NCAA Football Eastern Michigan Football

Paul Johnson went out of his way to talk up Eastern Michigan this week, saying the 1-8 Eagles were much better than their record indicated. In the end though, it was all talk, as the Navy Midshipmen rolled over the Eastern Michigan Eagles 49-21.

Navy (7-3) piled up 474 total yards on the Eagles, including 323 yards on the ground. For the second consecutive game, Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada played brilliantly, rushing for four touchdowns while going 7-9 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Kaipo, making only his third career start, was nearly flawless running the option, engineering seven straight scoring drives in the contest. Reggie Campbell once again proved he is the best 5'6 football player ever by running for 67 yards on eight carries and catching three balls for 92 yards. Jason Tomlinson finally got the ever elusive first touchdown catch of '06, as he hauled in a one yard pass on fourth-and-one to put Navy ahead 14-0 early. Tyree Barnes made an absolutely sick grab in mid-air for a score, as the 6'2 wideout out-jumped a EMU defender. Sophomore fullback Eric Kettani filled in for the injured Adam Ballard, showing great speed and vision to rush for 91 on only 14 carries.

Navy's defense was up and down during the game, allowing a struggling EMU offense to amass 358 yards, including 220 through the air. But true to Coach Green's "Bend but Don't Break" style of play, the Midshipmen made stops when it counted, and forced three key turnovers to end EMU drives. Rob Caldwell led the way with 12 tackles, while linebacker Clint Sovie and freshman safety Jeromy Miles each intercepted an Andy Schmitt pass.

Despite the win, the Midshipmen suffered several key injuries in the game. Fullback Adam Ballard left early in the first half after a defender rolled over his ankle. His injury was originally called a high ankle sprain, but later downgraded to a contusion. Wide receiver Curtis Sharp also left the game early after suffering an unspecified injury, as did Center James Rossi and defensive end John Chan. As of right now, the extend of these injuries are unknown, but I'll pass along any word as soon as it comes out.

Thanks for joining me for the Fan House's coverage of 6-3 Navy at 1-8 Eastern Michigan. A reminder that this game can be viewed on Comcast SportsNet in the Maryland/Mid-Atlantic region and will be carried on Fox Sports Net in the Michigan area.

First Half

Pregame- Apparently Kaipo has a middle name. I'm not even going to try tacking a stab at this one.

1:08- And we're underway from Ford Field. The stadium looks dead as the Eagles will have the ball first.

1:12- Ugh. Already the Eagles are driving. Navy's defense is going to have some problems with this spread offense. A drop pass allows Navy to force a punt. Coverage needs to be tighter.

1:22- Touchdown Navy! The Mids make it loo easy as the offense drives 80+ yards for the score. Reggie Campbell had a big reception to set up the Kaipo touchdown run. Adam Ballard went off limping on the drive after a big run, I'll keep you updated.

Art Vandelay hates Navy football. Well, not exactly. But Vandelay Sports, an online database on all things MAC, seems to think 1-8 Eastern Michigan will be able to handle the Midshipmen tomorrow. Vandelay, who I'm assuming is an actual person for the time being, seems to think that this is a "trap" game for Navy and that Eastern Michigan will be able to surprise a Navy team that's looking three weeks from now to the Army game.

This pick is nothing more than a hunch. At some point, the Eagles have to get lucky and win a close game and why not against a solid team like Navy. Navy is well on their way to a fourth straight bowl birth and has Army coming up in three weeks. Is Navy really going to be taking Eastern very seriously? It's a gut feeling – I'm picking EMU.

Obviously Mr. Vandelay doesn't know too much about Paul Johnson, who could make the Division III Catholic University of America look like a BCS Title Contender. Johnson's ability to talk opponents up to unimaginable heights while lamenting the sorry state of part of his team (this week's unfortunate component was the O-Line) ensures that this Navy teams doesn't have the "letdown" loss so many teams suffer. I'm not trying to put down Eastern Michigan in any way, and like Mr. Vandelay notes, they have suffered some tough loses and are capable of beating this Navy team. However for such an occurrence to happen the Mids would have to suffer from a complete lack of focus and commit multiple turnovers. Fortunately, with Paul Johnson at the helm, this is an unlikely scenario, and considering the legacy of this particular team is still up in the air I'd like to think the player still have something to prove. That and I'd hate to concede that I guy named "Vandelay" was ever right on a "hunch."

