Things to watch: EWU QB Nate Bell will be thrust into action at Northern Iowa
Following Eastern Washington’s loss at Boise State, the Eagles’ focus was largely on the health of quarterback Jared Taylor.
Understandably so, and head coach Aaron Best reiterated after the football game that it was just that – a game – as he kept the focus on Taylor’s status. Ultimately, Taylor returned to Cheney the next day in what Best characterized as a best-case scenario, given the circumstances.
But with Taylor unavailable for this Saturday’s game against Northern Iowa at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, the Eagles (0-2) will turn to redshirt sophomore Nate Bell to lead them against the Panthers (0-1), who are also coming off a loss 31-7 to Wyoming. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and kicks off at 2 p.m. Pacific time.
On Tuesday, Best turned the focus toward what the Eagles can control, specifically on defense as they face the “eye candy” of the Panthers’ offense, which likes to shift pre-snap.
“We’ve got to play with great gap integrity, and we’ve got to tackle well,” Best said.
The Eagles did not tackle well against the Broncos.
“Missed tackles and big plays,” redshirt freshman cornerback Ambrose Marsh said. “It’s hard to win on defense when you allow a lot of big plays. We’ll do our best to execute better and take those away. And then tackling: That’s just fundamental. We’re going to have to continue to get better with that each day.”
That’s certainly one aspect of Saturday’s game to look at. Here are three more:
1. How well does Nate Bell play?
At Liberty High School in Brentwood, California, Bell was a prolific dual-threat quarterback, throwing for 3,945 yards and rushing for 1,454 across 27 games there. But his completion percentage was 53.8%, and he did throw 12 interceptions.
How much progress he’s made as a college player will be on display against the Panthers.
So far this season and last, Bell has taken limited snaps and has also been used as a rusher, sometimes lining up wide and then making his way to the backfield for a carry. He’s rushed 10 times for 35 yards and a touchdown while also making two catches for 17 more yards.
But as a passer this season, he is 5 for 10 with two interceptions and no touchdowns.
Still, Bell has not yet had the opportunity he will get on Saturday.
“He brings a ton of energy,” redshirt junior offensive tackle Dylan Conner said. “Whenever I walk past him, he’s either looking at me, talking to me, or jumping around. When he came in during the Boise State game, we were all fine.”
Best said that redshirt freshman Jake Schakel, who has yet to throw a pass in college, will be the No. 2 quarterback this weekend.
2. How do the Eagles handle the setting?
As a program, the Eagles are winless in six games at Northern Iowa, which draws well even when it isn’t highly successful. Last year, for example, the Panthers’ average attendance at home games was 10,135, 25th-best in the FCS despite a 3-9 overall record.
UNI first-year head coach Todd Stepsis pointed to that support as a reason he decided to accept the job there.
“When we were at Drake, we were a smaller school in a bigger city (in Des Moines, Iowa),” he said. “Other than parents and alumni, we were kind of under the radar. Here it has flipped. We’re the big fish in a smaller community. … Our team being in the spotlight here, we can show up at a school and kids are going to want our autographs and want to come to games, and we can make it better and improve the community.”
The Panthers drew 9,079 in attendance for their first game this season, a 38-14 victory over Drake.
“It’s a tough place to play, and we know they’re not going to beat themselves,” Best said.
The Eagles, playing their third consecutive road game to start the season, are eager for a home game. But the prospect of ending that losing streak in Cedar Falls and getting the team’s first victory this season is a motivating factor for Eastern.
3. Can the Eagles keep the Panthers’ passing game in check?
It’s possible that the Eagles get preseason all-conference cornerback DaJean Wells back for this week’s game after the senior captain sat out the first two games. If so, his presence would be a boost to a young secondary.
“He’s very vocal on the sideline,” Marsh said, “but it’s very different when you have that presence on the field.”
Wells was credited with 12 pass breakups last season, second-most in the Big Sky. But he was also without an interception for an Eagles’ defense that had just six all season and has yet to snag one this year.
Through two games, UNI’s offense ranks seventh in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in passing yards (173 per game), and quarterback Matthew Schecklman has completed 58.8 % of his passes for 321 yards. He has thrown four touchdowns along with two interceptions.
If the Eagles can shut down the Panthers through the air and make them one-dimensional on offense, that could make EWU’s run defense all the more effective. A shutdown defensive effort would also go a long way toward quieting the UNI home crowd.