Jim : Hello, everyone, let’s talk Eastern Washington football!
KHB_GoEags: How was the morale this week?
Jim : Not that great, from what I saw during the last half hour of Tuesday’s practice. Players are discouraged.
KHB_GoEags: That’s not good. They need a W.
Guest1514 (Guest): Big time
Jim : This is a frustrated team right now, but nothing a W won’t cure. The two toughest foes are in the rearview mirror.
Guest1514 (Guest): Is there a talent advantage for the Eags headed into Fordham without their headline back?
Jim : I think the Eagles have a talent advantage even with Chase Edmonds in the lineup. Eastern has the players to win this going away, I believe.
Jim : I can’t stress enough how much the schedule eases from here on.
Guest6347 (Guest): I’m not sure this balanced offense strategy is working out to well? Not sure what Best is doing?
Jim : They seem determined to be 50/50 run/pass, no matter what. Square pegs in round holes, I believe, for a team that was recruited to throw the ball.
KHB_GoEags: Jim, what were the passing vs. running numbers from Saturday? As balanced, as TTU?
Jim : Last week it was 24 rushes, 30 passes. However, at halftime (a better measurement of game-planning) it was 18 pass, 17 rush.
Jim : At TTU, Eastern ran it 36 and passed 36.
Jim : And you hate to pick on one group, but the WRs simply must get open and catch the ball.
KHB_GoEags: That is where I am really confused— the talent is there.
Jim : Granted, Kupp and Co. made Gubrud look good, but his dropoff in performance hasn’t been that steep. He’s still the same QB.
Guest1514 (Guest): Might one of the freshman WR plan with Grady going down?
Jim : For sure. I think the coaches will make a move now at WR - they have to. Bring in Edwards and Boston for some meaningful snaps.There will be growing pains, but how much worse can it be than what’s happening now?
Jim : Remember, last year, Sblendorio, Stiles and Webster weren’t facing opponents’ top cover guys - they were getting a lot of LB coverage or none at all while Kupp and KB were being doubled. Now they’re facing faster DBs and can’t get separation.
KHB_GoEags: Those guys were player makers before. They are athletic. But, they don’t seem to be on the same page.
Jim : Not playmakers at the level of the departed WRs.
Guest6347 (Guest): Let’s see, we got steam rolled by a passing team and then steam rolled by a running team,now we get a balanced offense, it will be an interesting game…
Jim : That’s one reason Best wants a balanced offense - to keep the ball and keep the other team’s offense off the field.
DC (Guest): That’s why the third down drops have been so devastating.
Jim : However, TOP in the second half of NDSU was the worst I’ve ever seen: all of 5 minutes, 21 seconds while the Bison had it for 24:39.
Guest6347 (Guest): Actually Fordham is balanced so we may have a difficult time trying to stop given the fact they have faced a predominately passing and then a predominately running team
Jim : Balanced, yes, but they’re not very talented overall.
Guest6347 (Guest): Problem is we are not showing much talent either
Jim : By the way, I spoke with the Fordham coach today, and he’s not saying whether Edmonds will play.That’s their policy, and a sensible one, as EWU must prepare for either situation.
Jim : Eastern returns 12 starters and a host of top backups from last year. Problems are coaching turnover, offensive predictability,poor WR play, lack of playmakers on defense.
KHB_GoEags: Do you know the severity of the injury?
Jim : Regarding Chase Edmonds? He has an ankle sprain, but a bad one. He’s 50/50.
Guest6347 (Guest): Did you notice if Tiuli and Kupp were practicing?
Jim : I was at Roos on Tuesday. Neither Tiuli nor Kupp was in pads. Also not practicing: Webster and McPherson.
Guest6347 (Guest): Not good!
Jim : That’s what I observed on Tuesday. Remember, EWU is no longer releasing injury reports. All I can relate is what I see at practice; for all I know they could have practiced on Wednesday.
Jim : All four of those players came out of the NDSU game at various times and none returned. But again, that doesn’t mean they won’t play.
Guest6347 (Guest): This has to be the strangest start to a season. We have the athletes but the mindset is not there. Coach Best needs to go back to what works and Let GG run and keep passing until they finally catch the thing…
Jim : That’s my gut feeling.Physical football will help you win in December, but you have to GET to December.
Jim : One more issue is the upheaval on the O-line. When LT Nick Ellison quit in mid-camp, they had to shuffle bodies. Now with RT Levao out, they’ve had to make more changes.
Jim : Note that Tristen Taylor (all-Big Sky last year at LT) has moved back to that spot from LG. Other changes too.
KHB_GoEags: The problem with letting him run, 6347, is that he is more prone to being hurt. We don’t have a back-up with much experience.
Jim : That’s an issue for sure,and another reason for the more balanced offense. However, did you notice the nice back-to-back runs by GG on that one drive (then they had to settle for three).
Jim : Sorry, I just accidentally deleted a question about ND and Weber, can you resend? Sorry!
KHB_GoEags: Granted, Eric does need the experience, though.
Jim : He certainly does. Got swallowed alive at Texas Tech. But he has great potential.
Jim : Some people put down the Patriot League, but remember, a very good EWU team got taken to the wire by Wagner in the playoffs back in 2012.
