People tend to forget that the FCS also has their own Top 25 ranking. This week the number 4 ranked Eastern Washington Eagles host the Big Sky rival Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in a battle of supreme offenses and stellar quarterbacks. If the Jacks can give the Eagles their first loss of the season visiting Cheney, Washington it would certainly be a building block for the final stretch of games for this NAU squad.
Journey To The Inferno
The only time that Eastern Washington lost in conference was against the Lumberjacks at Flagstaff. This time the home team is looking for some sweet revenge as they continue their journey towards an unbeaten season. The Eagles are a dominant team in the Big Sky and are looking for their fourth straight conference championship and the fifth in the decade. The dominance in the Big Sky started for the Eagles with coach Beau Baldwin and it continues to this day with a strong start to a year that many wondered where they would be at after the departure of former FCS MVP Vernon Adams to Oregon. Instead the team has continued to control the table with Jordan West at quarterback and the NAU football team is going to have a tough time going into the red grass of Roos Field and come away victorious as the Eagles have only lost at home five times in the last five years, three of those losses only coming in the FCS Semifinal Playoff games. That red grass and the home crowd may provide at least a five point cushion for the Eagles and will force the Jacks to play from behind mentally early on.
QB And WR Tandems On Display
Case Cookus against Jordan West would not be a preseason match up to watch if you asked Big Sky reporters before this season started. However West ranks first in the conference in passing average per game while Cookus ranks a strong third. Cookus is first in pass efficiency with West taking in second. These two are in battle for the right to be named the best quarterback in the Big Sky while their favorite targets are also in a similar battle to see who can claim the title of best wide receiver in the conference. Cooper Kupp and Emmanuel Butler are in a similar individual battle over who can dominate their respective positions. Kupp leads the conference in receptions with 91, while Butler comes in at fifth with 43 thus far. The two have double digit touchdowns as well, with Kupp collecting 17 passes in the endzone and Butler bringing in 13. This could be a battle of the tandems instead of just a single position. Once could argue neither Kupp or West would be in their position without the other and the same could go for Cookus and Butler. Whoever pads their numbers and pulls away in the conversation for the classes of the Big Sky may end up also taking home the win in this one.
Running In The Red
The red turf in Washington is pretty to watch, but it has also been pretty for running games this year. The Eagles have had a tremendously difficult time stopping the run of their opponents as they rank 12th in the conference in run defense. This could pay off tremendously for the Lumberjacks as they and their 6th ranked rushing attack could make themselves a nice game plan around the work of Casey Jahn and the other backfield members. Last season Jahn was only able to collect 76 rushing yards on the ground against the Eagles but this year he has found a considerably better groove with his offensive line than in years past as the former Arizona high school superstar is becoming perhaps one of the better FCS all around backs that the league has in the talent pool. With all the attention on the passing game as well it should allow Jahn and his line to get an early jump on the defensive linemen of Eastern Washington and push them away at the point of impact. If Jahn is able to pull together even a 100 yard game, it should be enough to put the Eagles on their heels and end yet another Big Sky win streak for Beau Baldwin’s team.
The game kicks off in Cheney, Washington this November the 7th at 4:05 PM.