Playoffs big reward for Eastern
The Eastern Washington University Eagles did and said all of the right things following the 2006 college football season.
They went back to the weight room and extended their stays. They worked out on the field, too, running wind sprints, as well as pass routes. They bonded.
And to a man they insisted – all winter long and throughout spring drills – that last year’s 3-8 finish was a mere hiccup for a program they believe is among the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision’s elite.
But then, that’s what most football teams do and say in an effort to placate their fans and rationalize a season full of unfulfilled expectations.
What made the Eagles different, in this instance, was that they went back out on the football field this fall and backed up their off-season talk by putting together an impressive 8-3 regular season and knocking down the NCAA’s postseason playoff door for the third time in four years.
They were remarkably efficient on offense and consistent on both sides of the football, coming within a single point of upsetting then-No.1-ranked Montana on its own field. Presumably, a win over Montana would have earned the Eagles a share of the Big Sky Conference championship and the league’s automatic playoff berth.
Senior offensive lineman Rocky Hanni recalls discussing the possibility of just such a turnaround season with sophomore quarterback Matt Nichols over the winter.
“I actually told Matt back then, ‘We were 3-8 this year and not very good, but we have the team and the talent to go 8-3 next year instead of 3-8.’ “
Which is exactly what Eastern did, prompting head coach Paul Wulff to reflect earlier this week on what it was that allowed his team to back up its vow to wash away the bitter taste of 2006.
“To be in this situation three out of four years is pretty rare for Eastern Washington University,” said Wulff, whose Eagles will open the 2007 playoffs against No. 2 seeded McNeese State (11-0) in Lake Charles, La., on Saturday night. “That’s big, and our 12 seniors are a big reason for our turnaround.
“They’ve been a great group – not necessarily big in numbers, but as strong in character and as strong a team-member guys as I’ve ever been around. Collectively, they’ve done an outstanding job this whole season.”
Junior tight end Nathan Overbay also gives his senior teammates much of the credit for they way the Eagles responded this fall.
“Those seniors have stepped up a ridiculous amount,” he said. “They’re always there, carrying your back. It’s the best senior class I’ve been around since I’ve been here – a real go-get-‘em type of senior class. There’s not many of them, but you sure notice them.”
Another one of those seniors, first-team All-Big Sky offensive guard Matt Alfred, credits the sense of family shared by this year’s team as a big key to its success.
“I think we’ve proven that last season was a fluke,” he said. “This team is special, because there’s so much unity between all positions. Whether it’s your quarterback, the receivers or the defensive line, it doesn’t matter. Everyone is family here.
“That unity is something this team has really been able to identify with and hold on to. It’s been a driving force this season.”
Wulff has been confident of his team’s ability to turn things around for some time, telling the sportswriters and broadcasters who attended the Big Sky Conference Kickoff in Park City, Utah, that the Eagles were “obviously” going to win more games this year than last.
He just wouldn’t tell them how many.
“I just think they all felt steps were being made the right way,” Wulff said of his returning players. “We were doing the right things to get ourselves back to being a better football team. We endured some injuries early this year that could have crippled us, but we had guys step up, we moved people around and we were able to persevere and still find a way to win games.
“A year ago, the whole year was difficult for our program. It was nice to work hard and get ourselves back to what we believe we are – which is a nationally competitive football program. We had just one down year, and now we’re back, and there aren’t many teams in the country that can say that, at our level.”
“I think that makes a statement. It says our football program is on solid ground.”