EWU-NDSU Play in 50th Game on the Red Turf

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1 EAGLE FOOTBALL Monday, Sep. 4, 2017 Contact: Dave Cook ( , cell, Internet: or @CoachBestEWU, #GoEags Facebook: EWU Football, EWU Athletics Instagram: ewuathletics EWU-NDSU Play in 50th Game on the Red Turf Bison & Eagles expected to wage another epic battle between top 10 teams at sold-out Roos Field in the Big Sky/Missouri Valley Challenge Series It s already been said and proven -- in the Eastern Washington University football program that iron sharpens iron. In a repeat match-up between top 10 ranked teams, the No. 7/6 Eagles open their 2017 home schedule at sold-out Roos Field this Saturday (Sept. 9) when No. 2 North Dakota State visits in the opening weekend of the Big Sky Conference/Missouri Valley Football Conference Challenge Series. In what will be the 50th game on the famed red turf of Roos Field, kickoff is 1:05 p.m. in a game televised live by SWX in the Eastern Washington region, NBC North Dakota and via ESPN3. Fans can also listen to the game on the Eagle radio network (including 700-AM ESPN), via the web at tunein.com and via mobile phone app, with pre-game coverage starting one hour prior to kickoff. This week s showdown with the five-time NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Champions is the second game of a home-and-home series against the Bison. Eastern, which won the national title in 2010 prior to NDSU s incredible run of five-straight, lost in overtime on Sept. 10, 2016, in Fargo. Eastern knocked off NDSU in overtime in the only previous meeting with the Bison on Dec. 11, 2010, in the FCS Playoffs in Cheney. Both teams advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs last season, but losses enabled current No. 1 ranked James Madison to become the first team other than EWU or NDSU to win the national title since They have a very highly intelligent offense and defense, and their special teams are a well-coached outfit, said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. They do everything really, really, really well. And that s even mentioning how physical they are. But our goal is to be the most physical team between the tackles on defense, and 2017 Eagle Football #7/6 Ranked Eastern Washington Univ. Eagles versus #2/#2 North Dakota State University Bison Saturday, September 9 1:05 p.m. Pacific Roos Field (8,600) Cheney, Wash. EWU Coach: Aaron Best (Eastern Washington 01) School Record: 0-1/0-0 Big Sky Conference (First Season) Career Record: 0-1 (First Season) 2017: 0-1/0-0 Big Sky Conference 2016: 12-2/8-0 Big Sky Co-Champions with North Dakota Last Game: Texas Tech 56, #5/4 EWU 10 (Sept. 2 in Lubbock, Texas) TV: SWX in Eastern Washington area & NBC North Dakota Webcast: ESPN3 Radio: 700-AM ESPN and FM in the Spokane/Cheney area, as well as KTEL 1490-AM & 99.7-FM in Walla Walla. Larry Weir returns for his 27th season calling the play-by-play, with analysis handled by Paul Sorensen. Broadcasts begin one hour prior to kickoff and include an expanded post-game show. Internet Radio: (search for Eastern Washington University). Radio Mobile Phone App: Available via tunein radio. Live Stats: Weekly Coaches Show: Starting Sept. 4, Mondays at 6 p.m. at the Impulse Club at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, with video highlights and commentary by head coach Aaron Best at 5:30 p.m. listen via 700-AM ESPN & FM. Watch Parties: Consult EWU social media outlets for details the Friday before games. Those who may carry EWU games include Epic at Northern Quest Casino and Resort in Airway Heights, Borracho in downtown Spokane and the Swinging Doors in Spokane. NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV. BISON Coach: Chris Klieman (UNI 90) School/Career Rec.: 40-5 (3 Seasons)/43-12 (4) 2016: 12-2/7-1 Missouri Valley (t-1st) SID: Ryan Perreault ( / / ryan.perreault@ndsu.edu) Website: Schedule (1-0 Overall) Sept. 2 Mississippi Valley State W, 72-7 Sept. 9 at Eastern Washington Sept. 23 Robert Morris Sept. 30 Missouri State Oct. 7 at Indiana State Oct. 14 at Youngstown State Oct. 21 Western Illinois Oct. 28 Northern Iowa Nov. 4 at South Dakota State Nov. 11 South Dakota All-Time Scores Tied 1-1 Year Res. Score Loc L (ot) A #2010 W (ot) H H-Home; A-Away; S-Spokane; N-Neutral; #FCS Playoffs.

2 to sustain drives with points at the end on offense. It s a tall task, but our team is up for that challenge. While NDSU opened its season with 72-7 home romp past Mississippi Valley State, Eastern lost against Texas Tech of the Big 12 Conference on Sept. 2 to mark the head coaching debut of Best. The Bison outgained MVSU in total offense, including a massive 498 to minus-31 advantage in rushing and in passing. Meanwhile, Eastern faced the top offense in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and were out-gained in total offense and through the air. This week s meeting with NDSU is a night-and-day type of situation for Eastern s defense. That s going to be one of the bigger challenges for our defense, said Best of the contrast in styles. We re not going to play this week against many four-receiver sets and on-the-edge rushes, passes and screens. It s probably not an 180-degree turn in what we faced last week, but pretty darn close. Dropping just two spots in both polls, Eastern is ranked seventh in this week s STATS FCS Top-25 rankings and is rated sixth by the coaches. North Dakota State is No. 2 in both polls, behind defending FCS champion James Madison. Eastern has now been ranked by STATS in 72 of its last 73 polls, including a current streak of 15-straight weeks in the top 10. The only schools with longer streaks are NDSU, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State. The Eagles entered the season ranked fifth in EWU Football - Page 2 the preseason STATS NCAA Football Championship preseason top 25 rankings, and were one notch higher in the poll of coaches. EWU s finished 12-2 and a perfect 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference a year ago and ended the year ranked fourth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Eastern advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons, and 12th playoff berth overall. Eastern was 6-2 versus ranked teams last year, and was No. 8 when it fell to top-ranked NDSU. EWU is all-time versus top 10 teams and 8-33 versus teams in the top 5, but are 8-6 and 3-5, respectively, since Overall, EWU is since 2010 versus ranked teams, and all-time. The Eagles are well-stocked with experience on the field. Eastern returns 51 letterwinners, including 25 on defense, 22 on offense and four on special teams. Six starters return on offense and six on defense. EWU-NDSU Game Notes Big Sky & Missouri Valley Begin Challenge Series In an effort to publicize current matchups and promote future nonconference scheduling between two of the premier FCS conferences, the Mis souri Valley Football Conference and the Big Sky Conference have announced a Challenge Series between the two leagues. The eight-game series will begin Sept. 9 and conclude Oct Big Sky Conference Standings Big Sky Conference All Games Team W L PCT PF PA W L PCT PF PA Weber State Montana Northern Colorado Idaho State Eastern Washington Northern Arizona Southern Utah UC Davis North Dakota Sacramento State Montana State Portland State Cal Poly THIS WEEK IN THE BIG SKY (Times Pacific) Thursday, Sept. 7: Idaho State at Utah State, 5:05 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9: North Dakota State at Eastern Washington, 1:05 p.m.; Weber State at Cal, 2:05 p.m.; Missouri State at North Dakota, 2:05 p.m.; Cal Poly at Northern Iowa, 2:05 p.m.; Western Illinois at Northern Arizona, 4 p.m.; Montana at Washington, 5:05 p.m.; Southern Utah at Stephen F. Austin, 4:05 p.m.; Northern Colorado at Florida, 4:35 p.m.; South Dakota State at Montana State, 5:05 p.m.; San Diego at UC Davis, 6:05 p.m.; Incarnate Word at Sacramento State, 6:05 p.m. Location/Founded: Cheney, Wash./1882 Enrollment: 12,279 (fall 16) Switchboard: President: Dr. Mary Cullinan Nickname/Colors: Eagles/Red and White Affiliation: NCAA Championship Subdivision (FCS) Conference: Big Sky Conference Stadium: Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) Capacity/Surface: 8,600/Sprinturf Ath. Phone: / Athletic Director: Bill Chaves Senior Woman Administrator: Pamela Parks Faculty Representative: Laurie Morley Head Athletic Trainer: Brian Norton Facilities Manager: Kerry Pease Equipment Manager: TBA/Spenser Ybarra Marketing/Promotions: Kyle Hoob Business Oper.: Chad Karthauser (Assoc. AD) Ticket Manager: Ashley Finn Tickets Website: Ticket Office: Head Football Coach: Aaron Best Alma Mater: Eastern Washington 01 Record at Eastern (entering 2017): First Season Career Record (entering 2017): First Season Big Sky Record (entering 2017): First Season Best Time to Contact: Weekday Mornings At This Number: EWU Record: 12-2 Big Sky Record: 8-0 (co-champions) Big Sky Titles: 9 ( ) FCS Playoff Appearances: 12 ( ) FCS Record & Championships: National Champions All-Time Homecoming Record: All-Big Sky Conf. Performers Returning: 7 Letter Winners Returning: 51 (22 offense/25 defense/4 specialists) Letter Winners Lost: 19 (10 offense/9 defense/0 specialists) Starters Returning: 12 (6 offense/6 defense, plus 2 kickers, 1 punter, 1 snapper) Starters Lost: 10 (5 offense/5 defense) Offensive Formation: Multiple Defensive Formation: Sports Information Director: Dave Cook SID dcook@ewu.edu SID Work Phone/Fax: / SID Cell: Roos Field Phone: Website: @ CoachBestEWU Facebook: EWU Athletics, EWU Football For More Information on Eastern Washington University Football... EWU Football - Page 2

3 The Big Sky and Missouri Valley Football Conferences have a great history of football suc cess, says Andrea Williams, Commissioner of the Big Sky Conference. It was important to both leagues to highlight and promote the outstanding achievements of our players, coaches and programs. This year will be no different, with top teams in the country meet ing in great non-conference matchups. The history of games between these two great FCS conferences is long and strong and it s wonderful to give these games even more significance with this Big Sky/MVFC Chal lenge Series, notes Patty Viverito, Commissioner of the MVFC. Inter-conference FCS match-ups featuring nationally-ranked teams make the football season more interesting and meaningful for teams and fans alike. Over the past four seasons, institutions in the two conferences have played one another 35 times. The MVFC has the advantage in that span, although the Big Sky and MVFC split last year s eight meetings, 4-4. This year, institutions in the two leagues will play one an other eight times, including six times at Big Sky sites. Since being founded in 1985, the MVFC has an all-time edge of in games played between their institutions, which includes 30 playoff meetings. Notably, the Big Sky and the MVFC make up two of only three leagues to have two or more playoff teams every year since In each of the past three seasons, the MVFC and Big Sky, meanwhile, have combined to produce eight of the 24 teams in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff field. Since the FCS playoffs began in 1978, the two leagues have combined to pro duce 13 national champions. This year, a total of nine teams representing the two leagues highlighted the STATS FCS top- 25 pre-season rankings. All eight matchups will feature at least one team that was a pre-sea son top-25 squad, and in two of those matchups both teams are ranked. Date -- Matchup (TV)... Note: Current STATS Rankings are Listed Sept #2 North Dakota State at #7 Eastern Wash., 4 pm ET (SWX/NBC ND/ ESPN3) Sept Cal Poly at #21 UNI, 5 pm ET (Panther Sports Network/ESPN3) Sept #4 South Dakota State at Montana State, 8 pm ET (SWX/Pluto TV/Altitude 2) Sept #22 Western Illinois at Northern Arizona, Time TBD (NAU-TV AZ/Pluto TV) Sept Missouri State at #11 North Dakota, 5 pm ET (Midco Sports Network/Pluto TV) Sept #11 North Dakota at South Dakota, 3 pm ET (Midco Sports Network/ESPN3) Sept #21 UNI at Southern Utah, 8 pm ET (Pluto TV) Oct #18 Illinois State at Northern Arizona, Time TBD (NAU-TV AZ/Pluto TV) NDSU & EWU Enjoy More FCS Playoff Success in 2016, But Come Up Short to Advancing to Title Game Both the Eagles and Bison are no strangers to postseason football, and last year both advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. EWU Football - Page SCHEDULE Date Opponent Location Time/Result Series Sept. 2 at Texas Tech$! Lubbock, Texas L, TTU 1-0 Sept. 9 North Dakota State~= Cheney, Wash. 1:05 p.m. Tied 1-1 Sept. 16 at Fordham Bronx, N.Y. 10 a.m. First Meeting Sept. 23 at Montana*$ Missoula, Mont. 5:05 p.m. UM Sept. 30 Sacramento State*%~ Cheney, Wash. 1:35 p.m. EWU 18-4 Oct. 7 at UC Davis* Davis, Calif. 6 p.m. EWU 5-0 Oct. 14 Montana State*~ Cheney, Wash. 1:05 p.m. EWU Oct. 21 at Southern Utah*+ Cedar City, Utah 4:05 p.m. EWU 6-2 Oct. 28 Open Nov. 4 Weber State*#~ Cheney, Wash. 1:05 p.m. EWU Nov. 11 at North Dakota*^ Grand Forks, N.D. 11:05 a.m. EWU 3-0 Nov. 18 Portland State*&$ Cheney, Wash. 3:05 p.m. PSU Nov. 25 FCS Playoffs Begin *Big Sky Conference Game. %Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Day. #Homecoming. &Senior Day.!Televised on Fox Sports Networks. ~Televised regionally by SWX (6.2 in Spokane/Cheney/Coeur d Alene/Sandpoint/ Lewiston, 23.3 in Yakima and 25.3 in the Tri-Cities. The station is also available via Comcast 306/112 in Spokane; Davis Cable 514/81.2/12 in Cheney; Time Warner 1245 in Coeur d Alene & Pullman/Moscow; Charter 183 in Tri-Cities/Yakima; Cable One 466 in Lewiston; Northland Cable 317 in Moses Lake; and Northland Cable 115 in Sandpoint). $Televised live regionally by Root Sports. +Televised by Eleven Sports. ^Televised by MidCo Sports Net. =Televised by NBC North Dakota (KVLY channel 11 in Fargo/Grand Forks; KFYR channel 5 in Bismarck; KMOT channel 10 in Minot, KQCD channel 7 in Dickinson; and KUMV channel 8 in Williston). Home Football Games in Cheney Take Place at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) on the EWU campus. Internet: or Improving by six wins from the previous season and highlighted by an 11-game winning streak, Eastern finished the 2016 season 12-2 overall and a perfect 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference. Eastern was the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, and ranked third in the final STATS FCS Top 25 regular season poll. After rolling through its first two opponents in the playoffs, Eastern suffered a heartbreaking loss to Youngstown State, which needed an improbable catch with one second left to pull out the victory. Eastern ended the year ranked fourth in the final STATS top 25 poll after coming so agonizingly close to returning to its first NCAA Division I Championship game since 2010 when the Eagles won the national title. Until falling to YSU, EWU hadn t lost since falling to five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State in overtime on Sept. 10. One week before that, the Eagles had knocked off Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference One week after edging Eastern, NDSU beat 13th-ranked Iowa Top-seeded North Dakota State had won five-straight FCS titles and 22-consecutive postseason games before it was defeated at home by fourth-seeded James Madison in the semifinals. James Madison went on to beat YSU in the NCAA Division I Championship Game on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas. EWU Football - Page 3

