No. 2 Eastern Washington at UC Davis Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, 6:05 p.m. Aggie Stadium (10,849) Davis, Calif. TV: None. Webcast: www.watchbigsky.com. Radio: 700-AM ESPN in Spokane. Larry Weir calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen and sideline commentary by Keith Osso who hosts the Washington Trust Bank Tailgate Show, starting 1 1/2 hours prior to kickoff. Internet Radio: www.700espn.com or www.tunein.com. Radio iPhone App: Search for “700 ESPN” and download app. An app is also available for tunein radio. 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.
There are not many places new to the Eastern Washington University football team these days.
They’ve traveled across the country to far away places in West Virginia and Texas, among others. Grand Forks, N.D. is not an easy place to reach, nor is Cedar Falls, home of Northern Iowa University.
But this Saturday the Eagles test entirely new territory and surroundings when they travel to Davis, Calif. and the 10,700-seat Aggies Stadium. There they meet UC Davis in their Big Sky Conference opener at 6:05 p.m.
Eastern leads the short all-time series between the schools 3-0 having last played in 2012 when the Eagles held on to edge the Aggies 31-28 thanks to David Gaylord’s block of a 53-yard field goal attempt on the game’s final play.
Other games between the two teams have been non-league meetings in 2005 won 24-7 by EWU and 2007 where the Eagles prevailed 41-31.
Eastern comes off a last-minute heart-stopping 52-51 win over Montana State last Saturday in Bozeman to move its non-league record to 3-1. The Eagles put their 10-game league winning streak on the line, having not lost since falling 30-27 at Southern Utah on Oct. 27, 2012. The Eagles are 20-2 in their last 22 Big Sky games dating back to a 0-2 start in 2011.
UC Davis is 1-2 following losses at Pac-12 Stanford, 45-0, a 52-17 win over Division II Fort Lewis from Colorado and a 49-21 defeat at Colorado State from the Mountain West Conference. The Aggies come off a bye week.
Even though Eastern did not play the Aggies last year, Baldwin has studied what he called “cross-over” film and running back Gabe Manzanares has gotten his attention.
“I got to see that young man run the football and he’s one of the best in the conference,” Baldwin said. “I would expect him to be one of the best again this year.” He’s a power-runner, Baldwin said of Manzanares who rushed for 1,285 yards a year ago and 10 touchdowns.
The Aggies are a grind-it-out clock management team with their key to victory being the ability to keep the Eagles’ high-powered offense on the sidelines.
On the defensive side of the ball Davis is a “Physical, well-coached football team,” Baldwin said. “We have to bring our lunch pail, there’s no question about it.”
“Up front they do a real good job defending the run,” Baldwin said. But that’s because they see that daily in practice, he added.
Like Eastern, UC Davis rotates a lot of players in and out of the game. “That speaks to their depth,” Baldwin said.
That could pose a challenge in that some players he’s watched on film don’t show up because they are No. 3 on the depth chart.
Davis finished 5-7 overall and 5-3 in Big Sky Conference play in 2013.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
Reader Comments(0)