Week 6: Eastern Michigan at Bowling Green

After scoring 45 points in a sound thrashing of Wyoming on the road last weekend, and watching Eastern Michigan surrender 37 points to a Northern Illinois team not regarded as any kind of offensive juggernaut, the Falcons have to be anxious to get this one started.

Bowling Green junior quarterback Tyler Sheehan was an efficient 22-of-35 passing for a season-high 287 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys, and also ran 28 yards for a score. Behind Sheehan Bowling Green will hit Eastern Michigan with a diverse one-two punch that involves the power running of 230-pound Chris Bullock, and the jitterbug maneuvers of 167-pound Willie Geter.

This team’s biggest improvement has been on the defensive side where Bowling Green now ranks fifth in the MAC in scoring defense (23.8 ppg.), and sixth in total defense (361.5 ypg). The Falcons’ Diyral Briggs leads the conference with five sacks, while linebacker Erique Dozier is another disruptive force with his 32 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Eastern Michigan will send the MAC’s top rated pass defense out against Bowling Green’s four and five receiver sets. The Eagles have allowed just 142 yards passing per game, but nearly 200 yards rushing per outing. Eastern Michigan also gets to face the Falcons on the heels of BG’s 45-point outburst against Wyoming, and the Eagles rank near the bottom in the conference while allowing more than 34 points per game.

This game marks the halfway point in the season for the Eagles, but it could be a critical juncture for Eastern Michigan coach Jeff Genyk, who is in his fifth season but does not appear to have this program tracking in the right direction. Genyk has never done better than four wins, and his 14-37 overall mark provides scant job security.

Notes:

Bowling Green’s defense frustrated Wyoming to the point the Cowboys tried four different quarterbacks against the Falcons, who picked off four Wyoming passes.

In the humbling 37-0 loss to Northern Illinois last weekend, Eastern Michigan allowed the Huskies 235 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground.

With the win at Wyoming, Bowling Green now has 13 out-of-conference wins since 2003, the most of any Mid-American Conference program.

Early in last weekend’s loss to Northern Illinois, the Eagles lost starting quarterback Kyle McMahon to a shoulder injury. Andy Schmitt replaced him and went 21-of-37 for 140 yards. Both Eastern quarterbacks threw interceptions in the game.

Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon got his 40th win as a head coach in the game at Wyoming. In his sixth season as head coach of the Falcons, Brandon is 40-26.

Key Player (Eagles) – Daniel Holtzclaw, LB

While the Falcons are not shy about testing the opposition through the air, Eastern’s poor showing against the run last week will likely send the ball into the line with regularity, and it will be up to Holtzclaw to lead some kind of revival on the defensive side for the shell-shocked Eagles.

Key Player (Falcons) – Cody Basler, LB

After Bowling Green‘s defensive struggles a year ago, drastic change needed to take place, and the redshirt junior Basler has helped bring it about. In the win at Wyoming, he had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, an interception, and six tackles.

Falcons by 14