4 EWU Football - Page 4 Eagles Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Games at Roos/Woodward Field With 50th Game on the Red Turf This week s game will be the 50th at Roos Field since the red turf surface was installed in 2010, as EWU seeks to improve upon its 41-8 record when North Dakota State visits. The Eagles have lost just four regular season games at The Inferno 31-4 (88.9 percent), plus are 10-4 in playoff games. This is the seventh season the stadium has been known as Roos Field, as a new red synthetic Sprinturf surface made its debut in Saint Francis (PA) (7-4) Eastern finished a perfect 8-0 in its debut season at The Inferno, including three playoff victories. Eastern is 41-8 overall (84 percent) since the red turf was installed in 2010 including a 4-0 record versus rival Montana. Eastern has a record (71.0 percent) in 217 games at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) since 1967, with the Eagles utilizing Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane as the school s main home field Lehigh (9-2) from In 2016, Eastern finished 7-1 in the 50th season of football at EWU s current stadium location, which opened in 1967 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the 2017 season. With 9,302 fans on hand for the ISU game on Nov. 12, Eastern has a current streak of 20 consecutive regular season sellouts and a total of 32 (crowds of 8,600 or more). Eastern s 2016 average was 8,435 (67,477 in eight home games), ranking behind the school record of 9,577 set in five home games in The Montana game on Oct. 29 had a crowd of 10,931 to rank as the fifth-most in school history, with the top three coming versus the Griz Illinois St. (6-5) (11,702 in 2010, 11,583 in 2006 and 11,339 in 2014). First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final November 26 December 3 December 9/10 December 16/17 January 7 #1 *North Dakota St. (10-1) *Cal Poly (7-4) 3:30 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 *North Dakota St., p.m. (ET) ESPN3 San Diego, San Diego (9-1) Saturday, December 10 #8 *South Dakota St.(8-3) *Villanova (8-3) 3 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 South Dakota St., p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Villanova, Noon (ET) *North Dakota St., Friday, December 16 #5 *Sam Houston St. (11-0) 7 p.m. (ET) &James Madison, *Chattanooga (8-3) 3 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Sam Houston St., p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Chattanooga, Weber St. (7-4) Friday, December 9 7 p.m. (ET) #4 *James Madison (10-1) James Madison, 65-7 *New Hampshire (7-4) 2 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 *James Madison, p.m. (ET) ESPN3 New Hampshire, Toyota Stadium #3 *Jacksonville St. (10-1) Frisco, Texas James Madison, *Youngstown St. (8-3) 2 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 *Youngstown St., Noon (ET) NATIONAL CHAMPION 5 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Youngstown St., Samford (7-4) Saturday, December 10 #6 *The Citadel (10-1) *Wofford (8-3) 6 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Wofford, p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Wofford, p.m. (ET) Youngstown St., (2ot) Charleston So. (7-3) Saturday, December 17 6:30 p.m. (ET) #7 *North Dakota (9-2) Youngstown St., *Richmond (8-3) 6 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Richmond, p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Richmond, N.C. A&T (9-2) Saturday, December 10 4 p.m. (ET) #2 *Eastern Wash. (10-1) *Eastern Wash., 38-0 *Central Ark. (9-2) 4 p.m. (ET) ESPN3 *Eastern Wash., p.m. (ET) ESPN3 Central Ark., NCAA Division I Football Championship All games are available on Reunion for 1967 Football Team Includes Honor for Fallen Hero The 50-year-old memories of the hard-hitting by football player Lt. William Bink Wall and the ultimate sacrifice he paid just three years later will be remembered at the North Dakota State game when he is honored posthumously as the recipient of the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award. A reunion to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Football team s near-perfect season and runner-up finish in the NAIA Championships will take place this weekend. That squad, which was the first team inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001, will be honored in pre-game introductions at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field), which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall. As part of the pre-game introductions, Wall will be honored for his service to Eastern and his country. Originally from nearby Tekoa, Wash., he was killed in Vietnam in just three years removed from his honor-filled Eastern football career and 13 days prior to the birth of his second child. His wife, Linda Wall-Sullivan, as well as their two daughters and five grandchildren, will be recognized with the 67 team at the NDSU game. The memory of Wall will also be recognized during EWU s normal Hall of Fame event on Sept. 30. The Service and Contribution award was created in 2007 to recognize extraordinary achievements and contributions by individuals with a past association with the Eastern athletic department. This award, selected by the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Committee, seeks to honor individuals who have contributed not only to EWU, but to other outside endeavors such as education, community service and coaching and in Wall s case, service to our country. & Home team * Host Institution All times are Eastern time. Information subject to change National Collegiate Athletic Association. No commercial use without the NCAA's written permission. The NCAA opposes all forms of sports wagering. 12/17/16: 10:15 p.m. Just One Eagle Made First Start of Career at Texas Tech When EWU played at Texas Tech on Sept. 2, a total of 21 of 22 starters hit the field with starting experience under their belts. Six fulltime starters returned on each side of the ball, plus all of the team s specialists from a year ago. An additional five starters on offense and four on defense had previously started for the Eagles. The lone starting debut came on defense when sophomore Jack Sendelbach started in place of Ketner Kupp (ankle) on defense. Junior tight end Henderson Belk was listed as a starter, but EWU began with four wide receivers instead. Eight freshman redshirts made their Eastern debuts against Texas Tech on Sept. 2 Eric Barriere, Talolo Limu-Jones, Calin Criner, Keith Moore, Rudolph Mataia Jr., Brett Thompson, Nicholas Blair and Conner Crist. Three true freshmen made their debuts in an Eastern uniform, including Anfernee Gurley, Johnny Edwards IV and Chris Ojoh. Three other true freshmen were on Eastern s travel squad and did not play -- quarterback Nick Moore, cornerback Ira Branch, and wide receiver Andrew Boston. In addition, Aaron Best made his head coaching debut versus the Red Raiders. It came versus the same team former head coach Beau Baldwin made his EWU head coaching debut against back on Aug. 30, 2008, in a Red Raider victory. Interestingly, Best is a 1996 graduate of Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., and Baldwin graduated from the same school six years earlier. Best was making his EWU Football - Page 4

5 EWU Football - Page 5 debut as Baldwin s offensive line coach in that 2008 game. Career Starts by Returning Players Defense (170 starts by 17 players): Nzuzi Webster 23, Andre Lino 23, Mitch Fettig 23, Victor Gamboa 22, Albert Havili 17, Josh Lewis 11, Jay-Tee Tiuli 10, Keenan Williams 10, D londo Tucker 6, Cole Karstetter 6, Jake Hoffman 6, Ketner Kupp 5, John Kreifels 2, Kurt Calhoun 2, Jonah Jordan 1, Jack Sendelbach 1, Conner Baumann 2 (including 1 as a fullback). Offense (102 starts by 13 players): Tristen Taylor 15, Chris Schlichting 15, Matt Meyer 14, Gage Gubrud 14, Spencer Blackburn 12, Nic Sblendorio 10, Antoine Custer Jr. 7, Jack Hunter 3, Nsimba Webster 3, Terence Grady 3, Stu Stiles 2, Jayce Gilder 1, Kaleb Levao 3 (including 1 as defensive lineman). Gubrud Seeks to Maintain Career Records Marks After setting three FCS, seven Big Sky marks and 18 school records in the 2016 season, junior Gage Gubrud now seeks to maintain a pair of career marks. After 18 games in his career (11-3 in 14 games as a starter), he remains the Eastern career leader in passing yards per game (301.8), completion percentage (.673) and total offense per game (337.8). He is also seventh in passing yards (5,433, 455 from the No. 6 position), seventh in touchdown passes (49, one from No. 6 and two from No. 5) and sixth in total offense (6,080). Gubrud already owns six of the top eight single game total offense performances in school history ( ) and five of the top 14 passing performances ( ). In addition, he had an impressive string of 222 passes without an interception, going four full games in 2016 from Sept. 24 to Oct. 22 without a pick. He had a school-record 551 yards of total offense in the first start of his career, a season-opening victory over Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference. Roldan Alcobendas Two Extra Points Away from Record Kicker Roldan Alcobendas made his only extra point attempt in the game versus Texas Tech on Sept. 2 and is now two away from a school record. With a current streak of 64 extra points in a row, Alcobendas is two from equaling the record of 66 set by Jason Cromer from Alcobendas made his last 63 in a row last season to shatter the previous season record of 47. His 73 total extra points made in 2016 were one behind the Big Sky Conference record of 74 set by former Eagle Kevin Miller in Alcobendas is a 2013 graduate of Camas (Wash.) High School, and had to sit out both the 2013 and 2015 seasons because of knee injuries. He finished the 2016 season 9-of-15 kicking field goals and made 73-of- 74 extra points. He also averaged 54.6 yards on 44 kickoffs with seven touchbacks. In his 19-game career, Alcobendas has made 11-of-17 field goals and 96-of-100 extra points. Returning to the venue he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2014, Alcobendas made field goals of 48 and 31 yards and had a career-high 11 total points in EWU s victory over Montana State in 2016 to earn Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors. His 48-yarder was the best of his career, and equals the 23rdlongest in school history. He also had a 31-yarder blocked and made all TEAM RANKINGS 2017 Polls STATS (Sept. 4): 1. James Madison; 2. North Dakota State; 3. Sam Houston State; 4. South Dakota State; 7. Eastern Washington; 11. North Dakota; 25. Weber State. Coaches (Sept. 4): 1. James Madison; 2. North Dakota State; 3. Sam Houston State; 4. South Dakota State; 6. Eastern Washington; 11. North Dakota; 20. Weber State. EWU in the 2017 STATS Poll Preseason: 5th (James Madison #1, North Dakota State #2, Sam Houston State #3, South Dakota State #4, North Dakota #8, Cal Poly #23). Sept. 4: 7th (JMU #1, NDSU #2, SHSU #3, SDSU #4, UND #11, Weber State #25) Big Sky Preseason Polls (first place votes in parenthesis) Media Poll 1. North Dakota (15) 298; 2. Eastern Washington (5) 271; 3. Northern Arizona (3) 236; 4. Cal Poly 224; 5. Weber State 209; 6. Montana (1) 204; 7. Southern Utah 175; 8. Montana State 156; 9. Northern Colorado 135; 10. Portland State 104; 11. UC Davis 62; 12. Sacramento State 61; 13. Idaho State 44. Coaches Poll 1. North Dakota (6) 130; 2. Eastern Washington (2) 124; 3. Northern Arizona (2) 119; 4. Cal Poly (1) 108; 5. Weber State (1) 103; 6. Montana (1) 83; 7. Southern Utah 80; 8. Montana State 69; 9. Portland State 62; 10. Northern Colorado 60; 11. UC Davis 35; 12. Sacramento State 26; 13. Idaho State Polls STATS (Final): 1. James Madison; 2. Youngstown State; 3. North Dakota State; 4. Eastern Washington; 8. Richmond; 12. North Dakota; 14. Central Arkansas; 24. Cal Poly; 25. Weber State. Coaches (Final): 1. James Madison; 2. Youngstown State; 3. North Dakota State; 4. Eastern Washington; 8. Richmond; 12. North Dakota; 16. Central Arkansas; 21. Cal Poly; 24. Weber State; 25. Montana. FCS Playoffs Seedings: 1. North Dakota State, 2. Eastern Washington, 3. Jacksonville State, 4. James Madison, 5. Sam Houston State, 6. The Citadel, 7. North Dakota, 8. South Dakota State. Athlon Power Rankings (Nov. 21, 2016): 1. North Dakota State; 2. Eastern Washington; 3. Jacksonville State; 4. Sam Houston State; 5. James Madison; 8. North Dakota; 15. Central Arkansas; 20. Cal Poly. EWU in the 2016 STATS Poll Final: 4th (James Madison #1, Youngstown State #2, North Dakota State #4, Richmond #8, North Dakota #12, Central Arkansas #14, Cal Poly #24, Weber State #25). Final Regular Season: 3rd (Sam Houston State #1, Jacksonville State #2, NDSU #4, UND #8, CP #21, Weber State #25). Nov. 14: 3rd (SHSU #1, JSU #2, NDSU #4, UND #10, CP #21, UM #22). Nov. 7: 3rd (SHSU #1, JSU #2, NDSU #4, UND #12, CP #16, UM #18). Oct. 31: 3rd (SHSU #1, JSU #2, NDSU #4, CP #14, UND #16, UM #19). Oct. 24: 3rd (SHSU #1, JSU #2, NDSU #4, CP #14, UM #16, UND #17). Oct. 17: 3rd (SHSU #1, JSU #2, NDSU #4, UM #10, CP #17, UND #19). Oct. 10: 4th (NDSU #1, UM #10, CP #19, UNI #21, UND #22). Oct. 3: 4th (NDSU #1, UM #10, UNI #11, CP #21, UND #24). Sept. 26: 4th (NDSU #1, UM #11, UNI #12, CP #16). Sept. 19: 4th (NDSU #1, UM #6, UNI #14, PSU #25, NAU #26). Sept. 12: 8th (NDSU #1, Richmond #2, UM #7, UNI #10, PSU #19, NAU #24). Sept. 5: 8th (NDSU #1, Richmond #2, UNI #3, UM #14, PSU #16, NAU #19, UND #25). Preseason: 14th (NDSU #1, UNI #5, UM #13, PSU #17, NAU #18, UND #19). EWU Football - Page 5

6 EWU Football - Page 6 five of his extra point attempts to account for 11 of EWU s points. In addition, he averaged 64.0 yards in three kickoffs, including one touchback. Career Average for Dascalo is Fourth Among the Top Punters in School History After an impressive 2017 opener versus Texas Tech, Jordan Dascalo has now punted 84 times as an Eagle for a 41.1 career average which moved him up one spot to fourth in school history. He averaged 46.8 yards on six punts against the Red Raiders with a long of 58. A pair of his punts were downed inside the 20, and the average starting position for TTU after his six punts was its own 23. Dascalo also kicked off three times, with all three resulting in touchbacks. In his career, Dascalo has now had 25 punts downed inside the 20. He has had eight punts in his career of at least 56 yards, including a career-long of 67 to rank sixth in school history. He is also 4-of-7 in his EWU career kicking field goals, and has averaged 59.8 yards (6,284 total yards) in 105 career kickoffs with 42 touchbacks. Dascalo, who punted as a freshman in 2014 for Washington State, earned Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance against his former team on Sept. 3, He averaged 55.3 yards on three punts, including one downed inside the Cougar 20-yard line. He also kicked a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the first half that started a decisive 17-0 scoring run by the Eagles in the win. He also had seven kickoffs for a 57.0 average against WSU with one touchback. His 48-yarder equaled the 23rd-longest in school history and was the best in nearly seven years by an Eagle since Mike Jarrett booted a 49-yarder versus Idaho State on 10/3/09. Aaron Best Comments On This Week: We know what we have and we re still finding out who we are. It s a different team that we ll face it isn t a pass-first offense we ll be going against. We ll be at home, so our team will have a little vigor and spring in their step. We want to learn from the Texas Tech loss myself, the coaching staff and players. We are all in this together. We all win together and unfortunately, sometimes we lose together. That s the way it s always going to be, and the hardest part of sports is being on the not enough points side of things. There were opportunities to be had and we will capitalize on them in the future. On His Team After Texas Tech: Our players have the DNA to play and play hard. There was a lot of effort and no letdown on both sides of the ball, and I thought special teams played really solid so that s a positive. In the first four possessions of the game there was a lot of back and forth. It 2017 Preseason Honors EWU Football - Page 6 HONORS #8 - Gage Gubrud - QB - Jr. - McMinnville, Ore. (McMinnville HS 14) Walter Payton Award Watch List (list of 22 players selected by STATS) FCS Performer of the Year Watch List (42 players selected by College FB Performance Awards) Second Team All-America (selected by STATS) Second Team All-America (selected by College Sports Madness) Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP (selected by league office) Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP (selected by College Sports Madness) First Team All-Big Sky (selected by league office) First Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) #99 - Jay-Tee Tiuli - DT - Sr. - Seattle, Wash - Federal Way HS 14) Third Team All-America (selected by STATS) First Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) #13 - Mitch Fettig - S - Jr. - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS 14) First Team All-Big Sky (selected by league office) Second Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) #4 - Albert Havili - DE - Sr. - Federal Way, Wash. (Federal Way HS 13) First Team All-Big Sky (selected by league office) Second Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) #6 - Nzuzi Webster - CB - Jr. - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS 14) Second Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) #7 - Nic Sblendorio - WR - Sr. - Sammamish, Wash. (Skyline HS 13) Second Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) #75 - Spencer Blackburn - C - Jr. - Bellingham, Wash. (Meridian HS 14) Third Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) #40 - Ketner Kupp - LB - Jr. - Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS 15) Third Team All-Big Sky (selected by College Sports Madness) 2016 Honors by Returning Players #8 - Gage Gubrud - QB - McMinnville, Ore. (McMinnville HS 14) FCS Player of the Year (Touchdown Club of Columbus/Announced Dec. 19) Third in Voting For Walter Payton Award (STATS/Announced Jan. 6, 2017) First Team All-America (Hero Sports/Announced on Dec. 30) Second Team All-America (STATS/Announced on Dec. 20) Second Team All-America (AFCA/Announced on Dec. 19) Second Team All-America (Associated Press/Announced on Dec. 15) Second Team All-America (College Sports Madness)/Announced on Dec.7) Sophomore All-America Team (Hero Sports/Announced on Dec. 29) FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List (CFBPA/anounced on 11/9/16) FCS Offensive Player of the Year Award Watch List (STATS/26 players on 10/4/16) Big Sky Conference Co-Offensive MVP (selected by coaches/with teammate Cooper Kupp) First Team All-Big Sky Conference (selected by coaches/unanimous selection) FCS National Offensive POW Hon. Mention (STATS/47-of-64, 449, 2 TD; 68 rush; 517 yards of total offense, #5 in EWU history, vs. Central Arkansas 12/3) FCS National Offensive POW (STATS/37-of-51, EWU record 520 yds, 4 TD vs. MSU 10/22) FCS National Offensive POW (College Sports Madness/vs. MSU 10/22) FCS National Performer of the Week Hon. Mention (Col. FB Perf. Awards/vs. MSU 10/22) Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (vs. MSU 10/22) Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (Col. Sports Madness/vs. MSU 10/22) FCS National Offensive POW Hon. Mention (STATS/33-of-39, 435, 5 TD; 79 rush; 514 yards of total offense, vs. Northern Colorado 10/8) FCS National Performer of the Week Hon. Mention (Col. FB Perf. Awards/vs. UNC 10/8) Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (vs. UNC 10/8) FCS National Offensive POW Hon. Mention (STATS/33-of-46, 486, 6 TD; 39 rush, 1 TD; 525 yards of total offense, #2 in EWU history, vs. UC Davis 10/1) FCS National Performer of the Week Hon. Mention (Col. FB Perf. Awards/vs UCD 10/1) Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (Col. Sports Madness/vs. UC Davis 10/1)

