Memory worth taking offense to
There were 1,219 yards in the books and 95 points put on the board when Eastern Washington and Montana State squared off last year in a crucial Big Sky Conference football game in Bozeman.
Those aren’t the kind of numbers a defense wants to remember, even if was on the winning side of the 51-44 game that was decided in overtime.
That’s especially true if the defense had its worst game of this season just one week ago.
Eastern Washington linebacker Joey Cwik remembers, but he expects the 21st-ranked Eagles (5-4, 4-2) to put the memory to good use when they take on the 11th-ranked Bobcats (6-3, 4-1) at Woodard Stadium Saturday afternoon.
“Our morale is pretty high. It took some jump-starting to get us going after that Cal Poly game,” the senior standout from Mead said remembering last week’s 40-35 loss. “We still have that Montana State game from last year in the back of our mind. We’re not dwelling on it, we’re not letting it lose our focus this weekend, but we’re using it as more fuel. We want to pay them back because we didn’t play too well as a defense.”
He knows payback won’t be easy. The Bobcats rushed for 251 yards in that game, including 110 from quarterback Travis Lulay, who also completed 33 of 51 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns.
“Our focus is stopping the run; we didn’t do too well last year,” Cwik said. “As soon as we can do that, the offense becomes one-dimensional. Even though their one dimension is pretty good, we have a better chance to stop the pass.”
Instead of worrying about the Bobcats and dwelling on what happened last week, Cwik said the veterans are trying to teach the young players a lesson.
“We’re focusing a lot on the small things that people take for granted that make the defense,” he said. “All the small things add to one cohesive (unit). If you overlook the small things it’s like a little nick in the leg that becomes a big gash. A lot of seniors are taking the small things and honing in on them. We’re trying as much as we can to get 11 playing as one.”
That really wasn’t the case a week ago.
“Against Cal Poly we were thinking about all the ‘what ifs’ and I don’t think we were focused on the task at hand, taking it game by game,” Cwik said. “We’re usually good at that.”
Cwik said the challenge for the veterans is to provide leadership, something he does by example.
“Of all the players since I’ve been here or I played with, I don’t know that I’ve been around a player who gives more effort in everything we ask, whether it’s on the field, in the weight room or in the classroom,” head coach Paul Wulff said. “He has a motor that I’ve never seen since I’ve been in football. His heart and passion are unbelievable.”
That has allowed Cwik to accomplish more than he ever thought possible.
The humble, 6-foot-1, 235-pounder started four games as a true freshman and currently has a streak of 36 starts.
His 94 tackles as a sophomore led the team when he was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference pick, and he had 87 last year when he made first team.
With 235 tackles entering the season, already 10th on the EWU list, Cwik landed on one preseason All-American team. Another 70 tackles through nine games place him fifth on the list.
He has earned a host of academic honors while setting the team record for the power lift at 395 pounds.
“I’m biased,” linebackers coach Travis Niekamp said, “but I think he’s the best linebacker in this league. … You have to start with the God-given ability he has. Right after that you have to go with desire. You would be hard-pressed to find anybody else on the football team who works as hard as him, in season or out of season.”
“A lot of people would say I work hard,” Cwik said. “The honest truth is it’s Jesus Christ. If I don’t give him the glory every day, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at. After that it’s my parents, my high school coaches and hard work.”
Cwik came to Eastern to play with his brother Chris, an all-league tight end who was a year ahead of him, and get a degree in biology with plans to become a family practice doctor.
That he can do that and participate in athletics delights him.
“I feel really lucky and really blessed to have that challenge and that opportunity to be a student-athlete,” he said. “I’ve had a blast. … The most memorable thing for me will be the relationships.”