UI Defense Dominates Front Line Shuts Down Eastern’S Running Game

Late in the second quarter of Saturday night’s 31-14 loss to Idaho, Eastern Washington’s play-action fakes were rendered as useless as the practice net placekicker Josh Atwood was using on the Eagles’ sidelines.

Simply put, the Vandals’ defense wasn’t biting. And with good reason.

After a shaky start, Idaho’s front seven spent the final three periods of their season opener dominating an Eastern offensive line that was being billed as the school’s best ever.

Using an aggressive blitz package, superior speed and an intensity level that was a notch above Eastern’s, the Vandals gave virtually nothing between the tackles.

When it was over, the once-pround Eastern running game had amassed a paltry 42 yards, and Idaho had shown it might be capable of playing with the Division I company it is trying to keep.

Surprisingly, the defining moment of the Vandals’ defensive resurgence was spawned by the 34-yard, pinball-like touchdown run of Joel Thomas just before intermission.

Thomas, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility after suffering a season-ending knee injury in last fall’s season opener against Air Force, scored on a burst over right guard to give Idaho its 14-7 halftime lead. He ran over at least four Eagle defenders on the play and left them lying on the Kibbie Dome turf like bread crumbs he scattered so he could find his way back to the huddle.

James Durrough and the rest of Thomas’ defensive teammates watched the run in awe - and then vowed to make it stand up.

“That’s when the whole thing turned around, when Joel ran for that TD,” said Durrough, a junior defensive end, who finished with four tackles, including two for losses. “(The defense) looked at each other and said, ‘It’s our turn now.”’

And from that point on, the Vandals stuffed Eastern running game, holding the Eagles to a minus-4 yards of total offense in the third quarter.

Had it not been for a couple of long passes by Eastern quarterback Griffin Garske, this could have been a shutout. And it was all accomplished against a massive, veteran offensive line that was without answers once the final whistle blew.

Neither senior guard T.J. Ackerman or junior tackle Lance Knaevelsrud could explain the dominance of Idaho’s defensive front.

When asked if he was shocked, Ackerman, a 6-foot-6, 307 pounder said, “Very.

“It’s not what we expected,” he added. “But we’ve got to learn from it and go on. “

Knaevelsrud said it didn’t seem as bad as it must have looked.

“It was probably all about pad levels,” he said, explaining that the Vandals were more aggressive in the trenches. “It was bad, but it wasn’t anything new that they did.

“We were prepared for everything, but just didn’t get it done. We’ve got to go look at film and see what happened.”

Senior running back Mike MacKenzie, after rushing for more than 1,000 yards as a backup last season, managed just 33 yards on 16 carries. His longest gain was 10 yards.

“We knew they were going to get in double tights and try to run the ball down our throats,” said Vandals linebacker Ryan Skinner, who finished with nine tackles. “Our goal was to hold them below 100 yards rushing and we definitely did that.”

“We were prepared for everything, but just didn’t get it done. We’ve got to go look at film and see what happened.”

Senior running back Mike MacKenzie, after rushing for more than 1,000 yards as a backup last seson, managed just 33 yards on 16 carries. His longest gain was 10 yards.

“We knew they were going to get in double tights and try to run the ball down our throats,” said Vandal linbacker Ryan Skinner, who finished with nine tackles. “Our goal was to hold them below 100 yards rushing and we definitely did that.”

Idaho coach Chris Torme said there was nothing magical about the scheme.

“We’re just improved,” he said. “There’s no magical answers. It’s just about getting off blocks and making tackles.’

Durrough said that once the Eagles running game has been effectively shut down, they were able to “tee off” on Garske, who was sacked three times and injured his non-throwing shoulder on a scramble late in the game.