EWU sports chat Nov. 6 (noon)

Read the transcript for this chat in the extended portion of this post.

Nov 6 2014, 11:58 AM

Jim: Let’s talk Eastern sports!

Nov 6 2014, 12:00 PM

Jim: Warmup question: Do you think Vernon Adams SHOULD play this week, and why or why not?

Nov 6 2014, 12:01 PM

Jim: My gut feeling is that Jordan West will get the start, with Adams seeing spot duty to keep the Grizzlies off balance.

Nov 6 2014, 12:02 PM

sammamisheag: really? don’t see that happening.

Nov 6 2014, 12:02 PM

Jim: What’s your gut feeling, Adams starting?

Nov 6 2014, 12:02 PM

Guest3367: No. I would start West and see how things are going. If we are having trouble then bring in VA. The extra recovery time could be very beneficial to him.

Nov 6 2014, 12:02 PM

Jim: That’s my feeling.

Nov 6 2014, 12:03 PM

Guest3367: I think West had a strong game last week and that will propel him against Montana

Nov 6 2014, 12:03 PM

Guest550: Jim, I’d prefer to beat Montana with West, and save VA for the playoffs. But if VA’s able to go, this will make for a great game. How is the oline/running backs holding up? Any injuries there?

Nov 6 2014, 12:05 PM

Jim: For the first time since the beginning of the season, the running back stable is full; Wilson is back, and Moore is also good to go.

Nov 6 2014, 12:05 PM

Jim: Meanwhile, the O-line has been the most injury-free unit on the team.

Nov 6 2014, 12:06 PM

sammamisheag: Don’t see EWU winning w West

Nov 6 2014, 12:06 PM

Guest550: Question about our secondary…it appears there has been a drop in production from Mcdonald. Injury from last year flaring up at all or is it a schematic thing?

Nov 6 2014, 12:07 PM

Jim: Totally schematic, with less blitzing last week against North Dakota. He’s fine!

Nov 6 2014, 12:07 PM

Guest3698: I think if VA can go, then start him. If he can’t start, do not put him in the game for any reason. Excited to see what happens.

Nov 6 2014, 12:07 PM

Jim: Aren’t we all!

Nov 6 2014, 12:07 PM

sammamisheag: Need to win out to get a Top 5 seed and home games through the quarters, w this defense don’t see EWU winning too many games on the road

Nov 6 2014, 12:08 PM

Jim: Actually, I think Eastern could get a 3 seed if it wins out. That would be the same as last year, and avoid a semifinal at North Dakota State.

Nov 6 2014, 12:08 PM

Guest3698: That was one bad offense last week!

Nov 6 2014, 12:09 PM

Jim: That won’t be the case this week - Montana isn’t as explosive as past Griz teams, but they can sure pound it. [Delete]

Nov 6 2014, 12:09 PM

Guest3698: Would love to see the NDSU match up, but my preference would be in TX, not Fargo.

Nov 6 2014, 12:10 PM

sammamisheag: Prefer to avoid NDSU as long as possible

Nov 6 2014, 12:12 PM

Jim: That’s the whole idea in avoiding a 4 or 5 seed. In fact, I’d rather be a 6 seed, avoiding NDSU altogether until Frisco.

Nov 6 2014, 12:12 PM

Guest550: Any word/update on JJ sitting our practice for the Griz?

Nov 6 2014, 12:12 PM

Guest3698: Word on the street is Johnson is a little banged up as well.

Nov 6 2014, 12:12 PM

Jim: I haven’t seen any reports this week, at least not from the Montana papers. I’ll check again.

Nov 6 2014, 12:13 PM

Guest3367: and a thank you to Cal Poly

Nov 6 2014, 12:13 PM

Jim: That would be a thanks to the Mustangs for beating MSU last week and creating this amazing 6-way tie for first place.

Nov 6 2014, 12:14 PM

Guest3698: And just the opposite of a thank you to Weber on Saturday.

Nov 6 2014, 12:14 PM

Jim: Next question: who ends up winning (or tying for) the Big Sky title. I like NAU’s chances because of their remaining games (Davis, @UND, Southern Utah)

Nov 6 2014, 12:15 PM

Guest3698: I can’t see NAU losing to any of those three teams.

Nov 6 2014, 12:15 PM

Jim: Great challenges ahead for MSU, ISU, UM and Poly - playing each other in some cases.

