Eastern Washington overcame stiff wind with crucial drive before halftime

Eastern Washington’s early lead was almost gone with the wind.

Then the Eagles decided to cobble together a new script and regained the momentum on the way to a 52-31 win over Sacramento State.

All Saturday afternoon at Roos Field, gusts blew out of the southwest at almost 20 miles an hour – not a bad thing when it’s at your back.

But the Eagles’ momentum, and most of a 21-0 lead, evaporated as the wind turned on them in the second quarter.

“It’s kind of weird, but it seems like it’s only windy on Saturday afternoon home games,” said running back Sam McPherson, who’s now in his third year with the Eagles and probably knows what he’s talking about.

“But it’s nothing we really worry about,” McPherson said.

Really? The sellout crowd of 10,917 seemed plenty worried as the Eagles’ offense – which amassed 263 yards of offense in the first quarter – was stuck at minus-7 late in the half.

After its first three drives ended in touchdowns, Eastern managed a missed field goal and three punts in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the underdog Hornets reeled off 17 straight points – and could have had three more but for a 22-yard field-goal try that sailed wide right.

After an exchange of punts, the Eagles were back on their 24 with just 1:16 left, the wind and the Hornets’ defense still in their faces.

There will be more gut checks ahead for the Eagles, but few as big as this one.

Instead of a long walk back to the locker room, Eastern responded with a game-defining drive. Taking what the defense gave him, quarterback Gage Gubrud threw completions to Zach Eagle for 10 yards, Nic Sblendorio for 16 and Antoine Custer Jr. for 23.

“We had the big lead, but we know the game wasn’t over,” said Custer, who finished with a 82 yards on the ground and another 73 in receptions.

“We went back to the mentality that it was still a game,” Custer said.

After two timeouts and another pass to Custer to the 4, Gubrud capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Eagle.

“It’s a testament to this team in how resilient they are,” EWU coach Aaron Best said.

A 28-17 halftime lead got another boost after halftime. Still driving into the wind, Eastern moved 75 yards in 11 plays. Gubrud got it started, but Custer capped the drive with four straight runs, including a 3-yarder.

“We scored late in the second quarter and got on the board again to start the third quarter on our first drive. That’s what Eastern football is about and will always be about,” Best said.