FLAGSTAFF, Arizona – After Eastern Washington’s season-ending 30-18 defeat to Northern Arizona on Saturday, head coach Aaron Best embraced each senior who came to say goodbye at Walkup Skydome.
The 2024 season for Eastern Washington concluded with a disappointing 4-8 record (3-4 in the Big Sky), marking the program’s third consecutive losing season.
The Eagles’ loss to the Lumberjacks (8-4, 6-2) stemmed from a struggling rushing attack and NAU’s ability to execute several big plays, culminating in a long scoring drive that secured their victory.
As Eagles safety McKel Broussard noted, this game mirrored many from the season: “Sometimes doing normal things is hard in the chaos of games. We were just one play away. That was the theme of the year. We’ve got to build on it and learn.”
While Best’s position is secure through his contract, which runs until 2027, the waves of farewells were still poignant as several key seniors—some with over 50 games played—wrapped up their collegiate careers.
“The record doesn’t reflect the camaraderie we built. It just shows the wins and losses,” Best remarked. “We made progress, particularly on offense this season, but we need to improve our defense.”
Despite a challenging season, Eastern Washington rarely faced total defeat, except for a 49-16 loss to Nevada in September. In all other matchups, the Eagles were competitive. This game remained close until the final drive, with the Eagles consistently within striking distance of the Lumberjacks.
Beginning the third quarter strong, the Eagles scored a safety thanks to Matthew Brown and a 67-yard touchdown pass to Efton Chism III, who also broke the program’s single-season receptions record previously held by Cooper Kupp since 2016. Chism ended his final game with 13 catches for 119 yards, bringing his season total to 120 receptions.
“Breaking that record means a lot, especially considering Kupp’s achievements,” Chism said. “His records are pretty much untouchable, so getting one on him feels special.”
Eastern’s quarterbacks targeted Chism extensively, throwing 27 passes overall and looking his way on 18 occasions. Wesley Garrett added three catches for 38 yards, and Jett Carpenter scored on a two-yard touchdown pass—his first since 2022.
The Eagles struggled offensively, especially in the first half, where they managed only one touchdown and a total of 129 yards, a stark contrast to their 704 yards and 11 touchdowns against Idaho State a week earlier.
Northern Arizona, competing for an at-large bid in the FCS playoffs, displayed a stronger defensive game than Eastern could handle. “That might be the best defense we’ve faced all season, start to finish,” Best admitted.
Against the Lumberjacks’ defense, Eastern’s power rushing game faltered, netting only 138 yards on 34 carries without scoring. In the passing game, their numbers were similarly low; redshirt junior quarterbacks Kekoa Visperas and Jared Taylor combined for just 167 passing yards—one of their least productive outings of the year.
NAU’s first touchdown came from a 75-yard flea flicker that caught Eastern’s secondary off guard. They later added another touchdown thanks to a wide receiver pass that put them ahead before halftime.
Broussard acknowledged, “We had a solid handle on their offense usually, but they pulled out the trick plays when they had to, which they shouldn’t have had to wait 12 weeks to use.”
Despite struggling on fourth downs during the game, the Lumberjacks sealed the win with a methodical final drive that consumed over six minutes and resulted in a touchdown, leaving the Eagles with little time to respond.
The game concluded with Visperas’ interception on a pass intended for Chism, ensuring the Eagles’ defeat.
Now, Eastern Washington faces an offseason of reflection as they aim to regain the success they experienced in their 10-3 season in 2021.
For now, the focus was on honoring the seniors one last time.
“Immediately after the game, it hits you. All your family is around, and I’m crying,” Chism shared. “You invest so much over the years, but you don’t realize the gravity until it’s all over. I have no regrets. I’m so grateful to be an Eagle and wouldn’t change a thing.”
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