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By PAUL DELANEY
Staff Reporter 

Adams ought to be a different player in Bozeman

 

Last updated 9/18/2014 at 4:52pm



Eastern Washington head football coach Beau Baldwin told the radio audience during the past Monday’s coach’s show “There will be some things that will be different,” as his No. 2-ranked Eagles travel to Bozeman to meet No. 14 Montana State, Saturday for a 12:10 p.m. kickoff.

While Baldwin was likely referring to any number of new looks and schemes he might throw at the Bobcats, one thing he might have been alluding to was the admitted poor play his young quarterback, Vernon Adams, exhibited in his last — and first — visit to Bobcat Stadium.

In that Oct. 13, 2012 game, won by the Eagles 27-24, EWU rallied from a 10-0 deficit against then No. 2 Montana State — but not with much help from the offense.

“It’s one of my favorite games coming out of; we won in a different fashion,” Baldwin said. “We did it against a very good team, in their place.”

Special teams sparked the win in 2012 with Evan Day scoring with 12 minutes, 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter on a blocked punt by Dylan Zylstra that was recovered by Day. That gave the Eagles their first lead.

Moments later at the 11:15 mark, Eastern’s Jordan Tonani picked off a DeNarius McGhee pass and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown that upped the lead to 27-17 and the Eagles held on from there.

“He’ll (Adams) be the first one to say it was not one of his best (games), is a nice way to put it. It was his worst, it truly was and he’ll be the first one to admit it,” Baldwin said.

Adams finished the game going 12 for 29 for 145 yards, a pair of interceptions and a 33-yard touchdown to Quincy Forte.

“He doesn’t forget that, but in a good way,” Baldwin said. “You want a little bit of that (to) hang on, that chip (on your shoulder), go into that place and compete.”

A year and a few weeks later, Adams lit up the Bobcats in a game where the Eagles clinched their second straight Big Sky regular season title in a 54-29 win at Roos Field. The then-sophomore missed on just two passes going 16 of 18 for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

Games like this “Come down to a play here or there,” Baldwin said.

MSU is 2-1, has won their last two games, beating Division II Black Hills State 57-10 and Southland Conference’s Central Arkansas 43-33 at home. They lost to FBS, Arkansas State of the Sun Belt Conference, 37-10.

Bobcats’ quarterback Dakota Prukop ran for two scores and threw for another versus Central Arkansas and will be of special concern for the Eagles, Baldwin said.

Saturday’s game will be televised live on ROOT Sports.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.

 

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