7 was a game for a quarter, and we wanted it to be a game for four quarters. Unfortunately that didn t happen and we ll learn from this. On TTU Loss: Collectively we didn t maintain the consistency. The doors were opened but we didn t capitalize in the first half, and then it bled into the second half. This one is going to sting they all sting when you lose. We aren t used to this. You have to be humbled when you lose, so this is a lesson for our team. They ll learn and grow up from this. On Positives: There were some players who truly had some solid games. One was Sam McPherson I thought he ran really hard. Terence Grady came up with a few huge catches. On defense we had guys who were playing hard they were flying around. Players like Mitch Fettig played most if not all the game. A hot day doesn t provide a lot of breathers out there against a pass-happy team. Credit Texas Tech their quarterback was very efficient and they got the ball out of his hands quick. We just didn t make enough plays. On Moving Forward From Loss: We ll look at this film and do what we can with it. This is a good, solid Texas Tech football team, and we ll follow them closely in the Big 12 this season. They have 40-plus new players, but they flew around on defense and they mixed it up well on offense. There were times we let them off the hook with penalties, and offense our first play of 2017 was a fumble. Those are things we will clean up and are eager to clean up. On Expanded Travel Roster: Because we can travel 70 players to non-league games, it expands the roster by 10 bodies. It makes it a little bit easier out of the gate to have a little bit more fluctuation in numbers. So you don t have to make those tough decisions until we get to the league slate when you really have to pare that number down from 70. It is still difficult, but it s not as hard as it will be in three weeks after we expose some of these guys to the first three games. Then when we travel to Missoula we have to make some decisions based on personnel, special teams involvement, depth and numbers at each position. So it gets harder, but from the get-go, it s not as hard given the fact that we have 70 guys traveling to both Texas Tech and to Fordham. Team Notes Trip to New York to Play Fordham Awaits Eagles A trip to New York City follows for the Eagles against a Fordham team which closed the 2016 season with an 8-3 record, and finished as the Patriot League runner-up with a 5-1 mark. This will be the first-ever meeting for EWU against the Rams, a collegiate football power in the 1930 s known for the Seven Blocks of Granite featuring the famous Vince Lombardi. Fordham was defeated by Lehigh late in the 2016 season, costing the Rams their fourth-straight trip to the FCS Playoffs. Fordham has been in the playoffs five times overall ( ) and are 3-5 all-time. Eastern hasn t played any current member EWU Football - Page 7 Hon. Mention FCS National Offensive POW (STATS/ 36-of-57, 392, 2 TD; 95 rush, 1 TD; #8 in school history with 487 yards of total offense vs. NAU 9/24) Col. FB Performance Awards FCS National Performer of the Week (34-of-40, 474, 5 TD; 77 rush, 1 TD; school record 551 yards of total offense vs. WSU 9/3) Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week (vs. WSU 9/3) #75 - Spencer Blackburn - C - Bellingham, Wash. (Meridian HS 14) Sophomore All-America Team (Hero Sports/Announced on Dec. 29) Second Team All-Big Sky Conference (selected by league s head coaches) #99 - Jay-Tee Tiuli - DT - Seattle, Wash - Federal Way HS 14) First Team All-Big Sky Conference (selected by league s head coaches) #6 - Nzuzi Webster - CB - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS 14) Third Team All-Big Sky Conference (selected by league s head coaches) #65 - Tristen Taylor - OT - Stockton, Calif. (Stagg HS 15) Honorable Mention All-Big Sky Conference (selected by league s head coaches) #13 - Mitch Fettig - S - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS 14) Honorable Mention All-Big Sky Conference (selected by league s head coaches) #28 - Antoine Custer Jr. - RB/KR - Berkeley, Calif. (De La Salle 16) Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week (KO returns of 55 & 16 yards vs. UC Davis 10/1 Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week (93-yard KO return for TD vs. UNI 9/17) #45 - Jordan Dascalo - P/K - Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft HS 13 & Wash. State Univ.) Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week (48-yard FG; 55.3 punt avg. vs. WSU 9/3) #62 - Roldan Alcobendas - K - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS 13) Big Sky Spec. Teams Player of the Week (FG 48 & 31, career-high 11 points vs. MSU 10/22) of the Patriot League. Eastern s three non-conference foes in 2017 combined to win 68 percent of their games overall in 2016 (25-12), 65 percent in league play (15-8) and 67 percent in the postseason (2-1). By contrast, Eastern s non-conference opponents in 2016 were overall the year before for 74 percent, 18-7 in league play (72 percent) and 7-1 in the postseason (88 percent). The Eagles emerged from that gauntlet with a 2-1 record. The game at Fordham will be just the eighth occasion all-time that EWU has played east of the Mississippi River, The last time came in 2013 in Ohio when Eastern fell at Toledo That was only EWU s fourth game ever in the Eastern time zone. Eastern is 2-5 in games played East of the Mississippi River, including in 2007 when the Eagles played at Appalachian State (Boone, N.C.) in the FCS Playoffs (L, 35-38). Eastern s other games in the East were West Virginia in 2006 (L, 3-52), Southern Illinois (Carbondale) in the FCS Playoffs in 2004 (W, 35-31), Connecticut in 2001 (W, 35-17), Eastern Illinois (Charleston) in 1991 (L, 12-30) and Fairmont State in Morgantown, W.Va., in the NAIA Championship Game in 1967 (L, 21-28). Eastern has also played three games very close to the Mississippi River in Louisiana McNeese State (Lake Charles) in 2007, Nicholls State (Thibodaux) in 2004 and Northeast Louisiana (Monroe) in and six times at Northern Iowa (Cedar City) in 2015, 2005, 1994, 1992, 1989 and In 2018, Eastern is scheduled to play at Washington State (9/15/18) in a rematch of EWU s win to open the 2016 season. The Eagles will play in 2019 at Washington (8/31/19), a team EWU narrowly lost to in 2014 and in In 2020, the Eagles will play at Florida, and in 2022 are scheduled to play at Oregon. EWU Football - Page 7

8 Eagles Open Big Sky Conference Slate at Rival Montana After finishing a perfect 8-0 in league play a year ago, Eastern s eight Big Sky Conference foes this coming season combined for a record overall and league mark in Two of the opponents North Dakota and Weber State advanced to the FCS Playoffs and were a collective 16-8 on the season and 14-2 in the Big Sky. Eastern opens Big Sky Conference play on the road at Montana (6-5/3-5) on Sept. 23 before playing its home opener on Sept. 30 versus Sacramento State (2-9/2-6) on Hall of Fame Day at EWU. Eastern plays at UC Davis (3-8/2-6) on Oct. 7, then hosts rival Montana State (4-7/2-6) on Oct. 14. An Oct. 21 game at Southern Utah (6-5/5-3) is the first of threestraight games against teams with winning records overall and in league play in After a bye week on Oct. 28, Eastern hosts Weber State (7-5/6-2) for Homecoming on Nov. 4 and plays at fellow defending Big Sky champion North Dakota (9-3/8-0) on Nov. 11. The regular season closes with Senior Day at Roos Field on Nov. 18 versus Portland State, with the FCS Playoffs beginning the following weekend on Nov. 25. Eagles Entered Season With National Rankings of Fourth (Coaches) & Fifth (STATS) The reigning national champion James Madison Dukes were picked Aug. 7 as an overwhelming preseason No. 1 in the STATS NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Top 25, with Eastern Washington ranked fifth. In the coaches poll released a week later, the Eagles were fourth. James Madison, which won the CAA Football title and only lost to North Carolina in a 14-1 season, collected 134 of the 163 first-place votes and 4,034 points in the STATS poll of national media. On the way to winning their second national title, the Dukes ended North Dakota State s five-year championship run in the semifinals. Last year s FCS runner-up, Youngstown State, was ninth. NDSU was picked second in the preseason poll, followed in the Top 5 by Sam Houston State, South Dakota State and Eastern Washington. The Missouri Valley Football Conference had a poll-high six teams and the CAA was second with five. Eastern received 3,270 points, with fellow Big Sky Conference members North Dakota ranking eighth (2,871) and Cal Poly coming in at No. 23 (427). Eastern doesn t play Cal Poly, but takes on North Dakota on Nov. 11 in Grand Forks, N.D., in a showdown of undefeated Big Sky co-champions in 2016 (both were 8-0 and didn t play each other). Undefeated Co-Champions in 2016, North Dakota & EWU Picked 1-2 There won t be an undefeated tie this year between North Dakota and Eastern Washington University in the race to the Big Sky Conference football championship, but they are expected to battle at the top again. The Fighting Hawks and Eagles have been pegged to finish 1-2, respectively, by both the coaches and media as the picks were released July 18 at the Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff in Park City, Utah. The Eagles received five first-place votes and 271 total points by EWU Football - Page 8 the media, and had two first-place tallies and 124 total votes by the coaches. The Fighting Hawks were picked first on six of the coaches ballots, and received six more total votes than EWU. North Dakota earned 15-of-24 firstplace votes from the media and had 298 total points. The two teams play each other on Nov. 11 in Grand Forks, N.D. in what could be a showdown for the league title. That game ends the regular season for the Fighting Hawks, while the Eagles play their last game at home versus Portland State the following week. A year ago, Eastern was picked to finish second and ended up tying North Dakota at the top of the league standings with perfect 8-0 records. The Fighting Hawks return several key contributors from the 2016 season, including safety Cole Reyes and running back John Santiago. Reyes is the Big Sky s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and was selected as the Big Sky s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The Fighting Hawks also return the Big Sky s Coach of the Year, as Bubba Schweigert returns for his fourth season in Grand Forks. Eagles Have Impressive 40-6 Big Sky Record Since 0-2 Start in 2011 The Eagles have won 40 of their last 46 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in Eastern has won 30 of its last 34 league games, with the lone losses coming against Montana and Portland State in 2015 and Northern Arizona in both 2015 and An Oct. 25, 2014, loss at Northern Arizona snapped EWU s 14-game conference winning streak and a home loss against the Lumberjacks on Nov. 7, 2015, ended a streak of eight Big Sky wins in a row. Including non-conference victories (two versus MSU and one against Cal Poly) and a playoff win (Montana), the Eagles have won 34 of their last 38 versus conference foes, and are 44-6 since the 0-2 start in As a result, head coach Beau Baldwin left Eastern with a Big Sky record for a winning percentage of.806 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His.726 winning percentage overall (85-32) is seventh all-time in the 53-year history of the Big Sky. Eastern is (68 percent) Since 2010 Versus Ranked Opponents The Eagles have now played 120 games against ranked teams in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision since becoming a member of that classification in 1983 (then known as I-AA). Eastern is (.450 in those games, including a mark (.293) versus top 10 foes. Since 2010, though, the Eagles are overall (.678) and 8-6 (.571) versus top 10 teams. EWU was 6-2 against ranked teams in 2016, having lost to top-ranked North Dakota State by a score in overtime and then falling to 13th-ranked Youngstown State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs. Eastern defeated Northern Iowa, ranked 10th at the time, by a score on Sept. 17, beat No. 25 Northern Arizona on Sept. 24, defeated No. 16 Montana on Oct. 29, knocked off No. 14 Cal Poly on Nov. 5, then beat No. 14 Central Arkansas on Dec. 3 and was victorious over No. 12 Richmond 38-0 on Dec. 10. Overall, EWU has faced the No. 1 team in FCS nine times, winning twice (35-31 in 2004 over Southern Illinois in the FCS Playoffs and in 2002 over Montana at Albi Stadium in Spokane, Wash. Eastern Now 38-0 Since 2010 When Winning the Turnover Battle After going six games without winning the turnover battle in 2016 (including the first three), Eastern had turnover advantages in six of its last 12 games, including a 7-1 advantage two playoff victories. The Eagles had a dominating 5-1 advantage over Richmond, and one game earlier had a 2-0 advantage over Central Arkansas. But EWU lost the turnover battle 2-1 to Youngstown State, as EWU finished the season 6-0 when it won the turnover battle, 2-2 when it lost EWU Football - Page 8

9 and 4-0 when it was tied. In the last nine seasons, the Eagles are 47-1 when they ve won the turnover battle, 21-5 when they ve been tied and when they ve lost (total of 85-32). The last time EWU lost when it won the turnover battle came in the 2009 FCS Playoffs at Stephen F. Austin when EWU had two miscues and forced four in the loss. Thus, EWU is 38-0 since 2010 when they ve won the turnover battle, 18-4 when they ve been tied and when they ve lost. That s a collective record of (76 percent), with 19 of those 23 losses (83 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 53 percent of EWU s wins coming when they ve won the turnover battle (79 percent when including ties). Player Notes Gubrud Heads List of Players Honored With Preseason Accolades There are at least 5,160 reasons Eastern Washington University s Gage Gubrud is now among the favorites to win the Walter Payton Award presented by STATS to the top offensive player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. The junior quarterback burst on the FCS scene a year ago in his first season as a starter by passing for a FCS record 5,160 yards, to go along with 48 touchdown passes and more than 5,700 yards of total offense. On Aug. 2, STATS named him among the players on the Watch List to win the award after finishing third in the voting a year ago. He was later named to the watch list for FCS Performer of the Year as selected by College Football Performance Awards. Gubrud was joined on the STATS Watch List by Chase Edmonds from Fordham, which hosts EWU in The Bronx, N.Y., on Sept. 16. Edmonds was first in the nation in rushing yards per game (163.5), and second in allpurpose yards per game (194.6) and points per game (10.9). He finished fourth in the voting for last year s Payton Award, right behind Gubrud. In addition to the Watch List, Gubrud was selected to the STATS preseason All-America second team and was picked defend his title as the league s Offensive MVP. He was last year s NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. Defensive tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli earned third team preseason All- America honors from STATS, while Gubrud, defensive end Albert Havili and safety Mitch Fettig earned preseason All-Big Sky Conference honors. In addition, Gubrud was selected by College Sports Madness to win the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year award and was joined on CSM s preseason All-BSC squad by eight other Eagles. Defensive nose tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli joined Gubrud on the first team, with wide receiver Nic Sblendorio, safety Mitch Fettig, cornerback Nzuzi Webster and defensive end Albert Havili picked for the second team, and center Spencer Blackburn and linebacker Ketner Kupp chosen to the third team. Gubrud Returns After Winning FCS Player of the Year Accolades There were a handful of FCS Player of the Year awards handed out following the 2016 season, and quarterback Gage Gubrud was among those honored. After breaking a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision single season record with 5,160 passing yards, Gubrud was selected as the 2016 FCS Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus EWU Football - Page 9 EWU PLAYOFF HISTORY Eastern made its 12th appearance in the playoffs in 2016, becoming just the 15th team in FCS to have 12 or more appearances. The other appearances for the Eagles came in 1985, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and With a 6-5 record during an injury-ravaged season in 2011, Eastern fell a victory shy of making its first back-to-back-to-back appearances, but accomplished that feat in The Eagles were also 6-5 in 2015 and missed the postseason. Eastern has nine playoff berths in an 13-year span ( ), ranking the Eagles as one of only three schools among 122 in FCS to accomplish that feat. New Hampshire ( ) has made the playoffs for the 13th-straight time in The third team was Montana ( ) with 10 appearances in that stretch. The Eagles have four appearances in the last five years ( ), with only six other teams on that list (Illinois State, Jacksonville State, New Hampshire, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State). The Eagles have a record in their 12 playoff appearances. Eastern has advanced to the semifinals in the FCS Playoffs five times (1997, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016), and has won its opener nine times (1985, 1997, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016). The Eagles won the title in 2010 in its first and only appearance in the championship game. The Eagles have received first-round byes in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (the playoffs were expanded to 20 teams in 2010 and to 24 teams in 2013) (No. 2 seed, ranked #3) #13 Youngstown State L, (Semifinals/Cheney) #12 Richmond W, 38-0 (Quarterfinals/Cheney) #14 Central Arkansas W, (Second Round/Cheney) 2014 (No. 4 seed, ranked #4) #7/No. 5 seed Illinois State L, (Quarterfinals/Cheney) #12 Montana - W, (Second Round/Cheney) 2013 (No. 3 seed, ranked #3) #5 Towson L, (Semifinals/Cheney) #20 Jacksonville State W, (Quarterfinals/Cheney) #13 South Dakota State W, (Second Round/Cheney) 2012 (No. 2 seed, ranked #4) #5 Sam Houston State L, (Semifinals/Cheney) #16 Illinois State W, (Quarterfinals/Cheney) Wagner W, (Second Round/Cheney) 2010 (No. 5 seed, ranked #1) #5 Delaware - W, (Championship/Frisco, Texas) #10 Villanova - W, (Semifinals/Cheney) #25 North Dakota State - W, in OT (Quarterfinals/Cheney) #9 Southeast Missouri State - W, (Second Round/Cheney) 2009 (ranked #13) at #12 Stephen F. Austin - L, (First Round) 2007 (ranked #14) at #15 Appalachian State - L, (Quarterfinals) at #3/No. 2 seed McNeese State - W, (First Round) 2005 (ranked #15) - at #7 Northern Iowa - L, (First Round) 2004 (ranked #14) #9 Sam Houston State - L, (Quarterfinals/Cheney) at #1/No. 1 seed Southern Illinois - W, (First Round) 1997 (No. 3 seed, ranked #4) #9/No. 8 seed Youngstown State - L, (Semifinals/Spokane) #5/No. 5 seed Western Kentucky - W, (Quarterfinals/Spokane) #17/No. 14 seed Northwestern State - W, (First Round/Spokane) 1992 (ranked/seeded #14) at #3 Northern Iowa - L, (First Round) 1985 (ranked/seeded #11) at #4 Northern Iowa - L, (Quarterfinals) at #5 Idaho - W, (First Round) EWU Football - Page 9

10 (Ohio). He and his parents attended the live presentation of awards at the 62nd Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards ( on Saturday, Feb. 4, Gubrud was the sixth recipient of the TDC s FCS Player of the Year Award, with Old Dominion s Taylor Heinicke the winner in Jacksonville State quarterback Eli Jenkins won in 2015, Marshaun Coprich of Illinois State won in 2014 and Timothy Flanders of Sam Houston State won in the inaugural year in Gubrud finished third in the voting for the Walter Payton Award presented by STATS to the top offensive player in FCS, finishing behind winner Jeremiah Briscoe from Sam Houston State and Gubrud s Eagle teammate Cooper Kupp. It was the 30th awarding of the honor, which has become known as the Heisman Trophy of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision level. With voting conducted at the conclusion of the regular season, it was Briscoe, who threw an FCS single-season record 57 touchdowns in 2016, finishing with 599 votes to defeat Kupp (372) and Gubrud (362). Despite being unable to lock down the program s fourth Walter Payton Award winner, Eastern Washington was still able to make history at the STATS FCS Awards ceremony. Kupp and Gubrud became the first pair of teammates to be voted as finalists for the prestigious honor, whose past winners have included Eastern quarterback Erik Meyer (2005), Eagle quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (2011) and Kupp (2015). Only Villanova has had as many past winners as EWU, and Kupp would have become just the second repeat winner had he won. Kupp was also the 2015 winner of the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by both STATS and the FCS Athletic Director s Association (he repeated as winner of that award in 2016), and he was also presented the 2015 Walter Payton Award as selected by Mickey Charles LLC. Gubrud Among Two All-Americans and Six All-BSC Players Back Quarterback Gage Gubrud was honored on six All-America teams in 2016, including as a first team selection by Hero Sports. Gubrud was a second team selection by STATS, the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press and College Sports Madness. Hero Sports also selected him to its Sophomore All-America squad. Four seniors also received All-America accolades, and a sixth, center Spencer Blackburn, who was picked for the Hero Sports Sophomore All-America squad. Gubrud and Cooper Kupp were honored on Nov. 22 as the Big Sky Conference co-offensive MVPs, the first time in league history two players from the same team were selected by the coaches to share the award. Both were unanimous selections as first team selections in the league, with Kupp also becoming just the fourth player in league history to earn first team allleague all four seasons. A total of 13 Eagles overall were honored, including a league-high seven first team selections. Returning for 2017 are first team defensive tackle Jay- Tee Tiuli, second team center Spencer Blackburn, third team cornerback Nzuzi Webster and honorable mention performers Mitch Fettig (safety) and Tristen Taylor (offensive tackle). Blackburn took over as Eastern s starting center in the fourth game of the season for injured senior Jerrod Jones, and earned second team All-Big Sky Conference honors. After Blackburn s insertion into the starting lineup beginning with the Northern Arizona game on Sept. 24, Eastern s five starters on the offensive line for the rest of the year consisted of two redshirt freshmen and a trio of sophomores. Eastern players have now been selected as the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP in 12 of the last 16 seasons, including six of the last seven. EWU Football - Page 10 FCS vs. FBS RANKED TEAMS Eastern s victory at No. 25 Oregon State on Aug. 31, 2013, was just the fourth time since the division was created in 1978 that a FCS (formerly known as I-AA) team defeated a ranked FBS opponent. Here are the four times that feat has occurred, plus one since then Cincinnati (Ohio) def. #20 Penn State Appalachian State def. #5 Michigan James Madison def. #13 Virginia Tech Eastern Washington def. #25 Oregon State North Dakota State def. #13 Iowa EAGLES VS. FBS Since the early 1980 s when it began the move to become a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (in 1984), Eastern is now alltime versus Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Against current Pac-12 Conference members, EWU is now 2-9 (2-11 including losses to Washington State in 1907 and 1908) after a upset of 25th-ranked Oregon State in 2013 and a win over Washington State in Eastern has won three of its last eight games versus FBS foes. A win over Connecticut on Sept. 8, 2001, snapped a fivegame losing streak versus FBS foes, then a 20-3 win at Idaho in 2012 snapped a 10-game skid. Here is Eastern s complete list of games versus FBS members since Year - Opponent - Result Cal State-Long Beach - W, at Cal State-Long Beach - W, at Cal State-Long Beach - L, at #10 Houston - L, at Utah State - W, at Boise State - W, at Idaho - L, Idaho - W, at Idaho - L, Idaho - L, at Boise State - L, at Oregon State - L, at Boise State - L, at Connecticut - W, at Arizona State - L, at San Diego State - L, at Idaho - W, at Air Force - L, at San Jose State - L, at Oregon State - L, at #6 West Virginia - L, at Brigham Young - L, at #12 Texas Tech - L, at Colorado - L, at #10 California - L, at Nevada - L, at Washington - L, at Idaho - W, at Washington State - L, at #25 Oregon State - W, at Toledo - L, at Washington (9/6/14) - L, at #7 Oregon (9/5/15) - L, at Wash. St. (9/3/16) - W, at Texas Tech (9/2/17) - L, at Washington State (9/15/18) at Washington (8/31/19) at Florida (9/5/20) at Oregon (9/3/22)... SUBJECT TO CHANGE EWU Football - Page 10

