The Eastern Michigan University football team ended the season with a 6-6 record and was 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference.
Although EMU will not make a bowl game this year, the season was a success after the Eagles had only won two games total the last two seasons. Coach Ron English is credited for the turn-around as he has improved every year since becoming the coach.
EMU began the season with two home games that transpired into wins, a 41-9 victory against the Howard University Bison and 14-7 against the Alabama State Hornets (14-7). EMU started 2-0 for the first time since 1989.
The Eagles then hit the road for tough games at the University of Michigan (31-3) and Penn State (34-6), and they lost both games by 28-point margins.
After the loss to the Nittany Lions, EMU opened its MAC schedule with a home game against the Akron Zips, which ended in a 31-23 Eagle win. After a 54-16 defeat at Toledo, EMU won the Michigan MAC trophy by defeating Central Michigan University 35-28 in Mt. Pleasant and Western Michigan University 14-10 on EMU’s homecoming in back-to-back weeks.
The Eagles were 5-3 when they lost three of their final four games, routing Buffalo on Senior Day 30-17 and losing the final three games in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles do have much to improve on if they want to take the next step of reaching a bowl game. First and foremost, they must improve on an offense that ranked 105th in the nation with a 21.3 point per game. In order to improve on those numbers, the Eagles’ passing game will have to improve after ranking 115th on 126.7 yards per game.
The EMU rushing attack proved successful this season, gaining 218.3 yards per game with the four-headed monster of quarterback Alex Gillett and running backs Javonti Greene, Dominique Sherrer and Dominique White. However, the passing game needs to complement the running game. Gillett, White and Sherrer will be seniors next season and White will be a junior.
Gillett’s more reliable targets this past year were wide receiver Nick Olds and tight end Garrett Hoskins. They will need to be dependable again next year as well to help Gillett make the throws on play action and other drop-backs.
Defensively, EMU was outstanding allowing 24.3 points per game, which most of that statistic was allowed in the Eagles’ first three losses at Michigan, Penn State and Toledo.
The Eagle defense only allowed 18 points in the final game against Northern Illinois, a team that had averaged 39.6 this season and scored at least 40 points in 10 of the previous 11 games coming in to last Friday.
The problem next season will be the loss of top defenders in linemen Javon Reese, Brad Orhman, and Brandon Slater. The Eagles also lose linebacker Marcus English and defensive backs Willie Williams and Latarrius Thomas. The depth from last year along with the next recruiting season will be key to improving a defense that carried EMU all season.
The process EMU has been told to embrace is certainly showing face, and anticipation runs high for next season.
