Defense carries the day for Eagles

Defense set the tone early in last Saturday's Football Championship Subdivision Playoff game between No. 5-ranked Eastern Washington and No. 12 University of Montana.

And in the end it was defense that fully sealed the Eagles' 37-20 win over the Grizzlies at chilly, and sometimes rainy, Roos Field before a crowd of 7,919.

Eastern, 11-2, moves on to the FCS quarterfinals versus Illinois State (11-1) this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Roos. The Eagles defeated the Redbirds 51-35 in Cheney in 2012, also in the quarterfinals.

Montana saw a three-game winning streak, their season, and the career of head coach Mick Delaney come to an end and finishes 9-5.

The Eagles' swarming defense held the Grizzlies to a minus 3 yards on their opening possession.

And then, with 1 minute, 57 seconds to play, trailing 30-20 and with a glimmer of hope following Jeremiah Kose's end zone interception, it took just one play from the Eagles' Todd Raynes to snuff that flicker with his 40-yard touchdown return.

"The turnovers were huge," EWU head coach Beau Baldwin said.

With Johnson flushed out of the pocket and desperately searching for a receiver, Raynes reached across his body to intercept the pass at the Montana 40, reverse field and angle towards the end zone to make it a three-score game.

The pick was Raynes' second of the game, his first coming on Montana's first possession of the second half, but did not lead to points.

Of course in between, there was more big special teams play, and the usual production of the high-powered Eastern offense, albeit held to a season low of 394 total yards.

After being held to negative yardage on their first possession, Montana didn't fare much better on its second series with a holding call putting them in a hole and forcing a punt from the Grizzlies' 23.

Montana sealed the edges to protect punter Chris Lider but that left Eastern linebacker Ronnie Hamlin uncovered up the middle. He was able to get a hand on the ball and it caromed towards the goal line where Lider fell on it at the 3-yard line.

"Young guys are stepping up and making big plays," Hamlin, who led the Eagles with nine tackles said. "Our defense has come together." The Eagles ultimately won the turnover battle 3-1.

Two plays later Eagles' quarterback Vernon Adams found Terry Jackson II for a 2-yard scoring pass. Following a Tyler McNanny extra-point, Eastern led 7-0 with 6:53 remaining in the first quarter.

Montana went on a drive that ate the remaining time in the quarter, reaching the Eastern 11 but settled for a 28-yard Daniel Sullivan field goal. Twice the Grizzlies had red-zone possessions turned into field goals.

Neither offense crossed midfield in the early going of the second quarter. Adams was sacked three times, twice in one series.

But with 3:44 to play in the half the Eagles started on a crucial 15-play, 81-yard drive, capped by Adams' 3-yard dive for a score with nine seconds remaining. The point-after failed, but the Eagles led 13-3 and got the ball to start the third quarter.

"We did a better job taking the easy ones quicker and not being greedy," Adams said.

Adams capped a 9-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half with a 23-yard touchdown to Cory Mitchell for a 20-3 lead. Adams completed 24 of 35 passes for 182 yards, two touchdowns, just the third Eastern player to surpass 10,000 yards, now with 10,013.

Cooper Kupp led the Eagles with 12 catches, 86 yards, but no touchdowns.

Raynes' first interception ended Montana's ensuing drive but the Grizzlies marched 82 yards in just four plays, the final 38 a Jordan Canada run that cut it to a 20-10 contest with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

While some uncertainty might have descended on the crowd for fear of a successful Montana comeback derailing the Eagles' postseason, Quincy Forte and Adams eased that. A

10-play, 75-yard drive, the final 27 from Forte, gave Eastern a 27-10 lead with 1:52 remaining in the third.

Forte finished with 128 yards and as a team the Eagles outgained Montana 212-124 on the ground.

Montana again made it a two-score game at 27-13, but only salvaged a field goal after being stopped at the EWU 10.

After Eastern's next drive stalled near midfield Montana got the ball back following a monster 49-yard Jake Miller punt that pinned the Grizzlies on their own 3.

Two plays later Travon Van coughed up the ball - accidently he said - thinking he was down. He dropped the ball after landing on top of a laver of players, but never touched the turf to be ruled down. EWU's Matthew Sommer scooped up the ball.

The Eagles got the ball on the Grizzlies' 9, settling for a 23-yard McNanny field goal and a 30-13 lead. Montana cut it to 30-20 with 6:29 to play on a 30-yard Johnson to Van touchdown.

Eastern took over at their own 25 and fashioned a10-play, 62-yard drive that chewed 4:32 off the clock and finished with the Kose interception.

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