EWU vs. UW Game Thread

[HannahO]

Isn't it time to start a thread about the game? Here's a couple of articles of interest from today's The News Tribune (Tacoma).

I f Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian is looking for pep-talk fodder intended to prevent his team from regarding Eastern Washington as a gimme putt in the opener Saturday, I’ve got a short speech for him.

“Four years ago, guys, Appalachian State beat Michigan in The Big House.”

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/08/28/1799108/huskies-motivation-look-at-michigan.html#ixzz1WMB5NuV4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Williams wears his game-changing face ... One decade ago, Renard Williams returned to his Port Orchard home shattered.

Williams, you see, had been cut by the eighth-grade basketball team at Marcus Whitman Junior High School. That’s not easy on one’s ego when you’ve been dreaming of playing in the NBA.

Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/08/28/1799141/williams-wears-his-game-changing.html#ixzz1WMCRPTuJ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[clawman1]

Good article!

I like this similarity.
"Michigan had never played a 1-AA opponent in its history."

But don't agree with this
"The national-championship victory over Delaware was an achievement that could be trumped only by beating Washington at Husky Stadium. "
Personally, I'll take the NC trophy, but hey lets take both!

 

[ewunerd]

Good article!
But don't agree with this
"The national-championship victory over Delaware was an achievement that could be trumped only by beating Washington at Husky Stadium. "
Personally, I'll take the NC trophy, but hey lets get both!

Im with you I'd rather win another NC than beat UW. But beating UW would go a long way in legitimizing EWU football across the state and especially a bandwagon town like Spokane.

 

[eaglesfootball]

a win over UW would not be bigger than a repeat as national champs, they've got that one wrong i agree.

 

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Good article!
But don't agree with this
"The national-championship victory over Delaware was an achievement that could be trumped only by beating Washington at Husky Stadium. "
Personally, I'll take the NC trophy, but hey lets get both!

Im with you I'd rather win another NC than beat UW. But beating UW would go a long way in legitimizing EWU football across the state and especially a bandwagon town like Spokane.

You make a good point... it'd be interesting to see if attendance spikes up next year if we beat UW. Hell, I'm excited to see if attendance takes a significant bump up this year after the NC. I've seen more EWU stuff around Spokane than I ever used to before.

That being said, let's just do what App State did and beat our FBS opponent in epic fashion and win another title. :thumb: Back to back NCs and a Pac-12 FBS win would lock us into FCS Elite status. :nod: It'd shut up some of the East Coasters and those in denial about us.

 

[LDopaPDX]

I'm not going to be flambouyant enough to predict a win.. and let's face it, you'd have to be unreasonably biased to do so. Sure, Eastern *could* win, but that doesn't change the fact that it would be an astronomical upset. I realize player to player they aren't that much better, but their budget is 10x, their attendance is 10x, and those 23 extra schollies go a long way.

I just hope we go out there and play them hard as nails for 4 quarters. As long as we can walk away saying "the team played their asses off," I'll be happy.

 

[EWURanger]

I'm not going to be flambouyant enough to predict a win.. and let's face it, you'd have to be unreasonably biased to do so. Sure, Eastern *could* win, but that doesn't change the fact that it would be an astronomical upset. I realize player to player they aren't that much better, but their budget is 10x, their attendance is 10x, and those 23 extra schollies go a long way.

I just hope we go out there and play them hard as nails for 4 quarters. As long as we can walk away saying "the team played their asses off," I'll be happy.

Pretty much this. Of course I want the win, but just as importantly I want us to walk away injury-free and heads held high because the team just gave UW everything they could handle and more. Even if we lose I want our team to make a statement to all the uppetty Pac-12 folks in this state that think FCS schools like Eastern play sub-par football or that we "can't hang". Big Sky/FCS football is great, Eastern plays a great brand of football, and more people need to know about it.

 

[clawman1]

When Sark agreed to coach the Huskies he also agreed to include an FCS team on the schedule each year. Recently when asked his thoughts about playing the Eagles he said, yes, but not this f..ing shit.

 

[dawgfan]

The only things I know about EWU is that they won their national championship last year, lost Taiwan Jones to the NFL, but are still favored to repeat as national champs again this year. Congrats on your success; and would appreciate an overview of EWU's strengths and what UW can expect in Saturday's game, if any fans would care to offer one.

Here's my outlook on UW going into 2011. Obviously the biggest question mark is at QB-- it's hard to predict how Price will handle the responsibility. He's very quick and elusive; but whether he can read defenses, make good decisions in the passing game, and consistently make accurate throws are all open questions.

