With one final scrimmage looming, the Eastern Washington University football team will enter the 2012 season ranked 15th in the NCAA Football Subdivision in the FCS Coaches Poll announced Wednesday (Aug. 22).
Tomorrow (Thursday, Aug. 23), Eastern will scrimmage one last time before opening the season. The scrimmage will start at about 12:40 p.m. at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., and is free and open to the public.
The Eagles open the 2012 season at Idaho on Aug. 30, followed by a game at Pac-12 Conference member Washington State on Sept. 8.
Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin said less plays will be run than last week's 71-play scrimmage, in which the offense finished with 384 yards. There will be less situational plays and more long-field drive opportunities for the offense, and both sides of the ball will rest a handful of starters for next week's opener. Baldwin is also hoping to see both sides of the ball make big plays, much like he witnessed last week.
"I get excited no matter who is making plays," said Baldwin, who helps oversee the offense. "Yes, I want to see guys making plays on both sides of the ball in every scrimmage. I'm going to be excited whenever anyone on this team makes a play in a scrimmage, practice or whatever it is -- and obviously in a game."
In ranking 15th in the coaches poll, Eastern is behind Big Sky Conference rivals Montana State (fourth) and Montana (10th). North Dakota State, last year's FCS champion, is ranked first.
Previously, Eastern was selected 12th in The Sports Network NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 football poll as selected by a national panel of sportswriters, broadcasters and sports information directors.
The Eagles, who won the 2010 FCS title, were ranked No. 1 in the first two polls of the 2011 season but were not ranked at the end of the year after finishing 6-5 overall. With a total of 15 starters and 48 total letterwinners returning, the Eagles have been ranked as high as seventh nationally by other preseason publications and websites heading into the 2012 season.
EWU IN PRESEASON TEAM RANKINGS
The Sports Network (preseason): 1. Sam Houston State; 4. Montana State; 11. Montana; 12. Eastern Washington.
FCS Coaches Poll (preseason): 1. North Dakota State; 4. Montana State; 10. Montana; 15. Eastern Washington.
Athlon (preseason): 1. Sam Houston State; 4. Montana; 12. Eastern Washington; 17. Montana.
Lindy's Football Preview (preseason): 1. Sam Houston State; 3. Montana State; 5. Montana.; 22. Eastern Washington.
USA Today (preseason): 1. Sam Houston State; 5. Montana State; 6. Montana.
Phil Steele's Football (preseason): 1. Sam Houston State; 3. Montana State; 7. Eastern Washington; 14. Northern Arizona; 20. Montana.
College Sporting News (preseason): 1. North Dakota State; 4. Montana State; 10. Montana; 12. Eastern Washington.
The FCS Coaches Top 25 College Football Poll
|
Ranking – Team (1st Place Votes)
|
2011 Record
|
Total Votes
|
|
1. North Dakota State (19)
|
14-1
|
640
|
|
2. Sam Houston State (6)
|
14-1
|
623
|
|
3. Georgia Southern (1)
|
11-3
|
592
|
|
4. Montana State
|
10-3
|
540
|
|
5. Appalachian State
|
8-4
|
504
|
|
6. Old Dominion
|
10-3
|
470
|
|
7. Northern Iowa
|
10-3
|
466
|
|
8. James Madison
|
8-5
|
456
|
|
9. Towson
|
9-2
|
454
|
|
10. Montana
|
11-3
|
425
|
|
11. Lehigh
|
11-2
|
371
|
|
12. New Hampshire
|
8-4
|
337
|
|
13. Wofford
|
6-2
|
322
|
|
14. Delaware
|
7-4
|
294
|
|
15. Eastern Washington
|
6-5
|
248
|
|
16. Maine
|
9-4
|
232
|
|
17. Stony Brook
|
9-4
|
228
|
|
18. Youngstown State
|
6-5
|
184
|
|
19. Central Arkansas
|
9-4
|
157
|
|
20. Illinois State
|
7-4
|
148
|
|
21. Eastern Kentucky
|
7-5
|
127
|
|
22. Harvard
|
9-1
|
113
|
|
23. Norfolk State
|
9-3
|
72
|
|
24. Stephen F. Austin
|
6-5
|
69
|
|
25. Indiana State
|
6-5
|
66
|
Others Receiving Votes: Jacksonville State (54); Liberty (48); Murray State (32); Jackson State (30); Bethune-Cookman (21); Tennessee Tech (20); South Carolina State (15); Florida A&M (14); Grambling State (13); William & Mary (12); North Dakota (10); Albany (9); Northern Arizona (9); Cal Poly (8); Chattanooga (7); Portland State (7); Alabama A&M (3); Idaho State (3); Cornell (2); Pennsylvania (2); Alabama State (1); McNeese State (1); San Diego (1)
