No. 2 Montana State proves too much for Eastern Washington in 42-28 win

Football can be a game of trickery and misdirection, and Eastern Washington tried a handful of such plays Saturday against Montana State, the second-ranked team in the FCS.

A couple of times, those plays worked for the Eagles, such as the fake reverse that Michael Wortham ran for a 75-yard touchdown, and the successful fake punt that, for a few seconds at least, revved up the pro-Eagles part of the 6,258 in attendance at Roos Field.

But the trickery had its limits. The fake punt was called back by a penalty. An Efton Chism III wide receiver pass play ended in an incompletion.

And in the end, the story for Eastern was essentially the same: The other team had more yards, more big plays, more key stops and more points.

Montana State won 42-28.

“You’ve got to be creative against a really good defense,” EWU head coach Aaron Best said, pointing out those plays that were successful and acknowledging the ones that were not.

The Eagles’ offense again moved the ball well, even without starting quarterback Kekoa Visperas, who didn’t play because of an injury to his right leg.

“We’re not the fastest team on offense in the country. We know that,” Best said. “We’re going to play to our strengths. We’re going to possess the ball. We’re going to run screens. We’re going to run the ball with our quarterback and hopefully (a run) goes for 30 or 40. But we’re not just going to run by people. That’s not who we are, so let’s not pretend that’s who we are. Let’s use who we have as well as we can and be as effective (as we can) and create belief.”

In that sense, the Eagles (2-7, 1-4 Big Sky) were quite successful most of the game.

Redshirt junior Jared Taylor quarterbacked the offense to 393 yards on 69 plays. He ran on 25 of those for 80 yards, 18 shy of his season high, and Taylor – who had completed 11 of 15 passes entering this game – completed 20 of 27 passing attempts for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

Nine of those completions went to senior Chism , who increased his FCS-leading receptions total to 85. He gained 78 yards and scored on a 4-yard touchdown catch, turning his head from right to left while the ball was in the air on route toward the end-zone corner.

“He did a really good job,” redshirt junior running back Tuna Altahir said of Taylor. “That’s one guy who is always ready. Call his number, he’s ready to go.”

Taylor threw one interception, but as it came right before halftime it wasn’t particularly costly.

But Eastern’s other turnover was. Following Montana State’s first touchdown, Wortham fumbled on the ensuing kickoff. Taco Dowler caught a 19-yard touchdown pass on the next play, putting Eastern in a 14-0 deficit.

Chism caught his touchdown on the next drive, but Montana State answered with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to reclaim a 21-7 lead.

Then came Wortham’s 75-yard touchdown run to make it 21-14. But again, Montana State (9-0, 5-0) had an answer, and it was a lengthy one: a 16-play, 70-yard drive that ate up 9 minutes, 33 seconds. Eastern had the ball for just 2 minutes of the second quarter.

After halftime, though, Eastern got rolling. It opened with a 13-drive, 75-yard play that Altahir capped with a 3-yard touchdown reception. Montana State drove into Eastern territory on its next drive, but on a fourth-and-1 play Brock Harrison didn’t bite on a Tommy Mellott playfake, tackling him for a 10-yard loss.

“On that play, it was just sound defense all around,” Harrison said. “We were covering guys up. Our defensive line was getting after the quarterback. It was guys doing their job, which is why we won that specific fourth down.”

Six plays later, Altahir gutted the Bobcats’ defense for an 11-yard touchdown run, and just like that it was tied at 28 with 17 minutes left in the game.

But from that point on, Eastern’s offense punted twice and gained just 65 yards. Montana State executed two big plays on offense: Mellott ran 76 yards for a touchdown, and later he threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Ty McCullouch that sealed the victory.

The 14-point victory was Montana State’s narrowest of the Big Sky season, and the 497 yards it gained on offense were 14 fewer than its season average.

Eastern also gained more yards on the ground (225) than any team had against Montana State this season.

But in the end, the issues for Eastern were the same – not enough turnovers on defense (Ahmani Williams’ interception was the only one), not enough stops on third down (MSU converted on 7 of 12) and not enough offense in the spots it was most needed (this time, in the scoreless fourth quarter).

And yet, Eastern was either tied or within a touchdown in the second half, which has been the case in all six of its FCS losses this season. It’s those sorts of things the Eagles are pointing to as hopeful signs as they head into a final three-game stretch with games at Northern Colorado (1-8, 1-4), home against Idaho State (4-5, 2-3) and at Northern Arizona (5-4, 3-2).

“I’d put our nonquit up against a lot of people,” Best said. “Now, again, not a moral victory piece, but that screams of a little bit of character, that screams a lot of integrity, and it screams a little bit of, ‘I can be frustrated, but I’m unflappable.’ ”