11 Gubrud Breaks Three FCS, Seven Big Sky and 18 EWU Records Sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud the Big Sky s co-offensive MVP along with teammate Cooper Kupp -- put up some remarkable numbers in his first season as EWU s starter, breaking three FCS records, seven Big Sky marks and 18 school records. Gubrud is a 2014 graduate of McMinnville (Ore.) High School and passed for an FCS record 5,160 yards in the 2016 season, breaking the record of 5,076 by Taylor Heinicke of Old Dominion in His 11 games with at least 300 yards passing and 12 with at least 300 yards of total offense are also FCS records. Gubrud s total of 5,766 yards of total offense were just 33 from the total offense mark of 5,799 set by Steve McNair of Alcorn in Gubrud broke EWU and Big Sky Conference single season records previous set by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2013 with 4,994 passing yards and 5,559 yards of offense. Gubrud s average of yards of offense per game was also a league and school record, and ranks fifth in FCS history. He broke the previous Big Sky record set 25 years prior by Jamie Martin of Weber State with a average in Gubrud s final tally of passing yards per game was an EWU school record, breaking the record of set by Bo Levi Mitchell in They were also the second-most in Big Sky history (behind the record of set by Dave Dickenson of Montana in 1995) and ranked ninth all-time in FCS. Gubrud also set Big Sky and school records for total offensive plays (704), passing completions (386) and attempts (570), and a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 606 (the old record was 605 by Vernon Adams Jr. in 2013). The six single game EWU records he holds are for passing yards (520 vs. Montana State), total offense (551 vs. Washington State), touchdowns responsible for (7 vs. UC Davis), points responsible for (42 vs. UC Davis), fewest interceptions per pass attempt (0 in 64 attempts versus Central Arkansas) and completions (47 vs. Central Arkansas), which was also a league record. Gubrud 2016 NCAA Statistical Leader in Passing and Total Offense Helping EWU lead FCS in passing offense for the second-straight year, Gage Gubrud passed for 5,160 yards, 48 touchdowns and a.677 completion percentage, and also rushed for a team-leading and EWU quarterback record 606 yards (4.5 per carry) and five more scores. He finished as the FCS leader in total offense at per game, passing yards (5,160) and passing yards per game (368.6), and was second in points responsible per game (22.9), total points responsible for (320) and passing touchdowns (48). He was also third in completion percentage (.677) and third in passing efficiency (166.6). Teammate Cooper Kupp missed 1 1/2 games earlier in the season and almost a half at both Portland State on Nov. 18 and Central Arkansas on Dec. 3 with shoulder injuries. But he led FCS in receiving yards per game (130.8), was second in receptions per game (9.0), and joined Shaq Hill as the FCS leader in receiving touchdowns (17). Kendrick Bourne was 32nd in receptions per game (5.6) and 26th in receiving yards per game (85.8), and Hill was 37th in average receptions (5.5) and 32nd in average yards (82.6). That trio was in the Big Sky in total receiving yards, in receiving yards per game, in receptions per game, and in touchdown receptions (Bourne had seven). Antoine Custer Jr. Makes Big Plays Rushing & Returning for Eagles as a True Freshman in 2016 True freshman running back Antoine Custer Jr., made big plays all EWU Football - Page 11 EWU Football - Page 11 TOP CROWDS All but three of the 29 largest crowds Eastern has ever played in front of have occurred since the 2000 season. Eastern s 2007 game at BYU in sold-out LaVell Edwards Stadium broke the year-old record for the largest crowd the Eagles have ever played in front of. Strong winds, rain, snow and temperatures ranging from degrees didn t keep many fans at home as the announced crowd of 64,522 was even larger than the stadium s listed capacity of 64,045. Eastern s 2006 game versus West Virginia at sold-out Milan Puskar Stadium was attended by 59,504 fans at the time, that was the largest crowd by nearly 20,000 fans the Eagles had ever played against. The previous record was 39,581 set at Arizona State in Below is a list of the 29 crowds in excess of 20,000 the Eagles have ever played against. Attendance - Opponent - Date - Result 64,522 - at Brigham Young - Oct. 20, L, ,861 - at Washington - Sept. 6, L, ,504 - at West Virginia - Sept. 9, L, ,128 - at Oregon - Sept. 5, L, ,088 - at Washington - Sept. 3, L, ,083 - at California - Sept. 12, L, ,988 - at Texas Tech - Sept. 2, L, ,887 - at Texas Tech - Aug. 30, L, ,417 - at Colorado - Sept. 6, L, ,649 - at Oregon State - Aug. 31, W, ,581 - at Arizona State - Aug. 31, L, ,071 - at Oregon State - Aug. 31, L, ,389 - at Air Force - Sept. 11, L, ,598 - at Washington State - Sept. 8, L, ,952 - at Washington State - Sept. 3, W, ,782 - at Oregon State - Sept. 2, L, ,323 - at U.S. International - Oct. 28, W, ,082 - at Montana - Oct. 26, W, ,066 - at Montana - Sept. 17, L, ,751 - at Montana - Oct. 17, L, ,493 - at Boise State - Oct. 14, L, ,213 - at Montana - Nov. 14, L, ,739 - at Montana - Oct. 15, W, ,329 - at Montana - Nov. 15, L, ,226 - at Montana - Oct. 6, L, ,981 - at Boise State - Oct. 9, L, at Boise State - Sept. 21, L, ,145 - at San Diego State - Aug. 30, L, ,477 - at Montana State - Oct. 13, W, ,459 - at Toledo - Sept. 14, L, EWU S SEASON-ENDING FCS/I-AA RANKINGS th (NCAA Division I-AA Poll) th (NCAA Division I-AA Poll) th (The Sports Network) th (The Sports Network) & 4th (ESPN/USA Today) th (The Sports Network) & 7th (ESPN/USA Today) th (The Sports Network) & 13th (ESPN/USA Today) th (The Sports Network) & 8th (Coaches) th (The Sports Network) & 13th (Coaches) st (The Sports Network) & 1st (Coaches) th (The Sports Network) & 4th (Coaches) rd (The Sports Network) & 3rd (Coaches) th (The Sports Network) & 4th (Coaches) th (STATS) & 4th (Coaches) EWU was ranked in the top 25 in 57 consecutive polls until being unranked in the season-ending rankings in 2015.

12 season as a true freshman for the Eagles, finishing his debut season with 977 all-purpose yards and a pair of Big Sky Conference Player of the Week accolades. He rushed 98 times for a net of 416 yards and five touchdowns, and caught 27 passes for 187 yards and a score, and also averaged 26.7 yards on 14 kickoff returns with a touchdown. Custer started at running back in six games, including Eastern s opener against Washington State, and scored the first touchdown of the season for the Eagles on a pass from Gage Gubrud. He ended the regular season by returning four kickoffs for a 26.8 average in a victory against Portland State on Nov. 18. He had a long of 35, which sparked EWU s nine-play, 61-yard drive that knotted the game at 28 in the fourth quarter. En route to a career-high of 185 allpurpose yards, he also rushed for a team-high 69 yards on 13 carries (5.3 per carry), giving him 210 yards in his last two regular season games of the season. He had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, and first of the season for the Eagles in EWU s win over Idaho State on Nov. 12. He finished with 141 yards on 12 carries, including an 83-yard touchdown in the second quarter which equals the ninth-longest in school history. It was the first 100-yard rushing performance by an Eagle in EWU s last 15 games dating back to Jalen Moore s 128-yard performance at Northern Colorado. His 141 were the most for an Eagle in 19 games since Jabari Wilson had 188 versus Montana State earlier in the 2015 season. While EWU s offense ended up with four turnovers and had to punt three times, the Eagles had excellent balance with 281 on the ground and 276 through the air. Eastern finished with a total of 557, including 209 in the third quarter. It was the first time in 23 games the Eagles had more rushing yards than passing yards, dating back to a playoff win over Montana on Dec. 6, 2014, when the Eagles had 212 on the ground and 182 through the air. He missed the Northern Colorado game on Oct. 8 with a concussion. He was also very productive in a win at Cal Poly on Nov. 5 when he had 145 all-purpose yards yards rushing, 39 on three catches and 42 on two kickoff returns. Custer is proof that lightning can strike twice in the same spot. Just like he did against Northern Iowa on Sept. 17 when he had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half against Northern Iowa, Custer provided a third quarter spark for the Eagles in EWU s win over UC Davis on Oct. 1. He opened the third quarter with a 55-yard return this time, leading to a short touchdown drive as part of EWU s 35-point onslaught in that period. The resulting TD pulled EWU within 23-21, and the lead quickly changed hands twice before the Eagles scored the final 35 points of the game. His 55-yarder was just his second return as an Eagle, and then he followed that with a 16-yard return versus the Aggies. Teammate Nsimba Webster had an earlier 65-yard return against UC Davis, but broke his clavicle in the process. Senior Shaq Hill, who was a freshman All-American as a returner, had a 43-yarder against Montana on Oct. 29 and averaged 17.9 on eight returns. Webster had a 25.3 average per return, and EWU s 21.7 average as a team ranked fourth in the Big Sky and 25th nationally. In addition, Eastern s 20.3 average on punt returns including a 22.9 average for Cooper Kupp ranked first in the league and third in FCS. Trailing Northern Iowa by 17 at halftime on Sept. 17, Custer s TD in EWU s come-from-behind win over Northern Iowa helped earn him his first Big Sky Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honor. His TD return was the first by an Eagle since Hill had a 90-yarder against Portland State on Nov. 21, Hill, EWU s all-time leader in kickoff returns and yards, actually provided three blocks down the sideline during Custer s TD return. EWU Football - Page 12 EWU Football - Page 12 In the last 21 seasons ( ), Eastern has returned 37 total kicks for touchdowns while allowing just 17. Until North Dakota State had one in the FCS Playoffs in 2010, Eastern had not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown in more than 10 years (599 total returns). Running Back Duo Returns After Seeing Significant Action as True Freshmen A pair of running backs from Eastern s talented 2016 recruiting class played as true freshmen in the opener against Washington State on Sept. 3 when Antoine Custer Jr. and Tamarick Pierce received carries at running back. Custer started and had the first EWU touchdown of the season on a 14-yard reception, and rushed once for no gain. Pierce did not get a carry, but carried four times for 18 yards the next week at North Dakota State. Custer was a California two-time All-State selection out of powerhouse De La Salle High School, and Pierce was an All-State selection from Oakland, Calif., and Saint Mary s High School. Custer rushed for 4,429 yards (103.0 per game and 10.3 per carry) and scored 66 total touchdowns while helping his team compile a 41-2 record in three seasons, with a pair of state titles and a runner-up finish. He finished with 5,965 all-purpose yards in his career, and scored 53 touchdowns rushing, four receiving and nine on returns and recoveries. Pierce rushed for 3,342 yards (8.8 per carry) in his career with 35 rushing touchdowns, caught 44 passes for 424 yards and eight more scores, and scored 47 total TDs in three seasons. Offensive lineman D.J. Dyer made his Eagle debut against Northern Arizona on Sept. 24 when injuries to Eagle offensive linemen forced him to burn his redshirt. The other 15 true freshman on the roster redshirted and played on scout teams, including highly-touted quarterback Eric Barriere from La Habra (Calif.) High School. He accounted for 130 career touchdowns with 9,304 passing yards and 1,718 rushing yards in high school, and led the Highlanders to a collective 30-8 record and a perfect league record in three championship seasons. Series History Eastern is 1-1 all-time versus North Dakota State, having lost in overtime in 2016 and won by a score on Dec. 11, 2010, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Looking Back to No. 1 North Dakota State 50, No. 8 Eastern Washington 44 (OT) Top-ranked and five-time defending national champion North Dakota State rallied in the final minutes and beat No. 8 Eastern Washington University Sept. 10, 2016, in overtime in a thrilling showdown in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D. After trailing most of the game, Eastern had back-to-back scores to take a lead with 4:32 to play after a 53-yard drive. Eastern s defense held NDSU to single scores in the third and fourth quarters to that point, but the Bison put together a 15-play, 71-yard drive to knot the score at 44 with a 28-yard field with 42 seconds remaining. Following a 35-yard pass play on EWU s next possession, Jordan Dascalo missed a 49-yarder that could have won it. After an EWU interception in overtime, a 25-yard run by Lance Dunn on the first play of the ensuing possession by the Bison ended the game. Eastern had 556 yards of offense, and had scoring drives of 82, 75, 85, 75, 62 and 53 yards. Eastern had 450 passing yards, while the Bison finished with 280

13 on the ground and 257 through the air for a total of 537. Sophomore quarterback Gage Gubrud passed for 450 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 49 and a touchdown in a losing effort. His 499 yards of total offense were the third-most in school history. He led the Eagles on four second-half scoring drives after Eastern lost senior wide receiver Cooper Kupp for the game with a shoulder injury. In Kupp s place, sophomore receiver Stu Stiles caught eight passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Kendrick Bourne had the sixth 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with eight receptions for 133 yards. Kupp had a pair of touchdown catches in the first half, and finished with five catches for 62 yards. Senior safety Zach Bruce had a career-high 14 tackles, eclipsing his previous high of 10. Sophomore linebackers Ketner Kupp and Kurt Calhoun were forced to start their first games of their careers because of a pair of injuries to EWU s starters. Kupp, brother of former Eastern senior receiver Cooper Kupp, finished with eight tackles. Calhoun, whose brother Tim was a tight end for the Eagles ( ), had 13. Looking Back to Eastern Washington 38, North Dakota State 31 (OT) With their backs against the wall in a snowstorm, Eastern found a way to rally in the final minutes and upend North Dakota State in overtime Dec. 11, 2010, at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Junior running All-America Taiwan Jones led the Eagles with a career-high 230 rushing yards, but 138 of those came on his first four carries of the game as EWU jumped out to a 14-0 lead. He had 203 yards in the first half alone, then suffered a season-ending foot injury early in the second half. After North Dakota State took a lead with 5:51 left, Eastern put together a 13-play, 90-yard drive to knot the game with 23 seconds to play on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Bo Levi Mitchell to Nicholas Edwards. Mitchell, who was 13-of-32 for 141 yards, two interceptions and three touchdowns in the game, had entered that drive with just 38 yards passing. Tyler Hart gathered in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell on the first play of overtime, then linebacker J.C. Sherritt forced a fumble that was recovered by teammate Zach Johnson to end the game with NDSU at the Eastern 1-yard line. Sherritt, an All-America senior linebacker who would go on to win the Buchanan Award, finished with a team-high 15 tackles to give him 406 in his career and break the school record. With a steady snowfall in the second half and Jones out for the game, the Eagles had just 35 yards in the third quarter compared to just nine for the Bison. Eastern had 85 yards in the fourth and NDSU had 117 as EWU finished with 382 yards of offense to 316 for North Dakota State. North Dakota started the second half with a kickoff return for a touchdown, the first one against the Eagles in 600 returns dating back more than 10 years to Sept. 25, But Eastern s Jesse Hoffman countered with one of his own on the ensuing kickoff, giving EWU a advantage. All-Big Sky Conference defensive tackle Renard Williams had two sacks and four total tackles for the Eagles, and Johnson finished with 12 tackles, a pair of passes broken up and a half-sack. His twin brother Matt Johnson chipped in 10 tackles, as did Tyler Washburn. Tyler Hart and Greg Herd each had four pass receptions for 43 and 30 yards, respectively. EWU Football - Page 13 Recent Game Recap Texas Tech 56, Eastern Washington Texas Tech scored touchdowns on seven-straight possessions and rolled past Eastern Washington University Sept. 2 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, in the season-opener for both teams. Eastern s defense held the Red Raiders to just 20 yards on their first three possessions, but a 75-yard touchdown pass got TTU untracked. Texas Tech, which led the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense and passing yards a year ago, finished with 626 yards, including 449 through the air. Eastern s offense managed 301 yards of offense, including 207 passing and 10 rushing by Eagle All-America quarterback Gage Gubrud. He had a 22-yard touchdown pass to Terence Grady in the second quarter to cap a fiveplay, 75-yard drive for EWU. The game marked the head coaching debut of Aaron Best, whose NCAA Football Championship Subdivision team was hoping to repeat its success of a year ago when it beat FBS Washington State and in 2013 when it knocked off Oregon State Texas Tech quarterback Nic Shimonek was accurate, completing his first 14 passes and finishing 26-of-30 for 384 yards and three touchdowns in just under three quarters of action. His TD passes included strikes of 75 and 68 yards as the Red Raiders scored touchdowns on six-straight possessions on drives of 75, 68, 75, 75, 81 and 85 yards. Texas Tech added an interception return for a score and another touchdown on a 69-yard drive. Gubrud completed 22-of-34 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. Junior wide receivers Terence Grady and Nsimba Webster combined for 14 catches for 150 yards. Grady had a career-high eight receptions for 93 yards and a TD in his first game in two years after redshirting last season. Webster had 57 yards on a career-high six grabs. Junior safety Mitch Fettig led the Eagle defense with eight tackles, with Albert Havili and Jack Sendelbach each recording sacks. Senior punter Jordan Dascalo averaged 46.8 yards on six punts with a long of 58. The Red Raiders nearly doubled Eastern in average yards per play 8.3 to 4.2. Texas Tech converted 5-of-10 third downs while EWU was 6-of-15. Eastern put its first points on the board in the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal, Eastern gave up a 75-yard pass play to give Texas Tech a 14-3 lead. Eastern gave the ball up on downs on its next possession, then a 68-yard TD strike gave the Red Raiders a 21-3 advantage. The Eagle-Red Raider game was a match-up of the nation s two NCAA Division I passing champions in The Red Raiders averaged yards per game to win the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision passing title by nearly 100 yards (Louisiana Tech averaged and Washington State averaged 362.5). Texas Tech finished 5-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big 12 Conference, and was also first nationally in total offense (564.5) and fifth in scoring offense (43.7). The Red Raiders, coached by Kliff Kingsbury, were 3-6 in the Big 12 Conference last year to tie for sixth and 5-7 overall. Eastern averaged passing yards per game to lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for the second-straight season. The Eagles were also second in FCS in total offense (529.6) and third in scoring (42.4). Eastern now has a record all-time versus Football Bowl Subdivision members, including three victories since Eastern beat Idaho 20-3 that season, upset No. 25 Oregon State in 2013 and then knocked off Washington State in EWU Football - Page 13

