To AllEMU football fans, this is a MUST win game against Buffalo. If they lose this game, forget about securing anymore seemingly highly touted recruits, retaining the recruits we have, keeping this team together, and finally having alumni believe the program is heading in the right direction. From what I have seen on the field, I am skeptical. The QB situation has been a debacle, our offense which was suppose to be the strength has played terrible.

As I have said in an earlier post, we only need 1 season to gauge Creighton's coaching ability. In this weak conference, 3-4 wins should be doable. In fact, winless Miami has been competitive in just about every game and they finally got a win for their first year coach. There is no way anyone could tell me Miami has more talent than EMU but I will tell you they have a heckuva football coach.

We need to be competitive in every game from here on out in order for Creighton to build credibility. If we lose the rest of our games, we might as well start the next coaching search. I am rooting for Creighton - I like him!!

Dear Luckeyone,
You seem unsure of what position one should be taking. Miami has won one game. Their coach is now superman? They defeated one of the worst teams in our league.
Giving Coach Creighton one year to turn things around is really generous on your part.
I will agree that Eastern hasn't exactly distinguished itself on the gridiron, so far, but you seem to be throwing the baby out with the bath water. I cannot support most of what you stand for in regards to the team, coaches, the season.

Ken, you are amazing! You give nobody credit! Babers, Bowden, Fleck, Enos, and now Chuck Martin! Yet you have eternal patience for Chris Creighton. Just so you know, the scoreboard says Division One opponents 186 EMU 23.

(10-07-2014 06:01 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Ken, you are amazing! You give nobody credit! Babers, Bowden, Fleck, Enos, and now Chuck Martin! Yet you have eternal patience for Chris Creighton. Just so you know, the scoreboard says Division One opponents 186 EMU 23.

You do realize how bad Fleck was in his first year right? They lost to Nicholls State...one of the worst FCS programs. If we lost to Nicholls State, you'd call for Creighton's head.

Why is it so unreasonable to give a first year coach more than 5 games to prove himself?

(10-07-2014 09:42 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 06:01 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Ken, you are amazing! You give nobody credit! Babers, Bowden, Fleck, Enos, and now Chuck Martin! Yet you have eternal patience for Chris Creighton. Just so you know, the scoreboard says Division One opponents 186 EMU 23.

You do realize how bad Fleck was in his first year right? They lost to Nicholls State...one of the worst FCS programs. If we lost to Nicholls State, you'd call for Creighton's head.

Why is it so unreasonable to give a first year coach more than 5 games to prove himself?

Open Fleck's first season with a 2 TD loss to MSU and besides the win over UMass lost 3 games by a total of 12 points. So they were somewhat competitive.

(10-08-2014 03:58 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 09:42 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 06:01 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Ken, you are amazing! You give nobody credit! Babers, Bowden, Fleck, Enos, and now Chuck Martin! Yet you have eternal patience for Chris Creighton. Just so you know, the scoreboard says Division One opponents 186 EMU 23.

You do realize how bad Fleck was in his first year right? They lost to Nicholls State...one of the worst FCS programs. If we lost to Nicholls State, you'd call for Creighton's head.

Why is it so unreasonable to give a first year coach more than 5 games to prove himself?

Open Fleck's first season with a 2 TD loss to MSU and besides the win over UMass lost 3 games by a total of 12 points. So they were somewhat competitive.

One of those competitive losses was to us, a day after we fired our coach. They were bad.

(10-08-2014 06:21 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(10-08-2014 03:58 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 09:42 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 06:01 PM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Ken, you are amazing! You give nobody credit! Babers, Bowden, Fleck, Enos, and now Chuck Martin! Yet you have eternal patience for Chris Creighton. Just so you know, the scoreboard says Division One opponents 186 EMU 23.

You do realize how bad Fleck was in his first year right? They lost to Nicholls State...one of the worst FCS programs. If we lost to Nicholls State, you'd call for Creighton's head.

Why is it so unreasonable to give a first year coach more than 5 games to prove himself?

Open Fleck's first season with a 2 TD loss to MSU and besides the win over UMass lost 3 games by a total of 12 points. So they were somewhat competitive.

One of those competitive losses was to us, a day after we fired our coach. They were bad.

Don't want to write the story of the 2014 WMU season (yet) but maybe title it: "Resurrection Chronicles"

This program was dead (on the field) and came to life this year.

I'm still trying to find out what the big story for WMU's resurgence. I know they had a ton of injuries before the season started last year and just 'good luck' (i.e., health) helped them significantly this year.

The scary thing is that Franklin is the only true frosh making a difference on the team (think maybe two or three are starting but not impact players).

