Game Blog: Sac State 15, EWU 13 FINAL

Sacramento State took a knee to hold onto at 15-13 road victory and spoil Homecoming on Saturday (Nov. 1) for Eastern Washington University. Eagles’ quarterback Matt Nichols was picked off twice and fumbled once as EWU fell to a 3-5 record overall and a 2-3 mark in the Big Sky Conference.

FINAL — SAC STATE 15, EWU 13

4:43 – Sac State will take a knee. The game is all but over.

4:42 – Matt Nichols’ pass to Nathan Overbay is bobbled and then picked off. With 1:20 left in the game, the game appears to be over.

4:41 — EWU has a holding penalty that will back them up to the 30-yard line. They’ll have to reach the 43 for a first down.

4:37 – Eagles force a fourth down, and Sac State will be punting with 2:19 left. It looks like things will come down to the last possession.

4:32 – Eagles forced to punt, and Fritz Brayton puts one on the ten-yard line. Sac State has 4:29 to either run out the clock or score.

4:30 – A strike to Overbay over the middle by Nichols and the Eagles are up to the 38-yard line. Good play. Eastern Washington is in business.

4:27 – Taiwan Jones makes an excellent play on a first down pass ball and it looks like the Hornets are punting. On the return, a block in the back in called and the Eagles will start their drive on the five-yard line. Just under seven minutes left in the game. Block in the back? Looked more like block in the shoulder.

4:24 – The Hornets have answered back by driving to midfield. They’re moving the ball with ease.

TOUCHDOWN! Pass to Brynsen Brown. Sac State 15, EWU 15, 10:22 left in the game.

4:19 – Touchdown pass to Brynsen Brown. and the Eagles are back in this thing with 10:22 left in the game. Two-point conversion is no good as it gets intercepted in the endzone.

4:17 – Tight End Nathan Overbay gets a ball thrown to him for the first time today. First down, Eagles on the fourty, then a pass to Tony Davis gets EWU up to the 23-yard line.

4:16 – Incomplete pass and it looks like the Hornets will have to punt. It looks like the Eagles will have it at midfield for a drive with 11:23 left in the game.

4:13 – Fritz Brayton puts the ball on Sac State’s 13-yard line but time is running out for Eastern Washington. 13:03 left in the game.

4:11 – Incomplete pass on third down and EWU will be punting. Not the answer that Eagle fans were looking for.

4:07 – Well, this isn’t a back-breaker but it really puts the pressure on EWU.

FIELD GOAL GOOD! Sac State 15, EWU 7, 14:44 left in the fourth quarter

4:05 – We have ourselves a goal-line stand. Sac State brings out the kicker. This has been an adventure all day.

4:03 – End of the third quarter and the Eagles can’t be happy with where they are at.

4:02 – Another big play by the Hornets get them to the three-yard line.

4:00 – Sac State converts on a fourth and inches to keep the drive going. They’re on the 30-yard line now. With two minutes left in the third, EWU’s season is slowly slipping away.

3:56 – Hornets find an open man streaking and get it to the 50-yard line.

3:52 – This should be the first punt for the Eagles in the game… and EWU puts it on the one-yard line.

3:49 – Eagles make a first down on a defensive pass interference call. Eagles on the 44 before Matt Nichols is sacked for a big loss. That excellent protection he enjoyed in the first half has not transferred over to the second. With 7:20 left in the third, here comes the rain.

TOUCHDOWN SAC STATE! Tony Washington hauls in a short touchdown pass in the corner. Missed Extra Point. Sac State 12, EWU 7, 8:08 left in the 3rd Quarter.

3:42 – FUMBLE! Nichols is sacked, coughs up the ball and Sac State has it on the EWU 15.

3:40 – Get to see the first punt of the game. Tony Davis runs it back to the EWU 40.

3:39 – Pass batted down as the Hornets go four and out.

