LA GRANDE, Ore. - No. 18 Eastern Oregon University gets the 2021 campaign started this weekend on the road. The Mountaineers begin their Frontier Conference Title defense and this time around they will take on a full slate of opponents. Read to below to preview this weekend's opponent and learn about this year's team. 

OPPONENT
Montana Tech Orediggers (0-0)

WHERE
Butte, Mont. - Alumni Coliseum

WHEN
Saturday, Aug. 28 - 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT

KICKOFF
• Eastern Oregon University is ready to go for the 2021 season as the Mountaineers get set to defend their Frontier Conference crown. After a wild and chaotic 2020 season, EOU is ready for a full schedule this year.
• During the modified 2020 campaign that was not played until the spring of 2032, the Mountaineers made the most of the year and posted a 3-1 overall record. All four games were conference matchups.
• Eastern Oregon went to win a share of the Frontier Conference Title with Carroll College and College of Idaho. All three squads went 3-1 in 2020 and will battle it out for total supremacy in 2021. Only this time around, the entire Frontier Conference is back making things more interesting.
• In 2020, three schools opted out from the modified spring season in Montana Tech, Montana Western, and Southern Oregon. Left competing in the spring of 2021 was EOU, Carroll, C of I, Rocky Mountain College, and Montana State-Northern.
• With a final 3-1 record, the Mountaineers finished the season ranked in the NAIA FirstDown PlayBook Top-25 Poll. EOU was tabbed 21st in the final poll and in five of the six polls that were released was in the top-25.

2020 SEASON REVIEW
• The Mountaineers played two games at home inside Community Stadium and two games on the road. At home, Eastern Oregon finished 1-1 and was a perfect 2-0 on the road. 
• At home, the lone win for Eastern came in the season opener against the Carroll College Saints. The Mountaineers defeated the Saints 28-0 to push their current win streak against Carroll to six in a row.
• The lone loss of the year for the Mountaineers came against College of Idaho. EOU held a 31-28 lead late but 21 unanswered by the Coyotes helped them secure a 49-38 come from behind win.
• The two road wins for Eastern were against Rocky Mountain College and MSU-Northern. Against Rocky Mountain, the Mountaineers trailed 30-16 midway through the fourth before forcing overtime and eventually went on to win 36-33 over the Battlin' Bears.
• The second road win, against MSU-Northern, was a slow-paced affair. Eastern only led 7-0 going into halftime and it remained a 7-0 game until the fourth quarter. The Lights managed to score one touchdown, but two from the Mountaineers in that same span led them to the 21-6 win in the season finale.
• For their efforts on the gridiron, the Mountaineers racked up 15 All-Frontier Conference selections, including the Offensive Player of the Year (Kai Quinn), Defensive Player of the Year (Chase Van Wyck) and the Coach of the Year (Tim Camp).
• In the classroom, Eastern had 29 student-athletes garner Academic All-Conference honors. Along with that, Zachary Cahill was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team as a kicker.

2021 SEASON PREVIEW
• The Mountaineers, like the rest of the Frontier Conference, are expected to play a full slate of games in 2021. The EOU schedule features five home games and six road contests. There are two open weekends on the schedule that Eastern will likely use as a bye week on both. 
• The five home games this year for Eastern Oregon are all expected to kickoff at 1 p.m. PT inside Community Stadium. This year's 2021 home opponents are as follows: Montana Western (Sept. 4), College of Idaho (Sept. 25), Rocky Mountain (Oct. 9), Carroll College (Oct. 30), and Southern Oregon (Nov. 13).
• The 2021 Homecoming Game for the Mountaineers will take place on Oct. 9 against the Battlin' Bears of Rocky Mountain College. Senior Day will be Nov. 13 when the Mountaineers welcome the Raiders of Southern Oregon University.
• The Mountaineers enter the 2021 campaign as the odds-on favorite to win the Frontier Conference. They picked up three first place votes and totaled 39 points in the preseason coaches' poll.
• Outside of being named the Frontier Conference favorite, the Mountaineers will also begin the year nationally ranked at No. 18 in the NAIA preseason poll. The No. 18 preseason ranking is three sports higher than where the team finished in 2020 at No. 21.
• Seasoned experience will lead the Mountaineers in nearly every area as they bring back multiple starters on both offense and defense, as well as special teams. Offensively, Kai Quinn will lead EOU once again for one last time. Defensively, Chase Van Wyck will anchor the Mountaineers defense. Special Teams will have both kickers back from a season ago in Jaiden Machuca and Zachary Cahill.
• With the Frontier Conference back at full force, the 2021 season is expected to be one of the toughest. College of Idaho and Montana Western both come in tied for second in the preseason coaches' poll with Carroll not far behind at fourth. Southern Oregon rounds out the top-five and it is possible to see a two-loss team win the Frontier Conference crown this year.

