EWU notebook: Quarterback Nate Bell paces effective rushing attack for Eagles

After leading Eastern Washington to its two previous victories, redshirt sophomore Nate Bell was again instrumental in the Eagles’ 21-14 win over the rival Idaho Vandals on Saturday night at Roos Field in Cheney.

Bell accounted for all but 18 of the Eagles’ rushing yards while throwing for 177 more and two touchdowns.

Aside from a 54-yard run in the third quarter, the Vandals contained the redshirt sophomore in the running game, and he finished with 134 yards on 23 carries. The only Big Sky player with more than Bell’s 619 rushing yards this season is Montana running back Eli Gillman, who has 776.

But after the game, EWU head coach Aaron Best said he’d like to see the Eagles (3-4, 2-1 Big Sky) share the load more offensively.

“We’re going to challenge the entire offense, coach included, to not put so much on No. 2’s back,” Best said, referring to Bell by his jersey number. “He’s carried us thus far. He’s a winner. He’s going to continue to win. But we’ve got to get him less mileage on his tires.”

Redshirt junior Marceese Yetts handled seven carries on Saturday but ended up with minus 2 yards rushing. Redshirt freshman Kevin Allen III got three carries for 5 yards. Redshirt junior Wesley Garrett, a wide receiver, outgained them both on just one 12-yard carry.

There was even one carry for running back Jared Taylor, who practiced with that position group this week and warmed up with them exclusively on Saturday.

That was a result of conversations that began a few weeks ago, Best said – conversations that very much included Taylor, who started at quarterback in three of Eastern’s games this year.

“(Bell) has been in control of that position. He’s been more productive in that position,” Best said. “We had a conversation a couple weeks ago during (Taylor’s) injury (recovery). Jared is one of our best players. He’s not 100 % healthy. He’ll have more of a role as we go forward.”

Taylor has completed 40 of 78 passes this season for 344 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He has also carried the ball 39 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He even caught a pass Saturday, his first of the season, for three yards.

Bell is now 68-of-132 throwing the ball this season for 795 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. He was picked off by the Vandals once on a tipped pass.

The Eagles have yet to have a 100-yard rusher who isn’t a quarterback and 100-yard receiver of any position group this season. Against the Vandals (2-5, 0-3), redshirt junior Miles Williams led the Eagles with 40 receiving yards on four receptions.

Ogles has ‘effective’ day punting

By the metric of average distance travelled, Landon Ogles’ punts don’t look terribly effective through seven games this season, as that average of 39.5 yards ranks 10th in the Big Sky.

But in big moments, the senior punter has stepped up, something he did again against the Vandals.

Three times Ogles pinned the Vandals inside their 20 – he’s done that a league-high 14 times this year – and two of those ended up inside the 5.

The first came early in the second quarter, when his 49-yard punt landed inside the 10 and then, with impeccable precision, bounced out-of-bounds at the 1-yard line. Eastern’s defense forced a punt seven plays later.

He had a more adventuresome appearance at the start of the second half, when he improvised in the face of oncoming Vandals and delayed his punt an extra second and ended up with a 10-yard kick out of bounds at the EWU 35-yard line.

Yet again, though, the Eastern defense held up, and Owen Adams missed a 39-yard field goal.

But Ogles’ last punt was perhaps his most crucial: In the final minute, with the Eagles up 21-14, he landed a 32-yard punt that was downed at the Idaho 4-yard line. With 21 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, Idaho was only able to advance to its own 31-yard line before the final buzzer.

“It wasn’t his best day, but he did what he needed to do,” Best said, “and I would have given up his not-best day for his last punt to make them go 96 yards. It doesn’t all have to be beautiful to be effective.”

Conversions elude EWU and Idaho offenses

Neither the Eagles nor Vandals had their best day on third and fourth down offensively. The Eagles finished 2-for-14 on third downs, making them 30-of-99 on the season, worst in the Big Sky.

Idaho was little better, finishing 5-for-17 on third downs and 1-for-5 on fourth. The Vandals’ lone fourth-down conversion came on a fourth-and-10 play that resulted in a 40-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Two of their previous failures to convert came in their own half of the field and contributed to Eastern’s average field position of its own 41-yard line.

The Vandals, on average, opened their drives at their own 26-yard line.

Eastern overcame six three-and-outs on offense; Idaho had four.