Know Your Foe: Texas Tech Opens With Dangerous Eastern Washington

Game week is finally here for the first time in 2017. Here is a look at Texas Tech’s opponent this weekend, Eastern Washington.

For the first time since November, Texas Tech football fans have an actual game to look forward to this weekend. Saturday, the Red Raiders will host Eastern Washington at Jones Stadium and despite being an FCS team, the Eagles are far from the usual week-one pushover.

Twice in the past five years, Eastern Washington has gone on the road to knock off FBS opponents to open the season. In 2013, the Eagles stunned No. 25 Oregon State 49-46 and just last season, they upset Washington State 45-42.

So it would be foolish to expect the atmosphere at Jones Stadium on Saturday to be intimidating to the Eastern Washington players. In fact, unlike most FBS opponents Texas Tech has faced in recent seasons, this is a team which fully expects to come to Lubbock and win this week.

Last season, the Eagles were co-champions of the Big Sky Conference, considered by many to be the FCS equivalent of the Southeastern Conference. But, their season came to a stunning end in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs when they fell to Youngstown State which scored a touchdown with just one second left to win 40-38.

But this year’s EWU team is in a state of transition. 2016 head coach Beau Baldwin left the program after nine seasons, which included five conference titles and one national title, to be the offensive coordinator at California. Aaron Best was promoted to head coach following nine seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Thus, the transition might be minimal for the Eagles, especially on the offensive side of the ball which is where EWU has been dominant for over a decade. In fact, the Eagles have built a program that resembles the Texas Tech football program.

If the Eagles are going to upset the Red Raiders, they will have to do so in a shootout. Last season, EWU averaged 401 yards per game through the air, tops in the FCS.

Junior quarterback Gage Gubrud is the most dangerous weapon the Eagles have at their disposal. He led the FCS in passing in 2016 with 5,160 yards and 48 touchdowns. He also ran for an additional 606 yards and five scores.

But, Gubrud will be without the majority of his favorite targets from last year. The Eagles graduated their top three receivers from 2016. That trio combined for an absurd 4,058 receiving yards so their absence will be felt. If EWU is to put up 42.3 points per game again this season, it will have to find new receivers to step up.

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Thus, the marquee matchup this weekend is likely to be the EWU receivers against the Texas Tech defensive backs. Both units have been rebuilt over the offseason and the group that wins this matchup will have a hug impact on the outcome of the game.

But as potent as Eastern Washington’s offense is, its defense should struggle to stop the Texas Tech offense.

Seven of EWU’s opponents last season put up at least 30 points, including the only FBS team it played, Washington State. The Eagles were vulnerable against the run yielding 193.6 yards per game. In addition, they surrendered 26 rushing touchdowns.

EWU was better against the pass giving up just 223 yards per game and 22 touchdowns. However, this is likely do to the fact that some of their FCS opponents were rather inept when trying to throw the ball.

Against Washington State, EWU allowed 418 yards passing and 515 overall. The next week, the Eagles were thrashed by North Dakota State to the tune of 537 total yards and 50 points in their only regular season loss.

The Eagles’ only hope of stopping the Texas Tech offense lies in their ability to get to the quarterback. They registered 35 sacks last year and they will likely look to bring significant numbers of rushers at the inexperienced and revamped Texas Tech offensive line.

But if Tech’s line can give quarterback Nick Shimonek time to throw the ball, the Texas Tech receivers could have a huge day against the Eagles. Tech will also have to protect the ball against an EWU defense that forced 37 turnovers in 2016. As is the case with any significant underdog, EWU will have to rely on take-aways if it wants to pull of another upset of a FBS school.

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Though FCS teams are not sexy opponents, they have proven capable of knocking off FBS schools in recent years. Eastern Washington is one of the top programs in the FCS and the Red Raiders will have to put together a solid performance this weekend to avoid being another Goliath to fall to an FCS David.