Our defense has improved so much so that CMU didn't have to punt ONCE in this game.

(10-10-2009 10:52 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(10-09-2009 09:46 AM)MyLeftNut Wrote:  The telecast also will be available nationally on ESPN GamePlan and ESPN360.

In Michigan, the game will be carried on WMYD-20 in Detroit, WZZM-13 in Grand Rapids, WSMH-66 in Flint and WHTV-18 in Lansing. A complete list of stations carrying the game is available below.

ESPN Plus Affiliates
Chicago - WPWR-50
Philadelphia - WPHL-17
Detroit - WMYD-20
Cleveland - WEWS-5
Indianapolis - WTTV-4
Cincinnati - WKRC-12
Columbus, Ohio - WWHO-53
Milwaukee - WDJT-58
Harrisburg, Pa. - WHP-21
Grand Rapids - WZZM-13
Buffalo - WNYO-49
Dayton - WKEF-22
Roanoke, Va. - WDRL-24
Flint - WSMH-66
Toledo - WTVG-13
Madison, Wis. - WISC-DT-3
South Bend, Ind. - WMYS-69
Youngstown, Ohio - WYTV-33
Lansing, Mich. - WHTV-18
Rockford, Ill. - WTVO-DT2-17
Wheeling, W.V. - WTOV-DT-9

that is some really nice television coverage... The midwest and some adjacent areas are really well covered

It was an opportunity to show the program in the crucial Detroit recruiting market. Instead, the Eagles made a recruiting video for CMU.

I don't know what people expected. EMU has been awful for decades. So they'll go 0-12 instead opf 3-9. Big whoop. Losing is losing.

The fact is EMU lacks the financial resources and fan interest to produce a competitive product. EMU only maintains a football program because they want to stay in the MAC.

EMU had an awful program before English so why should it surprise us that it is bad now? Genyk even talked about it in his closing presser. EMU just doesn't put in the money to build a good program. It takes more than a sound system and LCD screen to make a winning team.

Yes I agree with you on those points WolverineEagle and add that apparently being a former U of M assistant coach and being blessed by Lloyd Carr doesn't guarantee EMU improvement or more wins either.

Thanks for all the positive comments guys, your support helps the program TREMENDOUSLY!

(10-12-2009 01:31 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Yes I agree with you on those points WolverineEagle and add that apparently being a former U of M assistant coach and being blessed by Lloyd Carr doesn't guarantee EMU improvement or more wins either.

Change that to CMU and that comment would have done for Mike DeBord as well. Come to think, ask WMU fans about Jack Harbaugh sometime. :muttering: Looks like Brady Hoke may have been one of the few former U of M coaches to have success in the MAC. And his didn't come for awhile.

Still, if an outsider's opinion counts for anything, it's too early to bag on English. I doubt he understood fully what a challenge was in store for him, and Genyk really didn't set your team up for future success very well.

I agree with wolverine eagle and cmichfan, English inherited a Bottom tier Eastern Michigan MAC football team then on top of that 1. No TJ Lang, Lost Best OL Buche for the season, 2nd best Fretz playing injured, playing Frosh guard in Sorgatz. 2. Lost Tyler Jones Last years play maker, this years Best play maker LeDuc academically ineligible (where was previous staffs guidance) 3. Preist injured in Temple game = not the same. Oh and 4. Andy Schmitt out for season. explains offensive woes. Lets talk Defense.1. No Holtzclaw our Lb's now are tiny. 2 No Jacob Wyatt this year and Downard out for season 3. No Josh Hunt plus Defense was Awful Last year against the run and pass, maybe its not the coaching, maybe its the players? Lets reserve judgement until year 3 or 4 when he gets his own players that fit HIS system, not a 30 day recruiting class like last year, who oh by the way are playing and are doing well considering wouldn't you say?

Sometimes the truth hurts. This isn't a good football team including present players and newcomers. I wouldn't say anyone of them is playing well not when you get outscored in the first quarter 51-3. I'm not sure there will be interest in four or five years because simply put too many EMU fans have been put through successive five year plans with the same hype and the same promises. And we certainly can blame the players who are playing an offensive system which doesn't fit their skills or a defensive scheme that allows 36 points per game and gets outscored 51-3 in the first quarter. And even without the injuries this team wasn't playing well.

I'm sorry is some are offended by negative comments about the EMU football program but they are well earned off and on the field. Maybe English will work some magic in the remaining games and get his players (limit of 25 per year) into the program and we'll see more departures of the previous coaching staff's players. I think alot of EMU fans want or wanted to believe in English including me. Now I'm not so sure the new coach isn't the same thing I've seen before.

yeah, but.

EMU79.

If a lowly regarded (by posters here) position coach, Genyk, didn't get it done and a very highly regarded coordinator with UofM experience doesn't get it done.

WHO WILL?

The only thing EMU hasn't tried is Matt Millen.

What is scary is that IF RE doesn't get it done it might mean that EMU has become the Pittsburgh Pirates of I-A football.

P.S. I'm NOT giving up. This is a 3 YEAR REBUILD.

