Staying Out Of Arms’ Way It Won’t Be A Battle Of Passing Games With Inexperienced Qbs

The winner of today’s Big Sky Conference football game between Eastern Washington and Montana State will likely be the team with the least destructive backup quarterback.

If EWU’s Harry Leons tops out at, say, three interceptions and MSU clipboard-holder Todd Buchanan throws five, for instance, the Eagles would figure to have a decent shot at their first Big Sky win of the season.

It’s come to this because both teams lost their regular quarterbacks to season-ending injuries in home defeats last week. EWU starter Brian Sherick tore up a knee in a 30-16 setback against Northern Arizona, while MSU’s Jeff Tuss broke a wrist in a 14-7 loss to Weber State.

In Leons’ only start - the sophomore filled in when Sherick was suspended for the Oct. 7 game against Idaho State - he was intercepted five times. EWU lost, 14-7.

MSU can relate. In the Bobcats’ loss to Weber State, the difference was provided when Buchanan fumbled the snap from center, tried to picked up the ball and flip it to a running back. The ball, instead, rolled into the MSU end zone, where Weber State happily recovered.

The third-quarter miscue was Buchanan’s only play of the game - he had replaced a struggling Tuss, who came back to play the rest of the game despite the injury to his throwing arm, an injury he suffered in the second quarter.

The game made ESPN’s highlights, more for the blinding snowstorm than aerial artistry. Tuss finished 9 of 31 for 81 yards, throwing four interceptions.

With Leons and Buchanan in the lineups, head coaches Mike Kramer and Cliff Hysell will limit their offensive creativity.

“Knowing Mike and Mike knowing me, this might be the shortest NCAA game in history,” said MSU’s Hysell. “I’m going to run it about 75 times and he might, too.”

Said Kramer: “The last two weeks we’ve tried less of the running game. Against Idaho, it was short passes. Last week, we decided to throw downfield just to see if we could do it.

“But Harry has six interceptions in less than 50 attempts. I’m kind of conservative to begin with.”

The weather isn’t expected to be a factor. As of Friday, skies had cleared and howling winds had subsided.

Role reversal

Former EWU quarterbacks coach Jim McElwain is in his first season as offensive coordinator in Bozeman after 16 seasons at EWU, including three as a player.

“There’s a lot of things floating through my mind,” said McElwain. “A lot has to do with the friendships with the coaches and the players. When I go through films of Eastern, I find myself self critiquing what EWU was doing on offense and not what the defense was doing.”

McElwain’s family remains in Cheney until their house is sold. Meanwhile, McElwain lives in his office.

“I might be the only guy that has an indoor gym, 17 restrooms, indoor tennis courts and a training room,” McElwain cracked.

Notes

EWU receiver Jerrold Jackson, who suffered a head injury against Weber State on Sept. 30, has been diagnosed with a grade two concussion and will not return until Nov. 11 against Montana, Kramer said. … Kramer returns to Bozeman for the first time as a head coach. He was an assistant at MSU from 1983-86.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Eagles at Montana State Kickoff: 11:05 a.m. PDT at Reno H. Sales Stadium, Bozeman, Mont. Records: EWU, 0-4 in Big Sky, 2-5 overall; MSU, 2-2, 5-3. Coaches: EWU, Mike Kramer (6-12, 2nd year); MSU, Cliff Hysell (19-22, 4th year). TV/Radio: No TV, Radio, KSBN (1230 AM) in Spokane, KRAO (102.5 FM) in Colfax. Pregame at 10:30 a.m.