If there’s one thing to know about the Eagles, it is that they are both resilient and consistent.
Eastern Michigan has been a class-worthy case of life in the modern NCAA, going through incredible amounts of roster churn every season and yet, still remaining largely competitive in a conference famous for its parity. The last four seasons have seen EMU finish no worse than 5-7, with a share of the MAC West Division title in 2022 after a 9-4 campaign.
Last season was a bit of a rollercoaster, as EMU
missed a postseason berth for the first time in three years despite starting the campaign at 4-1, losing their last five games in-conference. The season saw EMU deal with overwhelming attrition (only 11 total starters returned in 2024) and some extremely unlucky breaks in close contests. The Eagles lost three MAC games down the stretch by eight points or less— including a one-point loss to Toledo and a four-point loss to Akron.
This season sees a similar story, with just eight total starters from 2024 returning to the fold. Can Chris Creighton turn the page once again with a largely new roster and get back to winning ways, or are we starting to see the cracks in the foundation at the Factory?
Let’s take a look at what to expect in Ypsilanti:
What’s New?
Entering his 12th season at the helm, Chris Creighton has become one of the most familiar faces in the MAC.
Still, there is plenty of turnover in Ypsilanti after a 5-7 season in 2024. New faces fill the skill positions for Eastern Michigan; the Eagles not only lost their leading rusher in Delbert Mimms and starting quarterback Cole Snyder, but also lose five of their top six receivers from last year.
The turnover is much worse on defense, with the Eagles needing to replace their top ten tacklers from last year. Nevertheless, an experienced staff should help keep Eastern Michigan competitive and back in bowl contention.
Offense
| Stat | Total | MAC Rank (of 13) | National Rank (of 134) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Yards Avg. | 236 | 5 | 57 |
| Passing TDs | 17 | 8 | t-84 |
| Completion % | 59.9 | 6 | 86 |
| Rush Yards Avg. | 141.8 | 7 | 84 |
| Rushing TDs | 17 | 8 | 89 |
| Total Offense Avg. | 377.8 | 3 | 75 |
| Points Per Game | 25.9 | 6 | 78 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 7 | t-54 |
| Sacks Allowed Avg. | 2.92 | 12 | 114 |
| Tackles-for-loss Allowed Avg. | 6.33 | 11 | 102 |
| Third-down % | 42.2 | 3 | 53 |
| Fourth-down % | 55.2 | 7 | 58 |
- Key arrivals: QB Noah Kim (Coastal Carolina via Michigan State), QB Cameron Edge (Maryland), WR Porter Rooks (redshirted ‘24, formerly of NC State), TE Tanner Lemaster (Kentucky), OT Spencer Webb (HBCU North Carolina A&T)
- Key departures: QB Cole Snyder (graduation), HBs Delbert Mimms (graduation), HB Ihson Elijah Jackson-Anderson (FCS Wofford), HB Deion Brown (FCS Indiana State), WR Markus Allen (Mississippi State), WR Oran Singleton (West Virginia), TE Jere Getzinger (graduation)
- Key incumbents: HBs Dontae McMillan and Joey Mattord, WR Terry Lockett, OC Mickey Rewolinski, OG John Anderson
The task of replacing a starting quarterback, all but 239 rushing yards, and over 73 percent of the receiving production seems daunting, but is not as unprecedented as one may think for Chris Creighton.
Creighton returned just four starters on offense in 2023 and navigated a favorable schedule to a bowl appearance. The offensive staff has remained constant for the past five seasons and that should soften the blow of the numerous losses.
Transfers Noah Kim and Cameron Edge look to replace Cole Snyder. Kim is more experienced, with nearly 1,600 passing yards and 13 touchdowns in three seasons at Michigan State and Coastal Carolina. Edge has limited experience at Maryland, but threw for 82 yards and a touchdown in the 2023 Music City Bowl. Both could replicate Snyder’s 2,684-yard passing output from last year, but the Eagles will especially miss Snyder’s contributions to the run game. Snyder was Eastern Michigan’s second-leading rusher with 323 yards, a total that would have been much higher had he not taken 35 sacks for 219 yards. Kim and Edge have a combined 44 career rushes for 37 yards with sacks accounted for.
Without the added threat of the quarterback run game, the running backs will take a heavier load. Delbert Mimms departs after running for 805 yards and nine touchdowns last year. Ihson Elijah Jackson-Anderson is also gone after contributing 210 yards in relief. Dontae McMillan (801 yards at Weber State in ’23) is finally the feature back after appearing in just two games last year. McMillan can take the load off the passing game if he stays healthy. Sophomore Joey Mattord is the leading returning rusher with 118 yards last year. Mattord is a versatile back who plays well in space, also returning kicks and averaging an efficient eleven yards per catch on 11 receptions last year. Mattord can help manage McMillan’s load as he returns to game speed. James Jointer provides possibilities in short-yardage situations with his six-foot, 215-lb frame. Jointer had an impressive 5.7 yards per carry in 55 rushes for Liberty the last two years.
