Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

EWU notebook: Kicker Tyler McNannay gives jitters the boot

DAVIS, Calif. – Junior kicker Tyler McNannay made the most of his chances in his first start Saturday night.

After missing an extra point following the Eagles’ first touchdown, the junior from Colfax came back with a confidence-boosting 27-yard field goal in the second quarter that gave Eastern the lead for good, 9-7. He also tacked on four extra points.

“I got the jitters out after that first extra point,” said McNannay, who took over after Roldan Alcobendas suffered a knee injury last week at Montana State. “But I have a lot of confidence in my snapper (Cory Alcantar) and holder (Conner Richardson).”

After making the field goal, McNannay said he “felt a huge weight off my shoulder and look forward to the rest of my games here.”

McNannay redshirted in 2011 at Washington State and played the following year at Weber State, where he punted and kicked off, but wasn’t used for field goals and extra points.

Going the distance

Eastern cornerback Victor Gamboa had an 11-member fan club Saturday night, and almost half of them needed passports to reach Davis.

“He’s a great kid, and we’re very proud of him,” said uncle Carlos Martinez, who brought his wife and three children from Tijuana, Mexico – a distance of 540 miles. Together with six relatives from California, they raised a banner from the end zone at Aggie Stadium.

Gamboa, a redshirt freshman from Tacoma, was making his second straight start Saturday night.

The streak goes on

Saturday’s win extended the Eagles’ Big Sky Conference win streak to 11 games, a run that dates to a 30-27 loss at Southern Utah on Oct. 27, 2012.

That loss cost the Eagles a No. 1 ranking in the Football Championship Subdivision.

After a home game Saturday against Idaho State, the Eagles return to Cedar City, Utah, for a game with Southern Utah.