Oct. 16—For Messiah Washington, finally getting a victory last week released some pressure for the Eastern Washington defense.
"We were tired of losing," the EWU sophomore cornerback said, "tired of giving up a lot of points on defense."
Eastern's defense allowed a season-low 22 points to the Northern Colorado Bears last week as the Eagles won their second game of the season and first in Big Sky Conference play.
At 4 p.m. Saturday, the Eagles (2-5, 1-3 Big Sky) will play at home again, this time against the fifth-ranked Montana State Bobcats (5-1, 2-1).
EWU head coach Aaron Best pointed out on Tuesday that what either of these teams did the first half of the season doesn't bear all that much on what happens at Roos Field this weekend.
"You can't really bottle up momentum or bottle up wins from teams before," Best said. "It's (about) the next 60 minutes. It really is."
As Eastern tries to earn a second consecutive victory and its first over Montana State since 2018, these three factors may prove key:
1. Eastern's ability to slow Montana State's ground game: Explosive plays have hurt the Eagles this season, and one remedy for that this week, Best said, is to slow down the Bobcats' rushing game.
No Big Sky team has given up more yards per rush this season than the Eagles have (6.1), and no Big Sky team has given up fewer yards per rush than the Bobcats (3.7).
"They are going to continue to run the ball until you take it away, and then they are going to run some more," Best said. "And to me, taking it away is 2- or 3-yard gains. They have a myriad of ways to do it, and they're not going to get away from it. They know who they are."
The Bobcats have averaged 5.3 yards per carry this season, fifth-best in the Big Sky. But their commitment to the run has led to the league's third-most effective rushing game by yardage (188.7 per game).
That has also led to some big plays in the passing game, Best said, as defenses stack the box and become vulnerable to deep throws.
"We've been attacked this year by a lot of explosive plays," Best said. "So if we can minimize, not eliminate, those, especially against a team that expects those out of the run game, then we can find our footing and dig our heels in and play a little football."
2. Montana State's ability to slow Eastern Washington's passing game: Montana State head coach Brent Vigen was complimentary of EWU quarterback Nate Bell, whose completion percentage is up to 64% this season; in 2025, that number was 54%.
"I think back to the timing last year. It was Game 5," Vigen said of Eastern's 57-3 loss to Montana State in Bozeman last year. "Whether (Bell) even saw himself (then) as a quarterback, I don't know. He was doing a lot for them. But he was still rotating (at quarterback) at times.
"So at whatever point they clearly gave him the keys, and in giving him the keys, I think it gave him the ability to go out there and play more freely than he ever did last year. He's a pretty complete guy right now, and that's far different than the way it appeared last year."
Even playing four games without Caden Dowler, the reigning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, the Bobcats still rank third in the Big Sky in passing yards allowed (218.0 per game). The fifth-year safety is expected to return from injury this week.
Bell will almost certainly throw the ball plenty: He leads the Big Sky in completions (174) and attempts (272).
3. Both teams' soundness on special teams: After Cal Poly blocked or disrupted three of Eastern's kicks in a 31-27 victory over the Eagles two weeks ago, special teams went much better for the Eagles against the Bears. Redshirt senior Soren McKee made a fourth-quarter field goal and all four of his extra points.
Bobcats kicker Myles Sansted, a preseason all-conference selection over McKee, has made 7 of 9 field-goal attempts this season, almost as effective as McKee (11 of 13).
In the punting game, EWU sophomore Luke Faccone lacks the average distance (40.8 yards per punt) that MSU sophomore Colby Frojker has (44.0). But on Faccone's 30 punts, opponents have advanced just 20 yards, second-fewest in the league. That's slightly better on average than the 52 yards that opponents have gained on Frojker's 16 punts.
Regardless, a big return would be a surprise — and likely a difference maker — on Saturday.