The 'real' Broncos won't be seen until 2016 (possibly 2015) when all of that talent have become 'difference makers.'

Fleck did a nice job his first year. Again, W and L are irrelevant, he was in control and his team played hard for him. It is paying dividends for WMU because with his recruiting, he's got that program turned around in only his second year!

Meanwhile, Creighton has lost control of his team, they are not improving and in year two we will have an inexperienced QB because Bolden is apparently the "savior" of a one win team.

Let's not compare Creighton to Fleck. Not even close.

Dear Bob,
Give credit to coaches who have won only one game this year as better coaches than Creighton? Like I told you before, Bowden is in his third year as coach, there should be improvement. His first year, 1-11. Babers took over a team that was supposed to have an easy ride to the MAC East title and are struggling to do that. Enos will be lucky to finish .500 and is in his fifth year as coach with no outstanding seasons record wise. Fleck. I also asked you if you ever went to the Western site to see what people over there were thinking of Fleck last year 1-11. This year two wins so far and blew a possible win against Toledo.
Yes sir those are records and coaches that are doing outstanding jobs this year. I bet they will be all hired by the teams in the SEC when the season is over.

(10-08-2014 06:56 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Fleck did a nice job his first year. Again, W and L are irrelevant, he was in control and his team played hard for him. It is paying dividends for WMU because with his recruiting, he's got that program turned around in only his second year!

Meanwhile, Creighton has lost control of his team, they are not improving and in year two we will have an inexperienced QB because Bolden is apparently the "savior" of a one win team.

Let's not compare Creighton to Fleck. Not even close.

W and L are irrelevant? They are the only things relevant. How can you, with a straight face, say that Fleck did a nice job last year? He took over a perennial bowl team that had one off year (5 wins in '12), with more talent than we have now, and ended up 1-11 with a loss to one of the worst teams in the FCS. The WMU board had like a 65 page thread titled "Fire Fleck" after just one season.

But that's why you don't give up on a coach after one year. They need time. So for you to say all of this about Creighton now is just self-serving nonsense. To say "not even close", when Creighton can do no worse record-wise than Fleck did in his first season, makes your position even more laughable.

Sam, you and Ken are having a tough time here.

W and L are irrelevant in my critque of Creighton. Screw wins, I'll settle for quality, competitive losses to build on for next year. I know unless something crazy happens, this team is done winning for the year.

That's okay as long as we compete and improve. If Roback is not able to start at QB, I absolutely demand that Bell starts. If we were on the cusp of a bowl berth, then sure, go with Bolden. We're not--Creighton needs to show a sign of competence NOW. To this point, he has done as poor a job as is possible.


For everyone's sake, let's hope he gets better.

(10-08-2014 06:56 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  Fleck did a nice job his first year. Again, W and L are irrelevant, he was in control and his team played hard for him. It is paying dividends for WMU because with his recruiting, he's got that program turned around in only his second year!

Meanwhile, Creighton has lost control of his team, they are not improving and in year two we will have an inexperienced QB because Bolden is apparently the "savior" of a one win team.

Let's not compare Creighton to Fleck. Not even close.

What evidence do you have that Creighton has 'lost control'? I have seen some bad offence and some bad DB play, but no evidence that he has lost control.
As an on-field metric of 'being in control' check out penalties: EMU is tied at #104 for the most penalties; no MAC team has fewer (BSU is tied with EMU). EMU is at #108 for most penalty yards; again, no MAC team has fewer. Last year EMU finished at #'s 82, 93, respectively. As on 'off the field' metric: all we have is rumors and the police blotter, and since the season started I have not seen anything in either arena. (And don't bring up D.Scott because that was before the season and stemmed from a freak event.)

And as far as not improving, if W-L do not matter as you say, then compare stats against our peers-ie. ODU and UA-and use it as a 'before and after' test. For example between these games: 3rd down % increased 10%, pass yards per attempt increased by 3.2, total yards increased by 60.

Agree with Bob Wicketsham. I am not judging Creighton on wins and losses but competitiveness. Since we have been mostly uncompetitive, since he had shown his incompetence on the way the QB situation has been handled, he Absolutely must win this game to restore some credibility. If we had been competitive in our losses and had a QB in place, I would not demand this be a Must Win scenario but Creighton has shown me he knows how to market and coach special teams. I have not seen enough solid coaching on offense and defense! Period!!

(10-08-2014 11:27 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  Agree with Bob Wicketsham. I am not judging Creighton on wins and losses but competitiveness. Since we have been mostly uncompetitive, since he had shown his incompetence on the way the QB situation has been handled, he Absolutely must win this game to restore some credibility. If we had been competitive in our losses and had a QB in place, I would not demand this be a Must Win scenario but Creighton has shown me he knows how to market and coach special teams. I have not seen enough solid coaching on offense and defense! Period!!

