Things to watch: Eastern Washington needs to stop Weber State’s rushing attack
It was about this time last year, against this particular opponent, that Eastern Washington’s football team saw its season take a turn for the worse.
Weber State – Eastern’s opponent at 4 p.m. Saturday at Roos Field – was also the Eagles’ opponent on Oct. 8, 2022, in Ogden, Utah.
That game went well enough for the Eagles early on: In the second half they were tied at 21. But it quickly spiraled away from them as the Wildcats scored 24 unanswered points.
It was the end of a difficult stretch for the Eagles, who, after beating Tennessee State in their opener, lost at Oregon (by 56), lost at home against Montana State (after a late turnover), lost at Florida (after a hurricane) and then lost at Weber State.
They were 1-4 and lost four of their next five.
They are a win better this season at 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big Sky, and now they face Weber State (3-4, 1-3) again.
“There are some decisions we can make (now),” Eagles senior defensive tackle Jacob Newsom said. “We can go off into a corner like we did last year, or we can really raise our chins and say, ‘This isn’t Eastern.’ ”
Here are three things to look for as the Eagles strive for the latter reaction against the Wildcats.
Can EWU stop Weber’s running game?
Idaho State only ran 20 times for 49 yards against Eastern in last week’s 42-41 Bengals win, opting instead to air it out (for 523 yards). The Wildcats aren’t equipped to throw like that. They are expected to start true freshman quarterback Richie Munoz, who made his first start last week in a 17-16 loss to UC Davis. Munoz threw for 138 yards on 15 of 30 attempts, and his longest rush was 8 yards. The Wildcats haven’t overwhelmed teams with their running game – their 3.8 yards per attempt ranks eighth best in the Big Sky, two spots behind EWU (4.0) – but run-first teams have found a way to do so effectively against the Eagles this year. If Eastern can limit running backs Damon Bankston (6.1 yards per rush) and Kris Jackson (4.3), forcing a freshman QB to throw against EWU’s opportunistic secondary seems like a good recipe for a win.
Eyes on Weber’s special teams
Weber State’s kickoff coverage has been better than anyone else in the Big Sky this year, and its punting ranks third in net yardage (Eastern ranks third and seventh in the conference, respectively). It is again in the return game where the Wildcats have proven to be dangerous. They have the best kickoff average in the Big Sky (29.2) and have brought one back for a touchdown. They are also fifth in punt return average (9.9 yards per return). Explosive plays in special teams – fourth-down conversions on fakes included – have burned the Eagles in previous matchups with the Wildcats. Those sorts of big plays turned the momentum when the Wildcats won in Cheney two years ago, and a team struggling on offense could be a candidate to try some trick plays again Saturday.
How does EWU play at home?
The Eagle are 1-1 this year at Roos Field and, including Saturday, have three more games there this season. They went 2-3 at home in 2022, ending a long run of seasons in which it was difficult for teams to win on the red turf. In four of those five home games last year, Eastern trailed after the first quarter. While that hasn’t been an issue this season (Eastern was tied at 7 after the first frame against Southeastern Louisiana and Idaho), a fast start would go a long way for them this week. Playing with a lead at home is vastly easier than it is playing on the road with a lead, something Eastern recognizes well after last week’s loss in Pocatello, Idaho. Start quickly again this week and Weber State’s run-first offense likely has a slower go of playing catch-up than the pass-happy Bengals did.