Nov. 24
Northern Illinois 27 ... Eastern Michigan 0
Northern Illinois outgained EMU 501 yards to 112 and held the
Eagles to seven first downs in the dominant win. Garrett Wolfe started
off the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run followed up by two Dan
Nicholson scoring passes. Chris Nendick hit two second half field goals
to close out the scoring. Nicholson threw three interceptions as part of
a four-turnover Huskie day, but the defense made up for it. EMU didn't
convert on nine third down chances.
Player of the game ... Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe ran 33
times for 203 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing:
Dontayo Gage, 8-15, 55 yds
Rushing: Terrence Blevins, 7-26. Receiving:
Eric Deslauriers, 6-28
Northern Illinois - Passing: Dan
Nicholson, 24-37, 261 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Garrett Wolfe, 27-164, 1 TD. Receiving:
Britt Davis, 9-100
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Eastern
Michigan lost all season long, but at least it was battling hard with
several close calls. That's what was so puzzling about the blowout loss
to Northern Illinois; the Eagles weren't even close. The offense
couldn't find anything to count on for a full sixty minutes. Dontayo
Gage wasn't able to complete any passes for significant yards against an
awful NIU secondary, was awful on third downs, and there wasn't any
production from the offense. The defense wasn't any better allowing way
too many big plays through the air and not getting enough bodies around
Garrett Wolfe.
|
2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
3-9
2006 Results: 1-11
Preview
2006 predicted wins |
|
8/31 |
at Ball State L 38-20 |
| 9/9 |
at Michigan St L 52-20 |
| 9/16 |
at Northwestern L 14-6 |
| 9/23 |
Central Mich L 24-17 OT |
|
9/80 |
at UL Lafayette
L 33-14 |
| 10/14 |
at B Green L 24-21 |
| 10/21 |
Toledo W 17-13 |
| 10/28 |
at Western Mich L 18-13 |
| 11/4 |
Ohio
L 16-10 |
| 11/11 |
Navy L 49-21 |
| 11/18 |
at Kent State
L 14-6 |
| 11/24 |
Northern Illinois L 27-0 |
|
|
2005
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
3-8
2005 Results: 4-7
Preview
2005 predicted wins |
| 9/1 |
at Cincinnati L 28-26 |
| 9/10 |
UL Lafayette
W 31-10 |
| 9/17 |
at Michigan
L 55-0 |
| 9/24 |
at CMU W 23-20 OT |
| 10/1 |
Kent State W 27-20 |
| 10/8 |
at Toledo L 30-3 |
| 10/15 |
at Northern Illinois L 24-8 |
| 10/22 |
Miami Univ. L 24-23 |
| 11/5 |
Western Mich
L 44-36 |
| 11/12 |
Ball State
L 26-25 |
| 11/19 |
at Buffalo W 38-14 |
|
Nov. 17
Kent State 14 ... Eastern Michigan 6
Najah Pruden caught a 68-yard touchdown pass and Daniel Muir
picked off a pass for a five-yard score on the way to a Kent State win
to become bowl eligible. EMU only managed two fourth quarter Andrew
Wellock field goals The Eagles only got the ball one more time, but
there were only 36 seconds left on the clock. The drive ended before it
began with Gary Ham's second interception of the game. EMU turned it
over five times.
Player of the
game ... Kent State RB Eugene Jarvis ran 33 times for 155 yards
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Julian
Edelman, 9-18, 188 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 33-155 Receiving:
Najah Pruden, 4-86, 1 TD
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt,
10-21, 104 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Andy Schmitt, 8-40 Receiving: Eric
Deslauriers, 7-116
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Once again, Eastern Michigan plays well
enough to keep things close, but wasn't able to come up with a
game-changing play to make a difference. Kent State jumped all over
every EMU mistake with Tyler Jones and Andy Schmitt having equal
problems getting the offense moving effectively. The run defense had a
nightmare of a time with the running of Eugene Jarvis and should have
even bigger problems next week against Garrett Wolfe and Northern
Illinois.
Nov. 11
Navy 49 ... Eastern Michigan 21
Kaipo-Noa
Kaheaku-Enhada ran for four touchdowns and threw for two more as Navy
blew out Eastern Michigan.
Kaheaku-Enhada led the way to a 28-0 first half lead highlighted by a
29-yard pass play to Tyree Barnes and scoring runs from one and nine
yards out before EMU finally got on the board with six seconds left on a
two-yard Andy Schmitt run. Tyler Jones ran for two short second half
scores for the Eagles, but they weren't nearly enough. Eric Kettani
added a seven-yard score and ran 91 yards for a Midshipman as part of a
rushing offense that ran for 323 yards.
