No Lyin’ About Bryan - Weber Guns Down Ewu

The Eastern Washington coaches weren’t misguided when they showered Weber State quarterback Bryan Martin with praise in the days preceding Saturday’s Big Sky Conference football opener.

The senior completed 29 of 40 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as the Wildcats piled up 606 yards of offense in a 40-30 victory over EWU.

Martin’s performance overshadowed those of EWU running backs Joe Sewell (169 yards rushing) and David Lewis (92), who accounted for most of the Eagles’ 398 total yards.

Both offenses opened with scoring drives that were impressive, at least until the botched extra-point tries. The Wildcats took a 6-0 lead when Von Robinson scored from 4 yards out to cap a 12-play, 60-yard drive. The Eagles answered with a nine-play, 80-yard march punctuated by an 8-yard scoring run from Lewis.

“We wanted to make it a short game,” second-year EWU coach Mike Kramer said, “but we went down the field on our opening drive so quickly it opened up all the plays in our playbook.”

It didn’t help when Weber State, over the game’s next 12 minutes, scored 24 unanswered points, taking a 30-6 lead with 10:29 left in the first half.

After EWU tied it 6-6, Martin flipped a shovel pass to Pokey Eckford, who raced 74 yards for a 13-6 Wildcats lead.

A three-and-out by the EWU offense led to a Weber State field goal and 16-6 cushion.

The next EWU drive ended deep in Weber territory with Sherick’s first interception. Four plays later, Clemente Sainten ran 45 yards for a TD that made it 23-6.

Sherick’s second pick came on the third play of EWU’s ensuing drive. Soon after, Martin hit Norvel Young for a 39-yard score.

“It took those two interceptions to force us back into our game plan,” Kramer said, “and that was to get in there with two tight ends and drive them off the ball.”

Lewis scored twice for EWU before halftime, pulling the Eagles within 30-18, and Sewell made it 30-24 with a 30-yard run early in the third quarter.

In addition to the missed extra-point, EWU failed on four two-point conversion tries.

Still, Weber State’s lead was just 33-24 entering the fourth quarter.

Suddenly unable to run, and with Sherick under pressure on throwing downs, EWU was forced to punt on its first two drives of the quarter.

The clincher came with 5:24 to play, and the Wildcats facing third-and-18 from their own 23. Martin’s pass was behind Eckford, but the receiver made a spectacular catch, gaining 30 yards and setting up Martin’s 12-yard scoring strike to Young with 4:48 to play.

Weber State 40, EWU 30

E. Washington 6 12 6 6 - 30

Weber St. 16 14 3 7 - 40

WEBRobinson 4 run (kick blocked) EWULewis 8 run (kick failed) WEBEckford 74 pass from Martin (Shields kick) WEBFG Shields 27 WEBSainten 44 run (Shields kick) WEBYoung 39 pass from Martin (Shields kick) EWULewis 2 run (pass failed) EWULewis 3 run (run failed) EWUSewell 30 run (pass failed) WEBFG Shields 31 WEBYoung 12 pass from Martin (Shields kick) EWUHardt 5 pass from Sherick (pass failed)

A-8,131

EWU WEB First downs 24 21 Rushes-yards 48-232 26-104 Passing 166 502 Return Yards 20 39 Comp-Att-Int 15-29-3 29-40-1 Punts 4-50 3-35 Fumbles-Lost 1-1 2-1 Penalties-Yards 8-75 14-136 Time of Possession 30:57 29:03

RUSHINGEWU, Sewell 29-169, Lewis 13-92, Bond 1-1; WEB, Robinson 11-50, Sainten 8-40, Martin 7-14.

PASSINGEWU, Sherick 15-29-3 166; WEB, Martin 29-40-1 502.

RECEIVINGEWU, Hardt 4-63, Phelps 3-33, Miller 2-30; WEB, Eckford 12-213, Young 4-117, Pelagio-Williams 5-106.