It’s time for some MACtion
Buckle your seatbelts because the next three games are going to show Eastern fans which team is the real team. The one that struggled against San Jose State and their two Big Ten foes or the one that dominated the UMass Minutemen in Massachusetts ending their undefeated season and becoming 2-0 in the MAC since 2005.
It’s been 21 years since that 2005 season meaning that Eastern Michigan hasn’t been 2-0 in the MAC since before I was born. Luckily for the Eagles and their faithful fans that record is finally broken.
The Eagles will be on the road twice in the next three weeks as they take on three straight MAC teams from the state down south.
Coming out with a 5-4 record or better yet a 6-3 record would be the first time the Eagles started a season with six wins through nine games since 1989 when Jim Harkema still coached the Eastern Michigan Hurons. These three games will give the Eagles an opportunity to prove that they can be consistent while making smart decisions and playing winning football. If they can accomplish that we might just see history made in real time.
Game 7: Eastern Michigan at Akron
Saturday, Oct. 10 3:30 p.m. InfoCision Stadium
Eastern Michigan has a chance to become 3-0 in the MAC since 1985 as they take a 3 hour drive to face a struggling Akron team who rests at just 1-4 on the season. This will be the 27th all-time meeting between the two teams with Akron edging out the Eagles in the overall record count with 20 wins and 16 losses when the teams play each other.
This could be a trap game for the Eagles who faced the Zips in 2024 when the team was just 2-6 going into the matchup. The Zips ended up stunning the Eagles in a 25-21 home victory sending the Eagles home with a bad taste in their mouth. Both teams have struggled as of recently and this game would be huge for the Zips confidence going into the rest of the season after losing to Central Michigan by 24 in week five. This game is just another one that Eastern should use to find their rhythm as a team and get some more consistency with the offense.
For the Eagles to find that success they must continue that offensive domination that they showed against the Minutemen. The Eagles had 411 combined yards of total offense with five touchdowns. If the Eagles can move the ball up and down the field through the air and on the ground as consistently as they showed, then the rest of the MAC is in for one heck of a second half of the season. The Zips defense gives up an average of 34 points a game and allows offenses to combine for more than 400 yards. Eastern will once again have to beat the Zips with a balanced attack while taking care of the football against a defense that has only forced four turnovers all season. Expect a big rushing day from Ameron Blue, Brayden Bennett, and Joey Mattord as they split carries but look out for Harold Mack and Kozy Issac as they continue to step up in the receiver room with Nick Devereaux out with a shoulder injury
On the other side Akron’s offense has yet to find very much success. The Zips quarterback Braydon Roggow threw two interceptions in his last appearance on the field. Roggow has four interceptions on the season but only has three touchdowns to show for it. He is completing just 56% of his passing, meaning that the Eagles secondary will be salivating at the chance to jump a pass and take it back to the crib. With linebacker Zach Mowchan sitting in second for most tackles in the country he will once again lead the front seven in keeping Roggow in the pocket and forcing him to use his arm instead of rolling out of the pocket and extending plays with his legs. The front seven will also have to lock down the run to ensure that Akron is forced to put the ball in the air and not on the ground.
ESPN analytics gives the Eagles a 63.9% chance of winning.
Prediction: Eastern Michigan dominates on the ground in the second quarter and handedly finishes off the Zips to reach 4-3 on the season and 3-0 in MAC play.
Game 8: Toledo at Eastern Michigan
Saturday, Oct. 17 3:30 p.m. The Factory
After two straight away games the Eagles will return home to Ypsilanti. This will be their biggest test of their MAC schedule as they welcome Toledo to Rynearson Stadium for Homecoming in another chapter of the lopsided rivalry.
The Rockets hold a 39-13 record over Eastern Michigan, outscoring the Eagles by 681 points since the teams first played in 1923. Eastern Michigan hasn’t beaten the Rockets since 2021 when the Eagles marched into the Glass Bowl and shocked Toledo 52-49 which was the first time the Eagles had beaten the Rockets on the road since 1999. The 2025 season was the first season that the two teams did not face off against each other since 1971, but in their last matchup in 2024 the Eagles fell just short of a comeback victory which saw the team decide to go for two in order to win the game instead of kicking the PAT to send the game into overtime. The two point attempt failed and the Eagles lost 29-28.
Even after losing their head coach to UConn the Rockets have reloaded their roster and have quickly found success with their new coach Mike Jacobs the former head coach at Mercer University. The team is anchored by John Alan Richter, a junior quarterback for Toledo. Richter has already thrown for close to 1400 yards through five games leading the Rockets to a 4-1 record with their only defeat coming from the Michigan State Spartans who also beat the Eagles this season. Richter’s favorite target Adjatay Dabbs terrifies defenses with his speed, versatility, and catching abilities.