Player of the game ... Navy QB Kaipo-Noa
Kaheaku-Enhada completed 7 of 9 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns
and ran tem times for 28 yards and four scores
Stat Leaders: Navy - Passing: Kaipo-Noa
Kaheaku-Enhada, 7-9, 151 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Eric Kettani, 14-91, 1 TD. Receiving:
Reggie Campbell, 3-92
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt,
24-37, 220 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Andy Schmitt, 24-37, 220 yds, 2 INT. Receiving:
DeAnthony White, 7-76
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Eastern
Michigan sold out to try to slow down the Navy running game. Not only
didn't that work, but the Midshipmen were actually effective at throwing
it. Andy Schmitt was the entire offense running reasonably well, while
Tyler Jones was used exclusively as a runner. The passing game needs to
take more shots down the field, and at this point in the year, some sort
of a tailback has to get some work. There's no reason the offense can't
throw the ball deep a bit more.
Nov. 4
Ohio 16 ... Eastern Michigan 10
After getting stuffed in the first half, Kalvin McRae ran wild
in the second finishing with 141 yards and a touchdown rumbling in from
11 yards out in the third quarter for the final score of the game.
Eastern Michigan took a 10-9 lead on a one-yard Tyler Jones touchdown
run, but the Eagle offense could get going in the second half while
McRae helped the Bobcats hold on to the ball for over 20 minutes. The
Bobcats finished with 278 rushing yards.
Player of the game
... Ohio
RB Kalvin McRae ran 23 times for 141 yards and a touchdown and caught
four passes for 17 yards
Stat Leaders: Ohio - Passing: Austen Everson, 7-12,
46 yds,
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 23-141, 1 TD Receiving:
Kalvin McRae, 4-17
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Tyler Jones, 13-25, 107
yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Tyler Jones, 17-52, 1 TD Receiving:
Trumaine Riley, 6-35
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Eastern
Michigan simply can't buy a big break or a good second half with its
fourth straight loss by seven points or fewer. The defense couldn't hold
up against Ohio and Kalvin McRae getting run over in the second half,
while the offense did nothing to help the cause with no running game and
only 227 yards of total offense. It's been the problem all season long;
the offense needs more weapons for the running game than the
quarterbacks. How WR Eric Deslauriers can only get the ball in his hands
four times is a mystery.
Oct. 28
Western Michigan 18 ... Eastern Michigan 13
Western Michigan overcame a 15-3 fourth quarter deficit with a
one-yard Ryan Cubit touchdown pass to Keith Schultz and got a 19-yard
Mark Bonds touchdown run to take the lead with just over five minutes to
play. The Eagles had one last shot, but their final drive was snuffed
out by a E.J. Biggers interception of Tyler Jones. Andrew Wellock hit
three field goals for the Eagles and Eric Deslauriers caught a 16-yard
touchdown pass.
Player of the game
...
Western Michigan LB Ameer Ismail had eight tackles, five tackles for
loss, three sacks and a pair of passes broken up.
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy
Schmitt, 15-26, 159
Rushing: Andy Schmitt, 10-43 Receiving: Trumaine Riley,
9-64
Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 18-32, 150
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Mark Bonds, 18-97, 1 TD Receiving: Jamarko
Simmons, 5-30
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Eastern Michigan
couldn't capitalize on the momentum of the win over Toledo with the
biggest problem on scoring drives: too many are going for field goals
instead of touchdowns. Against WMU, with the lead in the fourth quarter, the defense couldn't
come up with a stop and the offense couldn't go on a big drive to put
the game away with a score. The consistency isn't there with the dual
quarterback situation with Andy Schmitt and Tyler Jones each seeing
time, but there are also problems with penalties and turnovers.
Oct. 21
Eastern Michigan 17 ... Toledo 13
Andrew Wellock hit three field goals for a 9-0 lead, and
Pierre Walker ran for an 18-yard touchdown with 36 seconds to play to
give Eastern Michigan its first win of the season. Toledo's offense
finally got on the board in the fourth quarter on a 14-yard Jalen
Parmele touchdown and a four-yard Josh Powell touchdown, but EMU's
Darran Matthews picked off the two-point conversion attempt and took it
the distance for two points to pull to 13-11. The Eagles got a big
kickoff return from Trumaine Riley, and then went 54 yards in five plays
for the final score.
Player of the game
... Eastern
Michigan's Michael Richardson made 15 tackles and one tackle for loss.
