Eastern Washington, the morning after
SEATTLE – A few reflections off Lake Washington as I prepare to head back to Spokane this morning…
The entertainment value of Saturday’s 59-52 loss at Husky Stadium wasn’t lost on the Eagle coaches and players, who lingered a bit as they exited to the claps of the hundreds of Eagle fans near the visitor’s lockerroom.
It’s a team game, and the cheers were as loud for the defense as they were for Vernon Adams after his record-setting game that included 475 passing yards and a school-record seven touchdown passes.
Just like their Husky counterparts, the Eagle defenders will roll up their sleeves this week, treat the bye week like any other and work
on a few things. At least they won’t face another offense the caliber of Washington’s, which rolled up 536 total yards, including 356 on the ground.
The Eagles won’t face that kind of speed, and they certainly won’t face a quarterback the caliber of the Huskies’ Cyler Miles, who simply refused to make a mistake despite playing in his first game in nine months.
Certainly there were missed tackles, but it’s hard to grasp what you can’t catch. Like Miles’ sideline pass t receiver John Ross took down the sideline for a 55-yard touchdown. Like running back Davon Coleman, a quick hitter who found space inside and out against a defensive line that was largely getting pushed around by a bigger UW O-line.
“They got some push on us,” defensive lineman Dylan Zylstra said after the game.
Even Adams was self-critical after his record-setting day, lamenting six sacks and a few throws that were off the mark. “We didn’t get the win,” Adams said.
Head coach Beau Baldwin was moving forward even as the team moved to the team buses and the drive back to Cheney.
“I always find positives and things to work on, whether we win or lose,” Baldwin said. “So yes, there are a lot of good things to come out of this, there’s no question. We’ll address those things and go forward.”
