Scoreboard could get big workout today
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – If history is an indication, expect a fire marshal on hand at the Walkup Skydome this afternoon when 15th-ranked Eastern Washington takes on Northern Arizona in a critical Big Sky Conference football game.
Whenever the Eagles (2-2 overall, 1-1 in conference) face the Lumberjacks (2-3, 0-2) there is a good chance for fireworks.
In splitting the last four games the score has been in the 45-27 range with the home team winning.
NAU has torched Eastern for 96 points and 1,079 yards in the last two games at the dome, including 54-31 in 2003 when true freshman quarterback Jason Murietta was on his way to being named the conference offensive MVP.
“Two years ago they were a very good football team,” Eastern head coach Paul Wulff said of the Lumberjacks. “There’s part of the reason why you get lit up. And we weren’t as good yet.”
Last year it was a different story as Eagles quarterback Erik Meyer, on his way to the MVP award, had one of his best performances. Meyer completed 19 of 21 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-14 win. He was 10 of 10 with a 21-0 lead before Murietta completed his first pass.
EWU’s defense did its part, holding conference-leading running back Roger Robinson to 2 yards on nine carries.
“Last time (at NAU) we had some blown assignments,” EWU cornerback Jesse Hendrix said. “Last year we were a lot more focused on everybody doing their job. When everybody is doing their job, we can’t be stopped. When we shut down the run, we force teams to pass and that’s what (defensive backs) live for.”
The Lumberjacks are still trying to recapture the magic from their playoff season and, despite losses at Weber State and Sacramento State, they’re not far off.
“They’re a little younger on defense than they’ve been,” Wulff said. “Offensively, they are actually doing some pretty good things. They have done some things to hurt themselves; a lot of turnovers. They had six turnovers against Sac State. Nobody is going to win when you have six turnovers. It was a similar story at Weber State. If they play good football and don’t hurt themselves, they can beat anybody.”
NAU is among the conference leaders in passing, is in the middle for rushing, but is last in the Big Sky with 15 turnovers.
Murietta threw for 347 yards at Sacramento State and for the season has completed 95 of 190 passes for 1,093 yards and nine TDs with eight interceptions. Comparing the two QBs, Meyer has the same number of completions with eight touchdowns in 41 fewer passes. He also has 375 more yards while playing one less game.
On defense, the Lumberjacks give up 351 yards, 146 yards on the ground, but the conference-leading Eagles (486 yards a game) are a different test, especially coming off a win against Portland State that saw them pass for 266 yards and rush for 222.
“The line right now is getting a good feel for itself,” said junior back Ryan Cole, who had 154 yards and five TDs last week. “They like to run flex (defense). It’s going to be pretty difficult to run the ball. But if the guys up front make the right reads and I make the right cuts, we should be OK.”
NAU’s clear advantage is on special teams. Freshman kicker Robbie Dehaze, who had a 43-yard field goal last week, is perfect on eight field-goal attempts and 16 extra points.
But better numbers and last year’s romp doesn’t mean the Eagles are overconfident.
“With how we’re playing right now … there absolutely shouldn’t be any of that,” Wulff said. “That would be a huge mistake on our part.”
“Once again it’s about how we’re playing. That’s our only focus. If we get too caught up in where we’re playing and who we’re playing, we’re not focusing on the things it takes to win a ballgame.”