I believe there were ugly rebuilds in the Big Ten. I believe both Iowa and Minnesota teams had terrible records their first year under a new coach.

Lady Eagle,

Some valid points but English did inherit a record setting NCAA QB, two experienced RBs, the only loss on the offensive line was Lang and Stone was a 1,000 yard receiver and there was experience at WR. It was for the most part a very productive offense using the spread. It certainly wasn't a bottom tier offensive unit. You are correct about the defense losing some key starters but again most of the defensive line, two LBs and most of the defensive backfield were back and because of injuries in the secondary (Downard was also injured last year) lots of experience. You had a punter who was nominated twice for the Ray Guy award and a dependable placekicker for a MAC team. So to say the cupboard was bare well I don't agree. In terms of competitiveness if you want you can compare scores from the same opponents last year with this year's team.

The choice on an offensive and defensive schemes is not the players its the coaches and I respect that. Maybe it will work in time, maybe not.

I follow EMU football pretty closely, there aren't many individual newcomer from English's first class that stands out performance wise. Maybe that will change as the season progresses. I believe many are playing not because they are necessarily better but to get experience. Many would have benefited from a redshirt year. Oh well.

(10-13-2009 05:13 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Lady Eagle,

Some valid points but English did inherit a record setting NCAA QB, two experienced RBs, the only loss on the offensive line was Lang and Stone was a 1,000 yard receiver and there was experience at WR. It was for the most part a very productive offense using the spread. It certainly wasn't a bottom tier offensive unit. You are correct about the defense losing some key starters but again most of the defensive line, two LBs and most of the defensive backfield were back and because of injuries in the secondary (Downard was also injured last year) lots of experience. You had a punter who was nominated twice for the Ray Guy award and a dependable placekicker for a MAC team. So to say the cupboard was bare well I don't agree. In terms of competitiveness if you want you can compare scores from the same opponents last year with this year's team.

The choice on an offensive and defensive schemes is not the players its the coaches and I respect that. Maybe it will work in time, maybe not.

I follow EMU football pretty closely, there aren't many individual newcomer from English's first class that stands out performance wise. Maybe that will change as the season progresses. I believe many are playing not because they are necessarily better but to get experience. Many would have benefited from a redshirt year. Oh well.

WE still didn't have a running game. The Oline couldn't block for the run and the RBs didn't get through the hole when there was one.

(10-12-2009 07:20 PM)Lady Eagle Wrote:  I agree with wolverine eagle and cmichfan, English inherited a Bottom tier Eastern Michigan MAC football team then on top of that 1. No TJ Lang, Lost Best OL Buche for the season, 2nd best Fretz playing injured, playing Frosh guard in Sorgatz. 2. Lost Tyler Jones Last years play maker, this years Best play maker LeDuc academically ineligible (where was previous staffs guidance) 3. Preist injured in Temple game = not the same. Oh and 4. Andy Schmitt out for season. explains offensive woes. Lets talk Defense.1. No Holtzclaw our Lb's now are tiny. 2 No Jacob Wyatt this year and Downard out for season 3. No Josh Hunt plus Defense was Awful Last year against the run and pass, maybe its not the coaching, maybe its the players? Lets reserve judgement until year 3 or 4 when he gets his own players that fit HIS system, not a 30 day recruiting class like last year, who oh by the way are playing and are doing well considering wouldn't you say?

I'll repeat what I've said about recruiting:

Judge English on THIS year's class, not last year's.

I agree 100% with Lady Eagle.

Folks are expecting miracles over night.

That isn't how the world works.

Remember RE has NOTHING to do with 20 years of frustration EMU fans feel.

And if the Lions win before the (EMU) Eagles, remember that NFL is ALL about parity. NCAA football is everything BUT PARITY. (NCAA FB is more like MLB where the NYY might have bought a World Series with C.C., Burnett and Texeira).

EMU 79, That so called record setting offense was 3-9 last year. 131 yds passing vs Toledo, 140 vs NIU, 138 vs Army, 212 vs Western Michigan, It wasn't like we were putting up 300+ yds a game and lighting up the scoreboard except for last 2 games which we still lost to Temple. If you took out the last 2 games and that embarassing Indiana State team we probably averaged 14 points or less a game.

(10-13-2009 12:44 PM)Lady Eagle Wrote:  EMU 79, That so called record setting offense was 3-9 last year. 131 yds passing vs Toledo, 140 vs NIU, 138 vs Army, 212 vs Western Michigan, It wasn't like we were putting up 300+ yds a game and lighting up the scoreboard except for last 2 games which we still lost to Temple. If you took out the last 2 games and that embarassing Indiana State team we probably averaged 14 points or less a game.

Great point. As much as I don't like this year's offense the true problem with this team is the defense.

Well, you can manipulate with numbers endlessly. You can take out those passing games against UT, Army and WMU and the passing numbers for the season would really look good. Except, you can't do that. You can't just pick and choose the stats that you like ... unless you are in Congress of course.