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing: Tyler
Jones, 17-27, 196 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Pierre Walker, 14-70, 1 TD Receiving:
Trumaine Riley, 5-73
Toledo - Passing: Aaron Opelt, 12-21, 100 yds
Rushing: Jalen Parmele, 17-99, 1 TD Receiving: Steve
Odom, 6-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Eastern
Michigan's defense has gotten tighter over the last few games, while the
offense has been a bit better at hanging on to the ball against Toledo
than it did in the loss to Bowling Green. Tyler Jones had an effective
game coming up with the drive he had to have at the end to get the win,
but it would've been nice if there had been some touchdowns early on
instead of having to settle for three first half field goals.
Oct. 14
Bowling Green 24 ... Eastern Michigan 21
Chris Bullock scored
on a 15-yard run with 13:13 left in the game and the BGSU defense
allowed just 17 yards in the final quarter as the Falcons posted a 24-21
comeback win.
Eastern Michigan was red-hot in the first half with Eric Deslauriers
catching 79 and 23 yard touchdown passes from Tyler Jones, and Pierre
Walker ran for an 11-yard score to take the lead in the fourth. Freddie
Barnes ran for a four-yard score and Corey Partridge caught a 33-yard
touchdown pass before the defense took over in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game
...
Bowling Green RB Chris Bullock ran 16 times for 99 yards and the
go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, while adding four catches for
39 yards.
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing: Tyler
Jones, 24-38, 260 yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs
Rushing: Pierre Walker, 10-56, 1 TD Receiving: Eric
Deslauriers, 10-173, 2 TDs
Bowling Green - Passing: Anthony Turner, 14-24, 165
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chris Bullock, 16-99, 1 TD Receiving: Freddie
Barnes, 4-49
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Eastern Michigan had Bowling Green on the
ropes early on, but it couldn't generate any offense in the fourth
quarter and suffered too many problems with turnovers. Tyler Jones
wasn't able to run well and Pierre Walker didn't get going, while the
run defense didn't do nearly enough against the Bowling Green ground
game. Eventually, the team will be make its own breaks, will stop
turning the ball over, and will finally get its first win of the year,
but it needs to be far better on both sides of the ball for a full
fourth quarters.
Sept. 30
UL Lafayette 33 ... Eastern Michigan 14
UL Lafayette got out to a 33-0 lead with 23 first half points
as Jerry Babb and Jason Chery hooked up for two touchdowns to go along
with a Babb nine-yard scoring run. Tyrell Fenroy ran for a three-yard
score and Drew Edmiston hit field goals from 44 and 40 yards out. EMU
finally got on the board in the fourth quarter on two Sndy Schmitt
touchdown runs.
Player of the
game ...
UL Lafayette QB Jerry Babb completed 17 of 21 passes for 202 yards and
two touchdowns
and ran ten times for 31 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy
Schmitt, 23-35, 171 yds
Rushing: Andy Schmitt, 15-62, 2 TD Receiving:
Eric Deslauriers, 9-100
UL Lafayette - Passing: Jerry Babb, 17-21, 202
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Tyrell Fenroy, 15-110, 1 TD Receiving:
Jason Cherry, 5-93, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... How do
you get down 33-0 to UL Lafayette? Was this just a letdown game after
the loss to Central Michigan and with a trip to Bowling Green coming up?
Eastern Michigan has enough offensive talent to not just have stayed
with the Ragin' Cajuns, but to also come up with far more than 246 total
yards. Andy Schmitt didn't do nearly enough to keep the offense moving
and there wasn't enough of a running game from the backs to balance out
the attack. This was a game the team had to have.
Sept. 23
Central Michigan 24 ... Eastern Michigan 17
OT
For the third straight year these two went to overtime, but
this time, Central Michigan came out on the right side as Bryan Anderson
caught a ten-yard touchdown pass from Brian Brunner on the first
possession, and then got a good hold from the D stopping EMU's Dontayo
Gage one yard short of the first down on fourth and eight. The
Eagles had to fight just to get to the extra time needing a four-yard
touchdown pass to Jacory Stone with 13 seconds to play to tie it at 17.
Central Michigan got two touchdown runs from Brunner including a
three-yard dash with 1:44 to play, but EMU went 70 yards in seven plays
to force OT.
Player of the
game ...
