Oct. 8—Through the entirety of Eastern Washington's 31-27 loss to Cal Poly and through the first 40 minutes of its 49-38 loss to UC Davis last week, big plays absolutely torched the Eagles' defense.
Across that span, the Mustangs and Aggies combined to score nine straight touchdowns on plays that started outside the red zone.
"A lot of misfits," EWU redshirt senior linebacker Myles Mayovsky said of the cause. "Just people losing their leverage, not getting the leverage we need. That's what has caused so many explosive plays.
"It's not all on one person."
This week, addressing the problem has been on everyone on Eastern's defense as the Eagles (1-5, 0-3 Big Sky) prepare to host Northern Colorado (2-4, 1-2) for homecoming at 4 p.m. Saturday at Roos Field in Cheney.
"At the end of the day, we (haven't had) people in the place they need to be," EWU head coach Aaron Best said during media availability on Tuesday. "Ten people can be in the right spot and one in the wrong spot, and that can be a bad deal."
While the big plays were costly against Cal Poly, it didn't necessarily lead to glaring differences in time of possession, total yards or yards per play.
But the disparities were clear against the Aggies. Eastern Washington lost that game despite running 94 plays (UC Davis ran 58), possessing the ball for 37 minutes and 30 seconds and scoring on all five of their offensive red zone opportunities.
Even though they only had the ball for 22 and a half minutes, the Aggies gained 629 yards of offense at a clip of 10.8 yards per play (Eastern had 601 yards at 6.4 per play). Over the first three quarters, the Aggies sustained just one drive longer than two minutes — and they still scored six touchdowns during that span.
On the season, Eastern's defense has allowed 7.4 yards per play, tied for second-most in the Big Sky. Meanwhile its offense has gained 5.2 yards per play, fewer than every Big Sky team except Portland State (4.9).
Mayovsky said that week to week opponents have been running, successfully, a lot of the same plays.
"If you misfit something two weeks ago and we misfit it on Saturday, we've got to assume Northern Colorado is going to come to that (too)," he said.
Northern Colorado's offense has relied on two quarterbacks this season, both of whom present a similar skill set. UNC head coach Ed Lamb implied during his Wednesday news conference that senior Brayten Silbor would get the start against the Eagles but that the Bears would also use redshirt senior Kenny Lueth.
Silbor this season has completed 57 of 102 passes (55.9%) for 609 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Lueth is 62 of 104 (59.6%) for 729 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Lueth has run more — 48 times for 203 yards, compared to Silbor's 18 times for 72 yards — but Silbor has a long run this year of 27 yards and one rushing score; Lueth has a 36-yard scramble and four touchdowns.
"Anyone who is in can run the plays that we have scripted," Lueth said. "I don't really think there is going to be a huge difference. Run the play that's called. Get the first down."
If there's one glaring difference, though, between the Bears' offense and the previous two the Eagles have faced, it is that Northern Colorado's hasn't shown as much big-play capability.
The Bears' longest run this year is Lueth's 36-yarder. Grad senior Justin Guin leads the Bears in carries (67) and rushing yards (304), but his long rush this year went for 34 yards.
They have produced a handful of long passing plays: Sophomore Marcus Mozer caught a 71-yarder against Northeastern State and a 45-yarder against Wyoming, and sophomore Trey Olsen made a 54-yard catch against South Dakota.
But all those haven't added up to make the Bears (5.5 yards per play) nearly as explosive offensively as the Mustangs (6.2) or the Aggies (6.8).
"(We need to) make the plays you're supposed to make and occasionally make the plays you're not supposed to make," Best said. "If we can do that, I think we're in a good position. Sometimes we press a little bit. Sometimes we overstimulate ourselves, and we've got to get away from that.
"We're looking (to focus on) six seconds at a time, and we've got to do our 1/11th."
Do that, Best said, and that sets the Eagles in a much better position toward getting their first Big Sky Conference victory of the season, against a program that has never defeated the Eagles.
"We're not at a place where we intended to be, but we are here now," Best said. "We've got to continue to scratch and claw, which we will."
