ST. GEORGE, Utah — A road win is a road win, and this win is even more impactful for Eastern Washington football tonight. After flying into St. George on Saturday morning and a pushed-back kickoff time, Eastern defeated Utah Tech 31-28 to close out its road slate in 2026. EWU improves to 2-6 in the Big Sky and 3-8 overall.
"The last four minutes of the game; you could pay the price of admission and get your money's worth," Head coach Aaron Best said. "The team kept their composure after flying out at 9:30 this morning. I'm proud of these kids. The kids boarded the plane and got off the plane. They searched for a victory and got one on the road. The fact that we won, and they feel this feeling for the work that they put in. It's for them. I want this for them, and we want this for them. They do the work, and it showed tonight. Not a ton of words, but I'm really proud of these kids."
The matchup was a defensive battle for the majority of the game, with Eastern holding a 10-point lead at halftime. After the teams each scored a touchdown in the third quarter, EWU led 24-14 going into the fourth quarter.
The Trailblazers rallied with 14 straight points in the fourth to take the lead with under three minutes to play.
The Eagles remained calm and organized the game-winning drive behind Nate Bell. With less than 20 seconds left, Jaxon Branch hauled in the winning touchdown from Bell to deliver the victory for Eastern.
Bell passed for three touchdowns and 188 yards on 21-for-35(60%) passing. Branch caught seven passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
Eastern was plus-two in the turnover margin as Myles Mayovsky recovered two fumbles. The senior registered a game-high 10 tackles.
"It was a tale of two halves. The offense was gifted the ball a few times. If you looked at the number, you would think we were putting it to them," Best described. "It felt like we were fighting uphill a few times. [Nate Bell] and [Jaxon Branch] connected late. It wasn't a clean game, but we found a way."
Eag Notes
- Jaxon Branch caught his 6th and 7th career touchdown passes. He recorded his second career 100-yard receiving game. Branch also notched his first career game with 2+ touchdowns.
- Myles Mayovsky recovered his first 2 fumbles of his career. It was the first time an Eastern player has recovered 2 fumbles since Paul Ena versus Villanova on Dec. 17, 2010, during the FCS semifinal. As a team, EWU recovered two fumbles for the first time since last November vs. Cal Poly. Mayovsky also had his 6th career game with 10+ tackles. He posted his second career sack as well.
- Eastern is now 80-19 since 2010, when winning the turnover battle.
- Soren McKee made his 17th field goal of the season and the 47th of his career. He tied the EWU record for made field goals in a single season. McKee now has 301 career points.
- Wesley Garrett caught his 7th career touchdown. He also rushed for his 2nd career touchdown. He finished with 2 catches for 19 yards.
- Isaiah Perez now has 8.5 career sacks, and Ben Voigtlaender has 3.0 for his career. Perez finished with 3 tackles, and Voigtlaender had 2.
Scoring Summary
Eastern Washington had great field position in its second drive after Myles Mayovsky recovered a fumbled backwards pass from Utah Tech. Starting at the 26-yard line, a pass interference penalty on the Trail Blazers moved the ball to the 4-yard line. Nate Bell then rolled right and connected with Wesley Garrett for the touchdown. EWU scored first and led 7-0 at 12:43.
Jaxon Bell set the Eagles up well on their next drive with a 40-yard punt return. EWU could not move the ball for a first down, but Soren McKee connected on a 41-yard field goal. Eastern led 10-0 with 9:58 on the clock.
Following another fumble recovery from Mayovksy, Garrett took the reverse 22 yards for the team's second touchdown. The Eagles took a 17-0 lead with 9:37 on the clock.
Utah Tech put together a 9-play, 62-yard drive and scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass. EWU now led 17-7 with 4:55 remaining in the half.
On Eastern's first drive of the second half, Nate Bell worked the run game and moved the ball down the field. Bell also used short passes to Jaxon Bell and Drew Carlson to move the chains. After a Trailblazers penalty kept the drive going, Bell fired a pass to the left corner of the endzone, and Jaxon Branch made the adjustment to haul the catch in for the touchdown. EWU's lead grew to 24-7 and 6:23 on the clock in the third quarter.
Utah Tech responded on its next drive, going 88 yards in 7 plays, scoring on a 13-yard touchdown pass. The Eagles' lead fell to 24-14 with 1:53 remaining in the third.
The Trailblazers found the endzone again on their next drive, exploding for an 80-yard touchdown pass. Eastern's lead was now 24-20 at the 13:23 mark of the fourth quarter.
On the next drive, Utah Tech jumped in front 28-24 behind a 4-yard touchdown run, part of a 3-play, 85-yard drive. 2:32 remained in the game.
Nate Bell had the ball and looked to organize a game-winning drive. A pass interference call helped move the sticks. Nate Bell then completed passes to Jaxon Bell and Kayden Stuit to move the ball to midfield. EWU moved closer after a roughing the passer penalty on the Trailblazers. In Utah Tech territory, Nate Bell found
Branch for a 19-yard completion. The teams traded penalties, and the Eagles were in the redzone. Once again, Nate Bell looked for Branch and found him in the endzone for the 11-yard touchdown and go-ahead score. Eastern led 31-28 and 12 seconds remained.
Up Next
Eastern Washington closes out the 2026 season next Saturday (Nov. 21) against Portland State, with kickoff at 1 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.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
