I'm interested to see how the schedule shapes up. Hopefully we can avoid 5 consecutive road games again this year.

It helps to have 2 OOC home games this year instead of 1 like last year. 3 out of the 4 OOC games should be winnable too. ODU, Army, and Wyoming are projected to be down this season. Hopefully we can get some momentum going into the MAC season for a change.

(02-27-2015 11:42 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  It helps to have 2 OOC home games this year instead of 1 like last year. 3 out of the 4 OOC games should be winnable too. ODU, Army, and Wyoming are projected to be down this season. Hopefully we can get some momentum going into the MAC season for a change.

Weak schedule weak team

The only home games we should have MAC games.

Bear in mind, guys, is that we KNOW the names (and site) of each of the 12 opponents, including the MAC crossover games.

We just don't know which dates the conferences games will fall.

http://emueagles.com/news/2015/1/8/FB_0108150856.aspx

The big thing, as Frank posted, is avoiding playing too many consecutive road games.

Without verifying, we open with ODU, have Army Sept 26, (both are Rynearson), have an early Oct game @LSU and I forget when we play @WYO, presumably the 2nd or 3rd weekend of Sept (EDIT: Sept 12 @ WYO - it is in the link above. Sept 19 is either MAC game or open).

We, obviously, don't control the MAC schedule, but the OOC schedule is very fair opening at home, and another home OOC week 4. We could have either two OR THREE home games in September and that is a big, big improvement over the past!! :)

It has been released. We got a GREAT, GREAT schedule. Front loaded with home games!!!! And a Thursday night game vs. Western (we host).

http://www.mac-sports.com/news/2015/2/27...53311.aspx

Eastern Michigan
Sep.
5 Old Dominion
12 at Wyoming
19 *Ball State
26 Army
Oct.
3 at LSU
10 *Akron
17 *at Toledo
24 *at NIU
29 *Western Michigan
Nov.
7 *at Miami
14 *UMass
27 *at Central Michigan

I'm elated! THREE September games, and we finally get a mid-week home game!

Thursdays, at least to me, are the preferred day for midweek games. EMU students have fewer classes on Friday, especially upperclassmen. And it's pre-November, so hopefully we can luck out with some fair weather.

Easily the best schedule in the years I've been following EMU football.

(02-27-2015 03:17 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  I'm elated! THREE September games, and we finally get a mid-week home game!

Thursdays, at least to me, are the preferred day for midweek games. EMU students have fewer classes on Friday, especially upperclassmen. And it's pre-November, so hopefully we can luck out with some fair weather.

Easily the best schedule in the years I've been following EMU football.

And we could have some form of national TV (e.g., ESPN2 or the U) for the WMU game (Thursday, Oct 29), even if it is just to watch WMU.

(02-27-2015 03:21 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-27-2015 03:17 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  I'm elated! THREE September games, and we finally get a mid-week home game!

Thursdays, at least to me, are the preferred day for midweek games. EMU students have fewer classes on Friday, especially upperclassmen. And it's pre-November, so hopefully we can luck out with some fair weather.

Easily the best schedule in the years I've been following EMU football.

And we could have some form of national TV (e.g., ESPN2 or the U) for the WMU game (Thursday, Oct 29), even if it is just to watch WMU.

Exactly. I think we'll be guaranteed at least ESPNU. No other MAC games on that night.

My mistake. Buffalo is also at Miami on Oct. 29th. We'll see how the national schedule plays out, but I still think we've got a shot for a national telecast.

and we're away for the always-****** post-thanksgiving game! this schedule is excellent.

(02-27-2015 03:17 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  I'm elated! THREE September games, and we finally get a mid-week home game!

Thursdays, at least to me, are the preferred day for midweek games. EMU students have fewer classes on Friday, especially upperclassmen. And it's pre-November, so hopefully we can luck out with some fair weather.

Easily the best schedule in the years I've been following EMU football.

Agreed! Save for the 6-6 English year (that had 2 FCS games), this is the most manageable I've seen. We could go 0-for-October, but that September slate could see 3 wins.

Did anyone else notice that we don't have a bye week until the 2nd to last week of the season? Odd...

