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#6 Eastern Washington Eagles 4-1 (3-0 BSC) AT #2 Montana State Bobcats 6-0 (3-0 BSC)
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012 • 12:40 p.m. Pacific
Bobcat Stadium (17,777) • Bozeman, Mont.
Audio: http://spokaneradio.com/player/kxlxam.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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http://www.goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/2 ... 2fbOct8MSU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Ranked sixth in this week’s Sports Network NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 poll, Eastern enters the game 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big Sky Conference, with its lone loss a narrow 24-20 setback at Washington State on Sept. 8. The Bobcats, ranked second behind defending NCAA Division I champion North Dakota State, are a perfect 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the league.
“This game is huge -- I can’t wait,” said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin following last week’s 55-17 romp over North Dakota. “I love these big games, and our players do too. We’ll enjoy the North Dakota win for a day, but believe me, I’m already thinking about Montana State because they are the real deal. They are a great team and we know that, but it’s going to be an exciting opportunity for our program.”
Two years ago, Eastern fell to 2-2 when 17th-ranked Montana State out-scored ninth-ranked EWU 10-0 in the second half in a 30-7 win, and out-gained EWU in total offense 439-382. However, EWU would go on to win its next 11 games and bring home the NCAA Division I title.
In the rematch last year between the No. 4 Bobcats and No. 21 Eagles, Montana State out-scored Eastern 26-7 over the final 35:08 of the game for a 36-21 win and drop EWU to 0-4 on the season. The offensive battle was won by MSU 416-371, but again, the Eagles responded well from that loss to win six of their next seven games and finish the season 6-5.
Prior to the last two losses, the Eagles have dominated the all-time series with MSU, winning 25 of the first 33 meetings. Eastern’s seven-game winning streak in the series was snapped in 2010.
But for Eastern to reverse the recent trend, it will have to find a way to stop Bobcat quarterback DeNarius McGee. Of the 855 yards MSU has accumulated the last two years, he has accounted for 545 of them. In 2010, he was 15-of-24 passing for 283 yards, and added 24 rushing. He was just 12-of-26 for 161 yards a year ago, but also rushed for 77 yards.
McGhee is 10th in FCS in total offense, averaging 288.3 yards per game, and as a team the Bobcats are 19th (433.8). Eastern, meanwhile, is 16th in total offense (448.6), providing a match-up Saturday of two of the top 20 offenses in FCS. The Eagles rushed for 290 yards in last week’s win over North Dakota, but EWU will be tested by a Bobcat defense which is seventh in FCS in rushing defense (70.8).