14 EWU Football - Page 14 EAGLE EXCELLENCE TWELVE NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff Berths 1985, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 NINE Big Sky Championships, including three-peat in 2012/2013/2014 & back-to-back titles in 2004/ , 1997, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 Three Payton Award Winners (Cooper Kupp in 2015, Bo Levi Mitchell in 2011 and Erik Meyer in 2005), two Buchanan Award Winners (J.C. Sherritt in 2010 and Greg Peach in 2008) and a Jerry Rice Award recipient (Cooper Kupp) in the last 12 seasons ( ). In both 2013 and 2014, Vernon Adams Jr. was the runner-up for the Payton Award. In 2016, Cooper Kupp and Gage Gubrud were second and third, respectively, in the voting. In 2016 when EWU won its third league title in the last four seasons, Eastern made its ninth playoff appearance in 13 seasons. Eastern was one of only three teams to accomplish that feat from Eastern has had 19 winning seasons in the last 21 years ( ), including a current string of 10-straight ( ) and another stretch of seven straight ( ). The last time Eastern had that many winning seasons in a row came 75 years earlier in the Red Reese era when Eastern had a string of 11-straight winning seasons from In the past 21 years (1996 through 2016), the Eagles have won 65 percent (168-89) of their games overall and 69 percent (113-50) in Big Sky Conference play. Included are eight Big Sky titles and four runner-up finishes, as well as 19 winning seasons, 10 NCAA Championship Subdivision Playoff berths and the 2010 FCS title. As a result, former head coach Beau Baldwin ( ) left Eastern with a Big Sky record for a winning percentage of.806 to rank as the fifth-best in league history. His.733 winning percentage overall (85-31) ranked seventh all-time in the 54-year history of the Big Sky. Eastern has averaged 33.7 points on offense and allowed 26.7 points on defense in the past 21 seasons (1996 through 2016), for totals of 8,656 points scored and 6,864 allowed in 256 games (record of ). Eastern s 34 victories from represents by a landslide by seven wins the best three-year stretch of success in the school s football history. The and teams won 27 games. It s also the fourth-best in Big Sky Conference history, ranking only behind the 39 games Montana won between and , and the 38 the Grizzlies won between Finishing fourth in the final Sports Network top 25 poll of the 2016 season, Eastern has now had a top four finish five times in the past seven years ( ) and six times overall. In the 2015 season, Eastern extended its string of nationally-ranked weeks to 57 before the streak was ended with the final poll of the season. Eastern started 2016 ranked 14th in the preseason poll and ended the year 10 positions higher. The 2016 season was the 13th time Eastern has finished the season nationally ranked, including nine times since The other seasons were in 1985, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and Six times the Eagles have finished in the top four fourth in 1997, 2012, 2014 and 2016; third in 2013; and first in 2010 after winning the NCAA Division I title. Capping an 11-game winning streak to end the year, Eastern was the 2010 NCAA Division I National Champions. The top-ranked Eagles defeated #9 Southeast Missouri State (37-17), #25 North Dakota State (38-31 in overtime) and defending champion #10 Villanova (41-31) in three home playoff games, then defeated #5 Delaware (20-19) in the championship game on Jan. 7, 2011, in Frisco, Texas. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was selected as the game s Most Outstanding Player after throwing three touchdowns passes in the final 16:48 as EWU rallied from a 19-0 deficit. The Eagles have been ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 2014, 2012, 2011 and 2010 for at least one week of the season. Eastern ended both the 2010 regular season and the playoffs as the No. 1-ranked FCS team by both The Sports Network and in the FCS Coaches Poll. Eastern was also No. 1 in the first two polls of the 2011 season, two weeks in 2012 and once in The Eagles were as high as second in 2013, as high as fourthi n 2015 and as high as third in Two FCS Total Offense Championships (2001, 1997), as well as three passing offense titles (2016, 2015, 2011) and two for scoring offense (2014, 2001). In EWU s last 13 seasons ( ), EWU has ranked in the top 10 in passing 11 times, total offense on nine occasions and scoring five times. EWU ended 2016 as the FCS leader in passing offense (401.0 per game). Eagle Pride... A total of 85 Eagles have been drafted or signed free agent contracts with NFL or CFL teams since Fourteen have been drafted by the NFL and five drafted by the CFL, in addition to four NFL draftees between Two players from EWU s 2016 team were drafted Cooper Kupp in the third round and Samson Ebukam in the fourth, both by the Los Angeles Rams. Kendrick Bourne and Shaq Hill signed free agent contracts with the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans, respectively, and Jordan West had a free agent tryout with the Chicago Bears. Ten Eagles have been selected to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in the past 14 years ( ), with 14 selected to play in eight different college all-star games. Most recently, wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Kendrick Bourne were invited to the NFL Combine, and Kupp played in the Senior Bowl. Bourne and defensive end Samson Ebukam played in the NFL Player s Association Collegiate Bowl. One year prior, offensive linemen Clay DeBord (left) and Aaron Neary (right) played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl before signing free agent contracts with Arizona and Denver, respectively. They are now with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively. EWU Football - Page 14

15 EWU Football - Page 15 The Eagles have won 153 first-team FCS All-America honors in the past 20 seasons ( ), with a total of 161 in school history. The latest additions to the All-America list from 2016 (first team only) were wide receiver Cooper Kupp (a consensus first team All-American for the fourth-straight season), quarterback Gage Gubrud and defensive end Samson Ebukam. Eastern players have been selected as the Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP in 12 of the last 16 seasons (through 2016). In 2016, Gage Gubrud and Cooper Kupp became the first teammates to earn co-mvp honors. In 2015, Kupp became only the second wide receiver in 42 years to win the honor. Nine of EWU s MVP awards have been quarterbacks, including Gubrud, Vernon Adams (2014 & 2013), Bo Levi Mitchell (2011), Matt Nichols (2009 and 2007), Erik Meyer (2005 and 2004) and Josh Blankenship (2002), as well as running backs Jesse Chatman (2001) and Taiwan Jones (2010). An Eagle has won the Big Sky MVP on offense 12 times in school history (Harry Leons 1997). J.C. Sherritt was the Defensive MVP in 2010, becoming the fifth Eagle to earn that honor (Jason Marsh 1993, Chris Scott 1997, Joey Cwik 2005, Greg Peach 2008). Wide receiver Cooper Kupp capped his sensational career as a four-time conensus All-American by repeating as FCS Offensive Payer of the Year by the FCS Athletic Director s Assocation. He also finished second in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, presented in 2016 by STATS. Teammate Gage Gubrud was third in the voting for the award Kupp won as a junior. He finished his career as the all-time collegiate in receiving yards with 6,284, and his 418 receptions and 71 touchdown catches were both all-time NCAA Division I records (FCS and FBS). In all, he set 15 FCS, 11 Big Sky and 29 EWU records in his 52-game career (all as a starter with at least two catches in each). He broke his own Big Sky record with 117 catches as a senior, good for 1,700 yards and 17 scores. As a junior, he was selected as the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by both STATS and the FCS Athletic Director s Association, and he was also presented the 2015 Walter Payton Award as selected by Mickey Charles LLC. He caught a 114 passes in 2015, and announced on Nov. 30, 2016, his intention to return for his senior year rather than pursue professional opportunities a year early. He was selected as the recipient of the Jerry Rice Award given to the top freshman in FCS, and also in 2013 won the College Performance Awards Wide Receiver Award. Kupp led Eastern to 41 victories overall and 28 in the Big Sky Conference, with three league championships and playoff berths in his freshman, sophomore and senior seasons. In his first season as a starter in his sophomore season in 2016, Gage Gubrud had a FCS record 5,160 passing yards on his way to winning FCS Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio). A first team All-American, he also finished third in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, presented in 2016 by STATS. Teammate Cooper Kupp was second in the voting after winning the award as a junior. Gubrud was 11-2 in 13 games as a starter and led FCS in total offense with a league and school record average of yards per game. He broke a total of three FCS records, seven Big Sky marks and 18 school records. One of his records was 551 yards of total offense in EWU s season-opening win at Washington State in his starting debut. Wide receiver/kickoff returner Shaq Hill became the first player in school history to play for Eastern in four Big Sky Championship seasons (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016). He helped Eastern have a collective 30-2 league mark and record in those four years, while earning All-Big Sky accolades in each season. He became just the second Eastern player in school history to letter in four playoff years, playing an EWU record 11 postseason games. He finished his career with 178 receptons for 2,818 yards and 32 touchdowns, and had school records for career kickoff returns (94) and yards (2,280). His 5,234 all-purpose yards were the third-most in EWU history. Offensive tackle Jake Rodgers, a consensus FCS All-American in 2014, was drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons (he now plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers). The 2010 graduate of Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash., was the 225th pick overall. Sixth-year senior Ronnie Hamlin broke the Big Sky Conference career tackles record after finishing his career with 50 starts in 53 career games (both school records at the time). The three-time All-American equaled a career high with 16 tackles against Illinois State in his final game as a collegian, and finished the season with 110 tackles on the season and 473 in his career. He finished with 20 performances in his career with at least 10 tackles. Most importantly, he helped lead the Eagles to a record overall and 28-5 Big Sky Conference mark with a trio of league titles, three playoff berths and three appearances in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Two-time All-America quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was runner-up in both 2013 and 2014 for the Payton Award given to the top player in FCS, and was 28-6 as a starter at EWU. His 2014 season was shortened by four games because of a broken foot, but he still passed for 3,483 yards (348.3 per game) and 35 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he finished second in the nation in total offense (373.3 per game), with school and Big Sky record totals of 5,559 yards of offense (second in FCS history), 4,994 passing yards (third) and 55 touchdown passes (third). His passing efficiency rating of led the nation, ranked fourth all-time in FCS and broke EWU and Big Sky records. He was selected as the College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Year in He established the Big Sky Conference and EWU records with 110 touchdown passes to rank 10th all-time in FCS history. He played his senior year at Oregon and is now in the CFL with Montreal. After a sensational season that saw him break a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record, wide receiver Brandon Kaufman earned the 2012 FCS Wide Receiver Award from College Football Performance Awards (CFPA). Kaufman finished the 2012 campaign with a FCS record 1,850 receiving yards, closing the year with 93 total catches and 16 receiving touchdowns in 14 games. Besides earning first team All-Big Sky Conference honors, Kaufman was selected to four All- America teams, including first team honors from College Sports Madness and Beyond Sports College Network. Kaufman left Eastern a year early, and signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills in spring Interestingly, Kaufman and former Eagle soccer player Lauren Jacobsen were married by former Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin in Colorado in Helping teams win titles at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell won the 2011 Walter Payton Award presented by The Sports Network to the top player in the NCAA Championship Subdivision. In 2011, Mitchell led the FCS in four categories, including passing yards (4,009) and touchdown passes (33) on his way to breaking four school records. He broke EWU s record for single season passing yards with 4,009, which at the time ranked 17th in FCS history and fifth in Big Sky Conference history. He led EWU to a 19-7 record in two years, including the 2010 NCAA Division I title with a victory over Delaware. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship game, throwing three touchdown passes as the Eagles rallied from a 19-0 deficit to score three TDs in the final 16:48. He now plays for Calgary in the Canadian Football League, and in 2016 he was the league s Most Outstanding Player. Two years prior he was game MVP in leading the Stampeders to the 2014 Grey Cup championship. He also led Katy, Texas, High School to an undefeated season and a state championship in His brother, Cory Mitchell, played wide receiver for the Eagles, and caught passes from Bo Levi in the 2011 season. Cory also signed with Calgary after finishing his EWU eligibility in 2014, but did not make the team. Linebacker J.C. Sherritt won the 2010 Buck Buchanan Award presented by The Sports Network to the top defensive player in the NCAA Championship Subdivision. He was also selected to six different All-America teams as a first team selection, and was the College Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year and the Big Sky Defensive MVP. He broke his own league and school records by finishing his senior season with 176 tackles, which ranked sixth in FCS history. He closed his career EWU Football - Page 15

16 EWU Football - Page 16 with a school-record 432 tackles to rank second in Big Sky history and 10th all-time in FCS. As a junior, he finished second in the voting for the 2009 Buchanan Award. On his way to earning first-team All-America honors on five different teams, he had a school and Big Sky Conference record 170 tackles, and led FCS with an average of 14.2 tackles per game. He is now with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL, where he was the league s Defensive Player of the Year after finishing with a CFL record 130 tackles in A year after his former Eagle teammate Bo Levi Mitchell won the Grey Cup, Sherritt helped Edmonton win the CFL title in Eagle All-America offensive tackle Michael Roos became the highest draft choice in school history when Tennessee selected him in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. He was the 41st selection overall, the third offensive tackle selected and the first NCAA Championship Subdivision player taken. In addition, he was the first Big Sky Conference player selected and the highest since In 2008, in just his fourth NFL season, he earned prestigious All-Pro honors and was also honored in 2010 and He started 226 consecutive football games he played in dating back to his sophomore season at EWU in 2002 until suffereing a knee injury in 2014, which subsequently led him to retire on Feb. 26, He started 190 of a possible 190 games in that span until an appendicitis attack and subsequent surgery ended the streak in October He retired on Feb. 26, He was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 1, 2016, and he and his wife, Katherine, received the Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award. Running back Taiwan Jones finished fourth in the voting for the 2010 Walter Payton Award presented by The Sports Network to the top player in FCS. He was also selected to five different All-America teams as a first team selection, and was also the Phil Steele Publications FCS Offensive Player of the Year, the College Football Performance Awards Running Back of the Year and the Big Sky Offensive MVP. Despite missing three games and parts of two others because of injuries, he rushed for 1,742 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns to rank second in FCS in rushing (145.2 per game) and second in all-purpose yards (201.8 per game). Following his junior season, he declared himself eligible for the 2011 NFL draft and was selected in the fourth round by the Oakland Raiders. He was the first player taken from the Big Sky Conference and is Eastern s second-highest draft choice in school history. The 2016 season was his sixth with the Raiders, playing as a running back, cornerback, kick returner and on other special teams units. Defensive end Greg Peach won the 2008 Buck Buchanan Award presented by The Sports Network to the top defensive player in FCS. He earned first-team All- America honors on five different teams and was the College Sporting News FCS Defensive Player of the Year and the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP. The two-time All-American led FCS with averages of 1.64 sacks and 2.1 tackles for loss per game, while setting school records with totals of 18 sacks in 2008 and 35 1/2 in his career. He went on to play seven seasons in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and announced his retirement on May 28, Quarterback Erik Meyer won the 2005 Walter Payton Award presented by The Sports Network to the top player in the NCAA Championship Subdivision. He and wide receiver Eric Kimble were Eastern s first-ever back-to-back All-America selections at their positions. Meyer led San Jose to the Arena Football League title in 2014 after several successful seasons with the Spokane Shock, where he was the AFL MVP in He served as a student assistant coach for the Eagles in 2012, and was quarterbacks coach at Central Washington in fall of Quarterback Matt Nichols finished fourth in the voting for the 2009 Walter Payton Award presented by The Sports Network, capping a record-breaking career. He broke school and Big Sky records for passing yards with 12,616 and total offense with 13,308. At the time, both marks ranked sixth all-time in FCS history. He eventually signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, and went on to play with the Edmonton Eskimos where he was reunited with former Eastern teammate J.C. Sherritt. He is now with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Former Eagles T.J. Lee III and Ryan Phillips both became starting defensive halfbacks on the same B.C. Lions teams in 2015 and Lee, a two-time All-American and three-time first-team All-Big Sky selection as an Eagle from , had his third season in the CFL in 2016 shortened with an Achilles injury. Phillips, who played for Eastern in 2003 and 2004, concluded his 12th season with the Lions before joining the Montreal Alouettes in the off-season. He has won five West Division All-Star honors and once had an iron-man streak of 181 consecutive games played. Matt Johnson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 National Football League Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, but injuries kept him from playing in in the regular season in his three seasons with the club ( ). The 2010 FCS All-American started every game he played as an Eagle (45) and was twice selected as a first team All-Big Sky selection. He finished his career just one interception away from the school record of 18. He was also only nine interception return yards from the record of 219 held by Kurt Schulz and his six career forced fumbles tied for the school record. Eagle Tradition... Eastern has made 58 National or Regional Television appearances in the last five years alone (2012-through 2016), including broadcasts on ESPN (1), ESPNU (3), ESPN3 (9), Root Sports (17), the Pac 12 Networks (5), Comcast Sports NW (2) and SWX (21). Eastern made 18 appearances the previous two years (2010 & 2011) on ESPN2 (2), Altitude (2), Max Media (2), Root (1), Comcast (1), Fox College Sports (1), Midco (1), KPAX (1), KSBY (1) and SWX (6). In 2014, Eastern had 12 of its 14 games nationally or regionally televised, and in 2015 eight of 11 were aired. In 2016, all but one were televised. * Eastern set a new school record with an average of 9,577 fans in five home games in 2015, and had an 8,435 average in eight home games in Since EWU won the NCAA Division I championship in 2010, EWU has had the top seven attendance averages in school history in the seven years since. With a Roos Field crowd of 9,302 versus Idaho State to conclude the 2016 regular season home schedule, Eastern has now had 20-consecutive regular season sellout crowds at The Inferno and 32 all-time in stadium history (8,600 or more). Eastern had five of the top 24 crowds in school history in 2016 at the stadium, which was in its 50th season of existence in Eastern s game versus Montana had the fifth-most fans (10,931), followed by 10,924 against Northern Colorado for Homecoming (sixth), 10,741 versus UC Davis (10th), 9,302 against Idaho State (20th) and 9,111 versus Northern Iowa (24th). Eastern has nine playoff berths in a 13-year span ( ), ranking the Eagles as one of only three schools among 122 in FCS to accomplish that feat. New Hampshire ( ) made the playoffs for the 13th-straight time in The third team was Montana ( ) with 10 appearances in that stretch. The Eagles have four appearances in the last five years ( ), with only six other teams on that list (Illinois State, Jacksonville State, New Hampshire, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, South Dakota State). Eastern s 12 appearances overall make them just the 15th team in FCS with that many. The Eagles have now had 22 offensive linemen earn All-America accolades in 33 years in FCS ( ), including 14 first team All-Americans. They have combined for 71 honors (37 first team, 18 second team, 4 third team and 12 honorable mention). A total of 56 Eastern offensive linemen have earned All-Big Sky accolades in 30 seasons in the league ( ), including 25 who have earned first team honors. They have combined for 92 honors (32 first team, 19 second team, EWU Football - Page 16

