Things to watch: Rushing attack may decide Eastern Washington’s game at Sacramento State
The Eastern Washington football team heads to Sacramento, California, this weekend seeking to turn around its fortunes against a Big Sky team it hasn’t defeated since 2017.
The Hornets came to Cheney in 2022 and beat the Eagles 52-28, which came three years after a 21-point victory over the Eagles (48-27) in 2019.
But prior to that, during a dominant decade for the Eagles program, Eastern won six straight over the Hornets.
This year’s Eagles are 0-3 in one-score games. An inability to close out those games with victories is the difference for a 1-4 team with players who still express plenty of positivity.
“Obviously, it’s tough not winning those games that are close games,” EWU redshirt junior quarterback Jared Taylor said Tuesday during media availability. “But knowing that we’re in it, (that) we’re right there with them (against Montana and) we just didn’t come out on top, that’s part of football. But knowing we’re in these games is very important to us.”
The Hornets (2-3, 0-1 Big Sky) are still ranked 18th in the FCS Stats Perform Top 25, but another loss would almost certainly drop them from the polls and would put their hopes for the postseason – something they’ve reached each of the past three years – in a dire spot.
“The more guys you have had in the program who have tasted success, I always think you lean back on that,” SSU head coach Andy Thompson said Wednesday.
“If we prepare really well, we’re giving ourselves the best opportunity (to win) on Saturday. The focus is on our preparation and always will be.”
Saturday’s game will kick off at 6 p.m. Here are three factors to watch:
1. How effectively can the Eagles run the football? The Hornets have been stalwart against the run , holding opponents to 67.8 yards per game on the ground. In a 34-16 loss to Northern Arizona two weeks ago, the Hornets allowed just 85 yards on 32 carries.
Eastern has rushed for at least 200 yards in three games this year and has been the Big Sky’s third-best rushing team on a yards-per-game basis (198.8). It has done so with contributions from running backs Tuna Altahir and Malik Dotson as well as all three quarterbacks.
In short: Eastern’s offense has been good, but its ground game in particular will be tested against the Hornets.
“The fact that they can run the ball and they have such a good weapon in the passing game with (Efton) Chism (III) … the fact they’ve run the ball with all those different schemes,” Thompson said, “… we’re going to have a heck of a test for our defense to try to slow them down.”
2. Can the Eagles contain Elijah Tau-Tolliver? On the other side, Sacramento State’s best offensive player has been junior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver, who has 491 rushing yards, another 67 receiving yards and four total touchdowns. He also accounts for 93 of the team’s 173 rushes this season, with no one else taking more than Ezra Moleni’s 21.
The Eagles have habitually made opposing running backs look good over the last two-plus seasons, but they did open the season holding Monmouth and Drake to less than 70 rushing yards each.
Eastern would prefer to make redshirt freshman quarterback Carson Conklin beat them. Conklin’s best game came in Sacramento State’s victory over Nicholls State, when he completed 22 of 32 passes for 264 yards and a couple of touchdowns. But that was the single-game peak of Conklin’s accuracy and yardage total.
3. Who wins the turnover margin? Turnovers have been almost a nonfactor for the Eagles this season. They’ve forced just two but have also committed just two (tied for the fewest in the FCS), a strangely low number for five games into the season.
The Hornets are minus-2 on the season but with a lot more on both sides of the ball, forcing 12 turnovers and giving the ball away 14 times.
Stripping the ball while wrapping up tackles was a point of emphasis for the Eagles in practice, coaches said.
Seeking their first Big Sky win, this would be a good week for that focus to pay off .