Even with losing Deonte Cooper for the season, UW seems pretty solid at RB, especially if Chris Polk plays which it looks like he will. UW is probably committing to the running game this year, and likely will try to establish it early and often against EWU.

UW has a very deep and talented pool of WRs. If QB Price shows he can get them the ball, he has at least two and probably three or more future NFLers to throw to.

Same at tight end-- they'll be starting a true freshman in Austin Sefarian-Jenkins; but the guy has stood out in spring and fall camps, and probably is a future NFLer.

The O-line is mostly young, and accordingly is another question mark, although probably will better than it was last year. They will need to be for the Huskies to succeed this year, because Price probably will need all the support that he can get as he grows into the QB position.

The D-line should be a strength: possibly a first-round NFL draft pick anchoring the interior, and no weaknesses anywhere along the line.

Good athletes at the LB positions but with the exception of the MLB, young and relatively inexperienced. Overall another question mark for UW.

The secondary should be pretty good-- starting CBs are experienced and talented, and safeties are talented but not quite as experienced.


Overall, there are too many question marks to predict them as being a high caliber Pac-12 team this year-- but they should be better than last year's team, and anything less than a winning season probably will be a disappointment. They have the talent now to become a Pac-12 contender within a year or two; but Sarkisian will have to do a great coaching job this year to improve significantly upon last year's record.

 

[93bird]

Good assessment of your team Dawgman. The Eagles' strength in my opinion is the passing game. Sure, we have several very good RBs (Brown, Bronson, Beaumonte) who each have a different style and can be game changers. We have a D line that will pressure any QB we play. Renard Williams has a motor unlike any other I've seen at our level. Our linebackers will still be very good even without Edmonton Eskimo J.C. Sherritt. In the end though, we're going to beat you over the top. BLM has proven the ability to make great decisions when the heat is on, and has sure-handed receivers with size. Kaufman at 6'5" has speed as well and will continue to be a threat. Edwards is tough, tall, and has good hands. Tyler Hart, BLM's brother Cory, Greg Herd, and Zack Gehring can all do major damage if necessary.

 

[EWURanger]

The only things I know about EWU is that they won their national championship last year, lost Taiwan Jones to the NFL, but are still favored to repeat as national champs again this year. Congrats on your success; and would appreciate an overview of EWU's strengths and what UW can expect in Saturday's game, if any fans would care to offer one.

Here's my outlook on UW going into 2011. Obviously the biggest question mark is at QB-- it's hard to predict how Price will handle the responsibility. He's very quick and elusive; but whether he can read defenses, make good decisions in the passing game, and consistently make accurate throws are all open questions.

Even with losing Deonte Cooper for the season, UW seems pretty solid at RB, especially if Chris Polk plays which it looks like he will. UW is probably committing to the running game this year, and likely will try to establish it early and often against EWU.

UW has a very deep and talented pool of WRs. If QB Price shows he can get them the ball, he has at least two and probably three or more future NFLers to throw to.

Same at tight end-- they'll be starting a true freshman in Austin Sefarian-Jenkins; but the guy has stood out in spring and fall camps, and probably is a future NFLer.

The O-line is mostly young, and accordingly is another question mark, although probably will better than it was last year. They will need to be for the Huskies to succeed this year, because Price probably will need all the support that he can get as he grows into the QB position.

The D-line should be a strength: possibly a first-round NFL draft pick anchoring the interior, and no weaknesses anywhere along the line.

Good athletes at the LB positions but with the exception of the MLB, young and relatively inexperienced. Overall another question mark for UW.

The secondary should be pretty good-- starting CBs are experienced and talented, and safeties are talented but not quite as experienced.


Overall, there are too many question marks to predict them as being a high caliber Pac-12 team this year-- but they should be better than last year's team, and anything less than a winning season probably will be a disappointment. They have the talent now to become a Pac-12 contender within a year or two; but Sarkisian will have to do a great coaching job this year to improve significantly upon last year's record.

I originally posted this in another thread, but it seems applicable here.

