EWU notebook: Already depleted Eagles defense lose more players to injury against Portland State

An Eastern Washington team already dealing with a number of injuries sustained more of them Saturday in the Eagles’ 38-35 loss to Portland State in Cheney.

The Eagles lost a pair of defensive linemen in senior Caleb Davis and sophomore Soli Paleso’o to injuries and also played without two safeties in senior Anthany Smith and redshirt freshman Kentrell Williams Jr.

The loss of the two interior linemen left them thin at the position, and for most of the second half junior Joshua Jerome and sophomore Jacob Newsom – a Colville High School graduate – held down both positions when the Eagles normally rotate four or more players.

At the same time, it was during the second half that the Eagles (2-6, 1-4 Big Sky) played much better on defense, allowing 194 yards on 33 plays after giving up 434 yards on 48 plays in the first half.

“It sucks when we have key guys out, and it’s hard to come back, but we had young guys step up,” senior linebacker Jaren Banks said. “I thought our young defensive linemen really came in and helped give us a little surge in the second half.”

Newsom had four tackles, a season best and one off his career-best total.

In the secondary, senior Keshaun King and junior Ely Doyle played almost the entire game, though they were spelled by redshirt freshman Armani Orange, who didn’t have a tackle but rotated in with both King (10 tackles) and Doyle (nine). Williams had played a more significant role the past two weeks, recording 11 total tackles and making an interception.

On offense, senior lineman Wyatt Musser left the game in the second half and did so with a considerable limp. He was using crutches after the game. Musser has played in 52 games in his career with the Eagles.

Sophomore receiver Jakobie James, who has the fourth-most catches (18) on the team this year, left the game late in the first half and didn’t return in the second. He was replaced by junior Anthony Stell Jr., who was targeted six times and caught two passes for 21 yards.

QB Chachere produces in victory

PSU sophomore quarterback Dante Chachere made an immediate impact, rushing for a 51-yard touchdown on the Vikings’ opening drive.

He finished with a season-high 141 rushing yards (with two scores) and also completed 17 of 22 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. It was his second-best completion percentage (77.3) of the season.

Chachere, like the rest of PSU’s offense, was particularly effective in the first half, when the Vikings (3-5, 2-3) averaged 9 yards per play.

“We were getting bled 20(-yard line) to 20 on defense,” EWU coach Aaron Best said. “It didn’t matter what they ran, it seemed like it was 12 to 14 yards a pop.”

Chachere became the fifth quarterback to run for at least 80 yards against the Eagles this year, joining Tennessee State’s Draylen Ellis (82), Montana State’s Sean Chambers (160), Sacramento State’s Asher O’Hara (94) and Cal Poly’s Kahliq Paulette (122).

Another bad beginning

Eastern’s poor start against Portland State was the latest of many this season.

It marked the second straight home game in which the Eagles have fallen behind 21-0 (Sacramento State two weeks ago), and for the sixth time the Eagles trailed after the first quarter. They have also trailed at halftime in six of their eight games.

But against the Vikings the Eagles scored 28 second-half points, more than they had in any previous game, and their three points allowed after halftime were also a season low.

“We’re never out of a game because we can throw the ball,” Best said. “… If there was a game out of the eight we’ve played that was so drastically different in halves, it was this one, undoubtedly.”