Jordan Eggers rushes to the right side during a game against Carroll College on March 20, 2020. Eggers led the Mountaineers with 148 net rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in Eastern’s 26-24 season-opening victory at Montana Tech on Aug. 28, 2021.

LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers may have found their new workhorse running back.

Redshirt-sophomore Jordan Eggers burst onto the scene in Week 1, tallying 148 net rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in Eastern Oregon University’s 26-24 victory over Montana Tech in the season opener on Saturday, Aug. 28. The Mountaineers relied heavily on the run, totaling over 250 rushing yards as a team.

“Our emphasis from the start of the game was to control the run game,” Eggers said.

The Mountaineers certainly did just that, totaling 266 yards on the ground in comparison to 134 for the Orediggers.

Unexpected starting role

Coming into the 2021 season with an onslaught of returning players on both sides of the ball, Eastern seemed to lack one clear starter at a major position — running back. John Lesser led the way in the 2020 season with 361 yards on 75 attempts en route to a second-team all-Frontier Conference nod. With Lesser graduating, Eastern was looking for another running back to step up.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” Eggers said of starting in Week 1. “We have four or five guys that are all capable of starting at that position, so we have a tough group.”

Eggers hit the ground running, scoring the team’s first touchdown of the season on a 37-yard rush midway through the first quarter. The running back went on to carry the ball 21 times in the victory, adding another touchdown on a six-yard run in the second quarter. Prior to this season, Eggers carried the ball only 27 times in his career for 82 total yards and one touchdown across the 2019 and shortened 2020 seasons. Eggers made the best of the opportunity in his first career start and had a career-best performance.

“I just got into a good rhythm and it led to a heavier workload,” Eggers said. “Our offensive line played great.”

Team effort

The offensive line was dominant in the season opener, creating gaps for Eggers and quarterback Kai Quinn to run through during the entirety of the game. Head coach Tim Camp, a former offensive lineman at Oregon State, emphasized the importance of good blocking to Eastern’s success.

“If you can win the box in this league you can win games,” Camp said. “I like to run the ball, and I think we have a good core of running backs and a solid group of offensive lineman to rotate through.”

Camp said that he has always preferred a ground-and-pound offense, which was evident in the season-opening contest. The Mountaineers rushed for 266 total yards and added only 83 passing yards from Quinn. Eastern utilized the rushing attack to milk the clock late in the game when the Orediggers mounted a comeback effort.

Of all the effective rushers, Eggers stood out on the stat sheet with a stellar performance. However, Eggers said the depth at running back and Quinn’s mobility will give defenses headaches this season.

“We’re super versatile,” he said. “Kai brings an All-American presence at quarterback and our group of backs makes it hard to play defense against.”

Camp agreed with Eggers’ sentiment, noting that he will continue to use three or four running backs per game depending on the situation. The head coach noticed more than just Eggers’ efficient running in the season opener.

“Running the ball is one thing, but you have to be able to pass protect, which he’s really excelling at,” Camp said. “He’s really taking advantage of the opportunities that he’s worked hard for, quite frankly.”

Keeping the momentum going

Eggers set the tone for the Mountaineers in Week 1, helping the team bring home a decisive win. Coming into the opener against Montana Tech, Eastern was 1-6 in its last seven head-to-head matchups. Eggers and the Mountaineers will look to carry the momentum into the team’s home opener on Saturday, Sept. 4, against Montana Western.

“For the first game of the season, we’ve got a lot to work on and haven’t arrived by any means,” Camp said. “But to come out of there with a win in that environment and a night game, I was pretty proud of the kids.”