MOSES LAKE — After a successful weekend for Washington college football, where all three scheduled teams were victorious, we are now in full swing of October football. Across three games, fans were treated to a full spectrum of competitive rivalry wins, offensive domination and late comeback wins.
Eastern Washington (2-4) vs Portland State
The Eagles held off a late comeback attempt by Portland State to win 35-27 and bring home the Dam Cup. Head Coach Aaron Best was all smiles after their win on homecoming weekend.
“It’s been out of our hands for over 1,000 days, and now it’s back in Cheney and after a hard-fought back-and-forth affair late in the game, and just proud of our kids and our coaches for finding a way,” he said.
The Eagles’ run game shone with 333 total rush yards. Quarterback Nate Bell accounted for 175 of those yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown. Marceese Yetts and Kevin Allen III combined for three touchdowns and 158 rushing yards.
The Eagles’ defense came up with several key stops on third and fourth downs. Defensive back Jaylon Jenkins intercepted Portland State late in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Eagles.
The Eagles will have a bye week this weekend before returning to Roos Field on Oct. 18 to host the Idaho Vandals at 4 p.m.
BOX SCORE:
PSU: 7-10-3-7: 27
EWU: 14-7-14-0: 35
Central Washington (4-1) vs Eastern New Mexico
The Wildcats continued to be commanding on the gridiron after defeating the visiting Greyhounds 58-7. Head Coach Chris Fisk said he remains proud of the way his players approach the game.
“We are all very proud of the way the guys approach each week and come out with the right mindset to play the game the way it is supposed to be played. We are thrilled with the win, and we are excited to start preparing for (the University of Texas Permian Basin next week and to play at one of the most historic stadiums in the country,” he said.
The Wildcats started hot with a 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kennedy McGill to Jalen Grable on the opening play of their first drive. From there, they put up two more scores in the first quarter before adding 31 more points in the second quarter.
The second half was low scoring for the Wildcats, and the Greyhounds never found momentum. McGill finished the game with 132 yards passing for two touchdowns and paired that with 67 yards rushing.
Tyler King was a force on defense with five total tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Jalen Webber and Chris Dodson each recorded an interception as well.
The Wildcats travel to Odessa, Texas, to play ninth-ranked UTPB on Oct. 11 at 4 p.m.
BOX SCORE:
ENM: 0-0-0-7: 7
CWU: 21-31-3-3: 58
Washington (4-1) at Maryland
The Huskies eked out a steep fourth-quarter comeback over the Terrapins on Saturday. They scored 24 unanswered points to steal a 24-20 win on the road. Head Coach Jedd Fisch said he was proud of his team after the game.
“Our guys kept believing and just competing … even though we gave up that touchdown to open the third quarter … the fact of the matter is we played good football, we played sound football,” he said.
After Maryland scored on their first drive of the second half, it led 20-0. The Huskies scored three points on a field goal to cut the deficit to 20-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw touchdown passes of three yards to Denzel Boston and 34 yards to Dezmen Roebuck to make it 20-17. After one more Maryland punt, the Huskies drove 80 yards for the winning touchdown. From one yard out, running back Jonah Coleman plowed into the endzone to take the lead.
After one final stop on defense, the Huskies secured the comeback win. The Huskies host Rutgers on Friday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m.
BOX SCORE:
UWH: 0-03-21: 24
UMT: 10-3-7-0: 20
Washington State (3-2) – Bye week
The Cougars had a bye week after defeating Colorado State 20-3 on the road the week prior. They return to the gridiron on the road Oct. 11 when they face fourth-ranked Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.
Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) and receiver Dezmen Roebuck (81) celebrate after scoring a touchdown against Maryland on Saturday. The Huskies pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback over the Terrapins to win 24-20.
Cougars defensive tackle Soni Finau celebrates after making a tackle against Colorado State. The Cougs return to the field against Ole Miss this Saturday after having a bye week.