The good news for Eastern Michigan is that Richter is not a mobile quarterback which the Eagles routinely struggle against; however, the Toledo run game and offensive line is definitely something that is going to keep the coaches up at night. The Rockets have already amassed over 1,000 rushing yards with junior running back CJ Miller leading the way racking up 346 rushing yards and adding four touchdowns. Toledo’s offense is on fire and Eastern Michigan will need to be the ones to put them out because there aren’t many MAC teams that could stand in their way.
The Eagles defense will have to mature quickly and play smart to shut down the Rockets offense and give Noah Kim and the Eagles every advantage in order to come out of this game with a victory.
The Eagles offense will need to step up and take the pressure off their defense by sustaining long drives that have plagued the Eastern Michigan defense all season. Noah Kim must protect the football and make throws with both his feet firmly planted. Kim cannot afford to throw the ball off his back foot and miss crucial passes that could make or break this game. The Eagles offensive line will have to step up and lead the charge of protecting the quarterback while helping the Eastern Michigan run game get downhill and continue churning yards as they eat up the clock.
This game is going to be a difficult win for the Eagles. The goals for this game need to be firing on all cylinders in the three phases of the game, playing smart, and staying together. This game could make or break Eastern Michigan’s season and they must establish good habits to keep their momentum rolling as they head farther into the MAC gauntlet.
ESPN gives Toledo an 83.1% chance of winning.
Prediction: Eastern Michigan starts quickly thanks to the festivities of the homecoming crowd but by halftime the Rockets recover and sustain long offensive drives wearing out the Eagles defense. The Rockets slowly squeeze the life out of the Eagles and head back to Toledo with a victory. Eastern Michigan falls to 4-4
Game 9: Eastern Michigan at University of Ohio
Saturday, Oct. 24 TBD Peden Stadium
The Eagles are once again back on the road to take on the Ohio Bobcats who are as of now having an uncharacteristic struggle to begin the season. This will be the two teams 36th all time meeting as Eastern Michigan looks to break a four game losing streak. In the teams last matchup last season the Eagles were unable to hang on to a seven point lead going into halftime and fell just short at home 28-21.
With a revamped defense this will be another great opportunity for the Eagles to march into another team's house and take them down. The Bobcats are shaky on both sides of the ball so the Eagles must find a way to exploit the lack of continuity in the Ohio team.
The Bobcats are led by quarterback Matt Vezza who transferred in from the University of New Hampshire in the spring of 2026. Vezza has only thrown 58 passes all season compared to 203 attempts Noah Kim has already thrown this season. Instead of constantly passing the ball the Bobcats use a balanced offensive attack to keep their opponents off balance allowing their defense to rest and recover.
The Bobcats defense isn’t easy to predict due to how their games have gone this season. In their first three games the Bobcats gave up a total of 117 points but in the two games since they have given up only 17. Currently Ohio’s defense is giving up an average of 27 points per game, allowing opposing teams to average about 363 yards of total offense a game.
The Eagles offense will have an opportunity to put lots of points on the board while the defense can show just how good they can become. Noah Kim and the offense will have to finish off long drives with touchdowns instead of field goals. Eastern Michigan’s defense will need to win the turnover battle and get the ball back into the hands of their offense as much as possible. Keeping the Bobcats offense off the field as much as possible is the easiest path to victory.
This will once again be another chance for the Eagles to gain momentum before they take on Central and Western Michigan in back to back weeks.
ESPN gives Ohio a 66.9% to win
Prediction: Eastern Michigan wins a tight game avenging their loss from last season as they come from behind in the second half and head into the month of November with a 5-4 record, a 4-1 MAC record, and all the teams goals still out in front of them.
All in All
The Eagles need to get through this third stint of three games with a 2-1 overall record to give themselves the best chance at completing their goals this season which includes a MAC championship and a bowl game appearance. Becoming 4-1 in MAC play would give the team some serious momentum before they go play their two in-state rivals.
The Eagles cannot afford to go 1-2 because it would place much more importance on the rest of the MAC schedule. Eastern will have the opportunity to play two games that are very winnable and cannot afford to waste it.
The Eagles are prepared enough to go the rest of the way but will have to seize everything that is put in front of them. They have to act first. This three game stretch is the most important three games of the season and will prove whether or not Eastern Michigan is contenders or just pretenders.
The biggest question that will arise after this set is how good of a bowl game could Eastern Michigan get if they go into the last three games of the season with a 6-3 record?
These questions will be answered in just three short weeks but for now all we can do is watch and wait as college football descends into chaos.
