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EWU will need solid line play to hang with WSU

Eastern Washington defensive linemen Albert Havili, right, and Jack Sendelbach attack during a tacking drill during the first fall practice, Aug. 9, 2106, in Cheney. Running backs coach Kiel McDonald, right, and strength intern Mason Borglund, left, holds the pads for the players. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Allen jima@spokesman.com

It may be a surprise to some Eastern Washington fans, but the Eagles are a four-score underdog in Saturday’s season opener at Washington State.

But if 23 ½ points seems a bit high, consider what the boys in Vegas have noticed: that the WSU program is much better than the outfit that beat Eastern by only 24-20 back in 2012.

And the Eagles? Consider that in 2012, the Eagles hung a 20-3 whipping on Idaho the week before giving up 24 in Pullman.

Do the math: Eastern gave up a combined 27 points to a pair of FBS programs, then went on to win the Big Sky Conference. Defense played a big part.

Since then, Eastern has struggled defensively. That figures to continue on Saturday against an elite-level quarterback in WSU’s Luke Falk, who not only has an excellent receiving corps but also a solid running game to punish the Eagles.

On the other hand, the Eagle defenders see much of the same during practice.

“I know that there are some things that we do that are different than what coach (Mike) Leach has always done, but there are definitely a lot of similarities too,” EWU coach Beau Baldwin said. “So there is going to be some of that recognition by the secondaries on both sides of the ball having seen some of the same type of things and formations.”

With that, here are some keys to a possible win for the Eagles:

1) Eastern’s young offensive line must hold its own against a WSU D-line that is in a rebuilding mode itself. Redshirt freshman left tackle Tristen Taylor has impressed since spring, but this will be his first game college game as he protects the “blind side.”

2) Presumptive starting quarterback Gage Gubrud – also in his first college start – will need to stay calm in the pocket. Gubrud has speed – Vernon Adams speed – but even Adams had a serious case of happy feet early in his career. Gubrud hasn’t established himself as a deep passing threat, so he may look downfield to Kendrick Bourne or Shaq Hill if Cooper Kupp draws excessive double coverage.

3) The Eagle D-line will need to hold up against the run. Yes, Mike Leach’s Air Raid poses a serious running threat this year thanks to a solid stable of backs. That means EWU’s linemen won’t be able to focus solely on the pass. Eastern’s probable starters (Samson Ebukam, Matt Sommer, Andre Lino and Albert Havili) will have to yield to a smallish group of backups. Heck, even Lino weighs in at only 260, and the 305-pound Sommer could be limited by a minor knee knjury. How the D-line responds will be critical for the Eagles to stay in the game.

4) Aggression in the secondary. That means calling a few more blitzes than Eagle fans saw last year, even if Eastern gives up the big play now and then. One thing EWU can’t afford is a series of six-minute, 14-play drives – fans saw too much of that last November. Much will depend on how the corners handle man coverage.