17 EWU Football - Page 17 0 third team, 41 honorable mention). Since 1994, eight different Eagle offensive linemen have played in 10 different all-star games. Tackle Clay DeBord and guard Aaron Neary in 2015 were the most recent players to earn All-America and first team All-Big Sky honors, and tackle Jake Rodgers and Neary earned both in All three also played in postseason All-Star games and went on to play in the NFL. Since becoming a member of FCS in 1984, Eastern has had 88 players earn a total of 322 All-America honors (through 2016). In 2016, Cooper Kupp, Gage Gubrud, Samson Ebukam, Shaq Hill and Kendrick Bourne combined for 21 total honors. In 2015, three Eagles (Kupp, Clay DeBord and Aaron Neary) combined for a total of 14 honors on on seven All-America squads. In 2014, seven Eagles (Vernon Adams, Kupp, Jake Rodgers, Ronnie Hamlin, Tevin McDonald, Neary and Jake Miller) combined on seven All-America teams for 20 accolades. A total of 100 players have earned first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors since 1997 (through 2016). Since joining the Big Sky in 1987, Eastern has won a total of 451 All-Big Sky accolades (first, second, third, honorable mention). The Eagles have won 122 Big Sky Player of the Week honors in the past 20 seasons ( ). Winners in 2016 were Gage Gubrud (four times on offense), Cooper Kupp (twice on offense and once on special teams), Antoine Custer Jr. (twice on special teams), Miquyah Zamora (defense), Jordan Dascalo (special teams) and Roldan Alcobendas (special teams). Kupp closed his career with six Big Sky POW honors -- four on offense and two on special teams. In 12 of the last 22 seasons ( ), Eastern has had a 1,000-yard rusher, including eight different players. The latest is Quincy Forte in the 2013 season when he finished with 1,208. Taiwan Jones had 1,213 yards in 2009 and went over the 1,000-yard mark again in 2010 with 1,742 yards. Eagle Consistency... In the past nine seasons (2008-through 2016), the Eagles are 47-1 when they ve won the turnover battle, 21-5 when they ve been tied and when they ve lost (total of 85-32). The last time EWU lost when it won the turnover battle came in the 2009 FCS Playoffs at Stephen F. Austin when EWU had two miscues and forced four in the loss. Thus, EWU is 38-0 since 2010 when they ve won the turnover battle, 18-4 when they ve been tied and when they ve lost. That s a collective record of (76 percent), with 19 of those 23 losses (83 percent) coming in games EWU has lost the turnover battle and 53 percent of EWU s wins coming when they ve won the turnover battle (79 percent when including ties). From , 16 out of 18 seasons have concluded with a victory in the team s final game of the regular season, and EWU has won 26 of its last 30 regular season games in November (through the 2016 season). * The Eagles are 32-6 in their last 38 Big Sky games since a 0-2 start in Eastern has won 22 of its last 26 league games, with the lone losses coming against Montana and Portland State in 2015 and Northern Arizona in both 2015 and An Oct. 25, 2014, loss at Northern Arizona snapped EWU s 14-game conference winning streak and a home loss against the Lumberjacks on Nov. 7, 2015, ended a streak of eight Big Sky wins in a row. Including non-conference victories (two versus MSU and one against Cal Poly) and a playoff win (Montana), the Eagles have won 26 of their last 30 versus conference foes. * With two games in the 2016 regular season requiring late-game rallies, Eastern has now won 18 games since 2010 when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter. * Eastern has had point games in the last five seasons (including two in the 2016 regular sason), with one in 2015, six in 2014 and two each in 2013 and Eastern is now 49-3 in the 52 games they have scored at least 50 in school history. The lone losses were to Washington (59-52 in 2014), Idaho State (55-52 in 2003 in double overtime) and Weber State (63-59 in 1991, which at the time was the highest-scoring game in FCS/I-AA history). Eastern has returned 18 kickoffs for touchdowns in the past 21 seasons and 19 punts for scores in the same time span (1996 through 2016). Until allowing one in the 2010 FCS Playoffs against North Dakota State, the Eagles had not allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown since the 1999 season a total of exactly 599 touchdown-less returns. EWU Football Academic Honors Eastern football players have earned 13 CoSIDA Academic All-America honors since 1989, including six first-team selections. Cooper Kupp was honored on the first team as a senior in 2016 and junior in 2015, and as a second team choice in 2014 when he was one of just two sophomores on the 50-player list (freshmen are not eligible). Kupp is the first three-time Academic All-American in school history. Nine different Eagles have been honored. Eastern players have been honored 65 times since 1989 on the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII team (through 2016 season). A total of 20 awards have been won by Eagles on the FCS Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star team since the award began in Cooper Kupp was selected in 2015 and 2016, and tight end Jake Withnell was honored in 2015 when he was a finalist for that organization s post-graduate scholarship award. A total of 401 Eagles have been selected to the Big Sky All-Academic team in the past 21 years ( ) an average of more than 19 per year. Since 2001, when the league went to an eight-team alignment, Eastern has had a league-most 335 selections through 2016 (the school with the next-best total has 236). Eastern has won a total of 534 Big Sky All-Academic honors since joining the league in 1987, including a program-best 34 in the 2016 season. Jeff Minnerly was awarded the Elite 88 Award by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He received the award for having the highest cumulative grade point average among the participants in the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Eastern won that game 20-19, as Minnerly finished with two passes broken up and two tackles. Minnerly was a 4.0 student at Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., where he excelled in football and basketball. Sixteen Eastern football players have been honored as EWU s recipient of the Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, including Cooper Kupp in , Ashton Miller in , Jeff Minnerly in and Matt Martin in EWU Football - Page 17

18 DEFENSE EWU Football - Page Depth Chart... 9/4/17 End 90 - Keenan Williams Jr. - 2L - Cheney, Wash. (Cheney HS 15) 46 - Conner Baumann Jr. - 2L* - Bellevue, Wash. (Newport HS 14) 92 - Nick Foerstel Jr. - 2L* - Tumwater, Wash. (Tumwater HS 14) 49 - Jim Townsend Jr. - 2L - Okanogan, Wash. (Okanogan HS 15) Tackle 9 - #Andre Lino Sr. - 3L* - Seattle, Wash. (Blanchet HS 13) 91 - Jonah Jordan Jr. - 2L* - Spokane, Wash. (Mead HS 14) 72 - Keith Moore Fr. - HS* - Bremerton, Wash. (Olympic HS 16) Nose Tackle 99 - #Jay-Tee Tiuli Sr. - 3L - Seattle, Wash. (Federal Way HS 14) 57 - Dylan Ledbetter So. - 1L * - West Seattle, Wash. (O Dea HS 15) 55 - Rudolph Mataia Jr Fr. - HS* - Vancouver, Wash. (Evergreen HS 16) Buck End 4 - #Albert Havili Sr. - 3L* - Federal Way, Wash. (Federal Way HS 13) 93 - Marcus Saugen Sr. - 3L - Spokane, Wash. (North Central HS 14) 96 - Darnell Hogan So. - SQ* - Seattle, Wash. (Cleveland HS 15) Strong-Side Linebacker 40 - Ketner Kupp Jr. - 2L - Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS 15) 52 - Jack Sendelbach So. - 1L * - Seattle, Wash. (Blanchet HS 15) 58 - Chris Ojoh - LB Fr. - HS - Sunland, Calif. (Bishop Alemany HS 17) 53 - Conor McKenna - LB Fr. - HS* - Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga Prep HS 16) Trevor Davis Jr So. - 1L * - Tumwater, Wash. (Tumwater HS 15) Middle Linebacker 59 - Kurt Calhoun Jr. - 2L* - Zillah, Wash. (Zillah HS 14) 36 - Andrew Katzenberger So. - 1L * - Lynnwood, Wash. (Lynnwood HS 15) Rover 33 - Cole Karstetter Jr. - 2L* - Spokane, Wash. (Ferris HS 14) 29 - John Kreifels Sr. - 3L* - Modesto, Calif. (Thomas Downey HS 13) 48 - Kedrick Johnson Fr. - HS* - Vancouver, Wash. (Hockinson HS 16) 42 - Joe Lang - DB Fr. - HS* - Royal, Wash. (Royal HS 16) Cornerback 1 - #Josh Lewis Jr. - 2L* - Lakewood, Wash. (Steilacoom HS 14) 31 - Brandon Montgomery Jr. - 1L * - Tacoma, Wash. (Wilson HS 14) 30 - Ira Branch - DB Fr. - HS - Tacoma, Wash. (Mount Tahoma HS 17) Cornerback 6 - #Nzuzi Webster Jr. - 2L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS 14) 18 - D londo Tucker Sr. - 3L* - Federal Way, Wash. (Federal Way HS 13) Safety 13 - #Mitch Fettig Jr. - 2L* - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS 14) 22 - Tysen Prunty So. - 1L * - Beaverton, Ore. (Tigard HS 15) 34 - Anfernee Gurley - DB Fr. - HS - Everett, Wash. (Archbishop Murphy HS 17) Safety 17 - Jake Hoffman Sr. - 3L* - Spokane, Wash. (North Central HS 13) 23 - Dehonta Hayes So. - SQ* - Tacoma, Wash. (Lincoln HS 15) 43 - Calin Criner Fr. - HS* - Boise, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS 16) Nickel 13 - Mitch Fettig Jr. - 2L* - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS 14) 6 - Nzuzi Webster Jr. - 2L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS 14) 17 - Jake Hoffman Sr. - 3L* - Spokane, Wash. (North Central HS 13) 34 - Anfernee Gurley - DB Fr. - HS - Everett, Wash. (Archbishop Murphy HS 17) 31 - Brandon Montgomery Jr. - 1L * - Tacoma, Wash. (Wilson HS 14) OFFENSE Left Tackle 64 - #Chris Schlichting So. - 1L * - North Bend, Wash. (Mount Si HS 15) 76 - Brett Thompson Fr. - HS* - Olympia, Wash. (Olympia HS 16) Left Guard 65 - #Tristen Taylor So. - 1L * - Stockton, Calif. (Stagg HS 15) 78 - Conner Crist Fr. - HS* - Tigard, Ore. (Tigard HS 16) EWU Football - Page 18 Pronunciations Roldan Alcobendas - roll-dan alcoe-ben-dez Barriere bare-ee-aa... rhymes with Perrier Antoine Custer Jr. an-twawn Calin Criner cal-uhn cry-nur Dascalo doss-call-oh Foerstel for-stell Gubrud goo-brood Havili hah-vee-lee Dehonta Hayes duh-hawn-tay Kreifels cry-fuls Levao luh-vow Talolo Limu Jones tuh-low-low lee-moo Lino lee-know Mataia muh-tay-ah Tamarick Pierce tuh-mare-rick Prunty pruhn-tee Saugen SAW-gun Sblendorio sblen-door-ee-oh Tiuli tee-oo-lee D londo Tucker duh-lawn-doe Nsimba Webster sim-buh Nzuzi Webster zoo-zee Incoming Freshmen Marques Hampton first named pronounced marcus A. Pasesa Leiato puh-seh-suh layah-toe Cale Lindsay lynnd-zay Amir Matheney uh-meer muhthee-knee Debore ae McClain duh-bore-eeaa Darreon Moore dare-ee-uhn Wyatt Musser muss-ur Chris Ojoh o-joh

19 EWU Football - Page 19 Center 75 - #Spencer Blackburn Jr. - 1L * - Bellingham, Wash. (Meridian HS 14) 63 - Jack Hunter Jr. - 1L * - Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga Prep HS 14) Right Guard 70 - #Matt Meyer Jr. - 2L/TR* - Lynden, Wash. (Lynden HS 13 / Washington State Univ.) 69 - Will Gram So. - SQ* - Troy, Idaho (Troy HS 15) Right Tackle 66 - Kaleb Levao Jr. - 2L* - Aberdeen, Wash. (Aberdeen HS 14) 79 - Nicholas Blair Fr. - HS* - Everett, Wash. (Everett HS 16) Quarterback 8 - #Gage Gubrud Jr. - 2L* - McMinnville, Ore. (McMinnville HS 14) 3 - Eric Barriere Fr. - HS* - Inglewood, Calif. (La Habra HS 16) 16 - Nick Moore Fr. HS - Newhall, Calif. (Hart HS 17) Running Back 28 - #Antoine Custer Jr So. - 1L - Berkeley, Calif. (De La Salle 16) 20 - Sam McPherson Jr. - 2L - Bothell, Wash. (Bothell HS 15) 24 - Tamarick Pierce So. - 1L - Oakland, Calif. (Saint Mary s HS 16) 44 - Dennis Merritt So. - SQ* - Leavenworth, Wash. (Cascade HS 15) OR 21 - Ashanti Kindle Jr. - 1L* - Puyallup, Wash. (Emerald Ridge HS 14) Tight End 85 - Henderson Belk Jr. - 2L* - Mukilteo, Wash. (Kamiak HS 14) 89 - Jayce Gilder So. - 1L * - Corvallis, Mont. (Corvallis HS 15) 10 - Talolo Limu-Jones Fr. - HS* - Modesto, Calif. (Grace Davis HS 16) 86 - Beau Byus Jr. - 1L * - Spokane, Wash. (Central Valley HS 14) Wide Receiver 11 - Terence Grady Jr. - 2L* - Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS 14) 88 - Johnny Edwards IV - WR Fr. - HS - Pasadena, Calif. (Bishop Alemany HS 17) 87 - Dre Sonte Dorton So. - SQ* - Pasco, Wash. (Chiawana HS 15) 82 - Xavier James Fr. - HS* - Goodyear, Ariz. (Verrado HS 16) Wide Receiver 7 - Nic Sblendorio Sr. - 3L* - Sammamish, Wash. (Skyline HS 13) 2 - Stu Stiles Jr. - 2L* - Spokane, Wash. (Mt. Spokane HS 14) 14 - Jayson Williams So. - 1L* - Tacoma, Wash. (Lincoln HS 15) Wide Receiver 5 - Nsimba Webster Jr. - 2L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS 14) 80 - Zach Eagle Jr. - 1L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS 14) 19 - Andrew Boston - WR Fr. - HS - Puyallup, Wash. (Emerald Ridge HS 17) SPECIAL TEAMS Placekicker 37 - Roldan Alcobendas Sr. - 2L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS 13) 81 - Brandyn Bangsund Jr. - 2L* - Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS 14) Kickoffs 45 - Jordan Dascalo Sr. - 2L - Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft HS 13 & Washington State Univ.) 37 - Roldan Alcobendas Sr. - 2L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS 13) Punter 45 - Jordan Dascalo Sr. - 2L - Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft HS 13 & Washington State Univ.) 37 - Roldan Alcobendas Sr. - 2L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS 13) Long Snapper 39 - Curtis Billen Jr. - 2L* - Everett, Wash. (Mariner HS 14) Holder 80 - Zach Eagle Jr. - 1L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS 14) for Alcobendas 45 - Jordan Dascalo Sr. - 2L - Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft HS 13 & Washington State Univ.) for Bangsund Kickoff Returners 28 - Antoine Custer Jr So. - 1L - Berkeley, Calif. (De La Salle 16) 6 - Nzuzi Webster Jr. - 2L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS 14) 5 - Nsimba Webster Jr. - 2L* - Antioch, Calif. (Deer Valley HS 14) Punt Returners 80 - Zach Eagle Jr. - 1L* - Camas, Wash. (Camas HS 14) 20 - Sam McPherson Jr. - 2L - Bothell, Wash. (Bothell HS 15) 43 - Calin Criner Fr. - HS* - Boise, Idaho (Rocky Mountain HS 16) Roster Breakdown Starters Returning 12 (6 offense, 6 defense, plus 2 kickers, 1 punter, 1 snapper) Starters Lost 10 (5 offense, 5 defense) Letterwinners Returning 51 (22 offense, 25 defense, 3 kicker/punter, 1 snapper) Letterwinners Lost 19 (10 offense, 9 defense, 0 kicker) Offensive Starters Lost (5) WR Kendrick Bourne, OL Nick Ellison, WR Shaq Hill, WR Cooper Kupp, TE Zach Wimberly. Defensive Starters Lost (5) S Zach Bruce, DE Samson Ebukam, LB Alek Kacmarcik, Rover J.J. Njoku, LB Miquiyah Zamora. Other Letter Winners Lost (9) DL Dylan Donohue, QB Reilly Hennessey, DB Sam Inos, C Jerrod Jones, DB Asan Neil-Evergin, NT Matthew Sommer, OL Jakob Stoll, QB Jordan West, RB Jabari Wilson. #Returning Starter. *Has used redshirt year. EWU Football - Page 19

