Preview of the 2021 Central American Conference Football Game: Eastern Michigan Eagles at UMass Minutemen

This weekend, Eastern Michigan will be allowed to travel to Amherst, Massachusetts, where they will face an old Central American conference opponent in the form of the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.

Minutemen joined MAC in 2012 after he had risen to FBS, but was eventually bolted into the independent ranks in 2016. But Minutemen did not leave until he responded to the Eagles twice in the division’s operations and won both times.

In 2014, Eastern Michigan lost at Rynearson Stadium 28-17. In 2015, Eastern Michigan lost 36-14 in Amherst. A lot of time has passed since then, and both programs are certainly in much different situations than in the mid-2010s.

Kenneth Bailey

In 2019, Massachusetts hired its new coach, Walt Bell. The young ascendant and newcomer, formerly from Boston College, has been at the helm of 16 games and won only once in Mark Whipples ’second term. He is UMass’s third coach after he jumped out of FCS. Eastern Michigan Chris Creighton is in his eighth season at Ypsilanti, with a 31-52 record in Eastern Michigan, including two losses to UMass in 2014 and 2015 as head coach at beginner FBS.

Eastern Michigan starts the game with a 1-1 count against two very different teams, which according to their current stats is reflected. Eastern Michigan has averaged 21 points and surrendered an average of 24.5 points. On the field, East Michigan has averaged 118.5 yards and has given up 228.5 yards, but given that 228.5 yards includes a team that performs really well, it’s hard to use that average.

In the air, East Michigan has gained 132.5 yards per game and gave up 176.5 yards per game. But once again, this is another place where the statistics really don’t tell the story. There are two abductions in eastern Michigan and he has given up two abductions. They have also received one throw and lost one.

They are really in the middle of the team at the moment.

Kenneth Bailey

I think this is a game where Eastern Michigan nods to Ben Bryant as a quarterback. He’s a 12-17 player with no picks, averaging 74.5 yards per game. I expect East Michigan to open a feed game against Minutemen after he hasn’t really been able to delve into the game book against his last two opponents. Leading Eagle striker is Darius Boone with 53.5 yards per game. I expect his entire rush to be closer to his total against St.Franc than his total against Wisconsin, given UMass’s sad defense figures. Since not much has been spent in Eastern Michigan this year, there isn’t a distinctive receiver yet, but I expect Hassan Beydoun to have a big game if the feed game opens.

Minutemen have terrible stats and their 0-2 record is playing. They have won an average of 48-17.5 points. They have also suffered and exceeded severe margins. UMass enters the country’s 121st total offense (averaging 272.2 yards per game) and is the third most recent in the defense game. That’s 12 average yards more per game than the 127th-ranked Akron Zips.

Football experts say Minutemen will beat East Michigan. I really don’t see it yet, but I think that’s why the games are played. I expect East Michigan to leave Amherst with a win, given the paper match. And maybe we can finally learn who the real eagles are in two weeks, which hasn’t revealed much.

Kenneth Bailey