Football 2000: Eastern Washington

FAST FACTS

EWU football Head coach Paul Wulff, 1st season; Eastern was 7-4, 6-2 Big Sky, tied for second.

Assistants

Dave Telford, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks; Steve Kizer, defensive coordinator/linebackers; Jimmy Lake, secondary; Joe Wade, running backs; Tom Missel, defensive line; Keith Murphy, wide receivers/special teams; Timm Rosenbach, quarterbacks.

Trainer

Carla Baker.

Top ex-players in NFL

Jeff Ogden, Miami; Kurt Schulz, Detroit; Jackie Kellogg, San Francisco; Bashir Levingston, New York Giants; Tom Ackerman, New Orleans.

2000 draft picks

None.

Question marks

Is junior quarterback Fred Salanoa, who struggled last year prior to sustaining a season-ending knee injury, the real deal?

With only one football, can Wulff keep running backs Jovan Griffith and Jesse Chatman, who combined for 2,164 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns last fall, happy in a one-back offense?

How badly will the Eagles’ Division I-AA at-large playoff hopes be crippled by having to play Division I Oregon State and Boise State on the road?

Can an offensive line that is big and talented, but not very deep, avoid the injury bug?

Exclamation points

When Jovan Griffith gained 1,275 yards last fall, it marked the fifth consecutive season the Eagles have produced a 1,000-yard rusher.

Defensive end Jeff Allen, offensive lineman Luke Fritz and return specialist Lamont Brightful were named preseason second-team Division I-AA All-Americans by The Sporting News.

Eastern returns a league-high 19 starters.

What’s in

Former offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Paul Wulff as the Eagles’ new head coach.

EWU logos and black facemasks on the Eagles’ red helmets.

Players’ names on the back of jerseys.

Former WSU quarterback Timm Rosenbach as a volunteer assistant, assigned to tutor EWU quarterbacks.

What’s out

Mike Kramer, who vacated his head coaching job for a similar position at Montana State.

White facemasks and white numbers on the side of helmets.

Junior offensive tackle and prospective starter David Sherrod, who could miss up to six weeks because of a knee injury suffered during two-a-day practices.

Tale of the tape

Fastest: Lamont Brightful, 4.41.

Strongest: Greg Belzer, 430 bench press.

Toughest: Alvin Tolliver.

Best blocker: Luke Fritz.

Toughest to block: Dario Romero.

Best cover man: Ole Olesen.

Players by state or country

Washington 79; California 6; Idaho 3, Hawaii 2, Arizona 1, Arkansas 1, British Columbia 1, Canada 1.

Academic all-star

Lance Ballew, 3.64 GPA in marketing, three-time member of Big Sky all-academic team and two-time member of CoSIDA/GTE District VIII All-America team.

On the air

TV: Oct. 21 vs. Cal State Sacramento, Fox Sports Net; Nov. 4 vs. Northern Arizona, Fox Sports Net.

Radio: KEYF 1050 AM and KEWU 89.5 FM; Larry Weir, play by play, Doug Wellsandt, Murray Walden and Paul Sorensen to share color commentary.

On the Web

http://athletics.ewu.edu

Offensive depth chart Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Year WR 4 Lamont Brightful 5-9 160 Sr. 88 Shaylon Reed 6-1 190 Jr. LT 77 Kurt Sigler 6-4 280 So. 63 James Venters 6-4 280 Jr. LG 61 Asim Poston 6-3 300 Jr. 74 Robert Horal 6-4 305 Jr. C 55 Chris Polinder 6-1 285 Jr. 65 Brandon Bouge 6-3 261 So. RG 74 Robert Horal 6-4 305 Jr. 79 Brady Stevens 6-5 285 Fr. RT 76 Luke Fritz 6-4 296 Sr. 70 Craig Burns 6-4 255 Fr. TE 85 Dan Curley 6-4 255 Jr. 82 Lance Ballew 6-3 232 Sr. WR 86 Romaine Smith 6-4 209 Sr. 15 Peter Coombe 6-2 200 So. QB 12 Fred Salanoa 6-0 190 Jr. 10 Chris Samms 6-1 197 Jr. RB 30 Jovan Griffith 5-9 197 Jr. 8 Jesse Chatman 5-8 232 Jr. FL 7 Joe Levens 5-10 187 Jr. 11 Ryan Harms 5-8 170 Fr. PK 19 Troy Griggs 6-3 210 So. 6 Nick Reynolds 6-0 210 Jr. LS 55 Chris Polinder 6-1 285 Jr. 52 Keith Garner 6-1 205 Fr. H 7 Joe Levens 5-10 187 Jr. 10 Chris Samms 6-1 197 Jr.

