Things to watch: Eastern Washington Fans Receive More Tantalizing News to Cheer About

Two years ago, the Eastern Washington football team ended October with a record of 2-5. By that time in 2022, the Eagles had experienced heavy losses, including a 70-14 defeat to Oregon and a 52-17 loss to Florida. They were also beaten 45-21 by Weber State and suffered home losses to Sacramento State (52-28) and Montana State (38-35). Their two victories were against Tennessee State (36-29) and Cal Poly (17-10).

Head coach Aaron Best referred to that season during his media session on Tuesday, noting that the team’s struggles stemmed from a lack of physical play. “The call was good. The technique was good enough,” he said. “The physicality wasn’t close enough.”

Currently, this year’s team also holds a 2-5 overall record (1-2 in the Big Sky), but their journey has been different. Aside from a significant 49-16 loss to Nevada, their other four defeats were tightly contested, losing by a combined total of 21 points. Best believes that physical play isn’t the problem as the Eagles get ready to face the 11th-ranked Idaho Vandals (5-3, 2-2) on Saturday at the Kibbie Dome.

“It’s not a physical element. It’s not a talent gap,” Best said. “It’s about trusting yourself in key moments to do your job. We’re starting to get a few more to recognize that, but it’s still not enough.”

Two years ago, the Eagles lost 48-16 at the Kibbie Dome, a game that was decided by halftime with Idaho leading 35-10. In the previous year’s game in Cheney, Eastern led 28-21 in the third quarter before Idaho surged ahead for a 44-36 victory.

Here are three key points to watch for as the Eagles look to secure a win:

1. First Quarter Control: Eastern managed just two first downs in the opening quarter of last week’s 48-38 loss to UC Davis. It’s worth speculating how the game might have changed if they had performed better than taking a 3-0 lead. They’ve only scored over seven points in the first quarter during their season-opening win against Monmouth, but haven’t started as effectively since then.

   Idaho has had its most successful quarter in the first, accounting for 54 of their 155 total points. However, they’ve struggled in their last two first halves, scoring only six points overall.

2. Efton Chism III’s Role: EWU senior Efton Chism III is a standout receiver, racking up a career-high 15 catches last week for 170 yards. Despite a lack of depth at the wide receiver position, he remains a reliable option. Idaho’s defense has been more susceptible to the pass than the run, currently ranked eighth against the pass. The Vandals allowed 280 passing yards last week, including multiple touchdowns.

   The Eagles might also return to their strong running game, which has worked well in victories, including games where they rushed for 265 and 286 yards.

3. Michael Wortham’s Opportunity: No player in the FCS has returned more kickoffs this season than Michael Wortham, who has 25 returns for 688 yards, boasting an impressive average of 27.5 yards per return. However, he hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 2 and has predominantly been involved in the passing game lately.

   With Saturday’s rivalry game at the Kibbie Dome, it would be an ideal moment for Wortham to find the end zone once again.