EWU’s Jordan West ready to take charge, step in for injured QB Vernon Adams

One team is 5-1 and the other 1-5, but Eastern Washington and Southern Utah have more in common than their feathered mascots and red-and-white uniforms.

An unsettled quarterback situation, key injuries and vulnerable defenses are just some of the common denominators in today’s Big Sky Conference game in Cedar City, Utah.

It’s the midpoint of the season, but neither team is in midseason form. For second-ranked Eastern, the crisis comes in the missing form of quarterback Vernon Adams, who last week broke the conference touchdown passing record – then broke two bones in his right foot.

Enter redshirt sophomore Jordan West, a big kid with a big arm but with minimal game experience; so far this year, he’s thrown 11 passes. But he’s been in the system since the fall of 2012 and has looked steady in scrimmages going back to the spring of 2013.

“As the second-string guy, you still have to prepare like you’re the No. 1 guy, but now it’s a little different,” said West, a 6-foot-4, 220-pounder from Maple Valley, Washington.

Adams isn’t the only casualty in the Eastern backfield. Leading rusher Quincy Forte is still sidelined with a shoulder injury, which means that for the third straight week, Mario Brown will get the bulk of the carries.

No matter the personnel, the system won’t change, said coach Beau Baldwin, who added that the only concession will be “simplifying a few things, because you want him (West) to play fast, without thinking.”

If Southern Utah coach Ed Lamb is relieved to avoid Adams – who threw his 99th career TD pass on Saturday – he wasn’t saying.

“It doesn’t change a lot for us,” said Lamb, now in his sixth season. “We’re disappointed for Vernon, but as far as the way they (Eastern) prepare, they don’t lose Big Sky games, and they always have one of the best quarterbacks in the West.”

Southern Utah’s quarterback situation is more settled, but barely. BYU transfer Ammon Olsen, a junior, has settled into the role after beating out returning starter Eric Cantu. In three starts, Olsen is 78 for 136 for 1,066 yards and eight scores, but has thrown five interceptions.

“Their skill positions are as good as last year, and they’ve been doing a better job the last couple of weeks,” said Eastern defensive coordinator John Graham, noting SUU’s 31-28 win over Weber State and a 42-39 loss last week at Cal Poly.

Both defenses are struggling through injury and inexperience, and the stats show it. Southern Utah ranks 118th in FCS in total defense, giving up 530 yards a game, and is last in first downs given up with 162. Eastern ranks 116th out of 121 FCS teams in red zone defense, conceding scores on 19 of 20 attempts.

“We’ve got to get back to lining up and playing fast,” Graham said.

Perhaps both teams should worry about the unexpected, such as the blocked punt by the T-Birds in 2012 that set the tone in a 30-27 win – Eastern’s last defeat in conference play.

The Eagles repaid the favor last year, with a momentum-turning pick-6 by freshman defensive end Samson Ebukam.