CHENEY, Wash. — The final road trip of the 2026 season is on deck for Eastern Washington football, and it will also be a historic first matchup for the Eagles. Eastern travels to play Utah Tech in St. George, Utah, on Saturday (Nov. 14) for the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Pacific Time, and 2 p.m. Mountain.
The game is streamed live on ESPN+, and fans can listen live to every play on 700 ESPN and the Varsity App with the voices of the Eagles, Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.
Last Time Out
Eastern Washington played its second rivalry game in a row against Idaho, just south of Cheney. The Vandals controlled the game from the start and won by 31 points.
Idaho scored first after a long 85-yard drive, ending with a 28-yard strike from Joshua Wood. Eastern answered the score with a 37-yard field goal from Soren McKee. The Vandals drove down the field quickly on their next drive, scoring off a 33-yard pass from Woods this time. In the second quarter, Woods connected for his third touchdown pass, a 25-yard pass to put Idaho up 21-3. The Eagles found the endzone on their next drive, as Nate Bell found his brother Jaxon Bell for a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Vandals closed the half with two quick touchdowns and had a 35-10 advantage. Following an Idaho field goal, Nate Bell rushed for a 6-yard score to bring the score to 38-17. Idaho then ripped off 21 straight points to put the game out of reach. Jake Schakel came in for the Eagles and threw a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
First Time in St. George
Eastern Washington travels to play Utah Tech, marking the first matchup between the two teams in program history. The Trailblazers joined the Big Sky Conference in 2026, departing the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Utah Tech joined the conference along with Southern Utah.
This season, the Trailblazers are 1-6 in the Big Sky and 1-9 overall during their inaugural season in the conference. In October, Utah Tech defeated Cal Poly 43-26 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Trailblazers have dropped two games since then, falling to UC Davis in Davis, 24-17, this past week. Utah Tech ranks 4th in the Big Sky in yards allowed per game, limiting opponents to 401.3 yards per game.
Record-Breaking McKee
Soren McKee career in Cheney is winding down by will leave at the top of the record books. McKee broke the EWU career field goal record with 4 against UC Davis, which gave him 40 for his career. He passed Jason Cromer (1988-90) for the top spot, who had 39 in his career. The 4 field goals were also a career mark for the senior. For his career, McKee is 46-for-59(78.0%) on field goals to rank 4th in percentage. He tied Troy Griggs for the most field goals attempted this past week. McKee accounted for seven points against Idaho, giving him 293 for his career. He passes Mike Jarrett for fifth on Eastern's all-time scoring list. McKee made one field goal from 37 yards and went 4-for-4 on extra points.
The senior is 155-for-159 on extra points, second all-time on the career made list after passing Mike Jarrett (143). This season, McKee is 16-of-18 on field goals(88.9%) to rank 2nd in the conference in made field goals, while leading in percentage. In the FCS, McKee is tied for 5th in made FGs. With 76 points scored this season, McKee is 5th in the Big Sky.
All-Purpose Runs in the Family
Jaxon Bell is following his brother's lead as an all-purpose player. Bell has 624 kick return yards and 103 punt return yards. He leads the Big Sky in kickoff return yards and is sixth in punt return yards. Bell is third on the team with 247 rushing yards on 59 attempts - 4.2 yards per carry. The true freshman also has 17 receptions for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns. This past week, Bell had 156 all-purpose yards, including a career-long 28-yard punt return. Bell caught two touchdown passes and led the team with 42 receiving and 22 rushing yards.
Stepping Up as a Backer
LJ Roberts tallied nine tackles against Idaho, with three solo. Roberts' tackle total was the most since joining the Eagles in the offseason from Portland State. Roberts had an 11-tackle game with the Vikings against Sacramento State last season. This season, Roberts has moved up to sixth on the team in tackles with 36 total and 20 solo. After transferring, Roberts has added one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. Roberts has three-plus tackles in 7 of 10 games this season. He has 1.5 for a loss as well.
Even in Turnovers
Eastern and Idaho each had one turnover this past Saturday, with the Eagles recovering a fumble and the Vandals grabbing an interception. It was the third game this season where EWU tied in the turnover battle with opponents. The previous games were Washington (1-1) and UC Davis (1-1).
Terrors of the Skies
Eastern Washington has now intercepted a pass in 16 of its last 21 games. Jaylon Jenkins leads the team with three INTs. Marcus Nixon grabbed his first career interception against Washington. Ambrose Marsh has two, and Bryce Smith made his first career INT against South Dakota. He followed up with his second INT against Montana. JoJo Maxey-Johnson made two picks with under three minutes to play in the game against UNC. EWU is third in the Big Sky in interceptions, making 11 total. Montana State leads the conference with 13. This season, four out of the top five tackles on Eastern are out of the secondary. Smith is second on the team with 68 tackles, and Jenkins is third with 51. McKel Broussard and Marsh are tied for fifth on the team, recording 42 tackles each. Maxey-Johnson is seventh with 35 tackles. Smith is tied for the team lead with six pass breakups, while Marsh is third with four. Smith racked up eight tackles against Idaho, while Marsh had six. Broussard and Seanje Finister recorded four tackles each.
2026 EWU football tickets are on sale! Join Spokane County's team for its two remaining home games on Oct. 31 vs. Montana and Nov. 21 vs. Portland State. 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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