The last time the Eastern Washington Eagles took the long journey to Cedar City, Utah was October 2012 and they sat atop the Football Championship Subdivision polls.
Eastern emerged on the short end of s 30-27 score after a field goal in the final minute of play was the difference. A handful of missed opportunities where what seemed like sure touchdown catches fell from the fingers of some of the Eagles’ best receivers also were factors.
This rematch at Eccles Coliseum, which has as its backdrop the picturesque mountains of the Southeast Utah high desert, will feature the No. 2 ranked Eagles with their 2-0 Big Sky Conference record (5-1 overall) versus the struggling Thunderbirds (1-1, 1-5).
The Eagles put their 12-game league winning streak on the line this week, having not lost a Big Sky contest since that last trip to SUU.
EWU head coach Beau Baldwin approaches the SUU game as he does all conference encounters — cautiously.
“They are tough, period,” Baldwin said of the Ed Lamb-coached T-Birds who advanced to last year’s NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, but lost 51-20 at Sam Houston State in the opening round, finishing 8-5.
Eastern will try to keep that streak alive with backup quarterback Jordan West who takes over the reigns from Vernon Adams, now sidelined for 3-6 weeks with broken bones in his foot.
The sophomore West from Maple Valley, Wash. and Liberty High School redshirted in 2012, did not see action in 2013 and has completed 7-of-11 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in spot duty in three games thus far in 2014.
So far in 2014, Southern Utah lost to Football Bowl Subdivision teams, Nevada 28-19 and Fresno State 56-16. They also lost to the No. 3-ranked FSC team, Southeastern Louisiana 41-14 and No. 11 South Dakota State 26-6 in their other non-league games. The Thunderbirds beat in-state rival Weber State 31-28 but lost to Cal Poly 42-39 last week.
Baldwin said Southern Utah is “Shifting gears and spreading the field,” and the stats bear that out with the T-Birds at a 2-1 ratio of passing yardage (1,515) to rushing (741). Junior Ammon Olsen has gone 78 of 136 passing with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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