Brandon Montgomery leads Red to 24-17 win in Eastern Washington spring game

From the pregame trash-talking to the celebratory ice bath for winning coach Jeff Schmedding, this felt like the real thing.

That was the whole idea when new Eastern Washington coach Aaron Best put the “game” back in the Red-White Spring Game for the first time in six years.

He even ordered up a trophy, an eagle sculpture that MVP Brandon Montgomery hoisted proudly at midfield Saturday afternoon as the Red team cheered a 24-17 win over the White.

“I’d like to take this home tonight,” said Montgomery, a junior cornerback who earned a bucket load of parting gifts on the last day of spring football at Eastern.

Montgomery set up one touchdown with a 47-yard fumble return, then picked off All-American quarterback Gage Gubrud for a 67-yard pick-6 to put the Reds ahead 17-14.

“This spring I’ve learned a lot about making plays, being humble and getting ready for my opportunity,” said Montgomery, who put himself in position as the top nickel back on the roster.

There were other heroes, on both sides. The most scrutinized player on the field – perhaps all spring – was quarterback Eric Barriere, the heir apparent to Gubrud.

The redshirt freshman struggled in last week’s scrimmage, but led the Red offense with 137 yards and two touchdowns on 11-for-15 passing.

“I’ve progressed in every practice, and I think it showed today,” Barriere said. “I think the game is starting to slow down – sometimes it seems too fast – but I’ll be OK.”

Barriere was better than OK when it mattered most. With the game tied at 17 midway through the fourth quarter, he hit Nsimba Webster for a 7-yard touchdown that turned out to be the winning score.

That was especially satisfying for Barriere, who said he’d endured some good-natured smack since teams were drafted on Wednesday.

“They said this would be some 40-point blowout – I didn’t forget that,” Barriere said.

Gubrud and the Whites responded with a 74-yard drive. But on first-and-goal at the 1-yard-line, they lost 15 yards on two penalties and finally lost the ball on downs with three minutes left.

They never got it back, as Barriere directed a clock-killing drive to end the game.

The impact of the first true spring game since 2011 wasn’t lost on Red linebacker Alek Kacmarcik.

“When you’re in a game like that, at the end of a long drive but the other team, it simulates a game-like situation a lot more than a scrimmage,” Kacmarcik said.

Antoine Custer helped keep the pressure off Barriere with 67 yards on 13 carries, while Keonte White had two catches for 68 yards.

For the Whites, Gubrud was 21-for-32 for 344 yards, but also two picks. Jayson Williams caught nine balls for 129 yards and Xavier James had seven for 130, including a gorgeous 66-yarder from Gubrud.

For the coaches, there will be film to dissect and players to grade. The season opener at Texas Tech is more than four months away.

“We got what we wanted,” Best said. We wanted it to look like a game, and I thought it was a game. It was competitive, and the impressions were good – it was even across the board.”

“At the end of the day the fans, players and coaches were all satisfied with the outcome,” Best said.