Major news on the FCS injury front broke Sunday as No. 2 Eastern Washington will be without star quarterback Vernon Adams for the next three-to-six weeks, according to the Associated Press. Adams broke two metatarsal bones in his right foot during the Eagles’ 56-53 defeat of Idaho State.
Playing through the injury, Adams connected on 23-of-35 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns while rushing 14 times for 79 yards and two additional scores in the win.
“Obviously, I feel for Vernon and the situation,” EWU head coach Beau Baldwin said. “But I’m extremely proud of his mental and physical toughness to battle through that game. That says more to me than anything else that he’s done in his career up to this point.”
A leading candidate for the Walter Payton - the FCS version of the Heisman - Adams leads his subdivision in passing with 2,162 yards (next closest competitor: Fordham’s Michael Nebrich with 1,738 yards), 24 touchdowns (Sacramento State’s Garrett Safron is second with 17) and 393.3 yards of total offense per game (Yale’s Morgan Roberts is second at just north of 360 a game).
Eastern Washington is 5-1 to start the season, its only setback coming in a 59-52 shootout at Washington in which Adams threw for 475 yards and seven touchdowns.
Sophomore Jordan West is expected to start in Adams’ absence. The Eagles visit Southern Utah on Saturday and then face Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona to close out the month.