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Everything you need to know about the 2021 Eastern Michigan Eagles

Ben Kenney
·3 min read

The No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers will be back in action Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium as they host the Eastern Michigan Eagles.

The Badgers enter the contest looking to right the ship after Saturday’s loss to Penn State.

Last weekend’s loss was undoubtedly a tough one, as Paul Chryst’s team dominated many meaningful categories, got inside the Penn State 10 yard line four total times, yet handed the game away with critical errors and untimely turnovers.

This weekend sets up to be a get-right game for Graham Mertz and the Badgers, as Eastern Michigan was projected by many to finish near the bottom of their division in the MAC.

List

5 things we need to see from Wisconsin against Eastern Michigan on Saturday

Here is everything you need to know about Wisconsin’s opponent this weekend:

Coaching staff

Oct 14, 2017; West Point, NY, USA; Eastern Michigan Eagles head coach Chris Creighton during the first half against the Army Black Knights at Michie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

Head coach: Chris Creighton Defensive coordinator: Neal Neathery

Key players

Sep 14, 2019; Champaign, IL, USA; Eastern Michigan Eagles head coach Chris Creighton reacts during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Offense:

  • RB Darius Boone Jr.

  • WR Dylan Summers

  • QBs Preston Hutchinson, Ben Bryant

  • WR Hassan Beydoun

Defense:

  • LB Terry Myrick

  • DE/LB Jose Ramirez

  • DE Turan Rush

Offensive breakdown

Dec 26, 2019; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Eastern Michigan Eagles wide receiver Hassan Beydoun (16) makes a catch during the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Cam Bright (38) and defensive back Damar Hamlin (3) at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

2021 Averages:

  • 35 points-per-game

  • 189 passing yards-per-game, 0 passing touchdowns, 1 interception

  • 221 rushing yards, 3.8 yards-per-carry, 5 touchdowns

Eastern Michigan excelled on the ground in their Week 1 win over St. Francis (PA). Their 58 carries, 221 yards and 5 touchdowns showed a commitment to running the ball, especially given the struggles of their quarterbacks. Redshirt junior Preston Hutchinson completed 58 percent of his passes for 63 yards and 1 interception, while Cincinnati transfer Ben Bryant went 8/10 for 126 yards. Overall, it's an offense that shouldn't give the Badger defense much of a problem. After seeing one of the Big Ten's best passing attacks in Week 1, expect the secondary to find success against this crop of receivers while the front seven lives in the backfield all game long.

Defensive breakdown

Dec 26, 2019; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Maurice Ffrench (2) runs with the ball toward Eastern Michigan Eagles linebacker Terry Myrick (32) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

2021 averages:

  • 15 points allowed-per-game

  • 292 yards allowed-per-game

    • 187 passing

    • 105 rushing

  • 4 sacks, 6 tackles-for-loss

The Eastern Michigan defense is led by senior DE Turan Rush, senior LB Terry Myrick and redshirt sophomore DE/LB hybrid Jose Ramirez. The unit performed well during last week's win against St. Frances (PA), getting to the quarterback for 4 sacks and holding the Red Flash to only 292 total yards and 15 points. Like on the offensive side of the ball, this unit shouldn't give the Badger front and Graham Mertz much trouble. As we've outlined on Locked On Badgers all week, Saturday presents a great opportunity for the Badgers to shake off Saturday's tough loss and get their season back on the right track.

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