Eastern Washington returns from bye week for first trip to Idaho State since 2021

Nolan Ulm was a true freshman the last time Eastern Washington played a football game at Idaho State, and he remembers that Eagles players anticipated a big victory at Holt Arena.

“Before the game, we were thinking we were on top of the world,” the Eagles receiver said Monday evening. “We had the best player in the country at quarterback in Eric Barriere. I remember some guys saying, ‘Let’s go put them away early and let the young guys play.’ “

But that’s not how it went.

“It ended up being a dog fight,” Ulm said.

The Eagles erased an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit and won 46-42, helping them secure an FCS playoff bid in the shortened spring 2021 season. On Saturday, the 21st-ranked Eagles (2-3, 1-1) will make their first trip back to Pocatello since.

“They’ve always been a tough out at home,” EWU coach Aaron Best said of Idaho State during his media availability on Tuesday. “Every single time it seems to come down to the last series, the last quarter.”

The Bengals haven’t been in Cheney for a football game since 2016, a scheduling quirk that makes this the third straight game in the series played in Pocatello. (They will play in Cheney next season.)

The Eagles have won the past 12 matchups in the series , but the Bengals have sometimes been plucky amid what is now a 40-year playoff drought. In the games from 2013 to 2015, the final scores were 55-34, 56-53 and 45-28.

If there’s a constant over the last couple of decades, it’s that the Eagles have scored points. In their past nine meetings, the Eagles have scored no fewer than 34 points in each game.

The Eagles may again be without redshirt sophomore Kekoa Visperas at quarterback, but with juniors Jared Taylor and Michael Wortham playing the position last week the Eagles scored 36 against Idaho, which has one of the more highly regarded defenses in the Big Sky.

“It wasn’t beginner’s luck,” Best said of Taylor’s performance, which included 121 rushing yards, 92 passing yards and three total touchdowns. “That’s who he is. He’s a competitor. He’s going to find a way.”

Idaho State (1-4, 1-1 Big Sky) secured its lone win against Northern Colorado (0-5, 0-2). Cody Hawkins, the Bengals’ first-year head coach, is the team’s third head coach in as many seasons.

The Bengals’ defense hasn’t been great, allowing a conference-high 40.8 points per game and the second-most yards per game (473.2). Eastern’s defense hasn’t been much better, allowing 419.4 yards and 33.2 points per game.

Those numbers suggest this could be another high-scoring game with more possessions for both teams than the season-low nine EWU had against Idaho.

Best characterized Idaho State as “a team trying to find their identity.” He said he expected some unique looks from the Bengals, who are also coming out of their bye week.

Best also said that the Eagles have to ensure the Bengals don’t do what so many teams have done lately against the Eagles: run the ball.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to stop the run,” Best said. “I know they don’t run the ball on paper very much. But if we allow them to run the ball, this is going to be a long day. We’ve got to make them earn it.”

No Big Sky team has run less than Idaho State this year, which has just 107 carries – at least 54 fewer than every other team. The Bengals have twice eclipsed 100 yards in a game, including a season-high 103 and three rushing scores in their win over Northern Colorado.

Eastern Washington’s rushing defense, a weakness in 2022, is again giving up yards at a higher rate than any other team in the FCS (251.2 per game).

Points haven’t followed, quite at the rate they did last year. Eastern’s opponents are averaging 33.2 per game, fifth most in the Big Sky and nine less than they put up on average last year.

“The defense this year, we’re more comfortable with each other as opposed to last year,” redshirt sophomore safety Armani Orange said during media availability Tuesday. “We’re feeding off each other. … The energy is the biggest thing we have as a defense as a whole.”

Best cautioned against reading too much into win-loss records. Having been part of the EWU-ISU series for 25 years, he said he knows better than to take a trip to Pocatello lightly.

With three losses, the Eagles can likely afford only one more in conference play if they hope to return to the playoffs after missing them last year. In the wake of the bye, their final six regular-season games, including this trip to Pocatello, are split evenly home and away.

“It felt good (to) get recharged,” EWU offensive lineman Luke Dahlgren said Tuesday during media availability. “A lot of guys got to go home, see their families, get their minds ready for this back half of the season. Guys that had little tweaks on their bodies, they got a week to let those rest and get as healthy as we can for this back stretch. … Home or away, we’re feeling good right now.”