No. 4 Eastern Washington University versus No. 5 Illinois State University Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, 1:05 p.m.Roos Field (8,000) TV/Webcast: Televised live by ESPN3. Radio: 700-AM ESPN in Spokane. Larry Weir calls the play-by-play, with analysis by Paul Sorensen and sideline commentary by Keith Osso who will also serve as host of the Washington Trust Bank Tailgate Show, starting 1 1/2 hours prior to kickoff. Internet Radio: www.700espn.com or www.tunein.com. Watch Parties: Consult EWU social media outlets for details the Friday before games. Those who may carry EWU games include Eagles Pub in Cheney, “Epic” at Northern Quest Casino and Resort in Airway Heights and the Swinging Doors in North Spokane.
If the Illinois State Redbirds from Normal sound vaguely familiar they should.
ISU made the trek to Cheney Dec. 8, 2012 where they absorbed a 51-35 loss to the Eagles in another quarterfinal Football Championship Subdivision playoff game.
Fifth-seeded ISU brings an 11-1 record into Saturday’s 1 p.m. kickoff at Roos Field to meet the No. 4 seed, Eastern, 11-2 following a 37-20 second round playoff win last Saturday in Cheney. Illinois State was a 41-21 winner in the second round over Northern Iowa, the team that defeated them earlier in the season in a Missouri Valley Conferences league encounter.
Despite sharing the league title with three-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State, the Bison were one of two teams ISU did not play this season in the 10-team league.
“Just watching video last week of both Illinois State and Northern Iowa, we knew we were going to be playing a very good team if we could beat Montana,” Eastern Washington head coach Beau Baldwin said.
ISU has some impressive weapons, Baldwin said at Monday’s EWU Coaches Show.
Marshaun Coprich has rushed for at least 100 yards in 12-straight games with a school-record 1,743 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on the season. He was the Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Indiana transfer quarterback Tre Roberson was the league’s Newcomer of the Year. He passed for 382 yards and four touchdowns in the playoff win over UNI.
“The quarterback’s athletic and the running back is a workhorse,” Baldwin said. “They have enough playmakers they can get the ball to on the perimeter.”
Stats tell Baldwin ISU runs twice as much as they pass.
“They have an incredibly big offensive line,” Baldwin said. “They are not just big players, they are big players that can play.”
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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