Eastern Michigan has been playing college football since 1891, but it’s only been at the FBS/D-I level since 1975.In the 50 years of playing in the big leagues, the program has only enjoyed ten winning seasons.Current head coach Chris Creighton is responsible for four of them.There have been a mere 16 seasons with five wins or more. Creighton was the head coach for eight of them. There have been seven bowl appearances, and Creighton was the head coach in seven.
Eastern Michigan hasn’t won a conference title since 1987, and it holds the brutal distinction of being the only MAC team – UMass doesn’t count, for now – to never play in the championship game since it started in 1997. But the school that went from 1990 to 2016 is now more than just competitive.That might sound like a slam, but this used to be one of the toughest jobs in college football, and now fielding decent teams is the norm.Last year's finish was ugly, and the team missed out on a bowl game, but this year's version will once again hit the 5-to-7 win mark.There are just enough returning players to be okay, the staff has figured out how to survive the transfer portal, and considering the history, bowl seasons will never be taken for granted.
Eastern Michigan Eagles College Football Preview 2025
Eastern Michigan Eagles Preview 2025: Offense
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN- The defense was the bigger problem, but the offense had plenty to do with the collapse down the stretch. Even so, it finished third overall in the MAC, wasn’t bad at moving the ball, and it should be better because …- The offensive line gets most of the parts back. It wasn’t good in pass protection, but there’s depth, there are options, and adding big guard Spencer Webb from North Carolina A&T helps. Leading rusher Delbert Mimms is gone, but Dontae McMillan is the main early option – he was great at Weber State three years ago, but has yet to do much at EMU – but James Jointer (Liberty) and Tavierre Dunlap (Michigan) will get every shot at the job.
– The quarterback situation will be a work in progress. Noah Kim (Michigan State and Coastal Carolina) is the transfer option with the biggest upside, but Cameron Edge (Maryland) will get his shot in fall camp.The receiving corps gets a break with leading man Terry Lockett back after catching 45 passes for 660 yards and five scores. EMU lost way too much production through the portal, but former NC State transfer Porter Rooks is too experienced not to do more, and Kentucky transfer Tanner Lemaster is a good get for a thin tight end situation.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Preview 2025: Defense
– The defense had a hard time creating its own breaks. It wasn’t totally awful, but it allowed 30 or more points seven times and struggled in a big way down the stretch.The improvement starts with a reworked line that has to replace just about everyone. There’s help from the portal for the interior, but it’s up to 6-0, 314-pound Donovan Green to anchor the interior.Adam Jefferson is the best returning pass rusher with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, and there’s experience with Carter Evans returning on the other side.
– The linebacking corps is getting a redo. Zach Mowchan has just enough experience – 26 tackles last season – to be okay on the outside, but the pressure is on Syracuse transfer Kadin Bailey to step in and be the leading tackler in the middle with star James Djonkam leaving.- It’s a stretch to call the secondary a strength for a defense that generated just five interceptions and lost most of the producers, but it should be okay. The corner combination of Dramarian McNulty and Jordan Toney is fine if there’s a pass rush to help. Jaivian Norman is a good young safety, Barry Manning was one of the better tackling safeties last year, and Davion Williams was a wonderful get from Charleston Southern. He should be a top-five tackler who can get behind the line.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Key to the Season
Come up with more big plays.The pop has to come from somewhere. There wasn’t anything from the return game. The secondary didn’t pick off passes. The downfield passing attack was pedestrian, at best. To be fair, both sides of the ball were okay on third downs, but it would be nice to have a few fireworks.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Key Player
Kadin Bailey, LB Jr.It’s the position as much as the man in the EMU middle linebacker spot, but the plays have to come from someone. Bailey comes in from Syracuse after missing all of last year hurt, and Marco Patierno is a tackler, making 109 stops in his time at Elon.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Noah Kim, QB Sr.A nice passer, he started his career as a promising option at Michigan State, but it didn’t work. He went to Coastal Carolina, and he only threw four touchdown passes in his seven games. He should fit in well with the Eagles.Top Transfer Out: James Djonkam, EDGE Sr.It’s always hard to replace pass rushers, and Eastern Michigan found one. Djonkam moved from Arizona State to Eastern Michigan last year, and he came up with 98 tackles with three sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Now he’ll be working for Virginia Tech.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Key Game
at Central Michigan, Sept. 27There probably isn’t enough in the bag to pull off a MAC championship run, but there’s almost no hope whatsoever of getting there if the Eagles lose the opener against Central Michigan. Eastern Michigan has won two of the last three, but hasn’t won in Mount Pleasant since 2011.- 2025 Eastern Michigan Schedule Breakdown
Eastern Michigan Eagles Top 10 Players
1. Terry Lockett Jr., WR Sr.2. Adam Jefferson, DE Sr.3. Noah Kim, QB Sr.4. Mickey Relowlinski, OG Sr.5. Donovan Green, DT Sr.6. Michael Tomasek, P Sr.7. Kadin Bailey, LB Sr.8. Davion Williams, S Jr.9. Mark Indestad, OT Jr.10. Barry Manning, SS Jr.
Eastern Michigan Eagles 2024 Fun Stats
– Opponent Scoring: 1st Quarter 37, 2nd Quarter 125- Fumbles: Opponents 23 (lost 10), Eastern Michigan 13 (lost 7)- 4th Down Conversions: Eastern Michigan 16-of-29 (55%), Opponents 8-of-23 (35%)
Eastern Michigan Eagles 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
The Eagles will be really, really close to getting back to six wins and a bowl appearance.The problem is the schedule. It’s not awful, but they’re taking a huge gut punch not getting to play Kent State, UMass, and Akron. They miss Toledo, but it’s missing those three almost-certain wins that could be the difference.LIU is the sure-thing victory, and Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, and Western Michigan at home need to be victories.
It’ll take a few 50/50 road wins and no mistakes, and even then it’ll all probably come down to the regular season finale against Western Michigan.Set The Eastern Michigan Eagles Win Total At … 5.5Likely Wins: LIU50/50 Games: at Ball State, Bowling Green, at Buffalo, at Central Michigan, Louisiana, at Miami University, Northern Illinois, Ohio, at Texas State, Western MichiganLikely Losses: at Kentucky
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