As far as the team we'll be fielding this season, it's hard not to be a little excited to watch them. Nine returning starters on offense, to include the QB (and MVP of last year's NC game) and all of the receiving corps along with 4 of 5 on the O-Line. The big losses on offense are RB Taiwan Jones who was perhaps one of the biggest play-makers in Big Sky history, a starting Offensive Guard, and a Tight End. If there are any real question marks, it's probably in the running game, but we expect to get solid production from who we have returning, along with a couple of pretty promising true Freshman who may get a shot to play this season. Jones isn't really "replaceable" anyway, as he was a threat to score every time he touched the ball and players like that only come around every once in a blue moon. We run a typical west coast one-back offense - generally Ace formation with three WR's and one TE, situation dependent. All of our WR's are 6'3 or over and have great speed. One goes 6'5 and causes some real mis-match problems for smaller db's. As great as the WR's are, I expect our TE's to be more involved in the passing game this season in check-down situations and more of a scoring threat as we have two with considerable playing experience that were Freshman last year. Names to look for on offense are LT Gabe Jackson, Center Chris Powers, QB Bo Levi Mitchell, WR's Brandon Kaufman and Nicholas Edwards. I can't say a whole lot more about the offense, other than the fact that we are basically loaded there. That's a bit biased, but all things considered probably an accurate assessment and one that most people wouldn't disagree on.

There are probably a few more questions marks on defense, but as I said before we still have 7 returning starters there. The big losses are MLB JC Sherritt (won the Buchanan Award for top FCS defenser last season), DT Tyler Jolley, and both starting corners, one of which is vying for a spot on the Seahawks. That said, most people feel fairly comfortable with the defense, despite the losses. The Johnson brothers (Zach at MLB and Matt at SS) could actually be close to the best football players on the team. Zach had great productivity last year and will pick up most of Sherritt's numbers from last year. Matt Johnson is the best Safety in the Big Sky Conference and will probably break the school record for interceptions this year. The defensive line is anchored by DT Renard Williams, a Senior All-American who should have a legit shot at playing on Sundays. There is a small question mark at the other DT position, as the projected starter is unable to play this season due to some issues regarding his transfer from Washington. At DE, there's a ton of athletic guys there that have good size and speed and make a lot of plays. I think the biggest thing that will stand out about our defensive play is the overall team speed. I think many teams were surprised by that throughout the playoffs, and that included Delaware. When we started blitzing late in the game, their QB crumbled under the pressure.

Just a note on Mitchell - since this is probably what most UW/WSU fans know him for - he has progressed considerably since he was the starter for SMU when they played Washington State in 2009.

 

[EWURanger]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6YDrVxazo4[/youtube]

 

[eaglesfootball]

Congrats on your success; and would appreciate an overview of EWU's strengths and what UW can expect in Saturday's game, if any fans would care to offer one.

i think this adequately sums us up.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW4ShzTDLF4[/youtube]

 

[dawgfan]

Appreciate the overviews 93bird and EWURanger. From what you say, it seems to me that EWU matches up fairly well against UW. In my mind our O-Line is a big question mark, not so much because we still lack PAC-12 talent now (thank god), but because three of the five are true sophomores or RS freshmen. I have to believe that they will all gel together over the course of the season-- but that gives mall comfort going into Saturday. And if your pass rush is good, plus you have Williams clogging the middle, and have good linebackers behind them all-- then UW having an inexperienced QB behind an inexperienced O-Line may make for some difficulties.

It will be interesting to see how your passing game does on Saturday. UW is as solid on the D-line as it has been for a very long time. I expect it to be tough for a lot of teams to put up big numbers on the ground against UW. We also seem to finally have the athleticism on the corners and in the secondary to play more man to man defense while running more stunts and bringing more blitzes. My understanding is that EWU runs an offense similar to, say, Arizona, in that runs 4-spread sets, takes advantage of a lot of quick hitters, and then goes over the top when the opposing D tries to make adjustments. We should be able to generate more heat from the D-Line this year even without running blitzing packages. As a UW fan I have to hope that the speed/athleticism of our corners and safeties will hep make up for the weapons that EWU will bring to bear.

And again as a UW fan, the more I think about this game from our side of things, it seems to me that establishing a running game is a major key for UW. It would go far toward ball control and also controlling the game's momentum. From what I''m hearing Polk may play, and the dude is a beast to deal with. And Callier will play even if Polk is good to go-- the guy gets up field quick and is elusive, has 5-10 yards before you're even making your next reaction. UW has big-time play makers at wide out-- but who knows what to expect from that given Price's inexperience.

Sounds like it could turn out to be an interesting game all the way around. Not that it will matter much toward the final score, but it's a game that UW can ill afford to lose, because recruiting might take a real hit if UW doesn't come through with a W. Anyway, good luck with your season and looking forward to the game this Saturday.