ON THE AIR
• All home games this year will be webcast on the Mountie Sports Network at www.EOUSports.com/watch. All games will be Pay-Per-View and can be purchased for $7.95 per game. Fans can also purchase an Eastern Oregon All-Access pass to watch all 2021-22 EOU home sporting events for $100. To access livestreams for road games, check the EOU Football schedule page on www.EOUSports.com. 
• Calling the action for this year's home games will be Trevor Curl on play-by-play and Mat Belote on color commentary. Live streams for all home games will begin at 12:45 p.m. PT.

ALL-FRONTIER CONFERENCE MOUNTAINEERS
• Eastern Oregon University picked up 15 All-Conference selections for the 2020 season, including the Coach of the Year and Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year.
• Tim Camp was named the Coach of the Year after leading EOU to a 3-1 record and its first Frontier Conference Crown in program history. He is now 74-61 at the helm of EOU and has produced 89 All-Conference players.
• Quarterback Kai Quinn was named the Offensive Player of the Year along with being named to the First Team. He is now the second Offensive Player of the Year selection under Coach Camp.
• Defensive End Chase Van Wyck was named the Defensive Player of the Year and was also a First Team selection. He is the third player to earn the Defensive Player of the Year honor under Coach Camp.
• Along with Quin and Van Wyck, five other Mountaineers were named First Team All-Conference. On offense Tanner Zenke, PJ Schubert, Luke Thomas were selected. On defense, Zak Donato and Solo Taylor were selected.
• Earning Second Team honors were Isaiah Thomas and Patrick Collins on offense, while Dakota Hibbs was the lone selection on defense.
• On Special teams, Zachary Cahill was named to the First Team as a kicker and the Second Team as a punter. Isaiah Thomas was First Team pick at both kick returner and punt returner.


ALL-AMERICAN MOUNTAINEERS
• Three Mountaineers were named to the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) NAIA All-America teams for the 2020 season in Chase Van Wyck, PJ Schubert, and Kai Quinn.
• Van Wyck was a First Team All-American selection at Defensive Line. PJ Schubert was tabbed a Second Team pick at Offensive Line, while Quinn was named Honorable Mention at Quarterback.
• With the three players selected, EOU has now produced 20 All-Americans while under the direction of 14th year head coach Tim Camp.

MOUNTAINEERS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• In the 2021 preseason edition of the NAIA FirstDown PlayBook Top-25 poll, the Mountaineers are tabbed at No. 18 and are the highest ranked team out of the Frontier Conference.
• Of the six NAIA FirstDown PlayBook Top-25 polls released in 2020, EOU was listed in each one. The Mountaineers started the year in the receiving votes category.
• EOU climbed as high as No. 20 in the NAIA and finished the 2020 campaign ranked No. 21 overall. They were one of three teams in the Frontier Conference that finished the year ranked in the top-25.
KEY RETURNERS – OFFENSE
• Kai Quinn | QB | R-SR: 73-115-2, 8 TD's, 811 yards passing, 63.48 completion percentage, 53 rushes, 244 yards, 2 TD's, 1,055 total offense yards, NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, Frontier Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference.
• Jordan Eggers | RB | R-SO: 23 rushes 85yards, 1 TD, 2 punt returns, 48 yards, 1 TD.
• Isaiah Thomas | WR | R-SR: 7 receptions, 111 yards, 3 punt returns, 22 yards, 4 kick returns, 105 yards, Second Team All-Conference (WR), First Team All-Conference (KR & PR).
• Saige Wilkerson | WR | R-SR: 9 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD
• Tyler Brown | WR | SO: 15 receptions, 131 yards
• PJ Schubert | OL |R-SR: Anchored offensive line that helped run game produce 194.5 yards per game and 209.5 yards per game through the air, started all four games in 2020, NAIA Second Team All-American, First Team All-Conference.

KEY RETURNERS – DEFENSE
• Chase Van Wyck | DL | R-SR: 25 total tackles (12 solo, 13 assisted), 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 blocked punt, NAIA First Team All-American, Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference.
• Zak Donato | LB | R-JR: 29 total tackles (13 solo, 16 assisted), 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 INT, First Team All-Conference.
• Solo Taylor | LB | R-JR: 14 total tackles (4 solo, 10 assisted), 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, First Team All-Conference.
• Dakota Hibbs | DL | R-SO: 11 total tackles (4 solo, 7 assisted), 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, Second Team All-Conference.
• Joey Gutierrez | DB | R-SO: 15 total tackles (11 solo, 4 assisted), 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery.
• Brennan Pope | DB | R-SR: 5 total tackles (4 solo, 1 assisted), 1 INT.