Defensive depth chart Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. Year LE 60 Josh Martin 6-2 270 Sr. 53 Brandon Moore 6-1 250 So. LT 75 Dario Romero 6-3 290 Sr. 56 Adam Chambers 6-3 275 Jr. RT 50 David Alcala 6-2 285 Sr. 90 Romanus Chodorowski 6-4 285 So. RE 94 Jeff Allen 6-3 265 Sr. 95 Brian Shireman 6-2 255 Fr. SLB 48 Brad Packer 6-0 216 Sr. 47 Adam Zeiger 6-1 230 So. MLB 44 Greg Belzer 6-1 240 Sr. 38 Luke Vincent 5-11 210 So. WLB 23 Anthony Griffin 5-10 191 Jr. 48 Brad Packer 6-0 216 Sr. RCB 9 Claude Jean-Baptiste 5-11 190 Sr. 46 Anthony Matthews 5-9 185 Jr. SS 3 Julian Williams 6-0 196 Sr. 40 Lavonta Howard 5-11 185 Jr. FS 26 Alvin Tolliver 5-7 165 Jr. 27 Patrick Edwards 6-0 200 So. LCB 25 Ole Olesen 5-8 151 Sr. 22 Travis Reed 5-11 181 Jr. P 6 Nick Reynolds 6-0 210 Jr. 19 Troy Griggs 6-3 210 So. KRET 4 Lamont Brightful 5-9 160 Sr. 2 Mario Sweet 5-7 185 So. PRET 7 Joe Levens 5-10 187 Jr. 4 Lamont Brightful 5-9 160 Sr.

SEPT. 2, CORVALLIS Game 1

EWU at Oregon State

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Comment: Eagles head coach Paul Wulff and volunteer assistant Timm Rosenbach match wits against OSU’s Dennis Erickson, who coached both of them at Washington State.

SEPT. 9, CHENEY Game 2

Western Oregon at EWU

Time: 6:05 p.m.

Comment:Division II Wolves are quarterbacked by Drew Bledsoe’s brother, Adam, who originally signed with Colorado.

SEPT. 16, CHENEY Game 3

Idaho State at EWU

Time: 6:05 p.m.

Comment: Eagles have won four straight from ISU, but second-year coach Larry Lewis seems to have the Bengals on the move.

SEPT. 23, OGDEN Game 4

EWU at Weber State

Time: 5:05 p.m.

Comment: The first of two reunions of former EWU coaches. Weber’s Jerry Graybeal seems confident his Wildcats can play with the league’s best.

SEPT. 30, SPOKANE Game 5

Montana at EWU

Time: 6:05 p.m.

Comment: The winner of this game has won the Big Sky championship the past five years, with four of those titles going to the Grizzlies.

OCT. 7, BOZEMAN Game 6

EWU at Montana State

Time: 12:35 p.m.

Comment: MSU’s Mike Kramer gets a first-hand look at how his prize pupil and former offensive coordinator Paul Wulff is doing as a rookie head coach.

OCT. 14, BOISE Game 7

EWU at Boise State

Time: 2:05 p.m.

Comment:The WAC-bound, DivisionI Broncos blistered EWU 41-7 last fall en route to the Big West title and the Humanitarian Bowl.

OCT. 21, CHENEY Game 8

Sacramento State at EWU

Time: 12:35 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Net

Comment: Hornets and their AllAmerican running back Charles Roberts are looking for their first win over Eastern, which held a hobbling Roberts to 75 yards in its 26-21 win last fall.

OCT. 28, NORTHRIDGE Game 9

EWU at Cal State Northridge

Time: 3:05 p.m.

Comment: The Matadors are hoping to make a dramatic exit from the Big Sky Conference. They join the Big West next season. Neither team has won two straight in the five-game series history.

NOV. 4, CHENEY Game 10

Northern Arizona at EWU

Time: 12:35 P.M.TV: Fox Sports Net

Comment: After beating NAU 14-10 in Flagstaff, Ariz., last year, Eastern had to sit at home and watch Lumberjacks accept at-large berth to I-AA playoffs.

NOV. 11, HILLSBORO

Game 11

EWU at Portland State

Time: 2:05 p.m.

Comment: If Montana stumbles, this could decide Big Sky title. Vikings will play home games at Hillsboro (Ore.) Stadium, while Civic Stadium undergoes major facelift.

This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Game day

Stadiums Woodward (capacity 7,000)

Take Cheney-Four Lakes exit off I-90, go south about five miles on Highway 904, turn right, following signs, on Betz Road, which turns into Washington Street and passes east side of stadium. Joe Albi (capacity 28,000)

Take Maple Street exit north off I-90, turn left at Northwest Boulevard and follow to Wellesley. Turn left at Wellesley; stadium on the right.

Tickets Season

$125 seat-back reserved; $65 seat-back reserved, with $150 donor seat buy; $50 general; $110 family general (2 adults and up to 3 children). Individual

$15 seat-back reserved ($17 at Albi); $10 adult general ($12 at Albi); $6 student, grades 1-12, and seniors ($8 at Albi); $30 family general ($35 at Albi); $2 EWU student family; free for EWU students with ID and children 6 and under. Info: (800) 648-7697 or (509) 359-4339.