After a series of narrow defeats to top teams in the Big Sky, Eastern Washington players and coaches reaffirmed their determination, insisting there was no quit in the Eagles. They proved their resolve on Saturday.
In a dominant performance against Northern Colorado, the Eagles rushed for 339 yards on a program-record 68 carries and controlled the game clock for nearly 44 minutes, securing a 43-15 victory at Nottingham Field in Greeley, Colorado.
Redshirt junior Malik Dotson returned after missing three games and shone with 125 rushing yards, marking his first 100-yard game in 11 outings with the Eagles. He emphasized the advantage of running behind a strong offensive line, saying, “Every run play got me excited as the holes opened up. I just wish I could treat the offensive linemen to some Buffalo Wild Wings on Monday.”
The rushing game complemented the passing offense, which welcomed back redshirt junior starting quarterback Kekoa Visperas. In his return from a missed week due to injury, Visperas completed 13 of 20 passes for 179 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. He launched the game with a 44-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore Wesley Garrett, initiating a streak of four consecutive touchdown drives that saw the Eagles jump to a 29-0 lead by the 11:47 mark of the second quarter.
Eastern was highly efficient, converting 13 of 17 third downs and both fourth-down attempts while only punting twice.
Head coach Aaron Best praised the offensive staff, saying, “Good things usually happen when you put together long drives. Many players contributed to this success.”
Senior Michael Wortham, who had previously thrown, run, and returned a kick for a touchdown this season, caught his first touchdown pass of the year, finishing with four receptions for a season-high 58 yards. Jared Taylor completed 3 of 4 passes for 20 yards and a touchdown to Efton Chism III, adding 17 carries for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
With the game well in hand, fourth-string quarterback Nate Bell took over in the fourth quarter, running seven times for 38 yards without attempting a pass. Taylor noted the camaraderie among the quarterbacks, saying, “We just want the best for everyone. There’s so much love in the quarterback room; it’s really fun to be a part of.”
Now 1-9 on the season and 1-5 in the Big Sky, Northern Colorado drops further behind, while Eastern Washington improves to 3-7 and 2-4. They’ll face Idaho State at home next week, followed by a road game at Northern Arizona on November 23.
Senior Efton Chism enjoyed another standout performance, catching 10 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. With 95 receptions for the season, he’s aiming to become just the second Eagle receiver to reach 100 catches in a single season, a feat accomplished three times by Cooper Kupp. Chism also surpassed 1,035 receiving yards, becoming the first EWU player with over 1,000 yards since Talolo Limu-Jones in 2021.
Defensively, Eastern had its best outing of the season, limiting the Bears to 12 first downs, 44 plays, and 323 total yards—each a season low. They held Northern Colorado to just 48 rushing yards, a significant improvement after allowing a combined 788 yards on the ground in their previous three losses.
Best commended his defense, stating, “I thought our front did an excellent job against the run. I would’ve liked to see more pressure on the quarterback, but allowing just 15 points on the road, considering our past challenges, makes me really proud of that defensive effort.”
With this victory, Eastern Washington improved to 16-1 against Northern Colorado and 14-0 since the Bears joined the Big Sky in 2006.
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