Noah Kim and Cameron Edge will have a completely new receiver group after five of the six top receivers from last year depart.
The Eagles will miss the contributions of Oran Singleton and Markus Allen who combined for 107 catches and over 1200 yards last year. Fortunately, the Eagles do return their leading receiver Terry Lockett, who made the all-MAC third-team with 610 receiving yards and five touchdowns last year. Porter Rooks will finally debut after transferring from North Carolina State last year. Rooks brought 79 career catches to the receiving corps but an injury sidelined him for the entirety of 2024. At tight end, Kentucky transfer Tanner Lemaster and UConn transfer Nick Harris look to improve on Jere Getzinger’s 13 catches and 91 yards.
The offensive line is the most experienced unit on offense, with 79 combined career starts. Mickey Rewolinski brings much-needed leadership at the center position after starting all 12 games last year. Rewolinski was a preseason third-team Phil Steele all-MAC selection and hopes to help the Eagles improve on the 35 sacks they allowed last year. Blake Bustard (eight starts in nine games last season) winning his eligibility appeal in recent weeks and Josh Anderson’s (nine starts in 10 games in ‘24) return at the other guard spot solidifies EMU’s interior.
The tackles will see some battles, with Dodji Dahoue (six appearances in ‘24), Spencer Web (eight games for NC A&T in ‘24), Mack Indedtad (five starts at LT in eight appearances in ‘24) and Chris Mayo (four starts in 10 appearances in ‘24) all in the mix.
Defense
| Stat | Total | MAC Rank (of 13) | National Rank (of 134) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Yards Allowed Avg. | 220.9 | 8 | 70 |
| Passing TDs Allowed | 22 | 9 | t-95 |
| Completion % | 63.8 | 11 | 103 |
| Rush Yards Allowed Avg. | 162.8 | 7 | 90 |
| Rushing TDs | 19 | 6 | t-59 |
| Total Defense Avg. | 383.8 | 8 | 83 |
| Points Per Game Allowed | 27.9 | 7 | 86 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 7 | t-89 |
| Sacks | 25 | 8 | 61 |
| Tackles-for-loss | 73 | 7 | 44 |
| Third-down % | 36.2 | 4 | 40 |
| Fourth-down % | 34.8 | 1 | 7 |
- Key arrivals: NT Warren-Stevens Tayou (FCS West Georgia), DT Makhi Gilbert (FCS Samford), OLB Kadin Bailey (Syracuse), MLB Marco Patierno (FCS Elon), SAF Davion Williams (Western Kentucky),
- Key departures: NT Peyton Price (transfer), DE Justin Jefferson (CFL), DE Joey Zelinsky (Pittsburgh), DE Dylan Shelton (graduation), MLB James Djonkam (Virginia Tech), MLB Luke Murphy (Coastal Carolina), LB JT Killen (transfer), STAR Daiquan White (Georgia Tech), SAF Quentavius Scandrett (Arkansas), SAF David Carter (graduation)
- Key incumbents: NT Donovan Green, DT Tyrell Martin, LB Zach Mowchan, CB Joshua Scott, BANDITs Barry Manning and Bryce Llewellyn, SAF Damarian McNulty
With an offense that will likely struggle to produce to start the season, the defense may have to keep the Eagles’ in games. Luckily, there are playmakers across all three levels, especially in the secondary.
The defense has a more difficult task in replacing its top ten tacklers. However, there’s room for potential improvement with a healthier linebacking corps and an experienced secondary. The defensive line has multiple returnees and a pair of FCS transfers to headline an improving run defense. Jefferson Adam, Carter Evans, Donovan Green, and Tyrell Martin all saw significant playing time for their respective teams in 2024 and combined for 10.5 tackles-for-loss. Warren-Stevens Tayou and Makhi Gilbert bring starting experience from the FCS level and size to the Eagles’ 4-2-5 scheme. Martin, formerly of Delaware State, was serviceable in 2024, with 16 tackles, two TFLs and two QB pressures.
At linebacker, Zach Mowchan and Marco Patierno have the tools to follow in the footsteps of recent EMU linebacking tandems such as Chase Kline and Joe Sparacio from 2023 and last year’s pairing of James Djonkam and Luke Murphy. Mowchan had a strong start to 2024, with 26 tackles in three games before an injury prematurely ended his season. Patierno was an FCS Freshman All-American at Elon in 2023, before injuries limited his production in 2024 to 39 tackles.
