Things to watch: Eastern Washington needs to start fast at home against Southeastern Louisiana
On Saturday, Southeastern Louisiana will make its first visit to Cheney, but the game will also present a first-time experience for many Eastern Washington players who will play on the red turf of Roos Field for the first time.
The Eagles stepped boldly into the transfer portal this year, pulling several players who are starting on this year’s team and still more who are making contributions.
And if there’s one thing the Eagles really hate, it’s losing at home.
“A lot of guys take pride in playing on the Red,” Marc Anderson, Eastern’s associate head coach and tight ends coach, said on Tuesday. “They’re really invested in the idea of protecting the Red. So that’s probably one of the most fun things about being at home.”
Last season, the Eagles went just 2-3 at home, beating Tennessee State at the start of the season and Northern Colorado at its end. The three games in the middle were a mixed bag: Eastern led Montana State late before losing 38-35, Sacramento State ran away from the Eagles in a 52-28 game in October, and the Eagles nearly erased a 28-point deficit against Portland State in a 38-35 loss two weeks after that.
But this is a new year, and the Eagles (0-2) are intent on starting their five-game home schedule with a win over 19th-ranked – and similarly winless – Southeastern Louisiana (0-2).
Here’s what to keep an eye on after the game kicks off at 1 p.m.:
Can the Eagles get a first-half lead? In both of their games, the Eagles have won the toss and have elected to receive the opening kickoff. They got 29 yards on a seven-play opening drive against North Dakota State and then managed 17 yards on five plays to start against Fresno State. Neither ended in points, and the Eagles didn’t seize a first-half lead in either. It was a continuation of a trend begun last year when Eastern trailed at half in all eight of its losses but was tied or ahead in all three victories. That dictated – and limited to an extent – the sorts of offensive plays the Eagles called, and it contributed to the Eagles not running the ball as well or as much as they would have liked. But if they can get a lead against the Lions, the Eagles can use their whole playbook as they try to build a lead rather than erase one.
How much confidence do the Eagles have in their kicking game? Redshirt freshman Soren McKee is 2 for 3 kicking field goals , including makes from 23 and 36 yards; the other was blocked and there wasn’t anything McKee could have done about it, so unopposed was NDSU’s Eli Mostaert. Considering that, it’s been a solid enough start from McKee. Yet there were occasions in both games when the Eagles passed up the chance to kick field goals in the 40- to 50-yard range. With a lead, would the Eagles be more willing to let McKee try such a kick? Made kicks breed confidence for all involved, and last year it was clear by the end the Eagles didn’t have a lot of confidence or motivation to try many. A bit more confidence, then, could go a long way this year for McKee and the team at large.
Do the Eagles defenders have a big play in them? The public talk from the Eagles has been about how they have physically held their own against opponents. Last week they came up with a handful of game-changing plays: Conner O’Farrell’s interception, as well as sacks from Matthew Brown, DaJean Wells and Ben Allen. Last year, the Eagles ranked third in the Big Sky with nine fumble recoveries and fifth in interceptions with 13, demonstrating big-play ability as far as creating turnovers. But they had just 40 interception return yards, suggesting that they didn’t maximize the change in field position that turnovers help create. Their 14 sacks also ranked 10th in the conference, an indicator of the problems Eastern had moving the line of scrimmage. But if they can make some big defensive plays – a strip sack or a big interception return – that could well make the difference against a road-weary Southeastern Louisiana team that hasn’t played a home game .