Another must-win game for Eastern
With its margin for error having long since evaporated, Eastern Washington University’s young football team will attempt to keep its postseason playoff hopes alive for another week when it faces off this afternoon against Big Sky Conference rival Sacramento State in Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif.
Kickoff is set for 2:05 and the Eagles (4-3 overall, 2-2 in the Big Sky) understand precisely what they must do in their last four regular-season games to have any chance of securing a coveted berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
“If were hoping for postseason play – which everybody is, and we’re no different – it’s pretty clear cut that we have to take care of business every week and win out,” said Paul Wulff, who has taken the Eagles to the FCS playoffs twice during his eight-year tenure as their head coach. “We’ve got to keep fighting to get out of the corner we’re in, and going to Sac State is going to be a heckuva challenge.
“It’s another huge game.”
The Hornets (1-6, 1-4) won’t scare many opponents with their record, but they have been difficult to deal with at home, where they have played two games this season. They handed Northern Arizona, the team sitting alone in second place in the Big Sky standings, its only conference loss by a lopsided 38-9 margin on Sept. 28, and two weeks later limited conference-leading, unbeaten and No. 3-ranked Montana to 172 total yards in a 17-3 loss.
“They’ve played exceptionally well at home,” Wulff said of Sacramento State, which is in its first season under head coach Marshall Sperbeck. “They’ve dominated their opponents there, particularly on defense. Holding Montana to just 173 yards and Northern Arizona to 187 is really impressive.”
The Hornets start six seniors on defense and feature three of the Big Sky’s most active linebackers in Cyrus Mulitalo, Mike Brannon and Mike Hickman. Mulitalo ranks second in the conference in tackles for losses with 12 and fourth in overall tackles with an average of 9.4 per game.
“He’s one of the best defensive players in the league, no question,” Wulff said of the 6-foot-1, 245-pound junior, who had a hand in 14 tackles in last year’s 21-20 win over EWU in Cheney.
Eastern will counter with the Big Sky’s top-ranked offense, with is averaging 455.1 yards per game, including 303.9 through the air. Sophomore quarterback Matt Nichols has completed 63 percent of his passes (153 for 243) for 2,053 yards and a Big Sky-best 17 touchdowns, while throwing only five interceptions.
The Eagles boast a vastly improved defense, having allowed only 118.0 rushing yards per game.
“What has happened is our defensive line has started to play awfully well, and they’re making the rest of our defense look really good,” Wulff said of his defense, which allowed one scoring drive of more than 50 yards in last Saturday’s mistake-plagued 42-7 non-conference at Brigham Young University.
“Like most defenses, if you’re good up front, you’ve got a chance to be really good, and we’re continuing to develop up there. If those kids keep continuing to play the way they have been, then we’ve got a chance to be really good on defense – but they need to keep growing.”
The recent return of junior tackle Lance Witherspoon from an early season injury has helped solidify Eastern’s all-junior defensive front, which also includes ends Greg Peach and Jason Brand and tackle Shawn Powell. Peach leads the team in tackles for losses with nine and is ranked No. 2 in the Big Sky with seven sacks.
Notes
Eastern leads Sacramento State 12-3 in their all-time series and has never lost in the eight games played in Hornet Stadium… . After playing five of its first seven games on the road, Sacramento State plays three of its last four at home.