20 EWU Football - Page 20 Head Coach AARON BEST First Season as Head Coach (.652) in 16 previous seasons as an Eastern head coach/assistant Aaron Best himself claims to bleed Eagle red. The 20-year veteran of the Eastern Washington University football program was named as EWU s 21st head football coach on Jan. 21, 2017, by EWU athletic director Bill Chaves. Best has spent 20 seasons since the fall of 1996 as a player and coach at Eastern, including the last nine seasons as Eastern s offensive line coach under former head coach Beau Baldwin. Baldwin announced Jan. 16, 2016, he was leaving Eastern to take the offensive coordinator position at Cal. Best is only the fifth head coach since 1979 for the Eagles, and the third since then who played collegiately as an offensive lineman. Dick Zornes, who is also an Eastern graduate, coached at EWU from before former Idaho offensive lineman Mike Kramer took over from Washington State offensive lineman Paul Wulff took over from until Baldwin, a Central Washington graduate, took the reins in * Besides coaching the offensive line as a full-time assistant for 14 of his 16 seasons on the coaching staff, Best has also served in various coordinator positions, most recently as the team s running game coordinator and as the program s long-time academic coordinator. He was a student assistant coach in 2000 and a graduate assistant in 2001, then became the school s primary offensive line coach from , and again from With Best on the coaching staff, Eastern has had 14 different offensive linemen earn All-America accolades, with those players combining to win first team All-Big Sky Conference honors on 15 occasions. He played alongside four other All-Americans at EWU who all earned first team All-Big Sky honors, in addition to himself earning both honors when he played for the Eagles from In all, in Best s 20 seasons as an Eagle, EWU players have won 21 first team All-BSC honors, 18 second team accolades and 31 honorable mentions. Among the offensive linemen he coached was Michael Roos, who went on to a 10-year career with the Tennessee Titans in the National Football League. Roos became the highest NFL draft choice in school history when he was chosen in the second round 41st overall by the Tennessee Titans in A season-ending knee injury in 2014 led to his retirement from the NFL after 10 seasons. He credited Best in his retirement statement on Instagram on Feb. 26, I was very lucky to have the best offensive line coach possible in Aaron Best. He taught all of us the meaning of hard work and perseverance. Best helped coordinate an offense in 2016 which set seven Big Sky Conference records and two additional EWU marks for a total of nine school records. Eastern finished the year ranked second in FCS in total offense with an average of yards per game and was the FCS leader in passing offense (401.0 yards per game). Eastern was also third in scoring offense (42.4). Eastern s offense excelled after Best helped develop an offensive line that lost all five starters from EWU s 2015 squad plus two other seniors. In the last eight games of the 2016 season, the starting lineup consisted of two redshirt freshmen and a trio of sophomores. Eastern finished 12-2 overall and was a perfect 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference. In the last 13 seasons ( ) 12 with Best on the coaching staff -- EWU has ranked in the top 10 in passing 11 times, in total offense on nine occasions and scoring five times. In 2016, center Spencer Blackburn was a second team All-Big Sky selection and went on to earn sophomore All-America accolades. Best started 22-straight games at center for Eastern in 1998 and 1999, earning honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a junior and first team honors as a senior. He also earned honorable mention All-America honors his final season. An outstanding student with a 3.3 grade point average, as a senior he was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII team and was selected to the FCS Athletic Directors Academic All-Star Team. Twice he was selected to the Big Sky All-Academic team. He received his bachelor s degree in social science from EWU in He was Eastern s long-snapper for four seasons and was a backup lineman in 1997 when Eastern led the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense (505.6 yards per game). That team finished 12-2 and advanced to the FCS Final Four. The Eagles were in the four seasons Best played for EWU, and Eastern had a 1,000-yard rusher each year. In all, the Eagles have had a 1,000-yard rusher in 11 of the 20 seasons Best has been at EWU. Best graduated in 1996 from Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., where he had a 3.75 grade point average. He was co-captain his senior season as Curtis won the State AAA championship. Best was born Jan. 27, 1978, in Tacoma, Wash. He and the former Kim Walker were married on July 15, 2007, in Everett, Wash. They have three children one son, Tank (8), and two daughters, Tenli (6) and Texis (3). EWU Football - Page 20

21 EWU FOOTBALL ASSISTANT COACHES In Pressbox... Bodie Reeder Quarterbacks/ Offensive Coordinator 1st Season Eastern Illinois 10 Jeff Schmedding Defensive Coordinator/ Safeties 14th Season Eastern Washington, 02 On Sideline... Jay Dumas Wide Receivers 1st Season Washington State 99 Brian Strandley Defensive Line/ Pro Liaison 7th Season Idaho 95 Kevin Maurice Running Backs/ Video Coordinator 1st Season St. Joseph s, Ind., College 06 Jace Butorac Offensive Line/ Community Service/ Academic Coordinator 1st Season Eastern Washington 15 Heath Pulver Tight Ends/ Special Teams Coordinator 1st Season but previously at EWU Eastern Washington 09 Eti Ena Associate Head Coach/ Defensive Front Coordinator/ Defensive Line 2nd season Eastern Washington 05 Josh Fetter Linebackers/ High School Relations 7th Season Idaho 96 Cherokee Valeria Cornerbacks/ Recruiting Coordinator 6th Season Central Washington 99

22 EWU Football - Page 22 Aaron Best s Coaching Career Year School Coaching Assignment Head Coach Record/Big Sky 2017 Eastern Wash. Head Coach 0-1/ Eastern Wash. Run. Game Coord./OL/Acad. Beau Baldwin <12-2/ Eastern Wash. Run. Game Coord./OL/Acad. Beau Baldwin 6-5/ Eastern Wash. Run. Game Coord./OL/Acad. Beau Baldwin >11-3/ Eastern Wash. Off. Coord./OL Coach/Acad. Beau Baldwin =12-3/ Eastern Wash. Off. Coord./OL Coach/Acad. Beau Baldwin $11-3/ Eastern Wash. Off. Coord./OL Coach/Acad. Beau Baldwin 6-5/ Eastern Wash. Off. Coord./OL Coach/Acad. Beau Baldwin +13-2/ Eastern Wash. Off. Coord./OL Coach/Acad. Beau Baldwin *8-4/ Eastern Wash. Offensive Line Coach Beau Baldwin 6-5/5-3 Totals as O-Line Coach Under Beau Baldwin (9 seasons) (.726)/58-14 (.806) 2007 Toronto Argonauts Offensive Line Coach Michael Clemons Eastern Wash. Offensive Line Coach Paul Wulff 3-8/ Eastern Wash. Offensive Line Coach Paul Wulff &7-5/ Eastern Wash. Offensive Line Coach Paul Wulff ~9-4/ Eastern Wash. Offensive Line Coach Paul Wulff 6-5/ Eastern Wash. Offensive Line Coach Paul Wulff 6-5/ Eastern Wash. Graduate Assistant Coach Paul Wulff 7-4/ Eastern Wash. Student Assistant Coach Paul Wulff 6-5/5-3 Totals as EWU Coach Under Paul Wulff (7 seasons) (.550)/28-23 (.549) Totals as Collegiate Coach at Eastern (16+ seasons) (.652)/86-37 (.699) < NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Defeated Central Arkansas 31-14, defeated Richmond 38-0, lost to Youngstown State 40-38); Big Sky Conference Champions. > NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Defeated Montana 37-20, lost to Illinois State 59-46); Big Sky Conference Champions. = NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Defeated South Dakota State 41-17, defeated Jacksonville State 35-24, lost to Towson 35-31); Big Sky Conference Champions. Jacksonville State 35-24, lost to Towson 35-31); Big Sky Conference Champions. $ NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Defeated Wagner 29-19, defeated Illinois State 51-35, lost to Sam Houston State 45-52); Big Sky Conference Champions. +NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Champion (Defeated Southeast Missourl State 37-17, defeated North Dakota State in overtime, defeated Villanova 41-31, defeated Delaware 20-19); Big Sky Conference Champions. *NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Lost to Stephen F. Austin 44-33); &NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Lost to Northern Iowa 41-38); Big Sky Conference Champions ~NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Defeated Southern Illinois 35-31, lost to Sam Houston State 35-34); Big Sky Conference Champions! Won Eastern Division Championship in the Canadian Football League and advanced to the playoffs (Lost to Winnipeg 19-9 in East Final) Playing Career at Eastern Wash /4-4 Big Sky - Backup Center & Long Snapper 1997 #12-2/7-1 Big Sky - Backup Center & Long Snapper /4-4 - Starting Center (11 games) Honorable Mention All-Big Sky /6-2 - Starting Center (11 games) Honorable Mention All-America; First Team All-Big Sky; Big Sky All-Academic CoSIDA All-District VIII FCS Athletic Directors Academic All-Star Team Record as a Player (all under head coach Mike Kramer): (.638)/21-11 (.656) Totals as a Player and EWU Coach (20 seasons): (.652)/ (.690). #NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs (Defeated Northwestern State 40-10, defeated Western Kentucky 38-21, lost to Youngstown State 25-14); Big Sky Conference Champions. Education Bachelor s degree in social science, Eastern Wash. University, 2001 Graduate of Curtis High School in Tacoma, Wash., 1996 EWU FOOTBALL ACADEMIC ALL- AMERICA HONORS CoSIDA Academic All-America All-Time Team: Kurt Schulz, Defensive Back (played ) CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team: Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver Jacob Kragt, Defensive End; Kyler Randall, Wide Receiver; Kyler Randall, Wide Receiver; Steve Mattson, Defensive End; Jeff Ogden, Wide Receiver CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team: Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver Jeff Minnerly, Safety; Lance Ballew, Tight End; Mike MacKenzie, Running Back; Steve Mattson, Defensive End; Kurt Schulz, Defensive Back EWU Coaching Facts Best Winning Percentage (Overall) Beau Baldwin (9 seasons, , 85-32).719 Dave Holmes (5 seasons, , ) Most Victories (Overall) Dick Zornes (15 seasons, ) Best Winning Percentage (Big Sky Conf.) Beau Baldwin (9 seasons, , 58-14) Most Victories (Big Sky) Beau Baldwin (8 seasons, ) Big Sky All- Academic Selections ( ) Eastern Washington..335 Montana Weber State Montana State Idaho State Northern Arizona Portland State Sacramento State Northern Colorado...98* Southern Utah...87# North Dakota...76# UC Davis...36# Cal Poly...20# *Since #Since Eagles in Overtime (10-5) The Eagles are 7-2 in single overtime games, 1-3 in double overtime and 2-0 in triple overtime contests North Dakota State - L, (1 OT) Cal Poly - W, (1 OT) Cal Poly - W, (3 OT) Sacramento State - W, (1 OT) North Dakota State - W, (1 OT) at Montana State - W, (1 OT) at Idaho State - L, (2 OT) at Sacramento State - W, (1 OT) at Montana - L, (2 OT) at Weber State - W, (1 OT) Portland State - L, (1 OT) Montana State - W, (3 OT) at Idaho - W, (2 OT) Montana State - L, (2 OT) at Idaho State - W, (1 OT) EWU Football - Page 22

23 EWU Football - Page 23 EWU in NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (since 1984) and the Big Sky Conference (since 1987) EWU All-Time... DICK ZORNES Year W L T PF PA ALL GAMES 108+ Seasons, 970 games wins, 413 losses, 23 ties/ MEMBER OF FCS (I-AA) 33+ Seasons games, 230 wins, 155 losses, 2 ties/.596 BIG SKY CONFERENCE 30 Seasons games, 141 wins, 89 losses, 0 ties/ (FCS Playoffs) W L T PCT PF PA Place th th th T-7th T-3rd 1992 (FCS Playoffs) T-1st T-2nd Totals (15,.573) MIKE KRAMER T-7th th T-5th 1997 (FCS Playoffs) st (outright champions) T-4th T-2nd Totals (6,.536) PAUL WULFF T-2nd th T-4th th 2004 (FCS Playoffs) T-1st 2005 (FCS Playoffs) T-1st T-6th 2007 (FCS Playoffs) nd Totals (8,.570) BEAU BALDWIN rd 2009 (FCS Playoffs) T-2nd 2010 (FCS Champion) T-1st T-3rd 2012 (FCS Playoffs) T-1st 2013 (FCS Playoffs) st (outright champions) 2014 (FCS Playoffs) st (outright champions) T-4th 2016 (FCS Playoffs) T-1st Totals (9,.726) AARON BEST THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED... Kickoff Returned for a Touchdown EWU: 93, Antoine Custer Jr., Northern Iowa, 9/17/16 OPP: 75, Ellis Onic, No. Colo., 10/24/15 Punt (not a block) Returned for a TD EWU: 76, Cooper Kupp, Idaho St., 11/12/16 OPP: 93, Hakeem Deggs, No. Colo., 10/24/15 Interception Returned for a Touchdown EWU: 27, D londo Tucker, UC Davis, 10/1/16 OPP: 33, Willie Sykes, Texas Tech 9/2/17 Team Rushing, 300 Yards or More EWU: 311, Idaho State, 10/2/13 OPP: 372, Cal Poly, 11/5/16 Team Passing, 400 Yards or More EWU: 457, Central Arkansas, 12/3/16 OPP: 440, Texas Tech, 9/2/17 Total Offense, 500 Yards or More EWU: 531, Central Arkansas, 12/3/16 OPP: 626, Texas Tech, 9/2/17 Total Offense, 600 Yards or More EWU: 659, Northern Colorado, 10/8/16 OPP: 626, Texas Tech, 9/2/17 Scoring, 50 Points or More EWU: 63, UC Davis, 10/1/16 OPP: 56, Texas Tech, 9/2/17 Fumble Recovered by Defense for Touchdown EWU: 35, Todd Raynes, Port. St., 11/21/15 OPP: 33, Herbert Gamboa, Mont., 11/14/15 Blocked Field Goal Returned for Touchdown EWU: 67, Alvin Tolliver, Montana State, 10/7/00 OPP: Unknown Blocked Punt Returned for Touchdown EWU: 0, Dylan Zylstra, 10/4/14 OPP: 41, Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah, 10/27/12 Interception Return for Defensive PAT EWU: 94, Jackie Kellogg, Port. St. 10/26/90 OPP: None Field Goal, 50 Yards or More EWU: 52, Felipe Macias, Colorado, 9/6/08 OPP: 51, Bobby Zalud, Cal Poly, 11/3/12 Safety EWU: Stephen F. Austin, 11/28/09 (L, 33-44) OPP: UC Davis, 10/1/16 (W, 63-30) EWU Football - Page 23