Guest6347 (Guest): KHB, sometimes you have to roll the dice and when GG runs he makes the defense softer. Eric will be good but he needs to get on the field sometime
Jim : And you hope it happens with the Eagles leading by three TDs in the fourth quarter at Fordham. Could happen.
Jim : Strange opening-week score for Fordham. They beat Army 37-35 only two years ago, but got smoked 64-6 this year. They are fairly young.
Jim : Also, they had to rally past Central Connecticut, which is definitely a minnow. Clearly, the Rams are struggling too.
DC (Guest): Army ripped through their run defense. I’m not sure they threw a pass. If we can’t run on this team, it just not happening.
Jim : That’s right, Army was 0-for-2 passing, but ran 47 times for 513 - that’s 11 yards a carry, folks!
DC (Guest): Fordham only gave up 70 yards rushing to Central Conn. We’ll see.
Jim : CConn is awful:http://michigan-football.com/ncaa/f/centconn.htm
DC (Guest): Have any word on Gamboa?
suspended indefinitely. The stakes get higher,though, if Nzuzi Webster can’t go.
KHB_GoEags: I would love 11 yards per carry!
Guest6347 (Guest): I noticed we a have a backup TE playing Tackle, sounds like we have a bit of a depth problem. I was surprised Musser wasn’t taken off red shirt
Jim : Musser (from Tri-Cities) is a man-child, a great future O-lineman, I believe. But Eastern almost never plays true freshman on the O-line. D-line yes, but rarely O-line.
DC (Guest): That happened last year too. He stepped in and played pretty well.
Jim : Only five people today.C’mon, tell your fair-weather fan-friends about our chat!
Guest6347 (Guest): Surprised they didn’t move Byus to Tackle earlier. He is good and athletic but a bit on the light side….
Jim : Exactly, I’ve heard that he struggles in the run game. But he’ll always have that game-winning catch vs. Northern Iowa!
Guest6347 (Guest): Need to let folks know on the Red Zone…..
DC (Guest): Great play!
Jim : The man who threw that, Reilly Hennessey, won the starting job at Central and had a great opener. Makes you wonder …
DC (Guest): Good article on the scheduling! Do we know what order the NAU series is?
Jim : Thanks, did I not mention that? I thought it was NAU down there next year and Cheney in 2020. Sorry!
Guest6347 (Guest): Reilly is good but I think he would have struggled this year at EWU…..WR’s have to catch the ball
DC (Guest): Not surprised Riley is playing well at Central.
Jim : Here’s a link to the scheduling article. It’s good food for thought:http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/sep/13/success-location-money-complicate-eastern-washingt/
Eastern Washington University Football
KHB_GoEags: Agreed 6347.
Jim : Money talks, and Eastern doesn’t have enough of it. But we’ve beaten that topic like a dead horse.
Jim : However, those who make the trip to Missoula had better prepared to be VERRRY jealous at their new student-athlete center.
DC (Guest): That should leave a home game on the schedule for 2018. Any rumors?
Jim : No idea…. Frankly, EWU doesn’t share much with me. Even less this year.
KHB_GoEags: Why is that?
Jim : No idea.
Jim : They’re just catching up with the big schools in terms of secrecy.
DC (Guest): As much as the whole program needs coverage I find that odd.
KHB_GoEags: As much as I want a new stadium, or even some upgrades;I will take our facilities and our success any day over what Montana has.
DC (Guest): We are on a pretty nice run this decade.
Jim : That’s well and good,KHB, but superior facilities mean better recruits. EWU fans had better hope that Stitt stays around for awhile and UM doesn’t fire him and get a better coach.
KHB_GoEags: Exactly!
Jim : That’s their big weakness right now. As the fan of a Pac-12 school, I always root for USC and UW to hire lousy coaches. It’s the same in the Big Sky.
Guest6347 (Guest): I know coach Best wants to put his signature on this team but the reason athletes come to EWU is because we are a fast break offense NOT a balanced offense.Scoring a lot of points gets noticed
Jim : Best post of the hour,6347!
Jim : Exciting football wins recruits and fans.
KHB_GoEags: Maybe facilities play a big part in FBS, I”m not sold on that for FCS. I think winning is what recruits want at the end of the day.And I don’t think we are losing any, or have lost any because of facilities.They are still coming.
Jim : True about the recruits,the last two classes have been superb.However, last year it was a matter of keeping the recruits who had already committed to coach Baldwin.
Jim : Best has yet to oversee a full recruiting cycle.
KHB_GoEags: That, too, Jim. I like blow-outs, exciting catches and trick plays!
Jim : Don’t we all!?
Guest6347 (Guest): The red turf helps with recruiting, I hear about it down here in Phoenix
Jim : I like it too.
Jim : For only 5-6 people,you guys are doing great. Eight minutes left!
Jim : Predictions?
Guest6347 (Guest): Well, I have to go but I’m thinking EWU will pull this out in a tougher than expected game.EWU 38 Fordham 28
KHB_GoEags: 47-24
DC (Guest): Seems like prediction time?
Jim : I have EWU winning against a less-talented team, even on the road, as the passing game starts clicking. Also EWU should handle this offense. I’m seeing a lower-scoring game, let’s say 27-17
DC (Guest): Breakout game. Passing game opens back up, effectively run the ball, Defense plays a complete game, and Eags win big, 42-17.
Jim : That certainly could happen.
Jim : Thanks, everyone. We’ll do it again next week!
