Unless it’s game film, football coaches aren’t much for reliving the past.
That goes double for losses, such as the one-point heartbreaker Montana State suffered at the hands of Eastern Washington last year in Bozeman.
“Every January we flush the previous year, good or bad,” MSU coach Rob Ash said as the Bobcats prepared for today’s nonconference game at sold-out Roos Field. “Of course, I personally remember it quite well. It was disappointing, and that’s personally motivating for me.”
As if that weren’t enough motivation, the Bobcats have lost three straight games to Eastern in unforgettable fashion – no matter who you are:
- In 2012, EWU took a 27-24 win in Bozeman over second-ranked MSU thanks to a blocked punt and a pick-six in the fourth quarter. In the process, the Eagles took the top spot in the FCS poll.
- In 2013, quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and the Eagles put on a clinic, dispatching the Bobcats 54-29 while setting a Big Sky Conference record of 12.3 yards per play. Adams outplayed MSU’s DeNarius McGhee to claim the unofficial title of the league’s top QB.
- Last year, the Eagles drove 75 yards in 88 seconds, scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion with a minute to play to steal a dramatic 52-51 nonconference win.
But if MSU owns the intangible of a little payback, Eastern is dealing with reality of multiple key injuries and an unaccustomed 0-2 start to the season. Another loss and the 14th-ranked Eagles will be working without a net in their quest for a fourth straight FCS playoff appearance.
“Being 0-2 is nothing to be proud of,” said EWU wide receiver Nic Sblendorio, who had 10 catches for 158 yards in the loss at Northern Iowa. “This game is important because we have to keep moving forward, making sure we’re precise.”
That will be tougher if the Eagles are forced to play without several key players who are listed as questionable. They include wide receiver Cooper Kupp (hip pointer), offensive lineman Jerrod Jones (knee), safety Todd Raynes (back) and running back Jalen Moore (ankle).
Regarding Kupp – the leading receiver in FCS with 356 yards and five touchdown catches – EWU coach Beau Baldwin said, “We believe he’ll be ready, but we’ll prepare either way.”
The Eagles almost certainly will be without receiver/kickoff returner Shaq Hill, so the absence of Kupp would put more pressure on Sblendorio, Kendrick Bourne and the rest of what is still a deep receiving corps.
“There’s no time to be young,” said Sblendorio, a redshirt sophomore. “You have to act like a veteran and make plays.”
For the Eagles offense, that means making more plays on the ground. Eastern leads the nation with 482 yards passing per game but is managing just 68 per game on the ground and a conference-worst 2.4 yards per rush.
“That’s our preparation and our emphasis during the week,” Baldwin said. “You can’t win a lot of championships throwing 500 yards a game.”
Ash and his defense are focused on stopping the run, regardless of Eastern’s past success through the air.
“It’s a little dangerous to make Eastern one-dimensional by making them throw the ball, but it’s still tougher to move the ball through the air,” Ash said.
Notes
Eastern and MSU were picked to finish first and second, respectively, by the media, and in the opposite order by the coaches. … MSU, which defeated Division II Fort Lewis 45-14 on Sept. 3, hasn’t played in 16 days. … The Bobcats were the first visitor to win on the red turf, taking a 36-21 win in Cheney in 2011. … Eastern leads the all-time series 28-10 and has won 10 of the last 12 meetings. … Eastern has scored in 56 straight quarters dating to early in the 2014 season.
