Eastern Washington Eagles
Overall Rank: #8
#2 Big Sky
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The Eagles open high in many polls across the FCS and with good reason. Coach Beau Baldwin returns a team that was just a few plays away from making a second recent trip to the NCAA championship game. A tough early schedule in the past has dug EWU into too deep of a hole to get out of, but last year the Eagles avoided that from happening again and hope to do the same in 2013.
2012 record: 11-3, 7-1
2012 postseason: FCS Playoff Semifinals
Coach: Beau Baldwin
Offensive Coordinator: Aaron Best
Defensive Coordinator: John Graham
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Quincy Forte, RB, 597 yards
Passing: Vernon Adams, QB, 1,961 yards
Receiving: Ashton Clark, WR, 650 yards
Tackles: Ronnie Hamlin, LB, 136
Sacks: Evan Day, DL, 5.0
Interceptions: Jordan Tonani, CB, 3
Other key returnees: RB Demitrius Bronson, DB Allen Brown, DB T.J. Lee III, DL Evan Day
Key losses: QB Kyle Padron, WR Brandon Kaufman, WR Greg Herd, WR Nicholas Edwards, OL Will Post, DL Jerry Ceja, DL Evan Cook, DL Paul Ena, LB Zach Johnson, LB Tyler Washburn
Strengths:
Eastern Washington’s offense was the key to their success last year in an 11 win season and will need to be again this year. The quarterback position is secured after freshman Vernon Adams slid into the starter’s roll midway through 2012 and went on to throw for nearly 2,000 yards. Adams returns, but loses a trio of receivers including his top two targets of Herd and Kaufman. The lone man back is Ashton Clark, who will need help bringing in the yards that this team expects to gain through the passing game.
Weakness:
The defense loses a handful of strong and physical starters that are keys to controlling the offenses across the Big Sky Conference. Last season the Eagles won seven games in which the defense still gave up 24 points or more, but most of those games were within seven points. The offense may not be as explosive this year so the defense has to try to keep opponents out of the twenties.
The Bottom Line:
The 2010 national champions are poised for another title contending season that is only favored by the fact that traditional powers Georgia Southern and Appalachian State won’t be in the postseason. The Eagles seem to have two main targets in the way of another title in North Dakota State and Sam Houston State, and the Bearkats are on the schedule in week 5. It will certainly be one of the most exciting regular season matchups as EWU takes a trip south hoping to get revenge for a loss that kept them out of the title game one year ago.
Projected Postseason: FCS Playoffs
2012 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 123.14 (90th in nation, 10th in conference)
Passing Offense: 318.86 (7, 2)
Total Offense: 442.00 (14, 3)
Scoring Offense: 33.71 (17, 3)
Rushing Defense: 176.79 (77, 11)
Pass Defense: 225.07 (78, 4)
Total Defense: 401.86 (81, 6)
Scoring Defense: 25.43 (54, 4)
Turnover Margin: .14 (51, 6)
Sacks: 2.36 (32, 7)
Sacks Allowed: 2.57 (90, 7)
Madness 2013 FCS Football Recruit Rankings:
#6 Deon Martin Jr.
See all College Sports Madness Top 44 FCS Football Previews
