Eastern Michigan Eagles
Preview 2008
By
Pete Fiutak
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2008 Eastern
Michigan Preview
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2008 EMU Offense
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2008 EMU Defense
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2008 EMU Depth
Chart
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2007 CFN EMU Preview
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2006 CFN EMU
Preview
Eastern Michigan has been on the slow and steady path to
mediocrity over the last few years, and while head coach Jeff Genyk
has things in the right spot, this could be his last shot at making
it happen.
Head coach: Jeff Genyk
5th season: 13-33
Returning Lettermen: 46
Lettermen Lost: 11 |
Ten Best EMU Players
1. LB Daniel Holtzclaw, Sr.
2. QB Andy Schmitt, Jr.
3. DT Josh Hunt, Sr.
4. RB Terrence Blevins, Sr.
5. P Zach Johnson, So.
6. OG Andy Fretz, Jr.
7. WR DeAnthony White, Jr.
8. QB Kyle McMahon, So.
9. FS Ryan Downard, So.
10. SS Jacob Wyatt, Sr. |
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2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 4-8
2007 Season: 0-0 Aug. 28
Indiana State
Sept. 6 at Michigan State
Sept. 13 Toledo
Sept. 20 at Maryland
Sept. 27 Northern Illinois
Oct. 4 at Bowling Green
Oct. 11 at Army
Oct. 18 Akron
Oct. 25 at Ball State
Nov. 1 at Western Michigan
Nov. 8 OPEN DATE
Nov. 15 OPEN DATE
Nov. 22 at Temple
Nov. 28 Central Michigan
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 2-10
2007 Season: 4-8
Sept. 1 at Pitt L 27-3
Sept. 8
Ball
State L 38-16
Sept. 15 at No Illinois W 21-19
Sept. 22
Howard
W 38-15
Sept. 29 at Vanderbilt L 30-7
Oct. 6 at Michigan L 33-22
Oct. 13 at Ohio L 48-32
Oct. 19 Nwestern
L 26-14
Oct. 27
Western Mich W 19-2
Nov. 3 at Toledo L 52-28
Nov. 9
Bo. Green
L 39-32
Nov. 16 at CMU W 48-45 |
It's not like the
team hasn't been competitive, and it did make strides last year even
beating eventual MAC champion Central Michigan in a 48-45 thriller. With
46 lettermen and 16 starters returning, the experience has to start
translating into victories.
The Eagles have lost 12 games by eight points or fewer over the past
three years and have the makeup to start winning all the close ones.
With the potential for consistency on offense for the first time in
years, thanks to the expected emergence of QB Andy Schmitt as a big-time
producer along with a slew of good receivers to count on, there should b
more firepower.
The defense might not be a rock, but it has LB Daniel Holtzclaw, a
tremendous playmaker who'll be on the short list of MAC Defensive Player
of the Year honors, and it has good promise in the secondary.
No, EMU isn't going to make a big leap up and become the conference
champion, and it'll have to battle and claw for wins against everyone in
the improved MAC, but this isn't a pushover of a team. It's just going
to take a few big breaks to get the program's first winning season since
1995.
What to watch for on offense:
More from the passing game. A lot more. The
running game, primarily because of the mobility of the quarterbacks,
dominated throughout last year, but with a good looking receiving corps,
led by DeAnthony White an Tyler ones, and the improvement of Schmitt as
a passer, the offense won't be one dimensional.
What to watch for on defense: Problems in the front seven.
Hotlzclaw is a given and tackle John Hunt is fantastic, but the ends are
a question mark and the linebackers around the main man in the middle
aren't anything special. The D will have to manufacture pressure and big
plays from several unlikely sources.
The team will be far better if … it can generate pressure
into the backfield. Mainly due to former all-star tackle Jason Jones,
the defensive front was able to come up with tackles for loss on a
regular basis. However, there wasn't nearly enough of a pop on the passers.
The secondary managed to make due and turned in a decent year, but
opposing quarterbacks can't get as comfortable as they were last season.
The Schedule: The non-conference games at Michigan State and Maryland will be too tall
an order for the Eagles, but Indiana State and at Army are manageable.
Playing five road games in six after September would be tough for
anyone, but there's a little bit of a break getting two weeks off
between the trip to Western Michigan and the date at Temple. Going to
Bowling Green, Ball State and WMU means EMU has to pull off home upsets
against Toledo and Central Michigan to have any real dreams of a winning
season.
Best Offensive Player:
Junior
QB Andy Schmitt.
He turned into a more dangerous runner, scoring five touchdowns in the
final two games, as the season went on, and he trimmed down his big
mistakes throwing just three interceptions outside of the three-pick day
against Vanderbilt. Now he has to make more big plays through the air.
He has the talent to do it, he threw four touchdown passes in a
brilliant 20 of 28 day against Ohio, and now he has to do it on a
regular basis.
Best Defensive Player:
Senior LB
Daniel Holtzclaw. The team's signature player with 330 tackles, 21
tackles for loss and seven career interceptions, he's not all that fast
or athletic, but he's always around the ball and he's a rock against the
run. He's the player to work the entire defense around; everything
funnels through him.
Key player to a
successful season:
Senior DE Spenser Smith. The veteran end needs to quickly become more of
a pass rushing threat after failing to get into the backfield on a
regular basis. There's hope for several young, untested prospects to
become pass rushing specialists, but it needs to be Smith who turns into
the consistent threat.
The season will be a
success if
... EMU wins six games. That might be asking for the world considering
the improvement in the MAC and the holes on defense, but it's now or
never for a team that's been competitive over the last few years, but
hasn't been able to get over the top. Even so, anything fewer than six
wins will be a major disappointment for a team this experienced.
Key game:
Sept. 13 vs. Toledo. The Rockets are good enough to win the MAC title,
and explosive enough to make embarrass teams that struggle defensively.
If the Eagles can pull off the upset in their MAC home opener, it would
set the tone for the year and send a message that they're far different
and far more confident.
2007 Fun Stats:
- Fumbles: Opponents 29 (for 12) – Eastern Michigan 10 (lost 4)
- Average yards per play: Opponents 6.1 – Eastern Michigan 4.9
- Fourth down conversions: Opponents 8 of 11 (73%) – Eastern Michigan 12
of 27 (44%)