Grip on Sports: A couple of key football games and another basketball contest fill up our Saturday

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The nice part about Saturdays this time of year is there is always something going on. Even with our local Pac-12 school taking a well-earned football weekend off, others step up to fill in the gap. Read on.

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• Both of the area’s other four-year colleges face must-win football games today. At home.

Eastern hosts winless Portland State in some sort of rivalry game – that should end next year when Idaho returns to the Big Sky – needing a win to ensure a chance (and just a chance) to be in the FCS playoffs.

Idaho, in its final FBS season, must win its last three games to ensure bowl eligibility. The three-game stretch run begins today against 1-9 Coastal Carolina and it will begin with Mason Petrino, the coach’s son and backup quarterback, at the controls.

Both schools should be considered favorites today. But both may be longshots to appear in the postseason.

Even if Eastern wins and finishes 7-4, its postseason fate rests in the hands of a committee, which will be weighing EWU’s resume against other 9-2, 8-3 and 7-4 at-large candidates. And who can predict which way a committee will go?

Idaho, on the other hand, just has to keep winning. And then hopes there are enough bowl spots left unfilled by other conferences that something opens up. Still, the first part of that equation isn’t easy. The Vandals final two games are on the road at New Mexico State and Georgia State. Neither will be easy but Georgia State, winners of three consecutive games, should be the toughest one.

• Gonzaga’s homestand to begin the season concludes tonight, with the Zags hosting Utah State and its bomb-away-from-the-outside attack.

The Aggies love to shoot 3-pointers, which give them a chance – if they fall. If they miss, expect GU to clear the boards and get out on the break. Gonzaga’s size advantage – Utah State’s tallest starter is 6-foot-8 – should translate into a large rebound advantage. And that can translate into a lot of positives for the Bulldogs.

But the 3-point shot is the great equalizer. The Aggies fired off 35 of them in a recent rout of Mississippi Valley State, so they aren’t shy about pulling the trigger.

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WSU: A week’s rest always is a good thing, especially on the heels of 11 weeks of football games. But it doesn’t always ensure success. At least it hasn’t for Mike Leach’s Washington State teams. The Cougars are 4-12 in games under Leach in which they have had more than a week to prepare. Theo Lawson has that nugget in this story. … The women’s soccer team won its second consecutive NCAA match, this one in penalty kicks, and moved into the Sweet Sixteen. … Theo held a live chat yesterday and has the transcript.

Elsewhere in Pac-12, Washington needs a win today against visiting Utah to keep its slim North title hopes alive. The Utes need a win to earn a bowl berth. … Even with a UW win, if Stanford pulls out a victory in the Big Game, the Huskies can’t win the North’s berth in the conference title game. UW fans will be rooting for California today. … The battle for Los Angeles features a UCLA team probably playing for its coach’s job against a USC team that has already clinched a spot in the Pac-12 title game. … In Oregon, both the Ducks and Oregon State are at home, hosting Arizona State and Arizona, respectively. Of those schools, only OSU isn’t looking toward a bowl, though Arizona State and Oregon each need another win. … Every Pac-12 basketball team in action last night won, except for Washington. Yep, UCLA, Stanford, Colorado, Oregon and Arizona State all picked up victories.

Gonzaga: Before we get to tonight’s game, we are going to step into the Wayback Machine with John Blanchette and remember John Stockton’s Gonzaga career. He’s about to be inducted in the College Basketball Hall of Fame. … Jim Meehan may never earn that honor but he does have an advance of tonight’s game as well as a quick look at the Aggies’ best player. … The women play at Montana tonight in sort of a homecoming for former Montana high school star Jill Barta.

EWU: Not only is today a must-win game for the Eagles, it is also Senior Day. Jim Allen previews the game and reviews the seniors’ careers. … The basketball team’s road trip continued last night with a loss at UNLV. … Around the Big Sky, the conference title is on the line in Cedar City, where Southern Utah will try to win its second championship in three years against Northern Arizona. … Weber State also wants a piece of the conference’s top spot. … Northern Colorado and Cal Poly have suffered through disappointing seasons. … It’s a weekend of rivalry games, from UC Davis facing Sacramento State to the most hated of them all, Montana at Montana State. … On the basketball court, Northern Colorado picked up a win at Pepperdine.

Idaho: Peter Harriman has a preview of the Vandals’ crucial game with Coastal Carolina. … The volleyball team fell in the Big Sky semifinals.

Chiefs: Spokane returned to the Arena for its first home game with Kailer Yamamoto back from Edmonton. But the offensive attack wasn’t around and the Chiefs fell 1-0 to Victoria. Kevin Dudley has the game story and Colin Mulvany adds a photo report.

Preps: During playoff time, there are always crucial contests on Friday night. And Saturday. Coeur d’Alene came up short in its attempt at another Idaho 5A football title, losing to Highland 14-8. … We also can pass along a football roundup and a soccer roundup from Washington action.

Seahawks: It’s not funny at all, but the top storyline this week is how much the Seattle defense has been decimated by injuries, especially in the secondary. And that happens on a week Atlanta, with former UW coach Steve Sarkisian at the controls of its offense, comes back to town. … That’s not the only homecoming. … Richard Sherman was at practice yesterday and he brought an interesting ride. … Russell Wilson didn’t eat all that well this week. … Sheldon Richardson wasn’t happy with a fine.

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• Come back later this evening and you can read my TV Take from the Gonzaga game. It will be from the point of view most of you have when the Bulldogs play: the couch. We will also be back here tomorrow morning with our usual column, sans WSU football of course. Until then …