-- NEXT UPDATE will be before 12:00 NOON Pacific on Friday, September 3rd.
I am still waiting for the totals to be posted this week. I may have another update sooner if and when lines become available. Northwestern (Thursday) did not make it as an official RAS 1 UNIT play due to injury to top DE Loren Howard (ankle, out) and the fact that the consensus line has now moved below 7. Washington State (Friday) did not make it as an official RAS 1 UNIT play due to multiple minor preseason injuries. The line has moved at least a point in three of our four "early look" plays. The idea of the Sunday Night report is to potentially be ahead of these line moves. "Early look" plays are recommended for 1/2 UNIT. I always recommend making wagers as early as possible.
One official RAS play for Thursday & Friday:
Buffalo at Eastern Michigan (-6) - 4:00pm Pacific - Thursday
Eastern Michigan was 1-8 when they finally got rid of head coach Jeff Woodruff last year. They responded in their final three games behind a true freshman QB who took his redshirt off just two weeks prior. They beat UCF 19-13 as a +7 dog and beat Ball State 38-14 as a +10 dog the following week. They even gave MAC power Northern Illinois a run for their money in season finale losing 38-24 on the road as a +26 dog despite -4 turnovers. Needless to say a new coaching staff was badly needed and they now have one in place who is doing and saying all the right things. New coach Jeff Genyk and his staff come from Northwestern (former RB coach helped developed several stars) and they will be installing a no huddle spread offense similar to what the Wildcats have run in recent years.
Genyk does not arrive to a bare cupboard. That freshman QB Ken Bohnet that made 3 starts last year is back although he was beaten out by his older brother Matt, a junior who transferred in from Iowa. Last years QB's combined for 7 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and gave up 38 sacks. Those numbers should be improved drastically this year. In addition to improved QB play and a new offensive scheme, EMU features a veteran offensive line and returns the MAC's leading returning rusher in senior Anthony Sherrell (1st team MAC last year). In all six starters return on offense, not counting the new QB who is definitely an upgrade from last season.
Defensively, EMU returns 9 starters, plus adds talented WR Roberson who has moved over to starting CB. EMU improved from 47.2 to 30.9 points allowed per game last year. They are switching from a 3-4 to 4-3 scheme and with plenty of returning experience should move forward significantly again this year.
The new EMU staff could not ask for a better first game opponent then Buffalo. The Bulls are 2-20 the past two seasons, have lost 6 season openers in a row and 20 straight MAC road games. They are 0-3 straight up and 0-2 ATS in season openers under 4th year head coach Jim Hofher. Fans are hoping this will be Hofher's final season and reportedly many players have left the team due to run-ins with the coach. Offensively, the Bulls ran option last year and while they improved their rushing stats, they only averaged a pitiful 14.8ppg. Nine starters are back on offense but I do not know if that is good or bad. Two quarterbacks shared playing time last year and still to this day neither one has separated himself. Both are expected to see playing time. Defensively, despite returning 8 starters, the team allowed 37.1ppg last year. They expected to return 7 starters this year but three of their top cornerbacks Delando Bradford, Brandon Smith, and Kevin Concepcion left the team in the offseason. Smith and Bradford were promising last year and they will be difficult to replace. Leading tackler Gemara Williams has been forced to move over to cornerback, leaving two brand new safeties. The entire defense combined for just two interceptions last year. Three of the top five tacklers were lost to graduation and with the additional losses at CB, seven of the top eleven tacklers from last year all are no longer with the team.
While Buffalo starts the season with 12 seniors on their roster, Eastern Michigan will feature at least 15 seniors in their starting lineup alone. In the MAC teleconference on Monday, Genyk reported the team had an outstanding camp with amazingly no injuries. With a senior laden team, 16 returning starters, and new upbeat coaching staff, I see many more positives on the EMU side. Despite all of that they have been picked to finish last in the MAC West by the media which should only motivate them more. This first game out of the gate is a must win for the Eagles and six points is not enough to separate these teams. If EMU has grasped their new offense, this game could get ugly. Give the points.
Eastern Michigan 1 UNIT
Good luck!
