2011 Eastern Michigan Eagles Football Preview

Coaching troubles in the MAC are not an uncommon occurrence. Eastern Michigan University head football coach Ron English’s job is in danger – there’s no way to dance around that fact.

Having won just two games in his first two seasons on campus, English – who was the defensive coordinator on the Michigan team that went 11-1 in the 2006 regular season – really has no legs to stand on. Despite the lack of football success at the institution in general - EMU hasn’t won six games since 1995 – the reality of 21st-century college football is that with bigger dollar figures come more responsibilities and expectations. Attention spans are shorter, and the supply of patience is not as abundant. English will simply need to show measured improvement in 2011.

What adds to the heat on English is that for a former defensive coordinator on a really good college defense (that Michigan unit was excellent in 2006 until its final two games against Ohio State and Southern California), Eastern Michigan’s defense has been the weakest link on the team by far. As has been the case for some time in Ypsilanti, the defense simply has not been able to stop anyone. The Eagles surrendered an astonishing 43 points per game last year. To add insult to injury, Eastern Michigan gave up 52 points on two occasions and 70-plus points on two other occasions. Moreover, EMU’s two 52-point defensive collapses came against bad offenses. Central Michigan struggled on offense for almost all of 2010, but it found a way to hit 52 on the Chips. Vanderbilt, with a woeful offense that was smothered by the entire Southeastern Conference, generated over half-a-hundred points against Eastern Michigan. Seven starters return on the defense and the question remains the same: Will we see any improvement? Having a lot of people back from a horrible defense does not inspire confidence; English needs to develop his defensive veterans into bona fide playmakers.

Quarterback Alex Gillett certainly has the talent to be able to put the Eagles in a position to score more points. With six starters returning from last year’s squad, Eastern Michigan will be looking for more lightning bolts on offense to compensate for a defense that can’t be counted on. Opening games against Howard and Alabama State should give the Eagles a chance to build some confidence. That may quickly disappear, however, as trips to Ann Arbor and State College are next on the docket. English doesn’t need to lead EMU to a bowl. He simply needs to show some tangible improvement.

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