Eastern Michigan was only a few points away from winning a crucial game which could’ve helped the Eagles earn a MAC Championship berth in 2022.
The Eagles would’ve been 6-2 in the conference if they had held on against Toledo. But the Rockets scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter en route to winning the MAC title.
EMU still ended the season on a high note, winning its last four games including a 41-27 triumph over San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Eagles have another strong roster in 2023 and are one of the favorites to win the MAC. Only time will tell if they can secure the conference crown this time around.
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Eastern Michigan Football’s MAC Title Odds
EMU’s odds to win the MAC are +600, via BetMGM.
Eastern Michigan Football’s Over/Under Win Total
EMU’s win total Over/Under is 7.5, with Under 7.5 at +100 and Over 7.5 at -120.
Eastern Michigan Football’s Schedule
9/1 vs Howard
9/9 at Minnesota
9/16 vs UMass
9/23 at Jacksonville State
9/30 at Central Michigan
10/7 vs Ball State
10/14 vs Kent State
10/21 at Northern Illinois
10/28 vs Western Michigan
11/8 at Toledo
11/14 vs Akron
11/21 at Buffalo
Bold indicates MAC contests.
Key Eastern Michigan Football Returners
2022 All-MAC 1st Team
P Mitchell Tomasek
KR Jaylon Jackson
2nd Team
OL Brian Dooley
RB Samson Evans
3rd Team
WR Tanner Knue
K Jesús Gómez
Samson Evans Fueling Eastern Michigan’s Offense
Eastern Michigan appears to be a run-first team again with Samson Evans returning.
The graduate student running back was third in the MAC with 1,166 rushing yards while leading the league with 15 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 93 yards.
Evans will need EMU’s offensive line to continue to pave the way for him. The Eagles were eighth in total rushing offense (140.8 yards per game) and tied for the fifth-most sacks allowed (32) in the MAC in 2023.
But EMU does bring back a few veterans up front. That includes All-MAC second-teamer Brian Dooley. The 6-foot-7, 302-pound graduate student allowed just two sacks and 24 quarterback pressures while primarily playing right tackle a season ago.
The Eagles also bring back other experienced offensive linemen like Alex Howie and Dimitri Douglas, two graduate students who started games last year. They also added Chris Mayo, a transfer from West Virginia, and Owen Snively, a transfer from Colorado State, this offseason.
Austin Smith appears to be in line to be EMU’s Day 1 starting quarterback. Taylor Powell, who led the Eagles with 2,111 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 2022, is no longer with the team.
Smith threw for 774 yards, six touchdowns, and four picks while completing 58% of his passes and rushing for 255 yards and two scores on 61 attempts last year.
Four different receivers totaled at least 470 yards and three touchdowns on 30 catches for EMU last year, but only one of them is back. Tanner Knue caught 45 passes for 632 yards and nine touchdowns en route to all-conference third-team honors. EMU also added wideouts Terry Lockett Jr. from Michigan State and Javon Swinton from Indiana via the transfer portal.
Jesús Gómez, a third-team all-conference kicker last year who was 14 of 17 on field goals, should help EMU finish drives off with points. Backup running back Jaylon Jackson, who ran for 425 yards and two touchdowns on 90 attempts, also was a stellar returner last year and could help set the Eagles up with good field position.
Chase Kline Looks To Lead Eastern Michigan’s Defense Once Again
None of Eastern Michigan’s returning defenders made the all-conference list in 2022, but the Eagles still have plenty of experience on that side of the ball. Of EMU’s top 11 tacklers in 2022, eight are back this season.
Chase Kline was the leader among them. The senior linebacker and former Michigan State transfer ranked first on the team with 91 total tackles.
Joe Sparacio, a former Boston College transfer and linebacker who will be a graduate student in 2023, was second on the team with 89 tackles. He also added six tackles for loss.
Jose Ramirez is a major loss for EMU up front. He was first on the team with 19.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2022 before being selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. No one else on the team had more than three sacks or six tackles for loss, so finding a way to pressure quarterbacks and disrupt rushing attacks will be crucial for the Eagles.
EMU was fifth in total defense (377 yards per game allowed) and eighth in scoring defense (28.5 points per game allowed), so the Eagles will be seeking to use their experience to take a step forward in 2023.
Mitchell Tomasek, a first-team all-conference punter, will help EMU’s defense, though. He led the league with 44.1 yards per punt to go with 13 punts of 50-plus yards and 14 punts inside the 20.
Eastern Michigan Football Season Prediction
EMU won’t win the MAC, but the Eagles will win more than seven games.
In fact, there are few obvious losses on their schedule. Playing at Minnesota in Week 2 will be tough, and traveling to Toledo won’t be easy. Other than that, EMU could be favored in every game in 2023.
The Eagles should be 3-1 after their non-conference matchups with Howard, UMass, and Jacksonville State. That will set them up nicely going into their MAC slate.
Road trips to Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, and Buffalo will be challenging for the Eagles. However, if EMU wins just one of those three games, that should still lead to an eight-win season.
Even if the Eagles fall short of a conference title once again, they still have what it takes to conclude this season with a winning record and a win in a bowl game.