KEY RETURNERS – SPECIAL TEAMS
• Zachary Cahill | K/P | R-JR: 2-3 in field goal attempts, long kick of 43 yards, 11 punts for 462 yards and averaged 42.0 yards per boot, had three go for 50-plus yards and three that landed inside the 20-yard line, First Team All-Conference at both kicker and punter.
• Isaiah Thomas | WR | R-SR: 7 receptions, 111 yards, 3 punt returns, 22 yards, 4 kick returns, 105 yards, Second Team All-Conference (WR), First Team All-Conference (KR & PR).
• Jaiden Machuca | K/P | R-SR: 4 punts, 185 yards, averaged 46.25 yards per punt.
• Jordan Eggers | RB | R-SO: 23 rushes 85yards, 1 TD, 2 punt returns, 48 yards, 1 TD.

SCOUTING MONTANA TECH
• The Orediggers will be back on the gridiron for the first time in nearly two years when they welcome the Mountaineers to Butte, Mont. Montana Tech last played on November 16, 2019 as the team opted out of the 2020 season due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
• Montana Tech finished the 2019 campaign with a 6-4 overall record with the same mark in conference play. The Orediggers' record had them finish fourth in the Frontier Conference.
• Jet Campbell will once again look to guide the Montana Tech offense as he returns in 2021. In 2019 as a redshirt sophomore, he started all 10 games for the Orediggers and threw for 1,888 yards. He was 120-224 for 53.57% and had 11 touchdowns thrown. He only threw four interceptions on the year.
• Tyler Folkes will look to lead the ground game for the Orediggers after spending the 2019 season as the primary backup behind Blake Counts. In 2019, Folkes appeared in all 10 games, rushed for 523 yards, and scored three touchdowns.
• Both of Montana Tech's top receivers are back as well in Trevor Hoffman and Kiley Caprara. Hoffman led the way in 2019 with 998 yards on 52 catches and pulled in eight touchdowns. Caprara had 23 catches on the year for 344 yards and one touchdown.
• The biggest question mark for the Orediggers is on defense as a majority of their top tacklers are gone, including team leader Carter Myers who had 96 total tackles in 2019 with 52 being on a solo effort. He also led the team in interceptions with three.
• The top returning tackler for the Orediggers is Logan Kolodejchuk. He was seventh on the team in tackles in 2019 with 31 total. He also tallied 4.0 tackles for loss, and had 1.0 sack.

THE MOUNTAINEERS IN FRONTIER CONFERENCE PLAY
• The Mountaineers finished the modified 2020 season with a 3-1 mark in conference play and won a share of the Frontier Conference crown.
• Under Head Coach Tim Camp, the Mountaineers are now 70-54 against Frontier Conference opponents.

THE MOUNTAINEERS AT HOME
• The Mountaineers finished the modified 2020 season 1-1 inside Community Stadium.
• Eastern Oregon is now 35-31 on its home field under the guidance of Tim Camp.
• Since the installation of the turf field in 2018, the Mountaineers are an even 6-6 at Community Stadium.

THE MOUNTAINEERS ON THE ROAD
• Eastern Oregon went 2-0 in 2020 in road contests and are 39-30 under Tim Camp
• The Mountaineers two road wins in 2020 came against Rocky Mountain and MSU-Northern.
• Dating back to the 2019 season, EOU has now won each of its last three road games, with two coming against Rocky Mountain College.

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mountaineers were 2-1 in 2020 when they led the opposition at halftime. The lone loss came against College of Idaho.
• Eastern Oregon is 50-10 under Tim Camp when leading at the half going into the 2021 season.
• The Mountaineers were 1-0 in 2020 when trailing at halftime, with the win coming against Rocky Mountain on the road.

21 AND UP
• Eastern Oregon scored over 21 points in all four games in 2020 and are 21-25 under Tim Camp when scoring 21 or more points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, the Mountaineers were 1-1 in 2020 and are 17-9 under Tim Camp.
• Under the guidance of Tim Camp, EOU is 31-2 when scoring 40 or more points.

HIGH POWERED MOUNTIE ATTACK
• The Mountaineers have scored at least one touchdown in 150 consecutive games to keep a streak of not being shutout intact.
• The streak dates back to week eight of the 2006 season.

MOUNTAINEERS IN THE CAREER RECORD BOOKS
• Two active players currently rank in the all-time top-10 of the EOU record books in quarterback Kai Quinn and defensive lineman Chase Van Wyck.
• Quinn is tied for fifth in career rushing touchdowns with 18. He needs one more to tie for fourth and is seven away from tying for first.
• Quinn is ranked eighth all-time in career rushes with 327. He is 55 rush attempts away from moving up to seventh.
• In the passing game, Quinn is third all-time in touchdowns thrown with 46. He is second in pass attempts and third in pass completions with 1,1175 and 607, respectively. 
• Quinn is also third all-time in total offense yards with 9,482. He is 619 yards away from moving up to second on the career list.
• Van Wyck is currently fifth in tackles for loss with 32. He needs three more to move up to fourth and just five more to move up to third. He is 49 total tackles away from entering the top-10.
• Van Wyck also sits third in career sacks with 17.5. He is just 3.0 sacks away from moving up to second. To become the career leader, Van Wyck needs 12.0 sacks.

