Run defense a focus for Eagles in 2024

SPOKANE — While Eastern Washington’s offense is looking to build off significant strides made during the 2023 season, the Eagle defense is looking to turn itself around after surrendering the second-most points in the Big Sky last fall.

“Our mindset is to get the program back to where it belongs,” Eastern defensive end Brock Harrison said Monday at Big Sky Media Days. 

Eastern has posted points per game allowed averages in the bottom half of the conference for each of the past two seasons; in 2023, Eastern allowed 37.4 ppg, second to only Cal Poly (43.1 ppg allowed). In 2022, the Eagles allowed 39.4 points per game, the fourth-most in conference games. 

“The last two years haven’t been the standard at Eastern Washington, and we know that,” Harrison said. “Going through those seasons, it’s hard when you’re in the midst of it. We don’t look at it as something to hold us back — we look at it as something to push us forward.” 

With turning around the defense comes a change in mentality, head coach Aaron Best said. 

“We’ve got to be more stout on defense, we’ve got to be more competitive on defense, we’ve got to make more plays on defense,” Best said. “With that, we’ve got to bring more energy as coaches on defense and be more aggressive to give those guys the feeling of playing with a little swagger.” 

The biggest change seen on the defensive side of the ball during the off-season is the man in charge; former linebackers coach Eric Sanders was elevated to defensive coordinator in January. Sanders was hired as Eastern’s linebackers coach ahead of the 2023 season, with previous coaching stops at both the collegiate and professional levels.  

Best highlighted the passion that Sanders has brought to his new role throughout the off-season. 

“At the end of the day it’s only energy, but you get guys on board when there’s a vibe, a belief or a connection,” Best said. “He’s very football smart, he knows what he’s doing. He’s been around a lot of different people and picked up a lot of different approaches from those people." 

Harrison said that Sanders has brought “flexibility” to the Eagle defense throughout the off-season months. 

“A lot of different looks,” he said. “We’re not going to be out there running the same thing over and over again, we’re going to change up what we’re doing and we’re going to have all of our athletes on the field. That’s his big thing, is getting as many playmakers out on the field all at once.” 

Eastern’s biggest defensive struggle has come in stopping the run. In 2023 the Eagles gave up 1,933 yards on the ground in Big Sky games, the most in the conference, but was still an improvement over the 2,352 rushing yards allowed in 2022. 

“We have not been a good run defense the last two years — it’s been pretty noticeable in games, especially seeing the stats afterward,” Harrison said. “(We’ve been) finding a new mentality as a defense to rebrand ourselves besides the last two years and what happened.” 

There have been “physical” and “hard” player-run practices throughout the off-season with members of the Eagle defense focused on slowing down opposing rushing attacks, Harrison said. 

“It’s been amazing for the defense,” Harrison said. “It’s allowed us to step up and take control of the team as a whole, not just the defense. Those (player-run practices) really set the standard for everyone going into the year. The fact that we have 80-100 guys at our summer workouts was big for us.” 

On top of stopping the run, another focus this off-season among the defense has been on mentality and self-belief, Harrison added.  

“Just believing in what we have, because I feel like a lot of times you can get wrapped up in everything else — what other teams have got, what they’re bringing to the table,” Harrison said. “At the end of the day, we know what we have can win, and that’s all we’re really focused on.” 

To be successful in 2024, Best said it comes down to matching up with opposing offenses. 

“Putting guys in better positions, getting bigger physically at some of the positions,” Best said. “Being more multiple on defense, giving offenses more headaches at times — whether it’s fast tempo, normal tempo or slow tempo, we’ve got to create more headaches.” 

Eastern opens the 2024 season with back-to-back home games against Monmouth on Aug. 29 and Drake on Sept. 7. 

“Those games are going to be setting the tone for us starting the season, I think we know that going into it,” Harrison said. “The first two is where we make our mark and show what we have can win.” 

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Eagle defensive linemen work on the blocking sled during a practice in the 2023 season. Head Coach Aaron Best said the Eagles have been working on getting bigger up front.
  

    Eastern Washington defensive end Brock Harrison said the primary focus for the Eagle defense this off-season has been on their mentality and self-belief that they have what it takes to be successful.