Saturday, Oct. 3, 3:30 p.m.
McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst
TV/STREAM: ESPN+
RADIO: WMUA 91.1 FM, WHMP 101.5 FM & 1400 AM; Varsity Network app
SERIES: Eastern Michigan leads, 4-2
LAST MEETING: Eastern Michigan 28, UMass 14 (Aug. 31, 2024)
UMass returns home Saturday looking to extend its unbeaten start against an Eastern Michigan team whose record may not tell the entire story.
The Minutemen are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the MAC after last week’s 35-6 victory at Sacramento State. Eastern Michigan comes to McGuirk Alumni Stadium at 2-3 overall, but the Eagles are also 1-0 in conference play.
Eastern Michigan’s three losses have come against San Jose State, Michigan State and Wisconsin, with the latter two coming on the road. The Eagles bounced back last week by holding Lindenwood to 191 total yards in a 29-3 victory.
UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak isn’t putting much stock in the record.
“I think this is the best-coached team we’ve played so far on tape,” Harasymiak said.
Head Coach: Chris Creighton
Chris Creighton is in his 13th season at Eastern Michigan and has a 63-86 record with the Eagles. His career record is 202-132 over 30 seasons as a head coach.
Creighton has taken Eastern Michigan to six bowl games, all since 2016, after the program had made just two bowl appearances in its history before his arrival.
That stability caught Harasymiak’s attention as he studied the Eagles.
“He’s got 200 career wins,” Harasymiak said. “The guy’s established a program. They have a culture.”
Eastern Michigan has also had success traveling under Creighton. Harasymiak pointed specifically to 2022, when the Eagles went 5-1 on the road during a nine-win season.
“They’ve won a lot more games than we have in the MAC,” Harasymiak said.
Eastern Michigan Offense
Eastern Michigan hasn’t produced huge offensive numbers through five games.
The Eagles are averaging 19 points and 292.4 yards per game, including 196.8 through the air and 95.6 on the ground.
The offense revolves around quarterback Noah Kim.
Kim has completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 970 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. The veteran quarterback has also been difficult for opponents to pressure because of how quickly he gets the football out.
“The biggest thing right off the bat is he gets rid of the ball very, very quickly,” Harasymiak said. “It can frustrate you as coaches, it can frustrate the d-line, not able to create a pass rush.”
Kim’s ability to make decisions before the snap creates another challenge.
“What he does a great job is getting the ball in space to all their athletes,” Harasymiak said. “I think open-field tackling will be huge in this game. They can push the ball down the field. He makes really, really good reads pre-snap.”
Amareon Blue leads the Eastern Michigan rushing attack with 243 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries. Braydon Bennett has added 153 yards and a touchdown on 34 attempts.
Benson Prosper and Harold Mack Jr. have been Kim’s leading targets. Prosper has 21 catches for 220 yards and a touchdown, while Mack has 20 receptions for 215 yards and two scores. Prosper is coming off his best game of the season with 10 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown against Lindenwood.
The Eagles have converted 35.7 percent of their third downs and scored on nine of 11 trips to the red zone, including seven touchdowns.
Matchup To Watch: Noah Kim vs. UMass’ Defense
UMass’ ability to disrupt opposing quarterbacks has helped fuel its 4-0 start, but sacks may be more difficult to come by against Kim.
The Minutemen have allowed just 12.8 points and 283.2 yards per game. Opponents are averaging only 74.8 rushing yards and UMass has forced 11 turnovers.
Harasymiak believes confusing Kim will be important, since the quarterback does much of his work before the snap.
“I think pre-snap disguise for us is going to be huge,” he said.
If UMass can limit Eastern Michigan’s running game and force Kim into obvious passing situations, and force him to hold the ball longer than he’d like, it should create more opportunities for the Minutemen to pressure him rather than allowing the quarterback to consistently operate on schedule.
Eastern Michigan Defense
Eastern Michigan enters Saturday allowing 27.2 points and 373.2 yards per game, although those numbers include road games against Michigan State and Wisconsin.
The Eagles are coming off their best defensive performance of the season. Lindenwood managed only 191 total yards and 3.7 yards per play, while Eastern Michigan recorded eight tackles for loss and four sacks.
It was just the seventh time since 1995 that the Eagles held an opponent below 200 total yards.
Linebacker Zach Mowchan is at the center of the defense. He leads Eastern Michigan with 43 tackles and has added 2.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups. Jason Marshall has 30 tackles and an interception, while Bryce Llewellyn has 24 tackles and two tackles for loss.
Eastern Michigan has generated nine sacks through five games after producing just two through the same point last season.
Harasymiak has been impressed by the structure of the unit.
“They’re sound,” he said. “They play what they play. They have their changeups. They tackle well. They communicate.”
Matchup To Watch: UMass’ Run Game vs. Eastern Michigan’s Front
UMass enters Saturday averaging 194.8 rushing yards per game compared with 155.3 through the air.
Elijah Faulkner leads the Minutemen with 227 rushing yards, while Curtis Kimmons IV has 189 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Pop Watson has also been an important part of the ground game.
Eastern Michigan has allowed 139.4 rushing yards per game.
The Eagles’ ability to slow that attack could determine how much pressure is placed on Watson. If UMass can remain ahead of the chains and continue generating production on the ground, the Minutemen should be able to avoid allowing Eastern Michigan’s defense to dictate the game with its different fronts and changeups.
Special Teams
The Eagles are averaging 9.8 yards per punt return and 20.4 yards per kickoff return.
Eastern Michigan has made four of seven field-goal attempts this season. Rudy Kessinger connected on a career-long 51-yarder against Lindenwood last week.
UMass has produced considerably more in the punt-return game, averaging 29.8 yards per return through four games, thanks to T.Y. Harding who has 148 yards on four returns, including an 82-yard touchdown return.
Eastern Michigan has been one of the nation’s most disciplined teams, averaging just four penalties and 33.8 penalty yards per game. Both figures lead the MAC.
Bottom Line
Eastern Michigan represents a different kind of test for UMass.
The Eagles don’t enter with an imposing record or overwhelming statistical profile, but they’re an established MAC program with an experienced quarterback and a head coach who has spent more than a decade building his program.
UMass has been the more productive team through the first month. The Minutemen are averaging 36.3 points compared with Eastern Michigan’s 19 and have allowed just 12.8 points per game.
This is also the beginning of the stretch Harasymiak has spent much of the offseason pointing toward. UMass is 1-0 in conference play. Eastern Michigan is 1-0 as well.
“It’s eight miles to Detroit,” Harasymiak said, referring to the MAC Championship Game.
“We finished Mile 1. Now we got to go to Mile 2 and we’re back at home for it.”
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