EWU’s O-line earning top marks
Classes begin today at Eastern Washington University, where the football team’s offensive line just aced another pop quiz.
For the fourth time in as many games, the line paved the way for 500-plus yards of total offense in a 52-51 win Saturday at Montana State. They looked even better on film, which assistant coach Aaron Best said graded out among the highest in his 18 years with the team.
“That was awesome,” Best said before Tuesday’s practice at Roos Field. “Collectively, they’ve set the bar even higher, which is scary for them and good for me.”
The key word is “collectively.” The Eagles have three new starters in center Jase Butorac, left guard Aaron Neary and right guard Thomas Gomez, and their ability to mesh was a question coming into the season.
According to left tackle Clay DeBord, the Eagles “expected some problems with cohesiveness, but it hasn’t been an issue – we’re just playing as a unit.”
The results are astonishing. In four games, the Eagles have racked up 201 points and an FCS-best 2,362 yards of total offense, or 590.5 a game, the last two coming on the road against hostile crowds that have played havoc with the snap count.
Even more impressive is a 34-for-59 performance on third down, a 58 percent average that ranks fifth in the nation.
The blocking schemes are complex, and have anchored a balanced offense (178 passes, 147 rushes) in all its complexity. Quarterback Vernon Adams is in charge – “You look into his eyes, and you believe,” Butorac said – but the line has excelled.
Veteran tackles DeBord and Jake Rodgers have largely kept Adams out of harm’s way. They’ve given up 12 sacks, but half of those came in the 3-1 Eagles’ only loss of the year, a 59-52 scorefest at Washington.
Best gives much of the credit to Butorac, a senior who was voted a captain before his only season as a regular starter. “Kudos to him,” said Best, who praised Butorac’s knowledge of the offense – “when to make calls, when to direct traffic and when not to direct traffic.”
Like Butorac, Neary has been a career backup until this season, “so the trust was right there with me and Jase.”
And like the others, Neary wasn’t shy about taking some of the credit. “Like coach Best said today, let’s not sugarcoat it: we’re the highest ranked offense in the nation, so it’s a great feeling,” said Neary, who then walked off to prepare for the next quiz.
Notes
With the beginning of fall term, most practices have shifted to 4 p.m. Until this week, the Eagles have dealt with what Butorac calls an “NFL schedule – just meetings and practices.” Classes mean “you have to buckle down, with 6 a.m. meetings, class and a solid sense of time management,” Butorac said. … Coach Beau Baldwin said that the status of several injured players is unclear for the game at UC Davis, including running back Quincy Forte and safety Todd Raynes (shoulder stingers) and kicker Roldan Alcobendas (knee). Baldwin said Forte’s injury is the least severe, and that he could see action this week. … Jake Miller and Tyler McNannay are competing for placekicking duties. … Eastern puts a 10-game Big Sky Conference win streak on the line Saturday night in their first visit to 10,743-seat Aggie Stadium in Davis, California. The Eagles haven’t lost in league play since falling 30-27 at Southern Utah on Oct. 27, 2012. The Eagles are 20-2 in their last 22 games dating back to an 0-2 start in 2011.