Know your opponent, that's what I say, even when they're currently ranked 133 in the Nation*. This way, if some horrendous and unforeseen whooping is put on the Midshipmen this Saturday, you can always say you knew it was coming. While Navy should easily dispatch the Eastern Michigan Eagles this Saturday, here are some points to keep in mind when watching the 1-8 MAC bottom dweller.

Eric Deslauriers- Proudly defying common stereotypes of "possession receivers" and Canadians, Eastern Michigan's WR #19 has become one of the best wide receivers in the MAC. One of the top five quarterback prospects out of Canada, Desalrius was a first round draft pick in the CFL in 2004 and earned second team All MAC honors last season. He has ideal size (6'5, 207) and runs a 4.45/40, and so far this year has caught 58 passes for 719 yards and five touchdowns. Navy's pass defense has struggled all season against big-play wideouts, and if Navy can't disrupt the timing between the quarterback and Deslauriers, the Mids could be in for a competitive game.

Why Have Running Backs Anyway?- It's been a tough year on EMU running backs, as the teams two top rushers are actually quarterbacks. Quarterback Andy Schmitt, who is questionable for Saturday's game, leads the team with 332 yards on the ground this season. EMU has relied on the speedy legs of Schmitt and quarterback Tyler Jones, who've been able to make plays as the pocket breaks down. If Navy can contain the quarterback on Saturday, this could be an ugly outing for EMU's offense.

Close But No Cigar- Eastern Michigan may be the nation's best one loss team, which in and of itself really isn't saying too much. The Eagles lost to Northwestern by eight, Central Michigan by seven (in overtime), Bowling Green by three, Western Michigan by three, and Ohio by six. They did however commit a cardinal sin by losing to Sun Belt member Louisiana Lafayette.

*From the math-intensive and hopelessly confusing Sagarin Rankings. For the record I would rank Eastern Michigan in the 90-100 range, so don't say I never stood up for Eagles.

I know what your thinking. Eastern Michigan, no big deal right? I mean geez, the perennial MAC bottom dwellers hardly even qualify as a Division I-A school, right? And it sure stands to reason that the nation's top rushing team (Navy, of course) would be able to have it's way with the nation's seventh worst rushing defense (191.6 ypg), doesn't it?

Well apparently not, at least according to Navy head coach Paul Johnson, who shows once again he is the master at talking struggling teams up to unimaginable heights. Here's what the fifth year head coach had to say Monday in regards to EMU:

I think they [Eastern Michigan] have had a tough year as far as wins and losses go, but when you turn the tape on they have been in almost every game and they have lost some real heartbreakers. Western Michigan, who is going to play Central Michigan for that half of the MAC Championship, beat them right at the end by three I think, they lost to Central Michigan by seven in overtime after leading most of the game, they just lost to Ohio, who it looks like is going to win the East side of the MAC, 16-10 on Saturday, so they have lost a lot of close games. They have played a lot of low scoring games. If you look they have some pretty good stats on defense. It's going to be a tough game for us.

I will of course admit that Johnson is right in regards to the fact Eastern Michigan has been competitive and could give Navy trouble on Saturday, but let's not mince words when talking about this EMU team. "Struggling" might be a bit of an understatement, as the Eagles have gone 1-8 and retained their position as a charter member of ESPN's Bottom Ten. Just from looking over their roster, it's obvious the Eagles have some talent, but they've been marred by inconsistent defensive play and almost nonexistent offensive play. What worries me about this EMU team is that it has nothing to lose, and that playing on a pro field in front of a larger then normal audience may awaken some hidden energy and/or ability in the Eagles. Considering Navy has just achieved Bowl eligibility, the Mids are going to have to show they've come prepared for this game and avoid a letdown. If Eastern Michigan seizes the momentum early, things could get way too close for comfort.