Nov 6 2014, 12:16 PM

Guest550: possible 6-way tie for first? What a cluster…

Nov 6 2014, 12:16 PM

Guest3367: The ISU vs MSU game is going to be a good one

Nov 6 2014, 12:17 PM

Jim: Theoretically, you could still have a five-way tie at 6-2 in the final standings… just sayin’

Nov 6 2014, 12:19 PM

Guest3698: Polly ISU this weekend should be fun too. I think this log jam will for the most part take care of itself in the next three weeks.

Nov 6 2014, 12:19 PM

Jim: OR not… My prediction: a final four-way tie at 7-1 with EWU, MSU, NAU and Cal Poly.

Nov 6 2014, 12:20 PM

Jim: The key team here is Idaho State, which hosts Poly this week and goes to Bozeman on 11/15. Bengals haven’t lost since falling 56-53 at EWU … Can Kramer and ISU keep this up?

Nov 6 2014, 12:21 PM

Guest3367: and the EWU v MSU game doesn’t count in league

Nov 6 2014, 12:21 PM

Jim: That’s right!

Nov 6 2014, 12:21 PM

Guest3698: Good prediction. Are all 4 of those playoff teams in your opinion?

Nov 6 2014, 12:23 PM

Jim: They are if they win out - EWU would have the best overall record (10-2), the others would be 9-3. I’ve seen some national predictions for a second-round game sending Poly to Cheney (they can do that, since the teams didn’t meet in the regular season).

Nov 6 2014, 12:24 PM

Jim: The problem for ISU is that they have to win out to make the playoffs, because they played two D2 teams. The other teams (including Montana) could still get in at 8-4, though it’s no lock.

Nov 6 2014, 12:25 PM

Jim: EWU still gets in even at 8-4, when you consider the following 1) a close loss at UW; 2) a one-point loss at NAU with VA sidelined. Thoughts?

Nov 6 2014, 12:26 PM

Guest3367: Possible, but let’s win out

Nov 6 2014, 12:26 PM

Guest3698: EWU -8 in case anyone was wondering. ISU -4 vs Poly.

Nov 6 2014, 12:27 PM

Jim: The bigger question is what happens if EWU struggles and loses to UM, then gets Adams back at full strength and pummels PSU.

Nov 6 2014, 12:27 PM

Jim: At 9-3, my best guess is they fall to 10 or 11 and play at home in the opening round, then hit the road.

Nov 6 2014, 12:28 PM

Jim: Just speculating here, not predicting.

Nov 6 2014, 12:29 PM

Jim: Back to the Griz - anybody here who DOESN’T think they pound it off tackle until Eastern stops it?

Nov 6 2014, 12:29 PM

Guest3698: 8-4 will be dangerous. If it’s PSU, enough said. If it’s MT and they lose to MSU, that’s not a great loss at home. A lot of moving parts with auto bids and what not. Win out and get some home games please!

Nov 6 2014, 12:29 PM

Jim: That’s the whole idea, but it’s still fun to play what-if!

Nov 6 2014, 12:30 PM

Guest3367: Just shows how big this game coming up is to the playoffs

Nov 6 2014, 12:30 PM

Jim: They’re all big at this stage!

Nov 6 2014, 12:30 PM

Guest550: Jim, great article on the Gateway Project. Though not what the EWU public hoped to hear, it would be nice if they jumped on something while WSU is still a bottom feeder. Would be great to see EWU strike while the irons hot in regards to the Gateway. Takes $$$ though.

Nov 6 2014, 12:31 PM

Jim: Thanks, and I was hoping someone would bring that up. I was lucky to find some spare time to research this story, focusing on the fact that there aren’t a lot of revenue streams available for a project of this magnitude.

Nov 6 2014, 12:33 PM

Jim: Want some interesting reading? Google ‘USA Today athletic budgets’ It’s quite the eye-opener.

Nov 6 2014, 12:33 PM

Jim: The truth is, EWU is a distant also-ran in the fiscal standings, and that won’t change anytime soon.

Nov 6 2014, 12:34 PM

Guest550: The program has come a LONG ways since even the Wulff/Rosenbaugh year(s). It would be nice to see the Gateway put us over the top. Must be tough for Chaves though, because I cant imaging a substantial top-tier list of 1%’s who have gone to EWU willing to contribute.

Nov 6 2014, 12:35 PM

Jim: They need $60 million total, and the approach is to get the first big $20-30M domino to fall. That hasn’t happened yet.

Nov 6 2014, 12:35 PM

Guest3367: sad that there is such a divide between WSU and EWU financially

Nov 6 2014, 12:36 PM

Jim: WSU may be a bottom feeder on the field, but they get $20M a year in TV revenue. Makes you wonder where they’d be without it.

