This weekend the Eastern Michigan University football team (0-2) will be taking on Central Michigan (1-1) in a game that could bring the Eagles full circle.
The last game EMU won, and the final win of the Jeff Genyk era at EMU, came against the Chippewas. But last year, the Eagles suffered a 56-8 loss in Mount Pleasant.
Now, coach Ron English will look for his first win 14 games later as an Eagle, 4 p.m. Saturday, when the Eagles take on CMU at Rynearson Stadium.
“We’ve got to win some games to make this thing really take off, but I think the community feels better about how the team is playing” English said.
One of the keys to beating almost any team is stopping their run game. The Eagles rank dead last against the run in the Mid-American Conference, a hole in their game that has plagued them in recent history.
“I think they want to run the ball, particularly considering we haven’t defended it well,” English said.
”I thought in the past, our history had been more tackling and effort, where as now it’s more knowing where to be at the proper time.”
The statics say this could be a close game. The Eagles have an advantage in rushing and pass defense, while CMU holds the upper hand in pass offense and dominates EMU in run defense. Eastern Michigan’s offense thus far has outscored the Chippewas, 48-43.
Here is how the teams compare in other statistical categories this season and how they rank in the MAC in each:
Pass Offense (attempts/completions/yards):
2. CMU – 71/47/558
8. EMU – 43/24/287
Rushing Offense (attempts/yards):
3. EMU – 83/351
8. CMU – 75/211
Pass Defense (attempts/completions/yards):
2. EMU – 36/21/229
3. CMU – 56/28/231
Rushing Defense (rushes/yards):
3. CMU – 70/163
11. EMU – 92/490
