In case anyone has forgotten, game day at The Factory this week is not Saturday, but Thursday evening (guess the 2nd shift) on a national television network (CBSSN).

While EMU has been erratic and usually not a good football team, Western has been as expected: A very good team which raked up some losses vs. top 10 team and got upset in a 'trap game'.

Within conference Western has been very good.

Matter of fact the MAC West has been very, very good with Toledo, WMU, NIU (and yes) even CMU. Four of the top five teams (BG is the other) are from the West.

Next month the schedule gets easier with Miami and UMass.

LSU, Toledo, NIU, and WMU is a very, very tough October.

As far as players are concerned, once again, WMU is led by their offensive stars, QB, Terrrell and WR, Braverman. Braverman is having a great season and Terrell would be the best QB within conference, except for Matt Johnson, down at BG.

Franklin is having a good year, but not as good as #6 for EMU. Corey Davis is having a good year, but not as good as Braverman.

Nevertheless, these are four really, really good offensive threats on a team which is fun to watch.

Just a side note: What a nice year for QBs in the MAC. Within MI and NW Ohio are Terrell, Rush, Roback/Bell, Ely, and Johnson. Nice.

I think we all know what WMU is going to do to us on Thursday. Good times.

I never know what to expect when EMU plays either WMU or CMU. At times, it's like the Eagles really step it up a notch when you play the in-state opponents.

In 2012, you had a 1-10 record entering Waldo Stadium, on our Senior Day, and won (Cubit's final WMU game).

In 2013, you were reeling and had just canned your HC a few days prior to playing us. EMU won in OT.

In 2014, the Broncos led something like 42-0 at halftime.

Who knows what will happen on a chilly, possibly damp, Thursday night this year. Figure a WMU victory, but I wouldn't give whatever points Vegas wants to give EMU if I were a betting man. Too risky.

I'm hoping we'll see Bell get more opportunities the rest of the season. I'm not convinced that while Roback is his second year of being a starting QB he's the answer. My wife and I missed Akron due to a medical emergency but I should be there for the WMU game.

And yes Steve is right October has been brutal schedule wise. I keep looking for small improvements the rest of the way.

Nice to have Barnes back. Calderon still missing in action. Spearman did get to play against NIU.

(10-25-2015 12:07 PM)emu79 Wrote:  I'm hoping we'll see Bell get more opportunities the rest of the season. I'm not convinced that while Roback is his second year of being a starting QB he's the answer. My wife and I missed Akron due to a medical emergency but I should be there for the WMU game.

And yes Steve is right October has been brutal schedule wise. I keep looking for small improvements the rest of the way.

Nice to have Barnes back. Calderon still missing in action. Spearman did get to play against NIU.

If you saw Akron you would understand how ineffective Bell was against A good run defense. Until his passing game improves he will be a one dimensional player. That said, I believe much of the reason he did not play against Northern Illinois had to do with his tweaked ankle. I fully expect to see him playing against Western.

Can DeBoer just do the obvious, and come up with a game plan with Roback as the primary QB, and Bell as the change up for 10-15 plays utilizing his strengths?

I'll keep waiting impatiently for that to happen.

They're both young so they have some potential to grow, right now I would rate them both mediocre. I keep waiting to see the Bell we saw last year with the breakaway runs, haven't seen much of that this season at all despite an improved offensive line and Jackson and Vann.

(10-25-2015 02:09 PM)emu79 Wrote:  They're both young so they have some potential to grow, right now I would rate them both mediocre. I keep waiting to see the Bell we saw last year with the breakaway runs, haven't seen much of that this season at all despite an improved offensive line and Jackson and Vann.

Catch 22 with him. Opposing D Coordinators have his film now, so last year's Buffalo game was a one time aberration. He's really only effective in a straight zone read option system, but DeBoer also knows there's a 50/50 chance he gets injured trying to run that system for an entire game. Now that other teams know that he can only really beat them with his feet, they game plan for that, and he simply can't beat anyone with his arm.

Rotating him in seems an obvious solution, but easier said than done, I know.

Realistically, I am just hoping to see improvement on both sides of the ball. I am not expecting a win but I would be encouraged if it wasn't a blow out. I know those are low expectations but I haven't given up on this team or Coach Creighton.

I readily admit that I was an advocate in seasons past of EMU dropping football to a lower NCAA division or dropping it all together but I was convinced that that would be a huge mistake and wouldn't even consider those thoughts anymore. I appreciate being a member of the MAC and wouldn't want to trade that in. I am convinced that Coach Creighton and AD Lyke have a vision and that this is all part of the process - crawling before you can walk and walking before you can run. Right now EMU football is crawling. One day, hopefully, we will able be able to say that we went through hell and everyone is much better and stronger because of it.

Actually one item that gets overlooked in how strong the MAC is. Outside of LSU the strongest teams EMU has faced are NIU and Toledo. We appeared competitive against Old Dominion, Wyoming, Ball State and Army which was a better team that it appeared by its record. I would agree the Akron game was a basket case. And we now face a strong WMU team and a CMU team.

Last year CC said he didn't take the rivalry games seriously enough. Hopefully he correct that this year.

Does anyone know if the game will be streaming anywhere else besides CBS sport network? I didn't see it on ESPN3. Go figure the nationally televised game is the one I can't watch.

WMU hasn't won in Ypsi since 2005. We'll need some serious magic on defense to keep that streak going.

(10-26-2015 02:07 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  WMU hasn't won in Ypsi since 2005. We'll need some serious magic on defense to keep that streak going.

We won in 09. Lost 2 straight in Ypsi

Injury Updates:

The Eagles have faced a lot of injuries so far this season. Along with Bell still recovering, they also lost two of their starting offensive line on Saturday in Andrew Wylie and Darien Terrell.

“We’re hopeful with Wylie and with 'DT' we’re hopeful with that but with his [injury] it’s a little more difficult,” said Creighton.

Starting defensive back DeQuan Pace, who was injured in the Oct. 17 game against the University of Toledo and missed last week against NIU, is working his way back from an ankle injury.

“He practiced some last week but wasn't able to get to the point where he needed to be on Saturday,” said Creighton. “Ankle strains can be quick or they can be long. Each guy is different. We’re hopeful but do not know today.”

Creighton also confirmed defensive lineman Jeremiah Harris is still not medically cleared after an injury in the Sep. 19 game against Ball State.

(10-27-2015 01:11 AM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(10-26-2015 02:07 PM)FrankAnderson Wrote:  WMU hasn't won in Ypsi since 2005. We'll need some serious magic on defense to keep that streak going.

We won in 09. Lost 2 straight in Ypsi

You're right, my mistake. Don't know why I thought we won in 2009....

BTW, the over/under line is 67 points.

Vegas thinks we'll see lot of scoring in a real MAC TON game.

(10-28-2015 07:08 AM)emu steve Wrote:  BTW, the over/under line is 67 points.

Vegas thinks we'll see lot of scoring in a real MAC TON game.

Or do they think a certain team is going to do a ton of scoring against a certain team's sieve-like defense?

(10-28-2015 08:39 AM)Bob Wickersham Wrote:  

(10-28-2015 07:08 AM)emu steve Wrote:  BTW, the over/under line is 67 points.

Vegas thinks we'll see lot of scoring in a real MAC TON game.

Or do they think a certain team is going to do a ton of scoring against a certain team's sieve-like defense?

Yes, misery loves company, but why can't miserable people find each other, instead of trying to convert others?