How EWU will handle return of QB Jared Taylor against Montana State

Last week in Eastern Washington’s home opener, Jared Taylor did just about everything he could – short of playing in the game – to get his team pumped up and prepared to defeat Western Illinois.

This week, it looks like the Eagles redshirt senior quarterback and captain will be back to face No. 4 Montana State (2-2) in Bozeman for both teams’ Big Sky opener.

But after Nate Bell’s back-to-back starts that drew praise from Eastern’s coaches, how Bell and Taylor coexist behind center and in the backfield might look different Saturday than it did during the first seven and a half quarters of the season leading up to Taylor’s injury in the fourth quarter at Boise State.

“Those two guys are explosive players on offense, so QB1 is No. 15 (Taylor), and QB2 is No. 2 Bell),” EWU head coach Aaron Best said during media availability on Tuesday. “We know we have two guys that win ball games here, and we’re fortunate to have two that play at the level they do.”

Following a 52-31 victory over Western Illinois in which he accounted for five touchdowns, Bell deferred to the coaches’ judgment as to how he and Taylor would be employed going forward.

“Overall as an offense, we just want to do our best to win,” Bell said Saturday. “So however that is, we’ll do that as an offense.”

In the season opener against Incarnate Word, Bell’s primary contributions were his two receptions for 17 yards and an interception he threw to end Eastern’s opening drive. He came in for that play because Taylor was dinged up on the previous one.

The next week at Boise State, Bell was instrumental on each of Eastern’s scoring drives. In the second quarter, he picked up consecutive first downs to move the offense to midfield. Five plays later, Taylor rushed for a 5-yard score to get the Eagles on the board.

After Taylor was injured – and ultimately taken off the sideline on a stretcher – Bell led the offense on a six-play, 80-yard scoring drive that he himself capped with a 2-yard touchdown run when the game was well out of Eastern’s reach in the fourth quarter.

As the starter the following week at Northern Iowa, Bell hit his stride after halftime and scored both of the Eagles’ touchdowns in a 17-14 loss. And then he had his breakout game at home against the Leathernecks, when he threw for 272 yards and rushed for another 144.

“Nate’s the ultimate teammate,” redshirt senior receiver Noah Cronquist said after Saturday’s game. “He’s a guy everyone rallies behind and everyone loves. He’s just a freak athlete.

“Jared went down, but having Nate step in and make these plays, as receivers we have all the trust in him. He’s showing he can play, and that he can play at a high level.”

Over the last two seasons, the Eagles regularly implemented a two-quarterback system. Last year, Kekoa Visperas, as the No. 1 quarterback, took the majority of snaps and attempted significantly more passes (272) than Taylor did (51) in a No. 2 role.

Notably, 27 of Taylor’s attempts came when he started in place of an injured Visperas against Montana State in Cheney. That game was tied at 28 late in the third quarter before Montana State scored the game’s final two touchdowns to secure a 42-28 victory. Taylor finished with 144 passing yards and 61 rushing yards.

“In that game at least they were a quarterback-run-driven team, and there are some things we can take from that game last year,” MSU coach Brent Vigen said in his news conference Monday. “Whichever one plays (Saturday), either way, those guys are going to be the focal point of where our attention needs to start on the defensive line.”

This season, Taylor is 35-of-66 passing for 285 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. Bell is 37-of-74 for 504 yards and two touchdowns along with four interceptions. Bell also has 269 rushing yards; Taylor has 111.

Eastern has lost four straight matchups against Montana State. One of them – a 57-14 result the last time the two met in Bozeman in 2023 – was ugly. But the previous two were by three points each, and there was last year’s game that was close late.

“(This is) a team that’s given us fits at times, a team that has a really strong history,” Vigen said. “So we’ve got to put our best foot forward and just be concerned with Eastern Washington right now and with playing the best we can.”

Montana State’s pedigree, as a two-time national runner-up twice in the last four years, is well known to the Eagles. But coming off a victory and a couple close losses to FCS teams, the Eagles (1-3) recognize this is a game they can win.

“They were pretty good last year, obviously,” EWU redshirt sophomore defensive end Tylin Jackson said. “If we focus on what we have to do, I am really confident we can go out there and succeed.”