SPOKANE, Wash. — Eastern Oregon University Football erupted for 51 points and 562 yards of total offense Saturday afternoon, rolling past Whitworth University, 51-17, in the Mountaineers' second game of the 2026 season. The victory marks EOU's first win of the 2026 season and the first victory for first-year head coach
Solo Taylor, who is in his first season at the helm of the Mountaineers alongside a nearly entirely new coaching staff.
After Whitworth opened the scoring, Eastern responded with a 10-play, 85-yard drive that ended with quarterback
Kallen Gutridge finding
Dylan Shipley for a 23-yard touchdown. Two Pirates converged on Shipley and appeared to be measuring the ball for an interception, but Shipley came down with the pass to give the Mountaineers their first score of the afternoon. Shipley quickly emerged as one of the game's biggest offensive threats, finishing with eight receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns.
The Mountaineers carried that momentum into the second quarter. A nine-play, 60-yard drive ended with Waylon Reidel powering through multiple defenders and into the end zone from 15 yards out, putting EOU ahead 13-7. Whitworth responded with a 12-play drive, but after multiple incomplete passes left the Pirates facing fourth down from the EOU 22-yard line, they settled for a field goal to cut the deficit to 13-10.
Eastern answered on its next possession, marching 75 yards on 11 plays. Gutridge connected with
Tyler Creswick, Shipley and
Coby Tanioka on a series of short completions, while
Malakai Nutter added multiple rushes for 27 yards on the drive. Gutridge capped the possession himself, rushing 17 yards up the middle for a touchdown. Cutler's successful extra point pushed the Mountaineers' lead to 20-10. Eastern struck again just before halftime, needing only 58 seconds and five plays to travel 70 yards. Gutridge connected with Shipley for their second touchdown of the afternoon, this time from 13 yards out, giving the Mountaineers a 27-10 advantage heading into the break.
Eastern came out of halftime firing, holding Whitworth to just four yards before forcing a punt and taking over possession. The Mountaineers quickly capitalized, with
Zachariah Frazier contributing on the ground before Gutridge again found Shipley, this time for a 28-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 34-10. The EOU defense continued to make its presence felt on the ensuing Whitworth possession. The Mountaineers forced a quarterback hurry before
Adrian Magana recorded a sack for a five-yard loss.
Cole Martin then intercepted a Pirate pass and returned it 21 yards.
It took just one play for Eastern to capitalize on the turnover, as Gutridge connected with Creswick for a 49-yard touchdown pass, pushing the Mountaineers' advantage to 41-10.
Payton Howe added to the defensive pressure on Whitworth's next possession, recording a sack for a six-yard loss and forcing a fumble.
Renan Loper recovered the loose ball and returned it four yards, setting up the EOU offense. The Mountaineers added three more points when Cutler connected on a 26-yard field goal, sending Eastern into the fourth quarter with a 44-10 lead.
The Mountaineers capped their scoring early in the fourth quarter after taking over at the Whitworth 48-yard line. Eastern marched 48 yards on six plays, with
Braden Albrecht carrying the ball multiple times before powering his way into the end zone for EOU's final touchdown of the afternoon, giving the Mountaineers a 51-10 advantage. The Pirates added a final touchdown of their own, but Eastern's early offensive surge and defensive performance secured the 51-17 victory.
Eastern finished the afternoon with 32 first downs, 224 rushing yards and 338 passing yards. The Mountaineers converted 9-of-14 third-down attempts and went a perfect 5-for-5 in the red zone. EOU averaged 7.4 yards per play and scored on seven of its nine scoring opportunities.
Gutridge led the Mountaineer offense, completing 25-of-36 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns while adding 39 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Shipley led the receiving corps with eight catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Tanioka added eight receptions for 88 yards, while Creswick finished with six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. Nutter led Eastern's ground attack with 103 rushing yards on 17 carries, while Albrecht added 38 yards and a touchdown.
The Mountaineers will return to action next Saturday, September 19, opening the Frontier Conference Division Crossover Series on the road against Valley City State University. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.
