CHENEY, Wash. — Road games are bigger against ranked opponents and even bigger when they are on national television. Eastern Washington football travels to play No. 15/16 UC Davis on Saturday, October 3, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
The game is going to be broadcast live on ESPN2, part of Big Sky After Dark.
Fans can also listen to the game live on 700 ESPN and the Varsity App with the voices of the Eagles, Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.
Last Time Out
Eastern Washington returned home from a two-game road trip to host Cal Poly, and they spoiled the home game for Eastern, scoring late to pull off the road win.
The game was a back-and-forth battle, with six lead changes in total. Both teams scored TDs in the first quarter, but Poly blocked the Eagles' extra point to hold a small lead. The teams each scored another touchdown in the second quarter, and the Mustangs held a one-point lead at halftime. Eastern jumped ahead to start the second half as Nate Bell scored on a 13-yard run. The score was answered by the Mustangs by way of a 58-yard touchdown run. Down by one, EWU countered on their next possession, marching down the field and scoring on a four-yard run by Kevin Allen to lead 27-21. Poly managed a field goal in the third, and the Eagles took a 27-24 lead to the fourth. Near the end of the game, the Mustangs drove down the field and scored the go-ahead touchdown, a 23-yard touchdown pass. Eastern organized a final drive into Poly territory but could not convert with a touchdown to secure the win.
Bell threw two touchdowns and had 253 passing yards on 23-of-37(62.1%) passing. Jamai East led the team with four receptions for 65 yards and one touchdown. Kevin Allen III had 49 yards on the ground, with one score, and added 33 receiving yards in the game.
Meeting the Aggies
Eastern Washington takes on UC Davis this week and has been in control of the series historically. EWU holds an 11-1 record against the Aggies, with a 5-0 mark in Davis, Calif., while going 6-1 in Cheney. UCD's win is the most recent matchup between the two teams, a 48-38 victory for the Aggies in 2024. Davis scored 28 points in the second quarter to take control, but EWU closed the gap to 31-24 in the fourth quarter. The Aggies then scored 14 points to put the game out of reach. Efton Chism III had a career game with 15 catches for 170 yards and 1 touchdown. The last road meeting between the teams had Eastern winning in Davis, 27-24. The script was similar, with Davis holding the lead in the fourth quarter, but a 10-yard run from Michael Wortham put the Eagles up late. The Aggies had a chance to tie the game with a field goal, but Isaiah Perez blocked the attempt.
This season, Davis is 3-2 and 1-1 in Big Sky games. The Aggies defeated Portland State, 31-24, to start the season. On Saturday, Davis faced #4/5 Montana, with the Griz dominating, 66-22. The Aggies are ranked No. 15 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll, and 16 in the Stats Perform Top 25.
Terrors of the Skies Pt. 2
Eastern Washington has now intercepted a pass in 13 of its last 16 games after adding 2 more against Cal Poly this past week and has 6 total this season. Ambrose Marsh and Jaylon Jenkins each made their 2nd interceptions of the season against the Mustangs. Sophomore Marcus Nixon grabbed his first career interception two weeks ago against Washington. As a team, EWU is tied for 3rd in the Big Sky in total interceptions, with Northern Arizona and Idaho State leading with 7 and Portland State having 6 as well.
McKel Broussard led the team in tackles against the Mustangs, making 8 total and 5 solo. Broussard is 3rd on the team with 31 tackles, adding 2 pass breakups. Marsh and Jenkins both tallied 6 tackles in the game, with 4 solo from Marsh and 1 from Jenkins. Out of the safety position, Jenkins is 4th on the team with 27 tackles, while Marsh is right behind with 26 for 5th on the team. Eastern's secondary has 4 of the 5 top tacklers on the team, while Myles Mayovsky is 2nd on EWU with 44 total tackles.
Fumble Again vs. the Mustangs
The Eagles recovered their first fumble of the season against Cal Poly, after
Dishawn Misa forced the fumble and
Bryce Smith recovered the ball. It was the first fumble since the season finale last season against the Mustangs. Misa earned his second career forced fumble and Smith notched his first career fumble recovery.
Staying Away from the Flag
Eastern is improving its discipline in committing penalties, with only 1 for 5 yards against Cal Poly. The Mustangs also avoided penalties, having 2 for 30 yards. The Eagles have been penalized 27 times this season, dropping them to 6th most in the Big Sky, after being 2nd last week. They average 42.0 penalty yards per game with 210 total for the season.
4-Down Effort
EWU converted four fourth-down conversions against the Mustangs, going 4-for-5(80%) overall. It was the most fourth-down conversions since 2023, when Eastern had 4 conversions against Idaho. The Eagles are 7-for-13(53.8%) on fourth-down conversions this season that ranks 4th in the Big Sky.
Starting Fast
The Eagles had a season-best 155 kickoff return yards on 5 returns against Cal Poly. Jaxon Bell accounted for 137 yards on 4 returns, while Kevin Allen III had 1 return for 18 yards. Eastern leads the Big Sky with 374 total kickoff yards. Their 23.4 kickoff return yards rank 5th in the conference. Bell has 268 kickoff return yards this season that ranks 4th in the Big Sky. He is averaging 26.8 yards per return and had a 69-yard return against the Mustangs.
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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