CHENEY, Wash. — The score got too close to comfort near the end, but Eastern Washington delivered a win to its home fans. On homecoming weekend, Eastern defeated Northern Colorado, 31-22, behind a career game from
Nate Bell and a tough defensive effort. EWU improved to 1-3 in the Big Sky and 2-5 overall. Northern Colorado fell to 1-3 in conference and 2-5 overall.
"If you looked at the score, you wouldn't think 22 points garnered 32 minutes on defense. Our defense was out there a lot, but we did enough to win this game," head coach Aaron Best described. "JoJo [Maxey-Johnson] had two [interceptions], with one we punted on and put them deep, then the last one to end [the game]. The whole game was a gritty performance. We were laying a third-string quarterback with no tape on. They found ways to call plays and put him in successful situations. They made fits for us with a 10–minute drive to start the third quarter. It was a tale of two halves in terms of points and possessions on offense."
The Eagles built a 22-point lead at halftime, but the Bears rallied with 17 consecutive points in the third quarter to pull within six points.
Despite being outgained in total yards by UNC - 468 to 396 - EWU used two interceptions from JoJo Maxey-Johnson to end the Bears' second-half rally.
Soren McKee connected on a 46-yard field goal to secure the victory for Eastern with under three minutes to go in the third quarter.
Bell threw for a career-best four touchdowns and 334 yards. He completed 25-of-37(67.6%) passes, including eight to Wesley Garrett for 138 yards and one touchdown.
"The play of the game, without a doubt, was Soren McKee. Above all, the stuff that happened offensively and defensively to push the lead to nine was very needed at that time," Best explained. "We were reeling on defense a little bit and couldn't create momentum. Then here's 16, one of our captains this season, coming to the rescue with a confident kick that was felt throughout the stadium."
Eag Notes
- JoJo Maxey-Johnson recorded his 2nd and 3rd career interceptions. Maxey-Johnson is the first Eagle to make 2 interceptions in a game since Armani Orange had 2 against Idaho State in 2023 (10/14/23). The redshirt-junior finished with 5 tackles.
- Wesley Garrett caught his 5th career touchdown and had career-bests in receptions (8) and yards (138). His 53-yard touchdown was a career-long catch.
- Myles Mayovsky posted a game-high 15 tackles - 7 solo - for his 4th career 10+ tackle game. He had 0.5 tackles for loss and added 2 pass breakups.
- Drew Carlson caught his 2nd career touchdown and finished with 3 receptions for 34 yards.
- Soren McKee passed Mike Jarrett for 2nd on the all-time PAT list. McKee had 142 going into the game today and passed Jarrett at 142. He finished with 4 PATs and now has 146-for-150 for his career on extra points.
- Messiah Washington made 9 tackles to set a new career mark.
- Kevin Allen III scored his 2nd career receiving touchdown. He had 3 catches for 17 yards in the game.
- Rylin Lang scored his 1st career touchdown, finishing with 2 catches for 16 yards.
- EWU won the turnover battle, 2-0, against UNC. It's the 3rd game this season with a positive turnover margin.
Scoring Summary
Nate Bell had the pass working early on the Eagles' first drive, connecting with Jamai East for a 30-yard, off-balance completion. On the next play, Bell found Wesley Garrett streaking up the sideline and hit him for a 53-yard touchdown. Eastern went up 7-0 quickly.
Bell continued his hot start on the next drive, finding David Cabrera for a 31-yard completion. Two plays later, Bell found Drew Carlson on the right side of the endzone for the 19-yard touchdown. EWU lead grew to 14-0 at 6:48 left in the quarter.
UNC finally got its offense going, driving 74 yards in 6 plays to convert a 24-yard field goal. The Eagles led 14-3 at the 12:38 point of the second quarter.
Bell's elite passing was still in gear, as he connected with Garrett for 18 and East for 27 on Eastern's Drive. After driving into the endzone, EWU faced a 3rd and 6 that they were unable to convert. However, the Eagles went for it on 4th down, and Kevin Allen caught a 7-yard screen pass. EWU continued building its lead and was now up 21-3 with 8:45 on the clock.
The Bears put together another long drive, going 68 yards in 10 plays. The drive stalled, but UNC kicked a 21-yard field goal. Eastern's lead was now 21-6 and 1:56 left in the half.
There was still time before half and the Eagle offense went to work. Bell completed a pass to Garrett for 15 yards and moved the ball down the field. Bell found Garrett again for 19 yards to get close to the redzone. An 11-yard scramble from Bell put the team in the redzone. At the 10-yard line, Bell found a leaping Rylin Lang in the right corner of the endzone for the touchdown. EWU led 28-6 at the break.
To start the second half, UNC drained the clock with a 17-play, 78-yard drive that took up 9:29 minutes. The Bears capped the drive off with a 1-yard touchdown. The Eagle lead was reduced to 28-12.
UNC added another field goal to start the fourth quarter, connecting from 35 yards to bring the score to 28-15.
The Bears continued to cut the lead, scoring an 8-yard touchdown. EWU's lead was reduced to 28-22 with 9:11 remaining in the game.
With the lead dwindling, Eastern focused in and Bell quickly moved the ball down the field and into UNC territory. He had completions to Garrett and Carlson. The offense pushed to the Bears' 27-yard line, but could not move any further. McKee had enough leg and connected on the 46 yard field goal to put Eastern up 31-22 and 2:25 left in the game.
Up Next
Eastern Washington stays at home next week and hosts Montana State on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time.
2026 EWU football season tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for six home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
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 tickets 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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