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The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Jaxon Branch makes his presence felt for Eagles | EWU notebook
- Story byThe Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- Jaxon Branch makes his presence felt for Eagles | EWU notebook
Oct. 31—Among the many injuries suffered by Eastern Washington's wide receivers this season, the absence of redshirt sophomore Jaxon Branch has been perhaps its most crucial.
Branch demonstrated just how much of a difference he can make for the Eagles on Saturday in their 42-33 loss to 14th-ranked Montana at Roos Field in Cheney.
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Branch made seven catches for 131 yards, the first 100-yard game of his college career.
"Seven for 131, that should be a normal day for him," EWU head coach Aaron Best said. "But it's been abnormal because he hasn't been able to play the last couple of weeks. That kid shows up, and he showed out today."
Branch hadn't played since Eastern's 48-16 loss at Washington on Sept. 19, and even in that game he did not play past the first quarter.
He was first injured two weeks before that against Northern Iowa, when he dove for a pass along the sidelines and hit his head on the Roos Field turf. Branch finished that game with two catches for 28 yards and a touchdown; in the season opener at Northern Arizona he had seven catches for 88 yards and a score.
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"First of all, I thank God for keeping me safe out there," Branch said Saturday. "I've played a couple games and haven't made it through, so I'm just blessed to be able to play a full game."
The only other Eagles player to record a 100-yard receiving game this season is redshirt senior Wesley Garrett, who had eight catches for 138 yards against Northern Colorado. Garrett leads the Eagles this season in receptions (42), receiving yards (565) and receiving touchdowns (four).
Changes defensively
Sophomore safety Seanje Finister and freshman cornerback Zamarie Tellez started for the first time this season against Montana, part of a handful of lineup changes the Eagles made coming out of their bye week.
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Best said some players "haven't been consistent enough in bigger moments" and that there were "competitive-wise, a few guys who could lend their hand."
"Seanje was one of those guys," he said. "He's not the only one. We'll continue to play with the guys that give us the best chance."
Finister played most of the game and finished with seven tackles. Tellez eventually ceded his spot at cornerback to regular starter Ambrose Marsh.
Senior defensive end Jaden Radke started in place of redshirt senior Dishawn Misa, though both played regularly as part of the Eagles rotations along the line.
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Offensively, sophomore Michael Gradle started at right guard after missing three games with an injury. Redshirt sophomore Mark Johnson slid over from left guard to center, where he started in place of sophomore Dylan Scott.
Small crowd
An announced crowd of 4,900 attended Saturday's game, the smallest ever in eight games between Montana and Eastern Washington at Roos Field since 2010.
Two weeks ago, official attendance for the Eagles' home game against the Montana State Bobcats was 5,318, their largest crowd in five home games this season.
The largest crowd at Roos Field is still its first. On Sept 18, 2010, a crowd of 11,702 watched Eastern defeat Montana, 36-27. Four of the six largest crowds ever at the stadium came to see the Eagles play the Grizzlies, including crowds in 2012 (10,529), 2014 (11,339) and 2016 (10,931).
