Big Sky notes: Vernon Adams tries to stay patient while healing
His right foot is healing in its own good time, which isn’t fast enough for Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.
“It’s coming along, but I have to learn that it’s happening on God’s time, and my time will come again,” Adams said during practice Tuesday at Roos Field.
More than likely, that time won’t be on Saturday against North Dakota, which means the All-American will miss his fourth straight game since breaking two bones against Idaho State on Oct. 4.
“It’s definitely been tough,” said Adams, who’s never been injured before. “I try not to push it too much.”
On the other hand, Adams wants to help any way he can. Wearing a boot on his right foot, Adams is a constant presence at practices and pregame warmups. “I want to be out there helping,” said Adams, who tries to advise backup Jordan West and the other quarterbacks on the field and in the film room. “They ask me questions, and I just try to answer them and tell them what I see defensively,” said Adams, who hopes to get onto the field later this week during practice.
Hamlin fourth in tackles
Eastern Washington senior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin had nine tackles in a loss to Northern Arizona to hike his career total to 428. Hamlin enters Saturday’s game fourth on the Big Sky’s all-time tackles list.
Hamlin is only four tackles away from tying former Eagle J.C. Sherritt for the school record, and six away from tying former Idaho State linebacker A.J. Storms (434) for second on all-time conference list.
Former Montana State safety Kane Ioane is the leader with 471. Tackles became an official NCAA statistic in 2000.
North Dakota QB out
North Dakota starting quarterback Joe Mollberg will miss the remaining four games of the season after injuring his right Achilles tendon.
Ryan Bartles, also a redshirt sophomore, will replace Mollberg in Saturday’s game.
Mollberg, a redshirt sophomore from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, was injured in the first quarter of last Saturday’s game at Southern Utah. He had started the first eight games of UND’s 3-5 season, completing 78 of 143 pass attempts for 919 yards and three touchdowns with five interceptions.
Wicked road streak dead
Idaho State earned its first road victory since 2006, downing host Northern Colorado 46-12. The Bengals entered the game riding a 48-game road losing streak. The Bengals had also lost 32 consecutive conference road games, a Big Sky record. Idaho State’s last road win previous to Saturday was a 41-13 victory over Northern Colorado on Oct. 7, 2006. This also marks the first time Idaho State has won three conference games in a season since 2005, and also the first time the program has won five overall games since 2005.
Idaho State’s last winning season came in 2003 when the Bengals were 4-3 in conference and 8-4 overall. The Bengals have now won three straight games for the first time since 2003.
Rush is on
No Big Sky player rushed for 200 yards over the first seven weeks of the season, but last weekend, three players went over the 200-yard mark.
EWU senior Quincy Forte returned after missing four games with a shoulder injury to rush for a career-high 219 yards and a touchdown at Northern Arizona; Idaho State’s Xavier Finney rushed for a career-high 236 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals’ win over Northern Colorado; and Cal Poly quarterback Chris Brown rushed for a career-high 226 yards and two touchdowns in an upset of Montana.