Eastern Michigan Eagles
Preview 2007
By
Pete Fiutak
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2007 EMU Offense Preview |
2007 EMU Defense Preview
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2007 EMU Depth Chart
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2006 CFN Eastern
Michigan
Preview
Just when it seemed like EMU head coach Jeff Genyk had things
pointed in the right direction, his quarterback situation became a
disaster, the defense kept up the school’s recent tradition of not
coming remotely close to stopping anyone’s offense, and all the
positive strides made in 2005 were wiped away.
Making the regression even more painful was how the team got worse
as the season went on losing the final five games and scoring just
six point sin the final two games. Now the program has to hope all
the experience will matter on defense, and all the lumps taken on
offense will pay off with a veteran group that’s seen a little bit
of everything.
Head coach: Jeff Genyk
4th season: 9-25
Returning Lettermen: 39
Lettermen Lost: 9 |
Ten
Best Eagles Players
1. LB Daniel Holtzclaw, Jr.
2. QB Andy Schmitt, Soph.
3. DT Jason Jones, Sr.
4. DT Josh Hunt, Sr.
5. QB/RB Tyler Jones, Jr.
6. P Zach Johnson, Soph.
7. LB Darran Matthews, Sr.
8. FS Chris May, Soph.
9. SS Jacob Wyatt, Jr.
10. OG Khalid Walton, Sr. |
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 2-10 |
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Sept. 1 |
at Pitt |
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Sept. 8 |
Ball
State |
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Sept. 15 |
at Northern Illinois |
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Sept. 22 |
Howard |
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Sept. 29 |
at Vanderbilt |
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Oct. 6 |
at Michigan |
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Oct. 13 |
at Ohio |
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Oct. 19 |
Northwestern
(in Detroit) |
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Oct. 27 |
Western Michigan |
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Nov. 3 |
at Toledo |
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Nov. 9 |
Bowling Green |
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Nov. 17 |
at Central Michigan |
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2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
3-9
2006 Results: 1-11
Preview
2006 predicted wins |
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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 |
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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 |
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First
and foremost, the offense needs to be able to rely on one quarterback
for the entire season. Andy Schmitt is the best of the group, but he
wasn’t able to progress and improve after getting knocked out with a
shoulder injury. Tyler Jones is a good runner and talented enough player
to be used in the backfield as a tailback, while small and speedy
Dontayo Gage could move back over if he’s not the team’s number one
receiver. Schmitt’s health is only step one of a multi-level process to
get to respectability.
Step two is stopping the run. EMU’s pass defense numbers were decent
mainly because everyone spent so much time pounding the ball at will.
After allowing 201 rushing yards per game, the plan to use speed and
quickness to slow teams down hasn’t worked. Going undersized by design
hasn’t quite worked out to plan so far.
Even with all the problems, EMU has been competitive losing a whopping
six games by eight points or fewer a year after losing four games by a
total of seven points. If the offense can stay healthy, a running back
can emerge to help carry the offensive workload, and if the defense can
be mere mediocre, it might not take much to quickly turn things around
and become competitive.
What to watch for on offense:
Things to revolve even more around the
quarterbacks early on. The attack desperately needs recruits Dwayne
Priest and Aeric Clay to be playmakers from day one to provide some
semblance of a running game, and someone, anyone, has to grow into a
number one receiver with the loss of Eric Deslauriers and Trumaine
Riley, who combined for 119 of the team’s 217 catches and five of the
seven passing touchdowns (all caught by Deslauriers).
What to watch for on defense: A big improvement. Daniel Holtzclaw
is a talented linebacker to revolve the front seven around, while the
safeties should be better after making way too many mistakes. The D is
built around quickness, and that has to translate into more pressure in
the backfield from ends Eric Young, Corey Riley and Spenser Smith.
The team will be far better if … Andy Schmitt can stay healthy.
To beat the point into the ground, Schmitt is the difference between EMU
making major improvements and another dud of a year. He only threw two
touchdowns and six interceptions, but he was accurate when he had time
and showed the potential to be a player to carry the offense over the
next few years. He needs time to work and receivers to throw to, but he
also needs to make everyone around him better.
The Schedule: Outside of the September home game against Howard,
EMU will likely be underdogs against just about everyone, but the MAC
schedule isn’t all that bad. Playing at Ohio from the East is a bad
break, as is facing Central Michigan on the road to end the season, but
hosing Ball State and Western Michigan might help. Other than the Howard
game, EMU won’t win anything in non-conference play going against Pitt,
Vanderbilt, Michigan and Northwestern.
Best Offensive Player:
Sophomore QB Andy Schmitt. He’s trying to come off a bad shoulder injury
and has to be far better throwing the ball, but he’s a talented
all-around player with excellent running skills and an accurate arm. Now
he has to get the rest of the team more involved and crank out more
points.
Best Defensive Player:
Junior LB
Daniel Holtzclaw. He’s not just the team’s best defensive player, he’s
the team’s best defensive player by a long shot and could be the star of
the league. He’s big, has good range, and is a tackling machine making
play after player from his spot in the middle. He’s a lock for 100
tackles and should start to do more to get into the backfield.
Key player to a
successful season:
Sophomore WR Dontayo
Gage. With star Eric Deslauriers gone, Gage, a former quarterback who
started two games last season and threw for 110 yards and a touchdown,
is likely the new number one target at the H. He’s not all that big, but
he’s extremely quick and has to find all the holes while developing a
rapport with Schmitt.
The season will be a
success if
... EMU wins four games. After coming so close to several wins last
season, getting to the four-win mark, especially considering the Eagles
will likely be underdogs in every game but the home date with Howard,
would be a nice step forward. Getting more production from the defense,
no matter how the final record turns out, is an absolute must.
Key game:
Sept. 8 vs. Ball State.
The Eagles can’t give away any home games, and considering the only
likely win over the first half of the season will come against Howard,
coming up with a win against the high-powered Cardinals would set the
tone for later in the year and even mean a 1-0 MAC start.
2006 Fun Stats:
- First quarter scoring: Opponents 156 – Eastern Michigan 82
- Punt return average: Eastern Michigan 7.7 yards – Opponents 3.1 yards
- Penalties: Eastern Michigan 88 for 709 yards – Opponents 63 for 549
yards