I don't think anybody here was expecting any miracles under English but after five games the team has the look of a team that has regressed. I agree that you can't draw a final conclusion but you can't ignore the results so far either.

Another thing that people should consider when evaluating the previous regime ... how many AD's, how many presidents did the school go through? That had a huge impact on the program's development as well.

I have followed this program for three decades, as a fan and as a beat writer. It pains me to see this program continually flounder and I just want a competitive team.

If RE doesn't work out, what is the next step? I don't know but maybe what EMU should have been looking for was a successful head coach at the FCS level who has shown an ability to win within a limited budget?

(10-13-2009 01:06 PM)HuronDave Wrote:  If RE doesn't work out, what is the next step? I don't know but maybe what EMU should have been looking for was a successful head coach at the FCS level who has shown an ability to win within a limited budget?

Worked out pretty well for CMU hiring a DII coach (Kelly). Also pretty well so far for NIU with Kill (from IAA SIU).

Quote:I follow EMU football pretty closely, there aren't many individual newcomer from English's first class that stands out performance wise.

I think Gillette definitely has potential. He was under pressure most of the game but at least four times slipped away from a sack like a greased eel. At least two of those times, he picked up a FD with his feet. When given time to set and throw -- which was not often, I grant you -- Gillette's arm looked pretty good.

I also liked your reserve RB, the one that scored the rushing TD. He runs very hard. I recall thinking that one of the freshman LBs was playing well, too.

Thanks CMichFan for the positive feedback.
I recall discussion on this board, back when EMU was coach hunting, about hiring a IAA or DII coach. It's interesting that you bring that up again.
Congrats on the win (killing)...LeFevour and Brown are amazing and will take CMU far this year.
The name LeFevour...sounds so NFLish.

The criticism on here is a bit premature. English is 5 games in. Give him time.

Richrod delivered a 3-9 in his first season and look at where UM is now--4-2 with an excellant shot at 7 wins with a young team. Also look to Minnesota and Brewster. 1-11 year one, 7-6 year two.

Plus, RE doesn't exactly have the talent that those schools have. Genyk never came close to a winning season so those whining about losses now look a bit ridiculous. This program has been losing alot of games since it entered D-1A. Except for a few years in the 80's and 1995, EMU has been a consistent loser. This is nothing new.

EMU is a D-1AA program that is masquerading as a D-1 program. That is a fact some need to grasp.

Well Lady Eagle you mentioned that English will win with HIS players. If that the case and the prior coach's players are so bad he should not renew their scholarships and he can have a team next year of 50 scholarship players and 35 walk ons. I can't see him doing worse than he has so far this year.

But I thought the mark of a good coach (or manager/boss) is get the maximum performance out of the players/employees they have, but I could be wrong. Good coaches are accountable and take responsibility not just blame the players. I haven't seen English or his staff take any responsibility for this season so far.

I agree with Huron Dave, I don't see the program so far under English progressing just regressing. I didn't expect English to work miracles but I think some people on this board thought so. I did expect English to have this team play more competitively than I've seen. I'll wait and see if he is another Harkema. He has a way to go before I agree with that comparison. And some people might be angry with me for not hopping on the English bandwagon or think I hate EMU football. I'm sorry if the facts of where the program is right now make you angry. As a long time football fan of EMU I know this program can't afford to go backwards or there won't be a football program at EMU. English was hired at a salary much more than any EMU football coach in history and with the administration backing him with long term debt bucks to make sure this program doesn't go backward.

But okay here's a question:

In what area or areas has this team improved under English and his staff? I don't care about LEDs, bubbles, attendance and sound systems tell me how the program and team has improved under English this year.

(10-13-2009 06:54 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Well Lady Eagle you mentioned that English will win with HIS players. If that the case and the prior coach's players are so bad he should not renew their scholarships and he can have a team next year of 50 scholarship players and 35 walk ons. I can't see him doing worse than he has so far this year.

But I thought the mark of a good coach (or manager/boss) is get the maximum performance out of the players/employees they have, but I could be wrong. Good coaches are accountable and take responsibility not just blame the players. I haven't seen English or his staff take any responsibility for this season so far.

I agree with Huron Dave, I don't see the program so far under English progressing just regressing. I didn't expect English to work miracles but I think some people on this board thought so. I did expect English to have this team play more competitively than I've seen. I'll wait and see if he is another Harkema. He has a way to go before I agree with that comparison. And some people might be angry with me for not hopping on the English bandwagon or think I hate EMU football. I'm sorry if the facts of where the program is right now make you angry. As a long time football fan of EMU I know this program can't afford to go backwards or there won't be a football program at EMU. English was hired at a salary much more than any EMU football coach in history and with the administration backing him with long term debt bucks to make sure this program doesn't go backward.

But okay here's a question:

In what area or areas has this team improved under English and his staff? I don't care about LEDs, bubbles, attendance and sound systems tell me how the program and team has improved under English this year.

CMU AD on last year's game:

(Scroll to near bottom)

http://blog.mlive.com/fireupchips/2009/1...e_rec.html