EWU running game gains traction

Just in time for the playoffs, the Eastern Washington running backs are hitting their stride.

In the last two games, Eastern has piled up 399 yards on the ground and averaged over six yards a carry in the process – good news for Eagle fans worried about how that high-flying offense will fare in December.

“We’ve had some different games where we’ve made some really good progress,” coach Beau Baldwin said Monday night as Eastern prepared for its Big Sky Conference regular-season finale Friday night at Portland State.

In Saturday’s 48-17 win over Idaho State, the third-ranked Eagles put up a season-high 281 yards on the ground. The highlight was an 83-yard touchdown run by Antoine Custer Jr., who got to the goal line thanks to some great blocking by Cooper Kupp.

However, Custer wouldn’t even have earned a first down with some hard work and good coaching.

Crediting assistant coach Kiel McDonald, “I’ve learned to be more patient with my O-linemen, waiting for them to set up the holes before I hit it,” said Custer, crediting assistant coach Kiel McDonald for easing the learning curve.

Until then, the true freshman from Concord, California, had made his biggest impact on special teams, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns and winning a pair of Big Sky Conference weekly awards.

Now Custer is breaking through on the line of scrimmage. He finished with 141 yards on 12 carries, for an average of 11.8 yards per tote. Even taking away the long run, Custer averaged 5.5 yards on his other 11 carries.

Custer also has provided the breakaway threat that was missing in 2015, when the Eagles’ longest run from scrimmage in Big Sky play was only 30 yards.

This isn’t your typical offense – quarterback Gage Gubrud is still the leading ground-gainer – but the ground game is gaining traction.

Credit the young offensive line, which has made steady progress in run blocking; and the backs, which is still run by committee.

It was senior Jabari Wilson who got the ground game moving early against ISU before leaving with an abdominal contusion (he’s questionable for PSU), while true freshman Tamarick Pierce added 68 yards on just six carries.

However, this is still a pass-first offense, and offensive balance is usually the result of what opposing defenses are giving up.