Young Eastern Washington defensive linemen take lessons to heart
Jay-Tee Tiuli isn’t making any tackles these days, but he’s helping the young Eastern Washington linemen get a grip.
They’re catching on in a hurry, helping the Eagles to a 2-0 start in the Big Sky Conference.
Tiuli, a first-team All-Big Sky nose tackle last year, went down with a shoulder injury in week two and is out for the season. However, Tiuli is a still a major presence.
“He keeps telling me, keep my pad level low and shoot my hands. He’s a big motivator, and I think even the corners can learn from Jay-Tee in how hard he plays,” said redshirt freshman Keith Moore, a 290-pounder from Bremerton who’s described by assistant coach Brian Strandley as having “unlimited potential.”
Moore also brings some bulk to a unit that been downsized with the loss of the 320-pound Tiuli. Based on the depth chart, the starting D-linemen for Saturday’s game at UC Davis average 260 pounds.
Based on the last two games, the young linemen have taken the lessons to heart. Offense got the headlines in wins over Montana and Sacramento State, but tough second-half defense was just as critical.
The 48-41 comeback win in Missoula wouldn’t have happened without some big-time plays up front. The Eagles’ offense was still struggling late in the third quarter, but the defense gave up just 68 yards.
A week later, with the game on the line in the second and third quarters, Sacramento State went three and out in four occasions as Eastern pulled away to win 52-31.
“It’s a lot harder to play defense than offense,” coach Aaron Best said Tuesday as the Eagles prepared for UC Davis. “We tend to be a second-quarter and definitely a second-half team.
“There was no magical halftime speech … and even if you tried to be magical, they wouldn’t believe you – but they believe in the system.”
That system includes a long tradition of a deep D-line. With tackle Andre Lino (ankle) out for this week, the Eagles will plumb the depth chart to wear down an opposing offensive line.
“That’s something you like to see,” defensive front coordinator Eti Ena said. “That’s especially true in a conference like ours, because every week you’re going to see something different.”
While Moore and junior Jonah Jordan are getting most of the snaps at tackle, redshirt freshman Rudolph Mataia Jr. and sophomore Dylan Ledbetter are holding down Tiuli’s old spot.
The 260-pound Ledbetter is the starter, but Mataia – a redshirt freshman from Vancouver, Washington – is getting valuable snaps.
Strandley said he saw Mataia’s potential “toward the end of spring football, when he started to play faster and not think so much.”
“It’s been different, getting to play more,” said Mataia, who has four tackles on the year. “Jay-Tee has helped me a lot, and I feel like I’ve improved a lot in the last game.”