Win over Eastern Washington sets up high-stakes Brawl of the Wild

MSU football trounced Eastern Washington University this past Saturday, blowing past the Eagles by way of a 57-14 final score. This was the fourth 35+ point win of the season for the ‘Cats as well as their twenty-sixth consecutive home victory. 

The result surprised few given MSU’s propensity for blowing out lower-ranked opponents this season — every ‘Cat win thus far has ended with at least a two-score difference.

The opening three drives of the game resulted in consecutive punts as the teams traded inconsequential possessions. But then quarterback Sean Chambers happened. 

Chambers has been breaking off long touchdown runs with a seemingly easy regularity this season, and he flashed his talents on the ground this week as well. The spectacularity of his 68-yard dash into the endzone felt wasted on Bobcat fans who have almost come to expect as much out of him. And he was just getting started. 

Despite only appearing in the first half — and regularly substituting with quarterback Tommy Mellott — Chambers found the endzone five times, two of them through the air and three on the ground.

The Exponent wrote earlier in the season that Chambers was not as effective as Mellott. To his credit, he has absolutely proved this sentiment wrong. Chambers has been fantastic this season, both as a starter during Mellott’s stint on the injured list and as a second-string option used in a rotational capacity alongside Mellott. Chambers currently leads the Big Sky Conference (BSC) in touchdowns and is top five in rushing yards. 

Even before the final whistle, the attention was turning toward the following week’s matchup: The Brawl of the Wild. This year’s edition of the annual contest against the University of Montana (UM) carries immense weight as a regular season finale. The University of Idaho lost to Weber State on Saturday, meaning that the winner of the Brawl will take the BSC crown. UM has the better record at 9-1, but a defeat at the hands of the ‘Cats would leave them tied and thus give MSU the title by merit of head-to-head record. 

A conference title is not the only thing on the line next week. MSU and UM are ranked fourth and third respectively in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Maintaining as high a ranking as possible leads to favorable seeding in the FCS tournament, with home-field advantage going to the higher-ranked team during the playoffs. 

By the look of how things are shaping up, this crucial advantage will only go to one Big Sky team this year — whoever emerges victorious from the fray of the Brawl.