CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington is preparing for its first test of the season against FCS juggernaut North Dakota State in Minneapolis on Saturday.
The Eags are well aware of how dominant the Bison have been over the last decade, but they believe they are up for the week one challenge.
"It's the first for everybody in the 2023 season. We are playing a highly talented, very successful opponent over a long period of time, so make no bones about it, we know who we are facing," EWU head coach Aaron Best said.
After a 3-8 season last year, the Eastern coaches are looking forward to seeing how the team looks under the bright lights.
"It is absolutely a tall task, but when there is noise and fans, we want to see when guys truly perform at a high level," Best said.
North Dakota State promises to do what they do best and run the ball on Saturday. After giving up over 42 points per game last season, the EWU defense is chomping at the bit to put their off-season work to the test. "Obviously a key component of a defense is resiliency, something bad is going to happen at one point or another, so I am excited to see how we can bounce back from those situations," defensive back Marlon Jones Jr. said.
The defense reloaded in the offseason with transfers and emphasized stopping the run, so Saturday's test will be a good measuring stick for their improvement.
"We have progressed consistently and we have taken big leaps since spring ball, so I am excited to see how far we can get to this season," Jones said.
Following an excellent showing at the end of last year's game at Florida, quarterback Kekoa Visperas is keeping a level head heading into another tough test on the road.
"I treat every day as a new day, it's just like going out there on the practice field, there are just different jerseys on the other side of the ball. I have nothing to prove, I just need to be me," Visperas said.
Coach Best believes his quarterback has the right temperament.
"I do think he is an unflappable player and at his position, that's the position you want to be the most unflappable. Kekoa is more than capable, but the guts of his journey really start on Saturday," Best said.
The Eags and Bison will kick it off at 12:30 PM Saturday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.
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