Nov 6 2014, 12:36 PM

Jim: Back to Montana …

Nov 6 2014, 12:36 PM

Guest3698: I feel we have done pretty well against conventional running attacks. It’s the spread read option with very mobile quarterbacks that has given us fits. I would think MT would try and test the secondary early, but that doesn’t seem to be the coach D way. Run on first, run and second, throw on third.

Nov 6 2014, 12:36 PM

Jim: Anyone else think UM has been predictable on offense under Delaney?

Nov 6 2014, 12:37 PM

Guest550: I haven’t seen much of them, but Delaney doesn’t strike me as the creative type…

Nov 6 2014, 12:38 PM

Jim: He won’t need to if their running game gets untracked. The maturity of the Eagle D-line will get its biggest test this week.

Nov 6 2014, 12:38 PM

Jim: Not counting UW, of course

Nov 6 2014, 12:40 PM

Jim: We haven’t talked about the Griz defense … a pretty scary group, especially the front seven. Expectations?

Nov 6 2014, 12:41 PM

Guest3698: True. I thought EWU did a great job with Canada last year, and Van never got going. Hoping for a similar story on Saturday.

Nov 6 2014, 12:41 PM

Jim: It was Canada who had a big day two years ago in Cheney.

Nov 6 2014, 12:41 PM

Guest3367: It is going to be a test for the O line that is for sure regardless of who is at QB

Nov 6 2014, 12:43 PM

Guest3698: Well, UND was supposed to be pretty good on defense but The SAC St performance has me a little worried.

Nov 6 2014, 12:44 PM

Jim: That was UM’s best performance recently on both sides of the ball.

Nov 6 2014, 12:44 PM

Guest550: Is UM’s front 7 pretty static? Or do they mix it up with stunts/blitzes, etc..often?

Nov 6 2014, 12:45 PM

Jim: Much more static than UND, which blitzed a lot. Delaney told me yesterday that he’s been pleased with how much pressure they’ve been able to get but just rushing the down linemen.

Nov 6 2014, 12:45 PM

Jim: Baldwin pretty much said the same thing, but he didn’t sound quite as pleased!

Nov 6 2014, 12:46 PM

Guest3698: How is their defensive backfield? Except for SAC, it seems as though they have not played a whole lot of teams with above average offenses.

Nov 6 2014, 12:46 PM

Jim: That said, the (relative) weakness in the secondary. That where Adams shines: scrambling, extending plays while the receivers eventually find space.

Nov 6 2014, 12:47 PM

Jim: Here’s a scary stat. On 32 trips into the Montana red zone, opponents have just 16 TDs.

Nov 6 2014, 12:48 PM

Jim: On 9 occasions, opponents have settled for field goals, and 7 other times didn’t score at all.

Nov 6 2014, 12:48 PM

Jim: That’s one of the best marks in the country by the way, and one of the stats that Baldwin once told me considers the most important.

Nov 6 2014, 12:49 PM

Guest3698: I can’t quote it, but I believe Eastern’s read zone percentage is pretty good. Should be a great matchup. Or we can just house it from 20+ eight times.

Nov 6 2014, 12:50 PM

Jim: Extremely good, perfect except for a couple of end-game kneel downs. Should be exciting!

Nov 6 2014, 12:50 PM

Jim: Ten minutes left: let’s hear some predictions!

Nov 6 2014, 12:51 PM

Jim: Here’s mine: EWU 31, UM 23,

Nov 6 2014, 12:51 PM

Guest3698: From left field, I’ve notice a lot of standout high school hurdlers on the EWU roster. Is this a recruiting strategy or merely a coincidence?

Nov 6 2014, 12:51 PM

Jim: probably coincidence, but they make for great athletes!

Nov 6 2014, 12:51 PM

Guest3698: EWU 42 MT: 28

Nov 6 2014, 12:54 PM

Jim: Remember, no chat next week, owing to the bye week. We’ll do it again on Thursday, Nov. 20, the day before the PSU game.

Nov 6 2014, 12:54 PM

Jim: In case anyone didn’t realize it, the PSU game is set for Friday night at 7 on Nov. 21. I’ll be there, of course.

Nov 6 2014, 12:55 PM

Guest3698: Vern starts, plays great, we all forget about the injury, Kupp and Forte both have big games, and the defense makes some plays. Thanks as always!

Nov 6 2014, 12:58 PM

Guest550: 45-42 eags! Griz/EWU always find a way to make it a 3 hour heart attack. Thanks Jim! #goeags

Nov 6 2014, 12:59 PM

Jim: Thanks, everyone. We’ll do it again on Nov. 20.