Can Eastern Michigan Football get to its third straight bowl game?
By Dante Pryor
Eastern Michigan football has gone bowling for two consecutive years. Can they do it again?
There aren’t enough accolades or kudos to shower on Eastern Michigan football head coach Chris Creighton. It’s hard not to love his story; he came up the hard way, coaching in NAIA, Division III, FCS, and even Sweden.
When Creighton took over Eastern Michigan, the Eagles hadn’t had a winning season since 1995 and only one .500 season during the same span. Things did not start off well for Creighton and the Eagles, winning three games in the first two years. By year three, the Eagles were in a bowl game, and the program was off and running.
Eastern Michigan has been to five bowl games in Creighton’s nine seasons in Ypsilanti, the most in any period in school history. Creighton and the Eagles are looking to make it three in a row if they can return to the postseason in 2023.
The Eagles were close to a berth in the MAC title. Ten unanswered points against Toledo cost them the MAC West crown. That said, Eastern won nine games, the second most in school history, and their bowl game against San Jose State.
Eastern Michigan returns nearly everyone from last season’s team and looks like a contender in the MAC. Can they contend? Here is a look at the offense, defense, and their schedule.