24 EWU Football - Page 24 Michael & Katherine Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) Cheney, Washington Current Location Since ,600 (11,000+ for Montana) Sprinturf Surface 217 Eastern Home Games (.710) 41-8 (.837) since re-named & red Sprinturf installed in 2010 The 2017 football season at Eastern Washington University will mark the 51st season Eastern has played its football games at its current site in Cheney, Wash. But it will be the eighth as Roos Field, as a new red synthetic Sprinturf surface made its debut in Eastern finished a perfect 8-0 in its debut season at The Inferno, including three playoff victories, and is 41-8 overall since the turf was installed. Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Michael Roos and his wife Katherine kick-started the Red Turf Project with a $500,000 contribution as part of their on-going legacy of giving to Eastern. As a result, the field was renamed in their honor at a dedication ceremony on Sept. 16, Two days later, 18th-ranked Eastern defeated sixth-ranked Montana in the first game on the red Sprinturf field on Sept. 18, The nickname The Inferno was Roos Field Top Crowds (Total of 32 sellouts with 8,600+, including last 20 regular season games) 11,702 9/18/10 Montana 11,583 10/7/06 Montana 11,339 11/8/14 Montana 11,256 10/4/14 Idaho State 10,931 10/29/16 Montana 10,924 10/8/16 Northern Colorado 10,912 9/19/15 Montana State 10,830 10/11/08 Montana 10,754 10/16/04 Montana 10,741 10/1/16 UC Davis 10,529 9/29/12 Montana 10,422 9/24/11 Montana State 10,352 10/10/15 Cal Poly 10,310 8/23/14 Sam Houston St. 10,223 11/9/13 Montana State 10,135 10/19/13 Southern Utah 10,064 10/18/14 Northern Colorado 9,734 10/5/13 Weber State 9,522 11/23/13 Portland State *9,302 11/12/16 Idaho State 9,214 11/7/15 Northern Arizona 9,212 11/1/14 North Dakota 9,116 9/30/14 Montana Western 9,111 9/17/16 Northern Iowa 9,003 10/29/11 Portland State 8,759 10/31/15 Weber State 8,742 10/15/11 Northern Colo. 8,714 10/22/12 Sacramento St. 8,696 10/22/05 Weber State 8,646 10/6/12 North Dakota 8,649 11/21/15 Portland State 8,644 11/3/12 Cal Poly *20th-Consecutive Sellout. On Oct. 14, 1989, against Idaho State a crowd of 5,009 watched the first Eagles game played at Wood ward Field since Oct. 15, 1983, when East ern hosted Montana Tech in EWU s last game before mov ing to Albi Stadi um in Spo kane. Joe Albi Stadium Top Crowds (Since 1984) 17,142 11/16/02 Montana 15,678 9/30/00 Montana 10,213 10/20/84 Idaho 9,694 9/2/99 Idaho /24/98 Montana 8,529 12/13/97 Youngstown St. 7,891 11/8/03 Montana State 7,835 9/27/86 Idaho 7,756 11/1/97 Idaho 7,500 10/20/90 Idaho Games played against Whitworth have had crowds estimated at 16,000 (1976), 14,000 (1975), 8,500 (1974) and 7,740 (1977). announced on the SWX television special Rolling Out the Red Turf the night before the Montana game. The other options in the fan voting for the nickname were Red Sea, Red Zone, Big Red, Red Carpet, Ring of Fire and Lava Pit. For the previous 78 years, the stadium was named Woodward Field in honor of former Eastern head foot ball and basketball coach Arthur C. Wood ward. The New Wood ward Field has been used by the Eagles since 1967, but prior to that, Wood ward Field was located near where Easte rn s JFK Library now sits and prior to that at another location on campus. Woodward was head of Eastern s department of physical education and health for 23 years from 1927 to He was insistent that every interested student should have the opportunity to engage in competitive sports through intramural activities. He endeared himself to students, and, as a result, Woodward Field was named in his honor in Woodward passed away of a heart attack on Feb. 2, 1950, just a short time after attending a convocation and rally honoring the Eastern basketball team. The 2016 season was the 50th year the stadium has been in use. Eastern s 38-7 win over Southwest Texas State on Sept. 21, 1996, was the 100th EWU game at the facility and the school s win over Northern Colorado on Oct. 18, 2014, was the 200th. The team s victory over Montana State on Nov. 12, 2005, was EWU s 100th win. Eastern has a record (71.0 per cent) in 217 games at Roos Field since 1967, with the Eagles utilizing Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane as the school s main home field from In 1990 and again from , Eastern played at least one game each year on the artificial turf surface at Albi, which enters its 67th year of existence in fall Eastern is in 69 games there dating back to 1950 when it was built. Roos Field has 8,600 permanent seats after an expansion in 2004 that included the addition of 1,600 seats in the north end zone. Renovations to the facilities in the 1990s included resurfacing the running track, additional bleacher seating on the east side, addition of lights and two new restroom facilities. Eastern beat Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo 61-7 on Sept. 10, 1994, in the first-ever night game at Roos Field, which was also the debut of Mike Kramer s head coaching career. Eastern played its first-ever NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff game at Roos Field on Dec, 5, 2004, in a loss to Sam Houston State. The Eagles played three playoff games there in 2010 en route to winning the NCAA Division I Championship, as well as three in 2012, three more in 2013, a pair in 2014 and three more in 2016 during Eastern s runs in the playoffs. That s a total of 15, including 14 in the last seven seasons, with three more hosted at Albi Stadium in With more than 2,000 temporary bleachers added, a record crowd of 11,702 attended the 2010 meeting against Montana, won by the Eagles A crowd of 10,529 witnessed EWU s come-from-behind win in 2012, 11,339 watched the Eagles win in 2014 and 10,931 were on hand when in EWU s 2016 victory over the Griz. Crowds of 11,583 in 2006, 10,830 in 2008 and 10,754 in 2004 attended the Eastern versus Montana showdowns that were all won by the Grizzlies. Eastern s top 24 all-time single game atten dance fig ures at Roos Field have come in the past 13 seasons (including 2016). Fourteen of the top averages for single season attendance have come in the last 15 seasons ( ), including a record of 9,577 in 2015, which broke the previous record of 9,432 in the 2014 season. Eastern averaged 8,435 in eight home games in 2016 to rank fourth all-time. Eastern is (78 percent) in the past 20 seasons at Roos Field ( ), with a nine-game winning streak snapped in a loss to Montana State on Sept. 24, 2011 (the school record is 21 set from ). The Eagles had a nine-game winning streak at that venue snapped against Sacramento State on Oct. 21, 2000, when the Hornets made a 23-yard field goal with no time remaining. The Eagles were 4-0 in 1999 and 6-0 in In 1998, the Eagles were 3-1 at Roos Field with the lone loss a overtime setback to Portland State when the Eagles missed a 25-yard field goal that could have won it with one second left. Since returning to Roos Field in 1989 to play the majority of its home games, Eastern is (72 percent). A new concessions/team store building and 500 parking spaces were added at Roos Field in time for the 2013 season. A new video scoreboard was installed in 2012 to help enhance the game-day experience for students, fans and athletes. The Donor Suites and Media Center debuted in the 2004 football season. That same year, 1,600 seats were added at the north end of Roos Field. The project replaced the previous press box, which was built in 1967 when the stadium moved to its current location. The elevated structure includes nine donor suites on the first level and a facility for media and game management functions on the second level. Improvements were made in summer 2002 to the main Roos Field entrance, including a new ticket booth structure. The previous year, a new football locker room and office complex was completed, as well as improved and increased locker room space for other Eastern sports teams. New restroom facilities at Roos Field were added in 1999 and The other phases of the project included improvements to the entry plazas and landscaping. Currently, the stadium has a permanent capacity of 8,600, but can accommodate more with the addition of portable bleachers. EWU Football - Page 24

25 Eagles in the Pros Since 1984, when Eastern became a member of the NCAA Championship Subdivision (FCS), 85 Eastern football players have either signed free agent contracts or have been drafted by National Football League (NFL) or Canadian Football League (CFL) teams. Eleven have been drafted by the NFL and five drafted by the CFL to go along with four NFL draftees between Eastern has also enjoyed a recent influx of players into other existing or now-defunct leagues. They include Arena Football League (AFL) and arenafootball2 (af2), as well as in the United Football League (UFL) and Indoor Football League (IFL). Prior to that, several played in the World League, which became NFL Europa before it foldedthe list below shows EWU s current professionals and the team they are currently with. Professionals in 2017 Los Angeles Rams (NFL) Cooper Kupp Wide Receiver Letterwinner at EWU Los Angeles Rams (NFL) Samson Ebukam Outside Linebacker San Francisco 49ers (NFL) Kendrick Bourne Wide Receiver Buffalo Bills (NFL) Taiwan Jones Cornerback/Running Back Los Angeles Rams (NFL) Aaron Neary Offensive Guard *Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) Shaq Hill Wide Receiver *Chicago Bears (NFL) Jordan West Quarterback *Dallas Cowboys (NFL) Clay DeBord Off. Tackle *Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) Jake Rodgers Offensive Tackle *Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) Cassidy Curtis Offensive Line Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL) Vernon Adams Jr. Quarterback British Columbia (CFL) Tevin McDonald Safety British Columbia (CFL) T.J. Lee III Cornerback Calgary Stampeders (CFL) Bo Levi Mitchell Quarterback Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) J.C. Sherritt Linebacker Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) Matt Nichols Quarterback *Montreal Alouettes (CFL) Ryan Phillips Defensive Back *Released/no longer with team. J.C. Sherritt added a professional championship to his high school and collegiate titles when the Edmonton Eskimos won the 2015 Canadian Football League Grey Cup. After winning a high school state championship (Pullman, Wash.), Sherritt won the 2010 Buck Buchanan Award given to the top defensive player in the NCAA Championship Subdivision in the same year Eastern Washington won the NCAA Division I title. He helped Edmonton finish 14-4 in the 2015 season, playing in all 18 games for the Eskimos and then leading the team to three playoff victories. Former Eagle Players & Coaches... Where are They Coaching Now? (Only those currently coaching and with NCAA and/or professional experience) Name Current Position Current School or Pro Team (Previous) Junior Adams Offensive Coordinator Western Kentucky (Boise State/Eastern Washington) Steve Amrine Head Coach Kelso, Wash., HS (Centralia HS/Idaho State) Beau Baldwin Offensive Coordinator California (Eastern Washington/Central Washington) Bruce Barnum Head Coach Portland State (Cornell/Idaho State) Josh Blankenship Off. Coord./Wide Receivers Adams State (Tulsa/Muskogee HS/Union HS) Allen Brown Cornerbacks Cal Poly (Eastern Washington) Luther Carr Head Coach Chief Sealth HS in Seattle (Idaho) David Delgado Tight Ends Baldwin Wallace University Bill Diedrick Jr. Scout B.C. Lions (Palomar C./Univ. HS/Notre Dame/UW/WSU/UI) Nicholas Edwards Wide Receivers California (Eastern Washington) Zak Hill Off. Coord./Quarterbacks Boise State (Hawaii/Eastern Washington) Torey Hunter Scout Edmonton Eskimos (Idaho/Eastern Washington) Steve Kizer Head Coach Skyview High School in Wash. (Eastern Washington) Pete Kwiatkowski Defensive Coordinator Washington (Boise State/Montana State) Jimmy Lake Defensive Backs Washington (Boise State/Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Kiel McDonald Running Backs Utah (Eastern Washington) Tom Mason Defensive Coordinator Texas-El Paso (Hawaii/SMU/Fresno State) Jim McElwain Head Coach Florida (Colorado State/Alabama) Brent Myers Assoc. HC/Offensive Line Weber State (UNLV/Louisville) Keith Murphy Special Teams Florida (Southern Ill./New Mexico St./St. Louis Rams) Travis Niekamp Linebackers/Special Teams Montana (Louisiana Monroe/Washington State) Mike Orthmann Offensive Coordinator Arizona Western JC (Idaho State) Rich Rasmussen Chief Administrative Officer Washington (Boise State/Washington State) Malik Roberson Defensive Coordinator/LB Portland State (Central Washington) Timm Rosenbach Head Coach/QBs Adams State (UNLV/Montana) Jody Sears Head Coach/Def. Coord. Sacramento State (Weber State/Washington State) J.D. Sollars Assistant Coach Glendale CC (Northern Arizona) Troy Taylor Offensive Coordinator Utah (Eastern Washington/Folsom HS) Jesse Williams Defensive Line Ohio University (New Mexico State) Rick Worman Offensive Coordinator Wilmington Col. (Montreal Alouettes/Miss. Valley State) Paul Wulff Asst. HC/Run. Game C./OL Sacramento St. (South Florida/SF 49ers/Wash. State) John Zamberlin Linebackers Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Weber State) Recent Former Coaches... Jason Belford Defensive Line Portland State (Weber State/Wash. State) Dave Christensen Off. Line/Run. Game Coord. Texas A&M (Utah/Wyoming/Missouri) Randy Hanson Assistant Secondary Cal Poly (Sacramento Mountain Lions) Mike Kramer Head Coach Idaho State (Washington State/MSU/EWU) Eric Reid Offensive Line Northern Arizona (Portland State/Eastern Washington) Todd Sturdy Offensive Coordinator Iowa State (Washington State) Dave Telford Head Coach Stanwood, Wash., HS (Indiana State/Monroe HS HC)

26 Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame The 1992 Football Team will celebrate the 25th anniversary of EWU s first Big Sky Conference championship in that sport on Sept. 30, 2017, when they are inducted as part of the 17th class of inductees into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame. Two players from that team -- Jackie Kellogg and Tony Brooks -- will be among the Individual members. Kellogg was twice a first team All-Big Sky Conference selection and finished his career from with a school-record of 41 passes broken up that still stands. His 17 interceptions and 222 tackles were also among the top four in school history at the time. Brooks was an All-American and finished his career from with all four school receiving records. His 167 receptions were a record for 10 years and his 3,013 yards, 26 touchdowns and 18.0 average per catch were also school records at the time. Established in 1996, the 2017 class of inductees brings the total number of individuals in the Hall of Fame to 83, teams to 15 and recipients of the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award to 18 individuals and one organization. For complete bios on all Hall of Fame members: EWU Football - Page 26 As a way of honoring former athletes, coaches, contributors and teams, the Eastern Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame was established in The Hall of Fame is located on the east end of the Special Events Pavilion. A plaque permanently honoring each inductee is displayed. A 15-member Hall of Fame Selection Committee votes on a list of nominated candidates presented by the Hall of Fame Executive Committee. Inductees with an association with Eastern s football program are listed below. Tom Ackerman (Athlete/Football Inducted Oct. 5, 2013) Dean Adams (Athlete/Football-Track and Field & Contributor Inducted Oct. 10, 2015) Tony Brooks (Athlete/Football Inducted Sept. 30, 2017) Curt Byrnes (Coach/Wrestling & Athlete/Football Inducted Oct. 10, 2009) Ron Chadwick (Athlete/Track-Football Inducted Sept. 25, 1999) Ed Chissus (Coach/Baseball-Football, Athlete/Football-Track Inducted Sept. 25, 1999) Bill Diedrick Jr. (Athlete/Football & Contributor Inducted Oct. 28, 2006) Ed Fisher (Athlete/Football & Contributor Inducted Oct. 10, 2009) Rob Friese (Athlete/Football & Contributor Inducted Oct. 1, 2011) Scott Garske (Athlete/Football Inducted Oct. 6, 2012) Greg Gavin (Athlete/Football & Contributor) Inducted Oct. 4, 2014) Larry Hattemer (Contributor & Coach/Football Inducted Oct. 5, 2013) Dave Holmes (Coach/Football Inducted in inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996) Don Kallem (Coach/Golf & Contributor Inducted Oct. 6, 2012) Jackie Kellogg (Athlete/Football Inducted Sept. 30, 2017) Mick Landmark (Athlete/Football Inducted Oct. 5, 2013) Jerry Martin (Coach/Track-Cross Country-Asst. FB Coach & Contrib. Inducted Sept. 22, 2001) Meriel Michelson (Athlete/Football Inducted Sept. 29, 2007) Herm Pein (Athlete/Boxing-Football Inducted Feb. 21, 1998) Bob Picard (Athlete/Football-Basketball Inducted Sept. 27, 2003) Albert H. Abe Poffenroth (Coach/Football & Athlete/Football Inducted Oct. 9, 2010) Red Reese (Coach/Basketball-Football-Track Inducted in inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996) Michael Roos (Athlete/Football Inducted Oct. 1, 2016) Kevin Sargent (Athlete/Football Inducted Sept. 27, 2008) Kurt Schulz (Athlete/Football Inducted Feb. 21, 1998) Ed Simmons (Athlete/Football Inducted in inaugural class on Oct. 5, 1996) Mel Stanton (Athlete/Football Inducted Sept. 25, 1999) Dave Svendsen (Athlete/Football Inducted Sept. 22, 2001) Dick Zornes (Coach/Football, Athlete/Football & Contributor Inducted Sept. 25, 1999) Lt. William Bink Wall (Athlete/Football) Honored posthumously as Service and Contribution Award Recipient Sept. 30, 2017) 1950 Football (8-2; Evergreen Conference Champions; Coach Albert H. Abe Poffenroth Inducted Oct. 9, 2010) 1967 Football (11-1; NAIA Runner-up; Coach Dave Holmes Inducted Sept. 22, 2001) 1985 Football (9-3; NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs Quarterfinals; Coach Dick Zornes Inducted Oct. 1, 2005) 1992 Football (7-4; Big Sky Conference Champions; NCAA FCS Playoffs First Round; Coach Dick Zornes Inducted Sept. 30, 2017) 1997 Football (12-2; Big Sky Conference Champions; NCAA FCS Playoffs Semifinals; Coach Mike Kramer Inducted Oct. 6, 2012) 2017 Induction Class Tony Brooks (Athlete/Football) Jackie Kellogg (Athlete/Football) Tiera Como-Irby (Athlete/Soccer) Ronn McMahon (Athlete/Basketball) Fay Zwarych-Shaw (Athlete/Basketball) 1992 Football (7-4; Big Sky Champions; Coach Dick Zornes) Service & Contribution Award to William Bink Wall EWU Football - Page 26 Big Sky Celebrates Anniversaries fter 50 years of Acompetition, the Big Sky Conference celebrated the league s success both on and off the playing field by honoring 50 years of men s athletics and 25 years of women s athletics in the school year. The 50th anniversary celebrated the all-time individuals, teams and moments in the Big Sky s history, including the selection of the league s Top 50 male student-athletes and the top 25 female studentathletes. Along with those lists, the league unveiled the most memorable moments for both men s and women s competition. For links to stories of the Top 50 Male Athletes and Top 50 Men s Moments, go to: EWU Among the Top 50 Male Athletes #12 Erik Meyer (Football ) - 05 Walter Payton Award Winner #13 Rodney Stuckey (Basketball ) - All-America twice & Freshman A-A in 08 #20 Bo Levi Mitchell (Football ) - 11 Walter Payton Award Winner #22 Michael Roos (Football ) - All-American & FCS Lineman of the Year #37 J.C. Sherritt (Football ) - 10 Buchanan Award Winner #39 Greg Peach (Football ) - 08 Buchanan Award Winner #47 Matt Nichols (Football ) - EWU & Big Sky record 12,616 career yards and 96 touchdowns EWU Among the Top 50 Male Moments #5 Eastern won its final 11 games of the season to win the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship. Eastern won the title with four-straight playoff wins, including a victory over Delaware in the championship game on Jan. 7, 2011, in Frisco, Texas. The Eagles rallied from a 19-0 deficit and ended their season with a school-record 13 victories. Eastern finished 8-0 on its new, red turf at Roos Field. #6 Walter Payton Awards The Big Sky has won seven Payton Awards, given to the top player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Included EWU winners Erik Meyer (2005) and Bo Levi Mitchell (2011). #11 Buck Buchanan Awards - The Big Sky has been represented in six of the past 11 years, including EWU winners Greg Peach (2008) and J.C. Sherritt (2010). The Buchanan Award is given to the top defensive player in FCS. #30 Former Eagle offensive tackle Michael Roos and former Idaho State defensive end Jared Allen were both honored on the as NFL All-Pro selections in #37 EWU s 2013 Comeback vs. Sam Houston State, a loss in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs after trailing 35-0 at halftime #42 Bashir Levingston s 3 Kickoff Returns for TD vs. Sacramento State in 1998 EWU Among the Top 25 Female Athletes #12 Kim Exner ( ) 97 & 98 Big Sky Volleyball MVP #20 Kari McKay ( & ) 92 NCAA Division I All-American in 10,000 meters EWU Among the Top 25 Female Moments #9 EWU Volleyball defeats Oregon State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2001, equaling the highest advancement ever for a Big Sky Conference school. #12 EWU Volleyball is one of three Big Sky Teams to advance to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament in 1999.