Three keys for Eastern Washington at Boise State on Friday

BOISE – In the immediate aftermath of their Week 1 loss to Incarnate Word, Eastern Washington players were sure that they had missed an opportunity for a coveted road victory in their nonconference schedule.

Two days later, safeties coach Zach Bruce was still convinced.

“We could have beat that team,” he said.

Wide receiver Nolan Ulm called the missed opportunity “unfortunate” and “disappointing.” But by Tuesday, the sixth-year senior captain had taken the long view of it within the context of a 12-game regular season, one that continues Friday night in Boise against the Boise State Broncos (0-1).

“We have to get a game better each week,” Ulm said. “No one is panicking. We’re growing to be one of the best teams in the Big Sky, if not the best team in the Big Sky. That’s the ultimate goal. Yes, we wanted a nonconference win, but every single week that’s what we’re building for.”

The task before the Eagles (0-1) is formidable. Boise State entered the season a favorite to win the Mountain West Conference in its last year as a member of that league, and a road loss to South Florida in the opener has put Boise State in a tight spot.

“Playing Eastern Washington at home, on the Blue, with a great opponent,” BSU head coach Spencer Danielson said, “it’s all about our process this week.”

In that way, the Eagles and Broncos are taking a similar approach.

If the Eagles are to end their four-game losing streak against FBS opponents, here are a few factors to keep an eye on at Albertsons Stadium.

1. Does Jared Taylor connect on some deep passes?

The redshirt senior quarterback launched his share of downfield passes but didn’t connect on any of them, mostly overthrowing his receivers. He finished the game 21 of 38 for 183 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions, and his longest completion – a 30-yard connection with redshirt freshman Jaxon Branch – gained yards primarily after the catch.

Asked what Taylor needs to do better against Boise State, EWU head coach Aaron Best said simply, “slow down.”

Ulm said that his teammates really play for Taylor, and that he will lead the team well this season.

“He has a really good feel for things,” Ulm said, “and none of us was perfect.”

2. Who wins the turnover battle?

Eastern Washington forced three fumbles against Incarnate Word, and though the Eagles didn’t recover any of them, it was a promising sign for an Eagles team that forced just one fumble in 2024.

Winning the turnover battle was a hallmark of the playoff-caliber Eagles’ teams in recent years. From 2010 to 2022, the Eagles went 68-4 when ahead in the turnover margin, 25-12 when turnovers were even, and 26-39 when their opponent had more.

“You’ve got to be on the plus margin of things,” Best said of turnovers. “The No. 1 thing that we’ve tried to attain every single week is being on the plus margin of things, for years and years and years here.”

Boise State fumbled five times and lost three of them against South Florida. A repeat performance would give the Eagles an opportunity to stick around.

3. Can Eastern stop the run?

One of the more encouraging statistics to come out of Eastern’s loss was that Incarnate Word’s longest run from scrimmage gained just 12 yards. Another was the Eagles’ seven tackles for loss; last year they had that many in a game just once.

But Boise State’s rushing attack has long been at the core of the Broncos’ offensive identity. Even without Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos expect to run the ball effectively: Since 2000, the Broncos have had a 1,000-yard rusher in all but six seasons.

“We are a run-first football team. End of story,” BSU head coach Spencer Danielson said during his weekly press conference. “That is what we are built for. That is what we recruit for. And we’ve got to stay true to that. And we lost some of that in (the South Florida) game. We are a run-first football team. We will play-action second, and we will drop back third.”

All of last season, Eastern held just three opponents to under 150 rushing yards. It is 1-for-1 at doing so this year. In order to defeat Boise State this week, the Eagles almost certainly need to improve to 2-for-2.