Obviously it's very early, but I see 7 winnable games: All four in September, Akron, Miami, and UMass (obviously I'm not predicting wins...just saying they are winnable). We return our front 7 defensively, a growing QB, and some decent experience on the OL. If we ever had a chance to get bowl eligible, it might be this season. Let's just hope the team improves with another full year under Creighton.

(02-27-2015 03:28 PM)EMUAARON Wrote:  and we're away for the always-****** post-thanksgiving game! this schedule is excellent.

Our last home game is the second week of November, as well. No ice cold late-November games.

I'm almost tempted to say Heather Lyke found a way to influence the conference in crafting this. Probably not. But it's pretty great for us.

Best schedule in a few years - hoping the September games are 6:00 starts

This is not a paid advertisement (and honest, BobW, I'm not on the EMU payroll) if there ever was a year to buy season tickets, etc. it is this year.

As Sam and Frank indicated, lot of 'winnable' games at home in September, a nice Thursday night game vs. Western on national television, I assume and not the Thanksgiving Friday freeze-your-a*s-off game.

IF the Army game is an afternoon game, I'll be at two home games in September (ODU and Army).

Also, failed to catch there is a sweet October 10 game vs. Akron. Good candidate for homecoming...

And inquiring minds want to know:

We have a Thursday night game which presumably will make it on an ESPN channel, e.g., ESPN2 or U or 3.

But we need better lights for night games.

So the corollary (or question) is: Where is the candlepower? Will we see new lights this summer? (It would be nice to have new lights in 2015 and a new scoreboard in 2016).

(02-28-2015 06:36 AM)emu steve Wrote:  And inquiring minds want to know:

We have a Thursday night game which presumably will make it on an ESPN channel, e.g., ESPN2 or U or 3.

But we need better lights for night games.

So the corollary (or question) is: Where is the candlepower? Will we see new lights this summer? (It would be nice to have new lights in 2015 and a new scoreboard in 2016).

We are DI. We need scoreboards at both ends of the stadium and preferably smaller scoreboards on the east and west ends of the stadium too. This season, I'm hoping the band will be situated in the east stands, along with a small student section. This is my proposal to the EMU athletic department. I figure if I don't make it happen, it won't happen.

(02-28-2015 09:02 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(02-28-2015 06:36 AM)emu steve Wrote:  And inquiring minds want to know:

We have a Thursday night game which presumably will make it on an ESPN channel, e.g., ESPN2 or U or 3.

But we need better lights for night games.

So the corollary (or question) is: Where is the candlepower? Will we see new lights this summer? (It would be nice to have new lights in 2015 and a new scoreboard in 2016).

We are DI. We need scoreboards at both ends of the stadium and preferably smaller scoreboards on the east and west ends of the stadium too. This season, I'm hoping the band will be situated in the east stands, along with a small student section. This is my proposal to the EMU athletic department. I figure if I don't make it happen, it won't happen.

Sorry, Bob. You are a day late and a dollar short.

I talked with Heather about that (students/band on the East side) last year at a football game. I think she said: "We thought about that..."

Do remember Heather brought Chris Spears from NIU to work on things like facilities, football scheduling, etc. He has solid experience at a MAC school with success in football.

Students or bands were moved from behind the visiting team's bench some years ago after a problem occurred at a MAC school during a game. Think the MAC has relaxed that as various MAC schools are now seating their students wherever they wish.

I think EVERYONE hates having a crowd of 7,500 on the home side and 500 on the television side. Lest I be wrong, isn't it easier for students who tailgate to go directly to the East stands (near where they tailgate) rather than parade to the West stands?

As far as lights, scoreboard(s), etc. we need to be patient and wait for something to be announced as part of a facility master plan. Do remember this has been much discussed last year and some in 2013. I think the belief was new turf was a 'standalone' project but other things like lights, scoreboard(s), press box, etc. should be part of a comprehensive facilities plan with timelines, funding sources, etc. and not ad hoc single entity projects.

All (or most) MAC schools are doing this 'master planning' and EMU is, also.

I'm hopeful that we'll see some exciting plans.

In the meantime, I'm not even worrying about it. We'll know in due time. Just need to be patient.