2020 FRONTIER CONFERENCE STAT LEADERS
• As a team, EOU led the league in scoring at 30.8 points per game and racked up 123 total points in 2020.
• The Mountaineers' offense racked up an average of 404.0 total yards per game which was the most in the Frontier Conference in 2020.
• EOU's rushing attack was also tops in the conference in 2020 averaging 194.5 yards per game. They were second in total rushing yards at 778 and rushing touchdowns with six.
• Through the air, the Mounties were ranked third in the Frontier Conference in passing yards per game at 209.5. They led the way in passing touchdowns with nine and was third in total passing yards with 838.
• Defensively, the Mountaineers led the league in total yards allowed. They held opponents to just 286.8 yards per game. EOU was third in scoring defense allowing just 22.0 points per game.
• Kai Quinn led the league in total offense averaging 263.8 yards per game. He racked up 1,055 yards in 2020 which also led the conference.
• John Lesser was second in the Frontier Conference in rushing yards per game at 85.0. He was third in rushing touchdowns with three and second in total rushing yards with 340.
• Quinn was fifth in the conference in rushing yards averaging 61.0 per game and had 244 for the season. He also rushed for two touchdowns on the. His 244 rush yards were fourth most in the conference.
• In the passing game, Quinn finished second in the Frontier Conference at 202.8 yards per game. His 811 total passing yards was second, while his eight passing touchdowns led the league. He also led the way in passing efficiency at 142.2.
• Tanner Zenke finished third in receptions per game at 4.7 and racked up 14 for the year for 194 total yards. He was fourth in receiving yards per game at 64.7.
• Lesser and Zenke ranked fourth and fifth in all-purpose yards per game, respectively. Lesser averaged 96.0 yards per game and had 384 for the season. Zenke averaged 95.0 yards per game and totaled 285 for the year.
• Zenke led the Frontier Conference in scoring per game. He averaged 10 points per game and had five total touchdowns.
• Wesley McIlwaine tied for fifth in the league in interceptions with one. He was tied for third in passes defended per game at 1.3. He had three pass breakups and one interception.
• Zak Donato tied for seventh in tackles per game at 7.3. He finished the year with 29 total, with 13 being unassisted.
• Sage DeLong was tied for second in sacks per game at 1.0 per game. He had three total sacks for the shortened season which also tied for second in the league. He tied for the lead in the conference in tackles for loss with 7.5
• Zachary Cahill was second in scoring for kickers at 17 points total. He averaged 4.3 per game which was also second best in the league.
• Cahill finished second in punt yards per game at 42.0. His 462 total punt yards was also second best in the league.

A WIN OVER MONTANA TECH WOULD…
• Snap an overall two-game losing streak against the Orediggers and a four-game road losing streak against them.
• Give EOU a 1-0 start to the season for the second year in a row.
• Give Head Coach Tim Camp his 75th overall win while leading the Mountaineers

A LOSS TO MONTANA TECH WOULD…
• Have EOU start the year 0-1 for the first time since the 2019 season.
• Extend the Mountaineers losing streak to the Orediggers to three overall and five-straight in Butte.
• Drop Head Coach Tim Camp's overall record to 74-62 at EOU.

MOUNTAINEERS FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In 88 seasons of EOU Football the Mountaineers have compiled a 339-515-14 (.399) record in 868 total games played going into 2021.
• EOU won a school-record 10 games in 2016 and made it to the Semifinals of the NAIA FCS Playoffs. EOU has posted a .500 record or better in 31 seasons.
• EOU has won or shared a combined four conference titles in school history with the last coming in 2020. The conference crown in 2020 is the first as a member of the Frontier Conference.
• The Mountaineers have qualified for the NAIA FCS Playoffs once, with their lone appearance coming in 2016.

CAMP AT THE HELM
• Eastern Oregon Head Coach Tim Camp is 74-61 all-time entering his 14th season of leading the Mountaineers.
• Prior to becoming the EOU Head Coach, Camp was the offensive line coach for EOU from 2016-18.
• Prior to working at Eastern Oregon, Camp was an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Bucknell University.
• Camp has also served as an assistant coach at University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of the South (Tenn.), and Western Oregon.

UP NEXT
• The Mountaineers will kickoff the home portion of their schedule next weekend when they welcome the Montana Western Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT inside Community Stadium.

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