EWU notebook: Eagles turn to redshirt freshman Jake Schakel after starting QB Nate Bell leaves with injury

The play that ended Nate Bell’s day on Saturday looked much like so many have for the redshirt sophomore quarterback this year.

Whether it will end his season is uncertain.

In the second quarter of Eastern Washington’s 35-13 loss to Sacramento State, Bell ran left for a seven yard gain and was tackled to the Roos Field turf. He got up and immediately made for the sideline, favoring his right arm. He was replaced on the field by redshirt freshman Jake Schakel.

About 10 minutes later, Bell emerged from the injury tent with his arm in a sling.

“Hopefully (Bell) gets back on his feet,” EWU head coach Aaron Best said afterward. “But I thought Jake did well.”

Up to that point, Bell had completed 6 of 14 passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. He had also run five times for 24 yards.

Since taking over for Jared Taylor, who was injured in the second game of the year against Boise State, Bell has been the Eagles’ primary ball carrier and passer, and he’s been highly effective at the former, rushing 118 times for 663 yards and seven touchdowns.

Throwing the ball he’s been less effective, completing 53.7% of his passes (94 of 175) for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns.

Heading into the season, Eastern’s coaching staff – and Taylor himself – reiterated that Taylor would throw more than he had in previous seasons, but his injury and the ascension of Bell led Taylor to switch positions to running back full-time.

Taylor did not play against the Hornets – he wasn’t on the sideline at all – another factor that suggests Schakel would start next week at Montana if Bell is unable to play.

Schakel finished 24 of 38 for 201 passing yards against the Hornets, matching the number of 200-yard passing games that Bell has this season.

“I am super proud of (Jake),” EWU redshirt senior tight end Landon Cooper said. “It’s unfortunate what happened to Nate, but I think Jake had a great next-man-up mentality.”

Schakel’s only other passing attempts this season came in the fourth quarter of a 57-3 loss at Montana State when he completed 7 of 10 throws for 46 yards.

“If 12 (Schakel) ends up being the guy, then we’ve got to build the game plan around him,” Best said. “We’ve got to rally around him.”

This season, the redshirt senior Taylor is 40 for 78 passing the ball for 344 yards.

The other two quarterbacks on the roster are true freshmen Kaden Rolfsness and Anthony Quinones.

Mixed day for punting game

One week after earning Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week honors, EWU punter Landon Ogles’ performance mirrored the windy conditions in Cheney.

Twice when kicking into the wind, Ogles shanked punts out of bounds. One went 17 yards. Another went 10.

Three of Ogles’ nine punts landed or were downed inside the Hornets’ 20-yard line, and three of them went for touchbacks. In all, Ogles’ finished with a punting average of 36.6 yards.

“We didn’t have our finest day special teams-wise,” Best said. “Our punt has been a weapon the last eight games, really, in a lot of them. It was not a weapon today.”

Sacramento State punter Cal McGough punted six times for an average of 42.2 yards, pinning the Eagles inside their 20-yard line twice. Two of those punts came on the final play of quarters when the Hornets were facing into the wind. On both occasions, Best called a timeout to ensure that the clock didn’t run out and reverse the field.

In the kicking game, redshirt junior Soren McKee made both his field-goal attempts, a career-long 51-yarder with the wind at his back, and a 19-yarder with the wind in his face.

Injuries mount for Eagles

Bell’s injury wasn’t the only one the Eagles sustained against the Hornets.

Redshirt senior receiver and returner Noah Cronquist left the game in the second half, as did offensive linemen Dylan Conner and Kyle Stahlecker.

Conner, a redshirt junior, is the Eagles most experienced offensive lineman. He has started all nine games this year at left tackle. Stahlecker, a redshirt sophomore who transferred from Sacramento State in the offseason, was playing in his first game back after a six-game absence.

The Eagles also played without redshirt freshman receiver Bode Gardner, who has played a significant role on special teams. Gardner was using crutches on the sideline before the game.

Best quipped that when the team leaves for Missoula later this week, “we may be on one bus” because of the series of injuries.

“These guys will fight. These guys will believe,” Best said. “These guys will pour into each other.”