A Very Good Start...

If this game had been played in the 1980’s when Oregon State was a doormat in the Pac-10, I’m sure that most people would have said, “Oh, well another Beaver loss. What else is new?” But this is 2013 and the Beavers were ranked 25th in the country and were favored to beat a fine Eastern Washington University team. With 20 fewer scholarships to hand out, depth can always be a problem when playing the big boys.

But red shirt sophomore QB Vernon Adams has no fear and could care less who the opponent is because he trusts his talent and his teammates. Looking back on last season and how the youngster matured, I really wish he would have been the starting QB when EWU went in to Pullman to play the Cougars last September. I’m not saying that Adams would have led the Eagles to victory over the Cougs, but he certainly could have.

In front of 41,649 sun-soaked fans at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Adams ran and threw for 518 yards, breaking WSU Cougar Alex Brink’s mark of 515. I’m sure that Brink’s yards all came on the pass whereas Adams had 107 yards rushing.

In the last game and a half going back to the December loss to Sam Houston State Adams has thrown 10 touchdowns passes and ran for two more.

The Eagles earned a paycheck of $450,000 from Oregon State, which was certainly expecting an easy victory over EWU. So in essence it was like the Eagles stole the $450,000 with the huge win. This was not an easy win but it was earned. Anytime a team has a lead against a team as solid as OSU, lose the lead and then come back to once again take the lead and hold off the home team from a final score for the win it should open everyone’s eyes as to the quality of team that is in Cheney, Washington.

To me, Adams is one of the most exciting players in college football. I know that most of you will want to see WSU or UW or Boise State or Idaho play but if you haven’t seen the Eagles on the red turf you are missing out on entertainment at its best. When an FCS school knocks off a ranked FBS school the reason is great coaching and fine talent. When that combination comes together like it is on the EWU campus good things are bound to happen. By the way, I received my season tickets a couple of weeks ago and I am excited for this season.

With North Dakota State knocking off Kansas State Friday night two of the final four FCS schools defeated two bowl teams from last season.

Many FCS schools have been able to recruit quality athletes that want to play for a true playoff format championship. These programs are also picking some big time transfers from FBS schools. What that means is that some athletes may be good enough to play at the top level, but may not get the chance to prove themselves and by transferring to a lower level program they are eligible to play right away instead of sitting out a year at another FBS program.

Since the pros are looking at great athletes they’ll find the great prospect at any level. So many athletes blossom in a program that has limited scholarships. Schools like EWU will take a chance with these kids if they have that team first attitude.

If you like football, may I suggest that you take a trip to Cheney to watch the Eagles play.

Pick a day when your team is on the road so that you don’t disrupt your game day trip to Pullman, Seattle or Moscow. Heck you can even wear your favorite team’s colors, EWU fans don’t mind. We see a lot of Cougar and Husky fans in the audience and they are all cheering for the Eagles.

After Saturday’s great win, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a few more.