Red-White Game to be just that

Beau Baldwin, Eastern Washington University’s third-year head football coach, hopes to put the “game” – along with some fun – back into the Eagles’ annual Red-White Game that will kick off at Woodward Field at 2 this afternoon.

In recent years, because of a lack of healthy bodies, the game that traditionally marks the end of spring practice has played out more like a glorified scrimmage, with the various offensive units operating against their defensive counterparts in a strictly controlled, situational environment.

But this year, the plan is to return to the kind of Red vs. White format on which the game was built.

“I think we finally have the depth to do it, so we’re going to break it up into a true Red-White thing and have some fun with it, now that we’ve reached this point in the spring,” Baldwin said. “I really like the idea of breaking up the team, breaking up the coaching staff and playing a football game.”

This year’s Red-White Game is again being staged as part of the Orland Killin Weekend, which is presented by the Michael Roos Foundation and included a coaches golf tournament Friday. It will be followed by the Killin Dinner, Dance and Auction, which starts at 4:30 in the EWU Sports and Recreation Center and will feature an appearance by former Eagles standout and current Tennessee Titans all-pro offensive tackle Roos, along with former EWU student and current ESPN radio and television personality Colin Cowherd, who will emcee the event.