Central Michigan
QB Brian Brunner completed 20 of 29 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown
and ran 11 times for 72 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy
Schmitt, 20-27, 129 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Andy Schmitt, 23-95, 1 TD Receiving: Trumaine Riley,
6-48
Central Michigan - Passing: Brian Brunner,
20-29, 214 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Brian Brunner, 11-72, 2 TD Receiving: Bryan Anderson,
8-125, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Andy
Schmitt did a great job of keeping the offense moving running and
passing, but he didn't connect on any long balls and was content to dink
and dunk all game long against Central Michigan. His mobility kept the
CMU defense on its heels running for 95 yards, but it would've been nice
if Eric Deslauriers and the receivers were more involved. Against UL
Lafayette next week, the offense should be able to do whatever it wants
to. The run defense had better be ready to stop the Ragin' Cajuns'
running quarterbacks.
Sept. 16
Northwestern 14 ... Eastern Michigan 6
Northwester's defense carried the day holding Eastern Michigan
to 134 total yards of offense and stopping two fourth quarter drives
with interceptions. Mike Kafka ran for a six-yard score to start off the
scoring for the Wildcats, and a third quarter, one-yard run from Andrew
Brewer put it away. EMU only managed two Andrew Wellock field goals.
Player of the game
...Northwestern
RB Tyrell Sutton ran for 91 yards on 18 carries.
Stat Leaders: Eastern Michigan- Passing: Tyler
Jones, 6-16, 37 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Pierre Walker, 10-35 Receiving: Eric Deslauriers,
3-12
Northwestern - Passing: Mike Kafka, 10-18, 76 yds,
1 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Sutton, 18-91 Receiving: Shaun Herbert,
6-37
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The
quarterbacks did nothing against Northwestern with Tyler Jones and Andy
Schmitt struggling. The Eagles won't win if they're only completing nine
of 25 passes for 47 yards. On the plus side, the defense did a great job
of keeling the Wildcats in check and not letting the game get out of
hand, but to beat Central Michigan next week, there needs to be more
offense. There needs to be more consistency at quarterback and some
semblance of production from Pierre Walker and the running backs.
Sept. 9
Michigan State 52 ... Eastern Michigan 20
Michigan State cranked out 586 yards of total offense, but it
wasn't able to break the game open until midway through the third
quarter when the Spartans scored 28 unanswered points helped by two of
Drew Stanton's three touchdown passes along with a one-yard Stanton run
to start it off. A.J. Jimmerson caught two touchdown passes for the
Spartans, but it was the Matt Trannon show setting an MSU record with 14
catches with two touchdown grabs. Stanton ran for two scores including a
six-yard dash to take an early 7-3 lead. EMU made it interesting with a
nine-yard touchdown pass to Eric Deslauriers and a 39-yard score off a
trick play from WR Dontayo Gage to Travis Lewis.
Player of the game ... Michigan State WR Matt Trannon
caught 14 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Michigan State - Passing:
Drew Stanton, 24-32, 154 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 15-130. Receiving:
Matt Trannon, 14-151, 2 TD
Eastern Michigan - Passing: Andy Schmitt,
12-19, 130, 1 TD
Rushing: Pierre Walker, 5-29. Receiving: Dontayo
Gage, 7-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... The
quarterback situation needs to be settled. After Tyler Jones did a
little bit of everything against Ball State, it was Andy Schmitt who had
the hotter hand against Michigan State. Unfortunately, the Eagles
couldn't get anything going in the second half and it couldn't come
close to staying with the Spartans. Schmitt doesn't have the mobility of
Jones, but he might be a bit sharper for the passing game. The secondary
is going to be a problem for a while, and it has to figure out one thing
it can do well. Either it has to stop the long ball or it has to be
better on short to midrange plays on third downs. At the moment, it
can't stop both.
Aug. 31
Ball State 38 ... Eastern Michigan 20
Ball State used a balanced attack to go on a 31-6 run over the
second and third quarters after EMU held a 7-0 first quarter lead on a
Tyler Jones touchdown run. A trick play sparked the Cardinals into the
lead for good with freshman QB Nate Davis connecting with Louis Johnson
on a 46- yard score. Davis threw two touchdown passes and Dante Love
score twice. EMU was able to crank out 435 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... Ball State QB Nate Davis
completed seven of eight passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Ball State - Passing: Joey
Lynch, 10-20, 122 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Larry Bostic, 15-64. Receiving:
Darius Hill, 4-64, 2 TD
EMU - Passing: Tyler Jones, 11-16, 146
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tyler Jones, 22-164, 1 TD. Receiving: Eric
Deslauriers, 10-127, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
QB Tyler Jones proved against Ball State that he's an all-around weapon
who can make plays and move the offense, but he needs far more help from
the running game and could use a number two receiver so Eric Deslauriers
isn't the main option on every pass. The secondary is going to be a
major issue through the first half of the season and will get shredded
next week by Michigan State, so EMU's offense will need to come up with
some huge performances to be competitive.
