Nicholls at #3 Eastern Washington
Nicholls ended the two game upset streak that San Diego had going, 49-30. Quarterback Chase Fourcade was in a duel with the Toreros Anthony Lawrence and neither one disappointed. The difference was the supporting casts, especially in the backfield. Fourcade chipped in the help his Colonels rush for 269 yards, while they held San Diego to just 9. Fourcade’s 337 passing yards was 12 less than Lawrence’s 349, but the running game was the real difference.
One might have thought when quarterback Gage Gubrud went down with an injury, that Eastern Washington’s season would suffer also. Enter back-up Eric Barriere, who’s looked every bit as good as his predecessor. Of course, having a running back like Sam McPherson and a receiver like Nsimba Webster, each going for over 1000 yards in their crafts, it makes life much easier. On top of that, the Eagles have become one of the best defensive units in the Big Sky. Traditionally, defense is an afterthought in the Rocky Mountains. Two defensive linemen Jay-Tee Tiuli and Mitchell Johnson each led the team with four sacks.
Nicholls will need the kind of balance they had against San Diego when they travel to Cheyney. The Eagles won’t be overmatched and much less accommodating than their non-scholarship opponents were in the First Round. You also know that Eastern Washington will be more balanced than San Diego was. This should make Nicholls a bit uneasy defensively. The Eagles should have their way like Nicholls did against San Diego.
Prediction: Eastern Washington 42, Nicholls 28
