GAME PREVIEW: The Eagles look to take advantage of their home game against No. 2 Bobcats

Eastern Washington will complete its five straight ranked games this weekend

CHENEY, Wash. – October is behind us and football in Eastern Washington appears to be starting November in the right spirit. Eastern hosts No. 2 Montana State on Saturday (November 2) at Roos Field, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m

Fans can purchase tickets for the game online by clicking the link here or by calling the EWU ticket office at 509-359-6059.

The game will be broadcast on Scripps Sports and broadcast live on SWX in Spokane. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN+. Listen to the action live at Roos Field with the voices of the Eagles, Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.

Out last time

Eastern faced its fourth straight ranked opponent last week in Moscow, taking on the No. 11 Vandals at the Kibbie Dome. Both teams tried to find a rhythm on offense to start the game. A 33-yard catch from Efton Chism III Set up EMU in the Redzone and Kekoa Visperas He then called his own number from 1 yard out to tie the score, tying the game at 7 in the first quarter. Eastern scored two field goals Soren McKee in the second quarter and trailed 17-13 at halftime. Idaho scored on a 1-yard touchdown run 4 minutes into the third quarter. EWU's offense stalled on its next possession, and the Vandals took advantage by staging a 10-play, 52-yard drive early in the fourth quarter to take a 31-13 lead. Jared Taylor answered the score with a 3-yard TD pass JP Murphy and the lead was down to 10. Eastern attempted an onside kick, but Idaho recovered and scored on its drive. Michael Wortham ripped off a 100-yard kickoff return to keep hope alive, but Idaho held on and secured the 38-28 victory.

Eastern racked up 388 total yards of offense in the game, while Idaho managed 487 yards. Derek Ganter Jr. He set a career high for the second straight year with 15 tackles, including eight solo tackles. Conner O'Farrell set his own career high with nine tackles Myles Mayovsky joined the trend with a career-best seven tackles.

Back against the Bobcats

Eastern has a positive record against Montana State, being 32-13 overall and 16-6 at home. The Bobcats have closed the gap, winning their last three games, including a commanding 57-14 victory in Bozeman last season. The teams met in Cheney in the 2022 season and fought a tough battle. Montana State led 31-21 in the fourth quarter, but Eastern stormed back with 14 points and took the lead, receiving two touchdown passes from Gunner Talkington. After EWU beat the Bobcats, it fumbled late in the game, allowing MSU to score the touchdown. The Bobcats escaped Roos' field with a 38-35 win.

Chism updates the record books

It was another week and another career achievement for Efton Chism III. Chism became just the second Eagle receiver in program history to have 300 receptions after recording seven catches against Idaho. He has 302 receptions in his career, trailing only Cooper Kupp. He ranks second in EWU history with 6.16 receptions per game and has 3,405 career receiving yards, moving into fourth place in program history, passing Aaron Boyce. The senior finished the game with 114 yards rushing against the Vandals. Chism ranks fifth with 32 career touchdowns, tied with Shaq Hill on the all-time list. He currently leads the Big Sky with 864 receiving yards and 76 receiving yards. His 8 touchdowns are first in the conference. Chism leads the FCS with 9.5 receptions per game, ranks 2nd in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns

Money Mike does everything

Michael Wortham is truly an all-rounder for Eastern, playing at almost every position except the offensive line. Against Idaho, Wortham finally broke free and had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Wortham's return was the first for Eastern since 2019, when Dre'Sonte Dorton returned a kickoff 90 yards against Jacksonville State. It was the seventh 100-kickoff return in EWU history. The most recent appearance was Lamont Brightful in 2000 against Montana. This season, Wortham leads the Big Sky in kickoff returns, averaging 30.4 per return. He has 821 total return yards, which is twice as many as second-place Portland State's Christian Grubb (339). Earlier this year, Wortham scored a career-best 2 rushing touchdowns against Drake, rushing for 46 yards on 11 carries and adding a touchdown pass Efton Chism III. The senior has 147 receiving yards and 123 rushing yards. His 19 receptions are second on the team. He also has 44 passing yards on 4 of 6 pass attempts.

Hard rushing

The Eagles racked up 215 yards on 45 carries against the Vandals. It was the fifth game this season in which the team rushed for more than 200 yards. Altahir tuna led the way with 67 yards on 13 carries while Jared Taylor Carried 13 times as a quarterback for 61 yards. Marceese Yetts increased with 7 carries for 51 yards. Kekoa Visperas had 9 carries for 26 yards and 1 touchdown.

Well protected

Eastern's offensive line prevented Idaho from sacking its quarterback in the second game of the season. The line is allowing an average of 1.5 sacks per game, ranking 34th in the FCS, allowing a total of 12 this season.

Almost error-free

Eastern has recorded 3 turnovers in 8 games this season, leads the Big Sky and is ranked 2nd in the FCS behind No. 1 North Dakota State. The team has forced 4 turnovers for a 0.25 turnover mark, ranking 4th in the conference and 47th in the nation.

 

Season tickets for the 2024 football season are now available. Ticket packages can be purchased online through your Paciolan account, by phone at 509-359-6059 or by email at [email protected].

ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 varsity sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically gifted students and as an enrichment for student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, a coalition of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.

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