Eastern Washington looks to take advantage of road-weary Southeastern Louisiana
If Eastern Washington football fans are wondering who this weekend’s opponent is, Nolan Ulm can identify with their ignorance.
“I honestly had no idea about them,” the Eagles junior receiver said Tuesday during media availability. “All I knew is that they had that guy who won the Walter Payton (Award) when EB (Eric Barriere) should have won it. But we got it right the next year.”
“That guy” was Cole Kelley, 2020 winner of the honor given annually to the FCS’ best offensive player. Barriere, Eastern’s quarterback, won the award in 2021.
Both have since graduated, so when Southeastern Louisiana plays in Cheney this weekend all Kelley and Barriere can throw on Roos Field are statistical shadows.
But emerging from their shadows are two teams still made in the image that helped both quarterbacks to earn that prestigious honor, and that certainly is something Ulm recognized.
“They’re definitely a really good team,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of talent on the back end. I’m just excited to go against these guys. Another great challenge for us.”
Both teams, too, are looking for their first win of the season after playing similarly difficult schedules. Eastern’s two losses have come to North Dakota State, the second-ranked FCS team, and Fresno State, a program that won the Mountain West a year ago.
Southeastern Louisiana (0-2), which is the only winless team ranked in the FCS Stats Perform Top 25 at No. 19, lost its opener 48-7 to Mississippi State and lost 35-17 to South Alabama, an FBS program from the Sun Belt Conference.
“Offensively, they’re a very similar version to us,” EWU coach Aaron Best said Tuesday during his media availability. “They move the tight ends, they (get) the ball out quick, they run some screens, they get the ball to playmakers in space. They’re going to have some ‘trickeration’ a bit. They’ll roll the dice on fourth down at times and try to push you to make decisions. Their special teams aren’t going to hurt themselves.”
But the Eagles, he said, have an edge.
“The one advantage we have is we’re hosting,” Best said. “This is the third straight road game for them. We’ve got to take advantage of that.”
High-powered offense has defined both programs. In 2021, Kelley threw for 5,124 yards and 44 touchdowns in 13 games for the Lions, who went 9-4 that season. Last year, the Lions again went 9-4, a mark that included a first-round 45-42 FCS playoff win over Idaho.
Their passing game wasn’t as potent last year, and the Lions split their quarterback duties between two players – something they’ve done again through two games this year. But they still finished second in the Southland Conference in total offense (441 yards per game) and were more balanced between the run and the pass than they were the year before.
“They’re going to try to run the ball on us,” EWU linebacker Ben Allen said Tuesday, “so that’s something we’ve got to be able to put our foot down on.”
Last year, that was something the Eagles struggled to do, and while they have still allowed plenty of rushing yards this year – NDSU had 337, Fresno State 179 – they have not been pushed around up front in the way they were in 2022.
At quarterback, Lions junior Zachary Clement and redshirt sophomore Eli Sawyer have each started one game and played plenty in both. Clement’s passing numbers are slightly better , as the transfer from Northwestern State has completed 23 of 33 attempts for 307 yards and two touchdowns along with one interception.
Sawyer, who was part of the two-quarterback system last year, is 18 of 31 for 168 yards and no scores or interceptions. Neither has been a rushing threat .
Eastern’s offense got on track against Fresno State in redshirt sophomore Kekoa Visperas’ third career start. He completed 27 of 46 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns while throwing a game-ending interception in double overtime. The Eagles also moved the ball well on the ground with junior Justice Jackson gaining a team-high 79 yards and scoring once on 11 carries.
That offensive effort came without usual senior starters Blake Gobel (tight end) and Jakobie James (wide receiver), who traveled to Fresno but did not play.
“I think there are definitely a lot of positives to ride into this next game, especially from the offensive side,” Ulm said. “It was nice to get a lot of points on the board and a lot of production out of a lot of different positions.”
The Eagles haven’t been big on moral victories despite what have been improved performances this year. The regular season has just nine games left, and with a challenging Big Sky schedule to start – including games at 16th-ranked UC Davis and home against No. 5 Idaho still to play in September – a win Saturday would give the Eagles momentum and wiggle room should they stumble in conference play.
“We’re going to stay on the ride,” Best said. “It’s been fun. Wins and losses aside up to this point, this is a bunch that has grown a ton on and off the field. They’ve matured a ton off and on the field, and they’re hungry for the first win.”