 "Photo: Sam Grenadier")
Prior to the season opener between Texas Tech and Eastern Washington, Eagles' quarterback Matt Nichols hinted about a brand new defense that would catch the Red Raiders off guard.
"It's another thing that kind of gives us a little bit of confidence," said Nichols, who threw for 335 yards in a 49-24 loss to Tech Saturday. "We have a brand new defense. We run a completely different defense."
Nichols was right, according to the observations of quarterback Graham Harrell, who said because of a new defensive coordinator, the Eagles left no trace of an unknown defense on tape.
Even studying Central Washington from last season, where EWU defensive coordinator John Graham came from, was a shot in the dark, Harrell said.
"Nothing that they did, had we seen," said Harrell, who threw for 500 yards for the third time in three seasons. "They didn't show any of that."
Harrell said the Eagles' efforts to confuse Tech's spread offense were successful at times.
They would play three safeties deep with both corners playing cover two while three linemen would crash up the middle, Harrell said. At times, Harrell recalls EWU dropping nine into coverage to take away the deep ball, which opened up the door for slot receivers Eric Morris and Detron Lewis, who each had more than 160 yards receiving.
"I've never seen that actually," Harrell said. "They're trying to take anything downfield away. That's why the little bubble screen to the inside receiver, we got 15 yards a pop because they had everyone so deep."
While Harrell said the offense had to adjust to the changes early on, Tech still went up 21-0, but he was forced out of the pocket and pressured numerous times throughout the game.
"He went back and forth in and out of rhythm," Tech coach Mike Leach said of Harrell. "At times he was in, and at times he tried to make too much happen. He would linger around and make something go deep."
For the most part, Tech adjusted to Eastern Washington's defense, which is what Harrell said goes along with the territory of such a potent offense.
Now that he is a senior, Harrell said he has seen just about everything, and admitted that there is no substitute for experience in an offense that gets a lot of different looks thrown its way.
"You've seen a lot of defenses," he said. "You've seen teams try to change it up. You've seen teams show one thing on film and then run something completely different. As a player it helps to have experiences and realize that know matter what they do you have to execute as an offense."
Now Harrell must turn his attention to a Nevada defense that also has a new defensive coordinator in Nigel Burton, who spent the last five seasons at Oregon State.
However, the Wolfpack already has played a game this season, winning handily over Football Championship Subdivision team Grambling State, 49-13 on Saturday.
Burton's defense held the Tigers to five yards rushing on 40 attempts, with two interceptions, six sacks, and no touchdowns in the redzone.
"They've done some things different than anything I've ever seen," Harrell said of what he has seen of Nevada so far. "They've manned up on the corners and played zone with the rest of the guys. Sometimes they play some cover two, they'll blitz and play man. They'll play some zone, just straight zone. They mix it up."
Harrell said he expects to be more prepared this time around, even if it means watching film on other schools again.
"I think it was tough, the whole situation with Eastern Washington," Harrell said. "Nevada has new coaches too, so we're gonna have to watch some film on other teams I'm sure, to see what kind of defense he's run in the past."
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