That South Dakota loss exposed exactly the problem the Eagles have to solve here: giving up chunk plays. Defensive tackle Isaiah Perez said afterward the group was "not executing on little things," and that those big gains "make the difference." The Sept. 5 opener against Northern Iowa cost Eastern Washington some bodies too — linebacker Samarai Anderson banged up a knee, receivers Jaxon Branch and Drew Carlson each picked up injuries, and cornerback Zamarie Tellez went down as well, even in a game quarterback Nate Bell rallied to win with a strong second half.
None of that is a secret to anyone who's watched Eastern Washington's tape, and a clear, 71-degree Saturday at Husky Stadium with barely any wind won't hand the Eagles a break either. The more interesting thread is actually Washington's own uneven start — a two-point survival against Utah State sandwiched around a businesslike 24-10 Apple Cup win — for a team that hasn't hit top gear.
This is about as close to a breather as a ranked team gets on the schedule: a chance for Washington to iron out slow starts before conference play ramps back up, while Eastern Washington is mostly trying to get healthy and tighten up a defense that's already bled big plays twice this month.