3:37 – 4th and five and Nichols throws a short pass that is nearly picked off by the middle linebacker. Turnover on downs. This is how the game has been going all day.

3:35 – 3rd and 10, two incomplete passes for the Eagles. Time to make a big play. False Start. Make that 3rd and 15.

3:33 – Brynsen Brown picks up another first down. The Hornets have no answer for him.

3:32 – Dale Morris runs for a first down. Eagles on the Sac State 45. This looks familiar, lets hope they can capitalize.

3:31 – Taiwan Jones runs the opening kickoff to the EWU 43. Good start.

HALFTIME STATS – So EWU has 202 passing yards to Sac State’s 97. We’ve got 27 total first downs between both teams and only 13 points in this game. This is a head scratcher.

Top Eagle Performers –

QB Matt Nichols — 14 for 20, one interception, and 202 yards.

WR Brynsen Brown — Six catches, 94 yards

WR Tony Davis — Four catches 66 yards

DB Taiwan Jones — 10 tackles

HALFTIME – It could be worse, I mean WSU is down 24-0 at Stanford, so I really can’t complain with the Eagles leading by 1. They can move the ball but they’re going to have to work on punching it into the defense. We have yet to see an official punt in this football game.

3:08 – Hornets elect to sit on the ball and take it to halftime.

3:06 — Matt Nichols is 14-19 for 202 yards so far in this game. We’re just 51 seconds from halftime. And as I type that he is picked in the endzone. That’s a big ouch for the Eagles.

3:04 – Davis makes another catch to put the Eagles on the 7-yard line which appears to be just short of the first down… oh wait, the Big Sky officials seem to be negotiating the distance. First and Goal! Thanks refs!

3:03 – Tony Davis hauls in a big pass by Nichols for a first down. Eagles on the 18.

3:01 – On the ensuing Sac State drive, Eagles defensive back Ryan Kelly picks off a Jason Smith pass. He’s fresh off his Big Sky player of the week awards, this kid is having himself a season. Nichols rushes up for an Eagle first down and the Eagles are on the Sac State 42 with a minute to do in the half.

2:54 – Hey Eagle Fans, that EWU offense machine is baaaaackkk!

TOUCHDOWN EASTERN WASHINGTON! Toke Kefu with the 2-yard run! EWU 7, Sac State 6, 4:07 left in the second quarter.

2:52 – Brynsen Brown catches another pass and brings it up to the two-yard line for a first down. 4:14 left in the half. Again, this guy is a stud.

2:50 – Brynsen Brown makes a short catch, shakes off two defenders and runs up to the 17-yard line for a first down. He’s been the Eagles best man on the field so far, making some nice plays for the offense.

2:49 – Another short pass to Davis, has Sac State give conceded that they cant cover the Eagles’ wide receivers?

2:48 – Eagles get the ball back and a quick pass to Tony Davis along with a personal foul with a hit out of bounds puts EWU on the Sac State 45 with 5:33 left in the half.

NO GOOD! Sac State 6, EWU 0, 5:41 left in the second quarter

2:47 – Eagles force and fourth down and Sac trots out the kicking team… oh brother.

2:45 – That doesn’t stop Sac State from picking up the first down on the EWU 30.

2:44 – The only time the Eagles can get a stop is when the Hornets run into their own blockers. Classic.

2:42 — First down Hornets, driving on the Eagles’ 47-yard line.

2:39 – Spoke to soon. Eagles commit an onsides and the Hornets easily convert the 4th and short with a QB keeper. First down on the Sac State fourty with 10:13 to go.

2:37 – Eagles stop the Hornets and we’re going to have our first punt of the game. Wow. It’s been a weird ride so far.

BLOCKED FIELD GOAL! SAC STATE 6, EWU 0, 12:00 left in the second quarter

2:35 – Two incomplete passes and it’s a field goal attempt for Eastern Washington. But it’s blocked!