Eastern Michigan
2006 Preview
Eastern Michigan Preview |
Offense |
Defense |
Depth Chart |
Further Analysis
It might be imperceptible to the naked eye, but Eastern Michigan
made great strides last season and was better than its
4-7 record.
The program hasn't enjoyed a winning season since 1995 and only has
one winning campaign since 1989. Making things tougher have been the
emergence of Central Michigan as a viable threat in the MAC and the
reemergence of Western Michigan as a league power. For EMU to take
the first step towards respectability, just winning the Michigan MAC
isn't enough; it has to actually be better than its rival programs.
Head coach Jeff Genyk has made things better in his first two
seasons, even if the overall record hasn't been that great. The
defense, once the worst in America, is now merely mediocre. Don't
laugh, EMU used to be really, really bad. The offense is still a
work in progress, but the system is starting to take shape.
After two straight
4-7 seasons, Genyk's first goal has to be to figure out how to win close
games. Over the last two seasons, EMU lost five games by a total of 11
points including a loss to Cincinnati last year by two points and losses
to Miami University and Ball State by one. In other words, EMU was a
little bit of luck away from being 7-4 and the hot MAC program. Yeah,
wins are wins and coffee is for closers only, but for a team that got
annihilated in so many games over the years, last season was a major
turn upwards.
The 2006 Eagles have a mix of major strengths and screaming concerns.
Four starters return to an offensive line that welcomes JUCO transfer
star Tom Schmeding, but the backfield is starting from near-scratch
breaking in new quarterback Tyler Jones and a slew of small, quick
backs. The linebacking corps has the potential to be sensational and
Kevin Howe is one of the best defensive ends in the conference, but the
secondary is going to be abysmal right off the bat.
Yes, Genyk has things pointed in the right direction and should make
more noise in the West. Even with all the issues, a winning season, or
at least a six win season, is very possible as long as the Eagles win
every close game.
The
Schedule: It
starts out tough and ends up interesting. The five road games in the
first six aren't as painful as they might seem with trips to Ball State
and UL Lafayette along with the yearly obligatory losses to BCS
conference teams playing Michigan State and Northwestern this season.
Four of the final six games are at home, but there are tough battles
with Toledo, Navy and Northern Illinois.
Best
Offensive Player:
Senior WR Eric
Deslauriers. Consistency will be the key for one of the MAC's most
talented receivers. He was shut down a little too often last season, but
he also have three games with double-digit catches and has six in his
career. When he's on, there are few receivers more unstoppable.
Best
Defensive Player:
Sophomore LB Daniel Holtzclaw. Look for him to be in the hunt for MAC
Defensive Player of the Year honors before his career is through. He's
one of the team's strongest players and covers like a safety finishing
ninth in the nation with five interceptions.
Key player
to a successful season: Sophomore QB Tyler Jones. He's not big and
doesn't have a huge arm, but he's accurate and extremely mobile. He has
the inside track at the starting job even though he'll have to battle
with several other good quarterback options to take over for Matt Bohnet.
The season
will be a success if ... Eastern Michigan wins six games. This isn't a good enough team
to even think about winning the MAC title, but the team hasn't won more
than four games in a season since 1995 and getting five or six victories
would be a nice stepping stone.
Key game:
August 31st at Ball State. It's not just the opener, it's the MAC
West opener against a team EMU must beat to have any realistic hopes of
a winning season. A loss to the Cardinals likely means, at best, a 2-5
start and no shot to do much in the West race. A win makes things
interesting.
2005 Fun
Stats:
- Fumbles: Opponents 17 (lost 9) - Eastern Michigan 11 (lost 4)
- Attendance for EMU's game vs. Michigan: 109,511 - Attendance for all
five EMU homes games combined: 32,065
- Eastern Michigan tied Central Michigan with the fewest turnovers in
the nation, 10.
The Last Time Eastern Michigan…
…played in a bowl game…1987 (California Bowl vs. San Jose State)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…1997 (Akron)
…was shutout…2005 (Michigan)
…scored 50 points…2004 (Central Michigan)
…went undefeated…1945
…won a conference title…1987 (MAC)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1997 (Charlie Batch)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2003 (Anthony Sherrell)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2004 (Eric Deslauriers)
…had a first-round draft choice…1997 (T L.J. Shelton)
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