It’s early, but Eagles have critical game

It’s the nature of I-AA football – the Division I level that decides its champion on the field and doesn’t allow a mediocre team to play in a bowl game – that a loss in September can push a team perilously close to having its season derailed before it really gets started.

That’s where Eastern Washington University is after losing at Idaho State last weekend in its Big Sky Conference opener.

Now Portland State (3-1, 1-0) is coming to Woodward Field this afternoon for Eastern’s Hall of Fame game at 2:05 p.m. It’s basically a must-win situation for the 14th-ranked Eagles (1-2, 0-1).

“We already know we can’t lose any more games,” EWU tight end Tim Calhoun said. “We have to run the table, (but) we have to take it one game at a time.”

Defensive tackle Harrison Nikolao added, “There is a sense of urgency. … This is a great opportunity to bounce back from a loss where we had a lot of mistakes. We have to move on, we have to stay together, stay positive.”

The Eagles, ranked as high as second in some preseason polls, have yet to duplicate the play that carried them to a Big Sky title and the I-AA playoffs last year. Head coach Paul Wulff said that is more of a priority than worrying about Portland State.

“We have eight games left and in my mind they’re all playoffs. Anything on the outside, it just really doesn’t matter,” he said. “We have to play better football, smarter football and play a complete game. We have not put a full game together yet.

“The players know their backs are against the wall. We can go through the ifs-and-buts scenarios, but it’s a waste of energy. We’re just not executing good enough on a consistent basis yet.”

Not much has been working consistently for the Eagles, and that includes a passing game that leads the nation because Erik Meyer has thrown for more than 360 yards in all three outings.

“We haven’t moved the ball very well … we all need to step it up to get pressure off Meyer,” Calhoun said of the offense that has 312 yards on the ground and 1,144 through the air. “Most of the teams are bringing a lot of pressure. Their linebackers look good on film and their defensive line is big. We have to come out and be more aggressive than them.”

The Vikings continue to pound the ball on offense. Following in the footsteps of Ryan Fuqua, who rushed for 768 yards in three games against the Eagles, Joe Rubin gained 167 last year and prepped for the Eagles by hammering Northern Colorado for 356 last week. Even without injured All-American center Antonio Nacisse, Rubin is second in the nation at 168 yards a game.

“The main key is the defensive line,” Nikolao said. “We have to execute, attack the line of scrimmage for four quarters and have sure tackling on No. 23, or whoever is running the ball.”

Though the results are similar, Rubin presents a different challenge than the elusive Fuqua.

“Joe Rubin is a much more physical runner, more of a downhill runner,” Wulff said. “A lot is on our defensive line. We have to be very sound and disciplined with our responsibilities to be able to handle him.”

If the Eagles can contain Rubin, their chances improve dramatically. Quarterback Sawyer Smith has thrown for just 595 yards and two touchdowns in four games with six interceptions.

The Eagles are still hurting at a number of positions. New starters from last week are Charles Searcy at cornerback and Tyler Coleman at wide receiver, replacing Richmond Sanders. At defensive end, true freshman Greg Peach could start for Jason Belford or tackle Garrett Quinn bumps outside with several different tackles rotating in, including Missouri transfer George Lane.