 

[dawgfan]

Thanks for the link eaglesfootball. Definitely respect your team, and as a UW fan am not about to take them lightly. Glad to see a WA state team representing well. Good luck on your season whatever the outcome this Saturday.

 

[LDopaPDX]

I worry abou this game bcause teams that can control clock by running the ball have proven difficult for us in the past. It is hard for a tempo offense to operate (and we are a tempo offense) without getting regular possession. If UW can move the ball in small increments consistently, there is a chance our offense sputters all day long.

 

[EWURanger]

And again as a UW fan, the more I think about this game from our side of things, it seems to me that establishing a running game is a major key for UW. It would go far toward ball control and also controlling the game's momentum.

This - this is UW's safest bet in controlling this game. In order for EWU to have a shot in this game, they are going to have to create some turnovers. If UW controls the line and runs the ball well, we won't have as many opportunities to create those turnovers. But I imagine our coaching staff expects UW to lean on us and run the ball so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. That said, I can't imagine that UW won't try to test our young corners.......so they better bring their A game because those are some talented wide receivers.

As was said previously, our strength this year will probably be our passing game, so I expect us to throw quite a bit. Mitchell will need to cut down on some of the mistakes he made early on in the season last year and play like he did towards the end. I think he will. :thumb:

Here's some different videos from some of the FBS teams we have played recently....maybe that will give some sort of indication of how this game might go. Thought I had the one from the Nevada game last year, but can't seem to find it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGsj47U7hOk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-f0MCrNKyo[/youtube]

hno:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr1iqKgeJCM[/youtube]

 

[footballdirt]

Is this game available to watch on the internet. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[dawgfan]

I worry abou this game bcause teams that can control clock by running the ball have proven difficult for us in the past. It is hard for a tempo offense to operate (and we are a tempo offense) without getting regular possession. If UW can move the ball in small increments consistently, there is a chance our offense sputters all day long.

It's an interesting match up, because tempo offenses have given UW a lot of trouble over the past several years (Oregon & Arizona in particular). Husky Nation believes that we are starting to bring in the kind of athletes that can help us be more competitive in these kinds of match ups (basically longer, faster athletes in the secondary and at DE & OLB), with strength guys anchoring the middle at DT and MLB. But Sark's recruits are still sophs or RS frosh (with maybe 4 true frosh who will get any playing time on the D this year). So it's still in transition and I'd be kidding myself if I said that they're already over the hump on D from the disastrous Willingham years.

But I think that UW is actually fortunate to be playing EWU as its first opponent this year. This will be a competitive game against a good opponent who runs a style of O that UW definitely has to figure out and deal with to reach their goal (bowl game) this year.

 

[dawgfan]

And again as a UW fan, the more I think about this game from our side of things, it seems to me that establishing a running game is a major key for UW. It would go far toward ball control and also controlling the game's momentum.

This - this is UW's safest bet in controlling this game. In order for EWU to have a shot in this game, they are going to have to create some turnovers. If UW controls the line and runs the ball well, we won't have as many opportunities to create those turnovers. But I imagine our coaching staff expects UW to lean on us and run the ball so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. That said, I can't imagine that UW won't try to test our young corners.......so they better bring their A game because those are some talented wide receivers.

As was said previously, our strength this year will probably be our passing game, so I expect us to throw quite a bit. Mitchell will need to cut down on some of the mistakes he made early on in the season last year and play like he did towards the end. I think he will. :thumb:

Here's some different videos from some of the FBS teams we have played recently....maybe that will give some sort of indication of how this game might go. Thought I had the one from the Nevada game last year, but can't seem to find it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGsj47U7hOk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-f0MCrNKyo[/youtube]

hno:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr1iqKgeJCM[/youtube]

I keep seeing a competitive game the more I look into it. From UW's perspective, the ideal would be to find out that our O-Line is a whole level better than last year, and is consistently opening holes for us against EWU Saturday. But the other side of that coin is that UW could well be turnover prone with all of the inexperience at key positions on the offense. You guys have a lot better idea what you can expect from your team than UW fans can have about ours going into the game. In any case, I like the idea of having our FBS-FCS match up against a top FCS school that can compete (and love that we get to keep the game in state to have that match up!). We can't afford any gimmies in preparation for PAC 12 play-- we've got too much work to do for that. Plus as a fan I just enjoy watching competitive games. Thanks for all of the links. I'm getting excited to see those red uniforms in Husky Stadium this Saturday, and hope enough EWU fans show up so that they can make some noise for their team. Could turn out to be a rockin' good time of a game to watch.