Ailing Eagles On Life Support Ewu Seeks To End Losing Streak Against No. 21 Northern Arizona
As if a four-game losing streak and a string of career-threatening, psyche-damaging injuries weren’t enough, the Eastern Washington football team now must face a superior, suddenly healthy opponent that also figures to be downright ornery.
It’s hardly what the Eagles envisioned when they scheduled Northern Arizona for today’s 1:05 homecoming game at Woodward Stadium.
The maladies continue to accumulate for EWU, which slipped to 0-3 in the Big Sky Conference and 2-4 overall after last Saturday’s 37-10 free fall at Idaho.
A sampling: Linebacker Terry Cloer, gone with a career-ending back injury; standout receiver Jerrold Jackson, sidelined one more week after two concussions; starting receiver Jeff Ogden, out indefinitely with a back injury; starting free safety Doug Dorton, gone for the year with a bad back; left guard T.J. Ackerman, out with a season-ending knee injury.
Throw in a struggling sophomore quarterback (Brian Sherick) and it may as well read: EWU’s condition, critical.
“The cumulative effect of T.J.’s injury had an emotional impact on our players,” EWU coach Mike Kramer conceded. “You don’t want to say it’s part of the game and whitewash it, but we have to find a way around that.”
Finding a way around 21st-ranked NAU (2-1, 5-2) could prove equally daunting.
With three offensive linemen recovered from injuries, coach Steve Axman said his Lumberjacks are healthier than ever.
Statistically, NAU is healthier than most. First in the conference in scoring offense. Second in scoring defense. First in turnover margin. Figures like those can’t be downplayed, even by a coach.
“Probably not,” Axman agreed. “That’s the thing - we’ve really been playing well on all cylinders. We’ve been running the ball - something we haven’t always done in the past - and we have an excellent pass offense. We’re playing pretty decent football.”
Mentally, NAU is still seething after last Saturday’s 24-21 home loss to No. 6 Montana - a game the Lumberjacks feel they handed to the Grizzlies (3-0, 6-1).
NAU scored 15 straight points to pull ahead 18-14 after three quarters. And with 1:41 left in the game, the Lumberjacks broke a 21-21 tie with what they thought was a game-winning field goal. Montana prevailed, however, when quarterback Dave Dickenson led the Grizzlies 68 yards in eight plays to set up the real winning field goal as time expired.
Whether the wrenching defeat serves as a motivator or backbreaker won’t be known until today, although Axman has an idea.
“(We’re) more angry than anything,” the coach said. “We feel we handed them the game. … The thing I’m sensing is the players are champing at the bit. That’s a good sign.”
Try telling that to EWU.
“We’re going through the valley of death in the Big Sky these next few weeks,” said Kramer, noting consecutive games against NAU, Boise State and Montana.
“We have to be objective, and not philosophical - just try to be a better football team at the end of the year than we are now.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Eagles vs. Northern Arizona