Times sure have changed in Cheney

Paul Petrino managed a slight smile when he recalled the Idaho Vandals’ last visit to Cheney.

In 1994, Idaho won 43-10 at what was then Woodward Field. It was the Vandals’ next-to-last season in the Big Sky, before moving up to FBS for 22 years.

Petrino, now in his sixth year as Idaho head coach, was an assistant for the Vandals from 1992-94.

“There were just stands on one side back then,” Petrino recalled of Eastern’s stadium back then. “Turf wasn’t red. And we had a lot better players than they did.”

Fast-forward to 2018, and it’s a whole different story.

Now Eastern’s got the better players, as witness the Eagles’ 38-14 handling of the Vandals on Saturday at Roos Field in Cheney.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys right now,” Idaho junior quarterback Mason Petrino said. “Hopefully in two years we’re going to be looking like them (the Eagles). Next year, it’s going to look a lot different.”

I THOUGHT about the last time I covered an Eastern game in this stadium.

It was only 36 years ago.

Back then, I was a senior at Eastern. I walked to the field. If there were tailgaters, I don’t remember them. In fact, I don’t remember anything being behind the press box side of the field. I thought it was just fields. Now, it’s parking lots filled with even more tailgaters.

Maybe people didn’t tailgate then — maybe they just drove out from Spokane in time for the game.

Now that the Eags are an FCS power, tailgating is a much bigger deal.

The press box was a lot smaller then.

Suites? Are you kidding?

Computers? Live stats? Ha, ha.

At kickoff, one of the hired hands would wet his finger, hold it out the window and say to another hired hand, “Wind out of the southwest, 7 miles an hour.” Or something like that.

And this was years before Eastern could even dream of putting in artificial turf. Back then, it was a grass field that got deader and deader as the season went on.

And Eastern was not exactly a high-octane offense back then — nobody was.

The runs were off-tackle, the passes off play action.

BACK TO the current scenario.

It’s up to Idaho to make it a current rivalry — on Saturday, Eastern toyed with the Vandals like they were Whatever State.

Oh, sure, a Vandal defender slammed an Eastern wide receiver to the turf in the first half. But the Eagles shrugged it off, and eventually scored another touchdown.

Somebody in the press box mentioned that there would be no pizza at halftime.

Now, them’s fightin’ words!

Let’s see how Idaho responds the next time Eastern visits Moscow.

But other than that …

Back in the day, Eastern’s rival was Central Washington. The Vandals weren’t even on Eastern’s schedule until 1983 — unless you count that 1942 matchup when Idaho won 28-7 in a Pacific Coast Conference tilt.

And it’s doubtful any ill will carried over from that one.

Idaho junior linebacker Ty Graham, from Cheney High, recalled the feeling when the Vandal bus rolled up to the stadium at EWU on Saturday.

“It’s a very different kind of feeling,” Graham said. “This is my home. As soon as the bus rolled into Cheney ... it was a really cool experience, and unfortunately it didn’t come out the way we wanted it to.”

Graham and EWU senior defensive end Keenan Williams played together at Cheney — and even before that, in youth football — and Williams recalled playing against Mason Petrino when he was quarterback at Pullman.

Graham and Williams chatted briefly on the field before the game.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Graham and Williams led their teams in tackles on Saturday. Graham had five solo tackles, 12 total — including one tackle for loss. Williams had six total tackles, including a half-sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss.

“When you know people on the other team, it makes it just a little more sweeter when you get that win,” Williams said.

And as for the Idaho-Eastern “rivalry”?

“Really, the team I hate the most is Montana,” said Williams, disappointed the Eagles don’t play the Griz this year. “If Idaho’s going to be our rival, then I’ll hate them too.”

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.