Sep. 23—MOSES LAKE — Local Washington college football programs have played another week of games on the gridiron. While the Cougs and the Huskies faced off in the Apple Cup, the Eastern Washington Eagles earned their first win of the season, see below how each team fared last weekend.
Central Washington vs. West Texas A&M
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The Wildcats (2-1) were victorious 52-6 when they hosted the Buffaloes in their first conference game of the season. The Wildcats jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and would pile it on over the next three quarters.
Quarterback Kennedy McGill completed 10 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns through the air. On the run, he also accounted for 62 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Mason Jurgens had two explosive plays, one a 55-yard pass reception and a run play that went for 78 yards and a touchdown.
“I’m incredibly proud of the effort and intensity that our guys put into this week of preparation. They really came out fast and never let up. Now it’s time to get after it in preparation of a trip to Western New Mexico next week,” head coach Chris Fisk said.
The Wildcats play Western New Mexico at 5 p.m. Saturday.
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BOX SCORE:
WTU: 0-6-0-0: 6
CWU: 21-14-14-3: 52
Eastern Washington vs. Western Illinois
The Eagles erupted offensively, earning their first win of the season against the Western Illinois Leathernecks, with a final score of 52-31. Eastern scored first, but the game was back-and-forth for the majority of the night, as the Leathernecks’ offense kept pace with the Eagles.
In a statement by EWU athletics, Eastern posted 597 yards of total offense. The Eagles had 325 rushing yards, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. Nate Bell amassed 416 yards of offense and scored five touchdowns. He rushed 18 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 11-of-29(37.9%) passes for 272 yards, throwing two touchdowns. Eastern outscored WIU, 25-14 in the second half to pull away and earn the home win.
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“(Bell) is a playmaker. He goes at a different pace and it’s not a fanatic pace. He sees things that are in his blind spots and has a feel for the game. I think the reverse with Wes (Garrett) got us going more than anything. In the return game, I’m trying to communicate with (Noah Cronquist) to be more aggressive. His returns tonight gave us a jolt, even with one being called back,” Eagles head coach Aaron Best said.
The Eagles begin conference play Saturday in Bozeman when they face fourth-ranked Montana State at 1 p.m.
BOX SCORE:
UIW: 3-14-7-7: 31
EWU: 15-12-10-15: 52
Washington State vs. Washington
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The Cougs and the Huskies faced off in the 117th Apple Cup game. The Huskies were victorious 59-24 over the Cougars on Saturday.
Demond Williams Jr. threw four touchdown passes and ran for a score, according to a statement from the University of Washington Athletics. Williams was at the heart of Washington’s offensive success with 298 yards through the air and another 88 on the ground.
The Huskies’ 59 points are UW’s highest in Apple Cup history.
“I thought they came out ready to play,” Fisch said. “This is a game that we had to win; we had to come out and play our best football.”
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The Huskies scored on every possession, extending their season-opening scoring streak to 21 straight drives. Washington scored touchdowns on seven of its eight scoring drives. The Huskies opened the game with a touchdown drive as Boston caught a 29-yard pass from Williams.
“We’ll grow from it, I know there’s a team in there that wants to respond,” Rogers said. “I felt like our best defense was to keep our offense on the field the way we were operating.”
The Cougars will head to Colorado State to play the Rams at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Huskies return home Saturday at 12:30 p.m. to host the Ohio State Buckeyes.
BOX SCORE:
UW: 14-10-7-28: 59
WSU: 0-10-14-0: 24