The secondary is arguably the strongest unit on defense, but will need to prove it on the field. Cornerback Joshua Scott and BANDIT Bryce Llewellyn are the best pass defenders in the group. Scott has struggled to stay healthy since 2023, playing just two games over the past two seasons, but when he is healthy, Scott is one of the MAC’s better shutdown corners, amassing 10 pass breakups in 2022. Llewellyn had nine pass breakups in four games and is also solid against the run. At Charleston Southern in 2023, Llewellyn had 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. Javian Norman, Barry Manning, and Dramarian McNulty proved their reliability last year with each notching over 25 tackles. All three will take on a larger role in the secondary.
Special Teams
| Stat | Total | MAC Rank (of 13) | National Rank (of 134) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 80 | 7 | 43 |
| Extra Point % | 93.1 | 11 | 126 |
| Punts Per Game | 4.3 | 10 | 57 |
| Yards Per Punt | 41.7 | 3 | t-90 |
| Kickoff Return Avg. | 18.4 | 9 | 101 |
| Punt Return Avg. | 3.2 | 11 | 128 |
- Key arrivals: PK/KOS Nathan Dibert (redshirt in ‘24, previously from LSU), LS Jack Kautz (Missouri)
- Key departures: PK Jesus Gomez, PR Oran Singleton
- Key incumbents: P Mitchell Tomasek, RET Joey Mattord, LS Mitchell Dietzel
Eastern Michigan could have the best punter-kicker pair by the end of the season with two of the strongest legs in the conference filling those positions.
Punter Mitchell Tomasek returns for a third year in the position; the 2023 first-team all-MAC selection regressed slightly in 2024, but was still solid with a 42.6 yard average, landing 14 of his 47 punts inside the 20. Kicker Jesus Gomez was steady, converting 20-25 field goals last year with a long of 57. LSU transfer Nathan Dibert has just as strong a leg, with 95 touchbacks in 161 career kickoffs.
The return game was pedestrian on punts and serviceable on kickoffs. Oran Singleton is no longer returning punts, but averaged only 2.7 yards on 16 returns. Joey Mattord returns after averaging 19 yards per kickoff return, matching his departing counterpart Deion Brown’s average.
Long snapper could see a battle, as incumbent starter Mitchell Dietzel will have competition in the form of Missouri transfer Jack Kautz. Kautz did not play for the Tigers over three seasons, but could offer a different option and push Dietzel for the job.
Outlook
If there is one thing every MAC fan knows, it is to never count out Chris Creighton. Creighton’s staff is among the most stable in the MAC and he somehow always finds a way to make bowls or come close to it.
This year is similar to 2023. The Eagles did not return much production, but somehow found a way to reach bowl eligibility. Unlike 2023, the schedule is not as favorable.
Eastern Michigan faces two bowl teams from the Sun Belt Conference right off the bat, then follow it up with a trip to Kentucky. In conference play, the Eagles will play six teams that made bowls out of their eight scheduled league contests. This year could be a deserved rebuild for Creighton, but he could trick everyone and find a way. He somehow always does.
If there’s a positive to take away from the schedule on paper, EMU is slated for 12 Saturday games, just one of a handful of MAC teams to not play a single weeknight game in 2025. Consistency can be helpful in establishing momentum, especially in a conference which lives on the razor’s edge.
Schedule
All dates and times are current as of publication. An asterisk (*) denotes a Homecoming game.
| Week | Opponent | Date | Time (All ET) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @ Texas State | Sat. Aug.30 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| 2 | LIU (FCS) | Sat. Sept. 6 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| 3 | @ Kentucky | Sat. Sept. 13 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| 4 | Louisiana * | Sat. Sept. 20 | TBA | TBA |
| 5 | @ Central Michigan | Sat. Sept. 27 | TBA | TBA |
| 6 | @ Buffalo | Sat. Oct. 4 | TBA | TBA |
| 7 | Northern Illinois | Sat. Oct. 11 | TBA | TBA |
| 8 | @ Miami [OH] | Sat. Oct. 18 | TBA | TBA |
| 9 | Ohio | Sat. Oct. 25 | TBA | TBA |
| 10 | BYE | |||
| 11 | Bowling Green | Sat. Nov. 8 | TBA | TBA |
| 12 | @ Ball State | Sat. Nov. 15 | TBA | TBA |
| 13 | BYE | |||
| 14 | @ Western Michigan | Sat. Nov. 29 | TBA | ESPN2 or ESPN+ |
| 15 | MAC Championship | Sat. Dec. 6 | Noon | ESPN |