Cordially,
Edward
I am still waiting for the totals to be posted this week. I may have another update sooner if and when lines become available. Northwestern (Thursday) did not make it as an official RAS 1 UNIT play due to injury to top DE Loren Howard (ankle, out) and the fact that the consensus line has now moved below 7. Washington State (Friday) did not make it as an official RAS 1 UNIT play due to multiple minor preseason injuries. The line has moved at least a point in three of our four "early look" plays. The idea of the Sunday Night report is to potentially be ahead of these line moves. "Early look" plays are recommended for 1/2 UNIT. I always recommend making wagers as early as possible.
One official RAS play for Thursday & Friday:
Buffalo at Eastern Michigan (-6) - 4:00pm Pacific - Thursday
Eastern Michigan was 1-8 when they finally got rid of head coach Jeff Woodruff last year. They responded in their final three games behind a true freshman QB who took his redshirt off just two weeks prior. They beat UCF 19-13 as a +7 dog and beat Ball State 38-14 as a +10 dog the following week. They even gave MAC power Northern Illinois a run for their money in season finale losing 38-24 on the road as a +26 dog despite -4 turnovers. Needless to say a new coaching staff was badly needed and they now have one in place who is doing and saying all the right things. New coach Jeff Genyk and his staff come from Northwestern (former RB coach helped developed several stars) and they will be installing a no huddle spread offense similar to what the Wildcats have run in recent years.
Genyk does not arrive to a bare cupboard. That freshman QB Ken Bohnet that made 3 starts last year is back although he was beaten out by his older brother Matt, a junior who transferred in from Iowa. Last years QB's combined for 7 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and gave up 38 sacks. Those numbers should be improved drastically this year. In addition to improved QB play and a new offensive scheme, EMU features a veteran offensive line and returns the MAC's leading returning rusher in senior Anthony Sherrell (1st team MAC last year). In all six starters return on offense, not counting the new QB who is definitely an upgrade from last season.
Defensively, EMU returns 9 starters, plus adds talented WR Roberson who has moved over to starting CB. EMU improved from 47.2 to 30.9 points allowed per game last year. They are switching from a 3-4 to 4-3 scheme and with plenty of returning experience should move forward significantly again this year.
The new EMU staff could not ask for a better first game opponent then Buffalo. The Bulls are 2-20 the past two seasons, have lost 6 season openers in a row and 20 straight MAC road games. They are 0-3 straight up and 0-2 ATS in season openers under 4th year head coach Jim Hofher. Fans are hoping this will be Hofher's final season and reportedly many players have left the team due to run-ins with the coach. Offensively, the Bulls ran option last year and while they improved their rushing stats, they only averaged a pitiful 14.8ppg. Nine starters are back on offense but I do not know if that is good or bad. Two quarterbacks shared playing time last year and still to this day neither one has separated himself. Both are expected to see playing time. Defensively, despite returning 8 starters, the team allowed 37.1ppg last year. They expected to return 7 starters this year but three of their top cornerbacks Delando Bradford, Brandon Smith, and Kevin Concepcion left the team in the offseason. Smith and Bradford were promising last year and they will be difficult to replace. Leading tackler Gemara Williams has been forced to move over to cornerback, leaving two brand new safeties. The entire defense combined for just two interceptions last year. Three of the top five tacklers were lost to graduation and with the additional losses at CB, seven of the top eleven tacklers from last year all are no longer with the team.
While Buffalo starts the season with 12 seniors on their roster, Eastern Michigan will feature at least 15 seniors in their starting lineup alone. In the MAC teleconference on Monday, Genyk reported the team had an outstanding camp with amazingly no injuries. With a senior laden team, 16 returning starters, and new upbeat coaching staff, I see many more positives on the EMU side. Despite all of that they have been picked to finish last in the MAC West by the media which should only motivate them more. This first game out of the gate is a must win for the Eagles and six points is not enough to separate these teams. If EMU has grasped their new offense, this game could get ugly. Give the points.
Eastern Michigan 1 UNIT
Good luck!
Cordially,
Edward
