A pair of Eastern Washington University football players will not be making the trip to play North Dakota this week for violation of team rules, EWU head coach Aaron Best announced on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 5).
The two players are junior quarterback Gage Gubrud and junior linebacker Kurt Calhoun. Best said they will practice this week but won’t be with the team when they play Saturday (Nov. 11) against fellow defending Big Sky Conference champion North Dakota.
“I was made aware this morning of a situation that occurred last night involving both Gage and Kurt,” said Best. “The incident is in violation of our team rules, and in response to the situation, I have suspended both players for this week’s game at North Dakota. Unless something else unveils itself, we will then move forward. I do not plan on elaborating any further than what I have just indicated on the incident.”
Both have started every Eagle game this season, and Gubrud will be replaced in the lineup by freshman redshirt Eric Barriere, who will make his first start in an Eastern uniform. Calhoun’s backup is listed as redshirt sophomore Andrew Katzenberger, who has played in 16 career games as a backup but none as a starter.
Barriere has appeared in three games this season and is 1-of-2 for 13 yards and an interception, all coming against Texas Tech on Sept. 2. Katzenberger has 12 tackles for the season and 25 in his career.
Among the nation’s leaders in passing and total offense, Gubrud has thrown for 2,897 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, and has rushed for another 169 yards and four scores. Calhoun was coming off a career-high performance for tackles with 13 in a 28-20 loss to Weber State, and is second on the team with 68 on the season.
