside field goal range. He added 34 yards on the ground, second only to reserve quarterback and do-it-all utility man Michael Wortham, who had over 100 total yards including 66 as the team's primary kick returner. Efton Chism III led EWU receivers with 8 catches for 80 yards.
NDSU quarterback Cam Miller went 18-for-25 on the day for 174 yards and 2 TDs, adding 83 yards on the ground. Backup QB Cole Payton led all rushers with 111 yards on 6 carries, highlighted by the 70-yard score in the second quarter. Running back TaMerik Williams added 97 yards on 13 touches.
Eastern earned 16 first downs to NDSU's 22, going 5-for-17 on third down and allowing only 1 sack.
Armani Orange led EWU defenders with 9 total tackles (5 solo). Safety Kentrell Williams Jr. and transfer LB Adam Cohen each had 8. Eastern had 5 tackles for loss, highlighted by a sack from captain DE Brock Harrison and big 4th-down stop by Jacob Newsom.
"We'll take some things away… but I thought we played a physical ball game," Best added. "We didn't back down."
The game, played at the home of the Minnesota Vikings, marked the fourth time the Eagles have played in an NFL stadium. They fall to 3-1 all-time after winning their first three opportunities: 47-10 over Portland State in 2009 at then-Qwest Field (Seattle), 35-32 over Central Washington in 2010 at Qwest, and 35-33 in double overtime over UNLV at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2023.
The Eagles are back on the road next Saturday to take on Fresno State for a 6 p.m. kick. Eastern looks to earn the program's 12th win over an FBS team, most recently defeating fellow Mountain West opponent UNLV, 35-33 in double overtime to open the 2021 campaign. Eastern is 3-6 versus the Mountain West all-time.
Tickets for the 2023 EWU Football season are now available! Visit goeags.com/tickets or call the EWU Athletics Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 to secure yours today.
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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