2:33 – Thanks to a penalty, it’s 2nd and 20 — here’s a promising drive that is sputtering.

2:32 – Big sack for the Hornets, backing EWU up to the 28-yard line. First time Sac State has been able to touch Nichols.

2:30 – I would just pass 60 times in this game, because Nichols has all time to throw and the DBs for the Hornets cannot cover the EWU wide recievers. We have a face mask call on Sac State and the Eagles are now on the 16-yard line with 13:15 left to go in the second.

2:29 — EWU picks up a first down on a long pass from Nichols to Aaron Boyce. I’m surprised that these EWU wide receivers are so open. Another first down and the Eagles are in business on the Sac State 40.

2:26 — End of the first quarter. A couple of things have stood out. The Eagles defense seem unable to get off the field on third down, but if the EWU offense can get out on the field more and put some points on the board the results should be much better than what occurred in the first quarter.

BLOCKED FIELD GOAL! SAC STATE 6, EWU 0, 0:07 left in the 1st Quarter.

2:25 – Eagles force a fourth down tackling Jason Smith on the five yard line and it looks like the Hornets are bringing out the kicking team.

2:22 – Long pass by Jason Smith to Tony Washington. Sac State now on the Eagles 11-yard line. With less than two minutes left in the quarter, I’ve got to say that EWU has been dominated by the Hornets so far.

2:21 — Hornets picked up a first down and are at midfield. The DBs for Eastern Washington have been able to pick up the dumpoff passes to wide recievers well but its the run defense that is worrying me.

2:18 — And the drive sputters. This will be a 44-yard field goal attempt. No good. Wow, the Hornets can take control of this game with another score.

2:17 – Another long pass to Brynsen Brown for a first down. Eagles on the Hornet’s 28-yard line. Nichols has all-day to pass and that is not a good thing for Sac State.

2:16 – Eagles pick up two first downs. This has the makings of a high-scoring game, both defense can’t really do anything right now.

2:14 — One fantastic thing about watching EWU is seeing quarterback Matt Nichols go to work, first pass is an 18-yard strike to Brynsen Brown.

SAC STATE 6, EWU 0, 8:21 left in the 1st Quarter

2:10 – Another first down by Bryan Hillaird, at the one yard line. Uh-oh. Hillaird runs it in on the very next play for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Hornet’s 6:29 drive looked very impressive.

2:09 – This has definitely been a great opening drive for the Hornets so far, most disconcerting for Eagle fans is how well Sac State has been able to run the ball.

2:08 – Eagles force another third down, but they haven’t been able to get that coveted fourth down. And that trend continues as Sac’s Bryan Hilliard gains ten yards on the left side of the field.

2:07 — Another first down. This is officially a drive.

2:06 – The Eagles have given up two first downs to the Hornets and they currently are on EWU’s 40.

2:02 – The Sacramento Hornets will get the ball on the 20 to start the game. We’ll see if the Eagles defense from the PSU game shows up or the Eagles defense from the Montana game shows up. You should be hoping for the defense that showed up to the Montana game.

2:00 – Looks like a pretty sparse crowd, but with Gonzaga playing an exhibition game (sold out), it being cold and dreary out, that’s to be expected. Black pants for the Eagles with the red jersey tops. I’m not quite sure if I like them.

1:52 – Time to start the running blog clock. They just sang the national anthem and we should be kicking off in about nine minutes.

Pre-game – Currently, it’s about 25 minutes until game time. Here’s a couple of things we should keep in mind going into this game. Despite not being in the top 25, Eastern Washington is still in the “receiving votes” category with a losing record. Two of those losses came against FBS teams and both games were extremely close and competitive.

Also, keep an eye out for EWU senior defensive end Greg Peach, he leads the nation with 14 sacks. He currently holds the school-record for career sacks with 31 1/2 and could also add the regular season school record with another sack today. Frank Staudenraus, who played at Eastern Washington between 1982-85 holds the school season record with 15.