It was quite the season for the Eagle football team in 2013, despite losing in the semi-finals to No. 5 ranked Towson.

In 2013, Eastern made history by breaking records individually and as a team for the school, the Big Sky and in the FCS.

In the season opener on Aug. 31, Eastern won with 18 seconds left over No. 25 ranked Oregon State, which is a divison up. The Eagles were the seventh school in FCS history to beat a ranked FBS school.

The Eastern Eagles were 2-2 before starting Big Sky Conference play, which they were predicted to finish second behind Montana State. For the first time the Eagles were 8-0 in conference play and they were outright Big Sky champions, which has not been done since 1997.

Eastern has won their seventh Big Sky Title in the last 10 seasons and three in the last four years, this has not been done since 1997. The Eagles won the Big Sky title outright, with a comeback 42-41 victory with 31 seconds left in the last regular season game against Portland State.

With their 10th appearance in school history, the Eagles came into the playoffs seeded at No. 3

The Eagles topped out the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, 41-17. The Eagles outscored the Jackrabbits in the second half, 27-3, with great efforts by sophomore quarterback Vernon Adams and junior running back Quincy Forte to help the No. 3 Eagles advance to the quarter finals against Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

After many injuries in the Eagle secondary left players, like senior safety Allen Brown and sophomore safety Todd Raynes, out for many weeks in mid season, and junior safety Tevin McDonald would suffer a season ending injury against Idaho State on Nov. 2 with a broken fibula.

McDonald’s injury would move senior cornerback TJ Lee III to move to free safety and would bring back senior McKenzie Murphy to play safety, who appealed for a sixth year eligibility.

Against the Gamecocks, it was certainly defense who put the winning effort by a 77-yard interception return by true freshman linebacker Albert Havili to beat Jacksonville State, 35-24.

This gave the Eagles their third appearance in the semi-finals in the last four years. No. 3 ranked Eastern would now face No. 5 ranked Towson University. The Tigers would rally to beat the Eagles in the final minute of the game on a one-yard run by their running back Terrance West.

The Tigers rushed for 241 yards on the Eagle defense, West could not be stopped.

“I know the end result is not what your ultimate goal is, but in terms of the way the players competed, stayed together, fought, scrapped and left it on the field, it was all out there,” said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. “I would like to make a statement thanking the seniors for helping pave the way for not only this year, but the path that has been paved since 2009. A lot of them got here and redshirted. They help continue to make these strides.”

As the Eagles ended their season in the semi-finals for the second year in a row, there were plenty awards for the Eagle standouts Adams and redshirt freshman wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

“It has been a special season,” said Baldwin. “[Kupp] took that redshirt year and took his talents to a new level.”

Kupp received the highest honors, winning the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman in the FCS, and also winning the Big Sky Freshman of the Year. He broke many national records for receiving yards, catches and touchdowns.

“I congratulate [Kupp] for winning this award,” said Adams. “It’s a great honor for our entire team. He’s worked hard for it and deserves to be recognized as the best freshman in FCS.”

Adams received the Big Sky MVP award and was runner-up for the Walter Payton award, while Lee is the third player in Eastern history to receive first team All-Big Sky honors three times and coach Baldwin received Coach of the Year in the Big Sky Conference.

“[Adams] mindset is that he wants to keep getting better and there is still a very high ceiling he can go after,” said Baldwin.

Five Eastern players received first team all Big Sky honors, five players for second team, four players for third team and 11 players for honorable mention.

The Eagles broke 48 school, 22 Big Sky and 12 FCS records during the 2013 season.

This spring 22 seniors will be graduating from the Eastern football program.

“These seniors have built this program. What we are able to do today is a lot of credit to them. When you are underclassmen you look up to these guys.” said junior linebacker Cody McCarthy.