The QB situation baffles me. I just believe there is so much I don't know.

I do not take at face value that Bell is the QB of the future at EMU unless there is something happening with Roback I am unaware.

Roback is a high potential QB who could develop into a top tier MAC QB.

I just hope he doesn't toss in the towel and transfer after this season.

I would like him to be the face of this program.

For those of you under the impression that WMU was competitive last year, I urge you to revisit their season. 59-3 loss to (8-5) unranked Iowa. Loss at home to Nichols State, which hadn't even beaten an FCS since 2010. 32-14 loss at home against 4-8 Kent State. 33-0 loss at home against Buffalo. Their only win came against 1-11 UMass, in which UMass decided to go for the 2-PAT conversion with no time left to win the game, and failed, rather than go to OT.

Let's not be delusional, WMU was an AWFUL team in 2013. Yet in only their second year, the same exact coaching staff has made a huge turnaround. To assume that what happened in Kalamazoo isn't possible here is ludicrous.

(10-08-2014 11:50 AM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  For those of you under the impression that WMU was competitive last year, I urge you to revisit their season. 59-3 loss to (8-5) unranked Iowa. Loss at home to Nichols State, which hadn't even beaten an FCS since 2010. 32-14 loss at home against 4-8 Kent State. 33-0 loss at home against Buffalo. Their only win came against 1-11 UMass, in which UMass decided to go for the 2-PAT conversion with no time left to win the game, and failed, rather than go to OT.

Let's not be delusional, WMU was an AWFUL team in 2013. Yet in only their second year, the same exact coaching staff has made a huge turnaround. To assume that what happened in Kalamazoo isn't possible here is ludicrous.

I'm pretending to be a college student again and given this question to answer:

"In which ways are the 2013 WMU team and 2014 EMU team similar and different and what does it say about the prospects for the 2015 EMU team?"

I have watched all of WMU's games and except for the blocked PAT in OT (vs. Toledo) a heartbreaking loss, WMU had a chance for a 'worst to first' scenario which rarely happens even in the MAC.

It isn't the 2014 recruiting class as most are being redshirted and only a few newcomers start (including impact RB Franklin - he might be the key). The other impact players on offense are Terrell (QB - Soph), Braverman (WR - Soph), Davis (WR - Soph), etc. Nothing new here, beside Franklin.

My take: Franklin was a huge find. All-MAC caliber RB. Opponents try to stop him (8 men in the box). Terrell has improved significantly. Davis last year was an excellent WR. Holistically, they have the parts to have a passing game and running game to compliment each other. Best offensive balance in the MAC? Very difficult to defend.

Where are we vis-à-vis WMU? Very poor WRs. TE Russell will be gone next year as will be Bronson Hill. QB situation is unclear, at least to me. Where will the break through skill position players come????? I don't know.

Exactly my point. A staff that was seemingly unqualified to coach in FBS turned the program around in 1 year, with the same players on the field.

(10-08-2014 12:05 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  Exactly my point. A staff that was seemingly unqualified to coach in FBS turned the program around in 1 year, with the same players on the field.

If P.J. teaches a sports admin course in 'turning around programs' I'll enroll just because of the 'general principles' and I'd think hundreds of CEOs might be interested too.

This is mid-major sports, not P5 and certainly not Wall Street, but P.J. is showing some real results quickly.

Dear Friends,
What happens if Western loses at Ball State? They will then be 2-4. Not exactly burning up the league. Of course there is half a season to go, but I wouldn't be holding my breath on Fleck and the Broncos just yet.
In any case, I have to agree with Frank Anderson, we will be having many players returning for next year, so it is not as if the cupboard will be bare. Many think Western is playing better then Eastern, and they may be, but they only have one more win then us, and they didn't come against stellar competition.

(10-08-2014 01:24 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Friends,
What happens if Western loses at Ball State? They will then be 2-4. Not exactly burning up the league. Of course there is half a season to go, but I wouldn't be holding my breath on Fleck and the Broncos just yet.
In any case, I have to agree with Frank Anderson, we will be having many players returning for next year, so it is not as if the cupboard will be bare. Many think Western is playing better then Eastern, and they may be, but they only have one more win then us, and they didn't come against stellar competition.

Ken, my friend:

WMU lost to Toledo by 1 point in OT in a game they should have won in regulation time.

They trailed Va. Tech by 8 at half time.

They may have led Purdue before falling (I'll have to check the box score).

I pray that we could play losing games like that.

They have not played a bad game all year.

WMU is | | close to being a very good team.

Some would say we haven't played a GOOD game all year.