The Daily Toreador - Student Newspaper of Texas Tech

Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Courtesy

Most college quarterbacks would like to remember their first start, but for Eastern Washington's Matt Nichols, the game seems like one giant blur.

It was 2006, Nichols was a redshirt freshman starting against Pat White, Steve Slaton and then-No. 6 West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va., in front of more than 55,000 screaming college fans.

No wonder it was a blur.

The Mountaineers routed the Eagles 52-3.

"I had so much adrenaline during that game, being my first start against that caliber team," Nichols said of the game, which marked the second time in school history the Eagles had played a ranked opponent. "I didn't even totally know what the offense was doing; let alone what the defense was trying to do to us. It was just kind of a surreal thing. I don't even know how to put it in words. I only remember a little bit of the game."

Flash forward to this season, and Nichols is a completely different quarterback.

He is the experienced, accomplished leader of an Eastern Washington team that finished 9-4 in 2007. The Eagles' season ended in a 38-35 loss to eventual three-time defending champion Appalachian State in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals.

With that game being close and Appalachian State's monumental upset at Michigan, Nichols said he believes the game against Texas Tech is a "money game," but he acknowledged that his Eagles need an absolutely flawless performance, similar to what Appalachian State accomplished.

"No penalties or turnovers," said Nichols, who will lead the Eagles against Tech at 6 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium. "Not handing the game to them. I remember my first year against Oregon State. We came out and had a couple fumbles early, kind of handed them a 21-point lead. It was over after that."

Nichols, an All-Big Sky Conference quarterback that threw for a school-record 34 touchdowns and 3,744 yards last season, said playing larger schools such as Oregon State, West Virginia and BYU eases the nerves going into Jones AT&T Stadium, where fans can get pretty rambunctious.

"I know what the atmosphere is gonna be," he said. "This is gonna be my third year starting. I've been in the situation, I know how to handle it. I'm just trying to prepare some of the younger guys on the team for what it's going to be like."

Nichols and fellow All-American wide receiver Aaron Boyce, who caught 85 passes for 1,308 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, mirror the familiar duo of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree.

Continued...

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