Opponent Offense Preview: Eastern Washington Eagles
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Washington hosts Eastern Washington in Week 3, for its third and final non-conference tune-up before Big Ten play begins. A year ago, this offense averaged 23.4 points per game, fourth-fewest in the Big Sky, which is why head coach Aaron Best publicly prioritized fixing the run game and generating more explosive plays this fall. Has he done it so far this season?
The Numbers
- Record: 1-2
- Points per game: 28.0
- Total yards per game: 388.7
- Rushing yards per game: 128.3
- Passing yards per game: 260.3
- Turnovers per game: 1.3 (4 giveaways in 3 games)
- 3rd down conversion: 46.3% (19-of-41)
- 4th down conversion: 60.0% (3-of-5)
Key Players
Eastern Washington is lead by QB Nate Bell, a redshirt junior who climbed the depth chart to win the job this preseason. He’s a legitimate dual threat (a career-high 175 rushing yards in a win over Portland State last season) who can hurt a defense with his legs as much as his arm. He’s leading the team in rushing attempts (40), rushing yards (159), and rushing touchdowns (4). He’s also the owner of the longest QB sneak I’ve ever seen:
WR Wesley Garrett leads the team in catches and yards (235 yards, 2 TD), with WRDrew Carlson (a transfer from Fresno State) as the other primary target, who mostly catches short stuff underneath. WR Jaxon Branch had a ton of spring and fall camp hype and was supposed to be the team’s top receiving target. Though he’s carved a role for himself as third choice and he has two touchdowns in his nine receptions.
RBs Malik Dotson is back after his 2025 season ended in Week 1 with injury. But, when healthy in 2024 he averaged over four yards a carry with 12 catches out of the backfield. He hasn’t quite found his groove yet this season with just 3.3 yards per carry and one touchdown. RB Kevin Allen III has flashed explosiveness but has just 16 carries in three games, for 66 total yards. Coach Aaron Best wants this duo to carry a run game that doesn’t rely on Bell tucking it down, but so far that goal is a work in progress.
The offensive line returns most of its rotation and is probably Eastern’s best offensive asset: OLs Mark Johnson and Gavin Allen are both redshirt sophomores who started as true freshmen, and Allen in particular has added real size (up to 280 pounds) after converting from tight end. Continuity up front gives this group a chance to be ahead of where the skill positions are.
The Scheme
Second-year offensive coordinator Marc Anderson runs the show. Eastern Washington has been a pass-first, spread system going back to the Beau Baldwin era, and that identity has carried into 2026: the Eagles are throwing it more than they run it (38.7 pass attempts per game to 34.3 rush attempts), and the ball is spread around rather than schemed to a single player. Bell’s dual-threat ability is built into the game as he’s the team’s leading rusher as well as its quarterback. The staff’s stated goal is to get more out of the running backs so the offense isn’t as dependent on Bell to move the ball on the ground, but so far that hasn’t come to fruition.
Final Thoughts
Is there really an X-factor in a game against an FCS opponent? Based on what’s on tape through three weeks, Eastern’s offense hasn’t shown enough consistency to threaten an FBS defense. This game comes down to Washington’s own mentality: the Huskies’ defense has been the strength of the team, and a defense this good should be able to shut down an FCS offense averaging 128.3 rushing yards a game and leaning on its quarterback to lead the ground attack. Barring a slow start or a rash of self-inflicted mistakes, this is Washington’s game to control.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos