Eagles tame Lions, 40-29

CHENEY - Conventional wisdom suggested that in order to earn its first win of the season the Eastern Washington football team needed to start fast.

The Eagles did exactly the opposite, struggling with scoring in the first half, but finishing with a flurry to rally past 19th-ranked Southeast Louisiana 40-29 at sunny and warm Roos Field, Sept. 16.

Eastern (1-2) scored twice in the final 1 minute, 34 seconds to erase a 29-26 Lions (0-3) lead with a Tuna Altahir 1-yard touchdown followed by Marlon Jones Jr. and a pick-six 34-yard touchdown eight seconds later after the ensuing kickoff.

"Defense played outstanding," said head coach Aaron Best. "Outside of a few explosive plays, I don't know that we were caught out of position very much. We made the biggest plays at the end when we needed to."

The teams traded scores to open the second half with McKee's 39-yard field goal increasing the Eagles lead to 20-14 at the 6:17 mark of the third. Bauer Sharp had the second of his two TD's with 5 seconds to go in the third for a 21-20 SLU lead.

Justice Jackson capped a 10-play, 85-yard drive with his 7-yard run with 11:22 remaining in the game for a 26-21 Eastern lead before the see-saw swung the visitors way and they grabbed a 29-26 lead on a Jacob Logan score when just 5:39 remained.

That's when sophomore quarterback Kekoa Visperas authored an eventual game winning drive for which the Eagles have become famous over the years - just not lately.

Among the key plays, Visperas found Efton Chism, III on a third-and-six situation at the SLU 20 that went for 19 yards to the one. Altahir finished it on the next play. McKee's point-after gave Eastern a 29-26 lead.

On the first play after the kickoff Lions QB Zachary Clement sought to float the ball to his intended receiver. But Jones grabbed the ball and ran untouched for the insurance points, hist first career collegiate score.

Visperas finished 33-for-47 with 349 yards, two TDs and one interception, adding 19 net yards rushing. Jackson led Eagle running backs with 92 yards on 12 attempts, while Altahir added 41 yards on 14 carries. Chism led receivers with 103 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions, tying a career-high in catches.

Transfer linebackers Ben Allen and Adam Cohen led the defense with eight tackles apiece. Safety Kentrell Williams had seven solo tackles. Eastern sacked the quarterback twice with Jaren Banks credited for 1.5 of those.

The Eagles also ended the first half with points. Soren McKee's 26-yard field goal at the 2:03 mark of the second quarter and Nolan Ulm's 5-yard TD pass from Visperas with 13 seconds remaining put the Eagles into the lead 17-14 at the break.

Eastern's last win over a ranked FCS opponent came in 2021 when they knocked off No. 6 UC Davis, 38-20 on the road. The Eagles will return to that stadium next week to face the Aggies - ranked 16th in the Week 3 polls - with kickoff at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23.

Eastern have never lost to Davis.