Eastern Washington set to host Western Illinois team led by Lake City graduate

One of the wilder games of Eastern Washington’s 2021 season came against the same program the Eagles are hosting in Cheney on Saturday.

Four years ago, the Eagles appeared to be coasting to a victory at Western Illinois when Johnny Edwards scored on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Eric Barriere with 41 seconds left in the first half, giving Eastern a 55-21 lead.

It got a whole lot closer, and Eastern hung on late for a 62-56 victory.

But the Leathernecks squad that the Eagles will meet at 4 p.m. Saturday at Roos Field hardly resembles the opponent of four years ago.

Multiple coaching changes, almost total roster turnover and even a conference change makes these Leathernecks even more different than a college football team would be expected to look over a four-year span. Add to that Western Illinois’ schedule this season – two losses to Big Ten teams and a victory over FCS nonscholarship program Valparaiso – and there is plenty of mystery as to what this matchup looks like.

“You start getting three or four games under your belt, you have a pretty good idea of what teams intend to do,” EWU head coach Aaron Best said Tuesday during media availability. “We’ll have an idea (about Western Illinois), but what worked against Valpo didn’t work against the other two (Big Ten) teams.”

It is also tough to gauge much from a statistical standpoint, Best said, because of those opponents. For what it is worth, though, the Western Illinois offense racked up 570 yards last week in a 51-30 victory over Valparaiso.

Leading the effort was quarterback Chris Irvin, a graduate of Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene and a one-time Washington State player who completed 13 of 19 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. It was a far better statistical performance than his two against Illinois and Northwestern: a combined 19-of-47 passing for 161 yards and one interception.

Western Illinois is three games into its second season under head coach Joe Davis, who previous to this position was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern Illinois.

It has been a difficult seven seasons for the Leathernecks, whose previous head coach, Myers Hendrickson, went 0-11 in both 2022 and 2023 and was fired without ever winning a game. Hendrickson replaced Jared Elliott, who from 2018 to 2021 went 9-31, including an 8-22 mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

But after the 2023 season, the Leathernecks left the MVFC to join the Ohio Valley Conference, which in football operates in association with the Big South Conference to form a nine-team league.

Last year’s 4-8 overall record and 3-5 conference mark was a notable improvement for the program, which has won eight or more games just twice in the last two decades.

Regardless of what Western Illinois looks like, the Eagles have their own issues to work out, especially on offense, a group that has yet to score more than 21 points.

In six home games last season, the Eagles scored at least 28 points each time and averaged 44 points per game.

After three straight road games and with students back on campus, this will be Eastern’s first of five home games this season.

“They call it home-field advantage for a reason,” Best said. “We almost tasted victory last week. Hopefully the students who come in are excited about the brand of football they’re going to see on Saturday.”

EWU launches club for youth fans

Eastern Washington announced the formation of the Jr. Flight Club this season at a cost of $25 per child age 12 and younger.

Member benefits include a free ticket to select basketball, volleyball and football games – including this Saturday’s football game against Western Illinois – with the purchase of one adult ticket. Membership runs through July 31, and can be purchased at goeags.com/jrflightclub.

WR Ulm honored for philanthropy

EWU sixth-year senior Nolan Ulm this week was named to the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which honors student athletes and coaches who have an extraordinary commitment to community service.

Ulm is one of 22 football players selected nationally from a pool of 195 nominees. He is the first EWU player to receive the award.

Since 2022, Ulm has worked with the program Mamas for Mamas in his hometown Kelowna, British Columbia, an organization that focuses on supporting single mothers. He helped raise $15,000 for the organization last year and another $7,500 so far this year.

“He doesn’t do it for the recognition,” Best said of Ulm. “He wants to be as impactful as he can. … Football is what he does; it’s not who he is.”

Ulm has also organized and coordinated the Make it Happen Football camp in Kelowna, which aims to educate and empower young Canadian athletes. Locally, Ulm volunteers with the Spokane YMCA’s Touchdowns for Dollars campaign.