LAKE CHARLES, La. — Quarterback Matt Nichols said Eastern Washington’s offensive line just kept doing what it’s been doing all year to beat previously undefeated McNeese State in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
“We haven’t changed anything that we have done all season. We just run a lot of crossing plays and hitches. Our goal is to make the defenders miss,” he said after the Eagles (9-3) beat No. 2 seed McNeese State 44-15 in a first-round game Saturday.
For that matter, the sophomore quarterback just kept doing what he’s been doing. His 434 yards passing — the most allowed by the Cowboys since 2004 — wasn’t even his best this year for the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for 451 yards against Montana on Oct. 6.
He threw two touchdown passes, one of them 64 yards. Junior tailback Dale Morris ran for the Eagles’ other four touchdowns.
“I really didn’t get touched tonight,” Nichols said. “Our offensive line was really the focal point of our success in this game.”
“To me, zero sacks are the key stat of the game,” Nicholls said.
Eastern Washington (9-3) will play two-time defending champion Appalachian State in the second round of the FCS (formerly I-AA) playoffs.
McNeese (11-1), the Southland Conference champion, was the second national seed to fall in the first round. No. 3 Montana lost at home to Wofford.
“We’re disappointed,” McNeese State Head Coach Matt Viator said. “But we don’t have any excuses. … It just seemed like it was one of those games where when they needed eight they got nine and when we needed eight we got six.”
The Cowboys’ Brant Linde ran an interception 66 yards for a touchdown to start the scoring, but the Eagles answered immediately with an 8-play, 51-yard drive and Morris’ first touchdown, on a 3-yard run.
Eastern Washington went ahead for good on Felipe Macias’ 24-yard field goal with 9:13 left in the first half. Tony Davis caught Nicholls’ 64-yard pass to make it 16-7 at halftime.
Morris’ second touchdown, on the Eagles’ opening possession of the second half, stretched the lead to 23-7.
A 1-yard touchdown run by Derrick Fourroux and Kris Bush’ two-point conversion run cut the Cowboys’ deficit to 23-15. But Morris’ third touchdown of the game, from a yard out, extend the lead to 30-15.
Morris finished the game with 130 yards on 22 carries.
Coach Paul Wulff said his defense had one of its better performances, holding the Cowboys to 312 yards total offense.
“I think our defensive line has been awfully good most of the year,” Wulff said. “That has made a big difference for us. We are able to get to the quarterback a lot of times without having to blitz.”
The Eagles had 626 yards total offense and 34 first downs.
“It’s tough to face us when we can put out as many offensive weapons and our offensive line protects like they did tonight,” Wulff said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
