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The main topic of conversation among members of Eastern Washington University’s football team this week was the importance of avoiding a letdown following last weekend’s one-point road loss to No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Montana.

The resilient Eagles showed an appreciative Woodward Field crowd of 7,326 that they were capable of more than just talk Saturday by playing through any lingering disappointment and shellacking 11th-ranked Montana State 35-13 on a brilliant autumn afternoon in the Pacific Northwest.

“It can be kind of hard trying to bounce back from a one-point loss to the No. 1 team in the nation,” said EWU sophomore quarterback Matt Nichols, who shook off a second-quarter injury and skittish first half to throw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, “but it was something we had to do.

“Our coaches talked all week about being in a corner and having to fight our way out, and that’s what we did.”

Up by 14-10 at halftime, the Eagles (4-2 overall, 2-2 in the Big Sky) used a momentum-changing defensive stand that limited MSU (4-2, 2-1) to a field goal on its first possession of the second half to score 21 unanswered points and keep their postseason playoffs hopes alive.

Nichols, along with his impressive passing numbers, also rushed for 43 of the 183 yards the Eagles amassed on the ground against a Bobcats defense that was ranked No. 2 in the Big Sky. He did most of his best work after missing a long second-quarter scoring drive after having the wind knocked out of him at the end of a scramble.

“We had to settle him down at halftime,” Eagles coach Paul Wulff said of Nichols, who completed 15 of 24 passes and threw a first-half interception. “I was really proud of him. He got rattled a little bit, physically, and came back that second half and even ran the ball effectively a couple of times to get us some key first downs.

“He was active, and he did a really good job.”

It helped, too, that during Nichols’ absence junior Alex Smart marched his team 71 yards for a score – capping the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Tom McAndrews that gave the Eagles their modest halftime lead.

Still, it was Eastern’s dominance up front – on both sides of the football – that made the difference.

The Eagles, behind their senior-laden offensive line, punished the Bobcats on the ground as the running back tandem of Dale Morris and Alexis Alexander combined for 102 yards on 27 carries, while backup fullback A.J. Jimerson added 30 yards on eight carries.

Eastern’s defense also did its part, limiting the Bobcats to 22 yards rushing.

The Eagles were particularly effective in the red zone, intercepting a pass in the end zone to stop a promising MSU drive in the second quarter and then starting the second half by using back-to-back sacks of Jack Rolovich to push the Bobcats back from the 5-yard line to the 21, where they had to settle for a 38-yard Michael Sweeney field goal.

EWU 35, Montana St. 13

MSU—FG Sweeney 26

EWU—Jimerson 5 pass from Nichols (Macias kick)

MSU—J.Lewis 60 pass from Rolovich (Sweeney kick)

EWU—McAndrews 13 pass from Smart (Macias kick)

MSU—FG Sweeney 38

EWU—Martin 20 pass from Nichols (Macias kick)

EWU—Morris 2 run (Macias kick)

EWU—Alexander 22 pass from Nichols (Macias kick)

A—7,326.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Montana St., Crawford 5-26, Taito 5-17, Mason 13-17, J.Lewis 1-0, Carpenter 3-(minus 7), Rolovich 5-(minus 31). E. Washington, Morris 16-59, Nichols 11-43, Alexander 10-32, Jimerson 8-30, Ramos 2-17, Smart 1-2.

PASSING—Montana St., Rolovich 17-28-1-251, Carpenter 6-13-1-42. E. Washington, Nichols 15-24-1-257, Smart 2-3-0-35.

RECEIVING—Montana St., J.Lewis 5-119, Mason 4-37, Toliver 4-33, Bostick 3-42, Der.Green 2-14, Barnhart 2-11, Crawford 2-11, Banks 1-26. E. Washington, Boyce 5-126, Eller 3-59, Robbins 3-24, Brown 2-23, Alexander 1-22, Martin 1-20, McAndrews 1-13, Jimerson 1-5.