The search for Eastern Michigan's new Head Coach has come to a close as Athletic Director Heather Lyke announced yesterday that former Drake University (Div III) head football coach Chris Creighton would be taking over the program. Creighton, at 44 years old has 17 years of coaching experience with an overall head coaching record of 139-46 (a winning percentage of .764). Creighton comes into an EMU program caught in a whirlwind of issues. EMU is coming off of a 2-10 season, has had issues with campus safety and is struggling to meet Division 1 attendance requirements. Creighton has a tough road ahead of him but Athletic Director Heather Lyke believes he is the answer this team has been waiting for.
"In Chris, Eastern Michigan will find an extraordinary leader who will be a great ambassador for our University. During the search process, Chris' focus on positively impacting the lives of our student-athletes and building a championship program was most impressive. As a proven winner and head coach, Chris' experience with creating and sustaining success will inspire our student-athletes to elevate our football program to a championship level."
Really Heather, we love your enthusiasm, but let's concentrate on winning 4-5 games for now. Creighton, who helped Drake become a perennial Pioneer Conference Championship contender comes to EMU as an experienced offensive play-caller.
 So one major question for this team has been answered. Realistically, Creighton wasn't on anyone's radar but after doing a little research, I rather like the decision to bring him on board. He's young and energetic and brings a pass-first offense to the team, something EMU hasn't seen since Matt Bohnet threw for over 2,800 yards in 2004. The hiring of Creighton though, still leaves the team with a bunch of questions. Will Creighton call the majority of the plays? What role does Stan Parrish play on this staff? Who will Creighton bring in as the defensive coordinator? These questions will be answered in time. The only really important question to ask at this point in time is...drum roll please...
Can Chris Creighton recruit?
English may not have been the best coach on the field, but he was a proven recruiter and pulled in some of the best recruiting classes in EMU's history along with the only 4-star recruit in program history (Brogan Roback). Creighton's recruiting skills are rather dubious which is the one of the big fears of hiring a non FBS head coach. EMU has had a slow start with this year's recruiting class only receiving 4 commitments to date with only 1 of them being ranked by 247 Sports. EMU has also lost the face of of its 2014 class with the de-commitment of 3-star LB Gary Hosey (Cass-Tech, MI) last month. Fortunately for Creighton, English has left him with loads of young talent so the recruiting may not be a life or death issue quite yet.
Creighton's Introductory Press Conference will take place today at 3:00 pm and can be streamed live at EMUEagles.com
 So we here at the Water Tower just love statistics. I have been catching some flak from the readers regarding my apparent love affair for Brogan Roback and for my constant ripping of incumbent QB Tyler Benz. It's not that I don't like Benz or that he isn't a good player, it's that Roback brings a willingness to win and Benz plays not to lose. Some of the readers (I love you guys) tell me "well look at Benz's stats, he has a better comp. %, more yards and more touchdowns thrown. Plus he brings experience to a young team". All fantastic points guys and I appreciate the feedback. Look at the Water Tower Meta-Graphic above. Benz does indeed have a much higher comp. % and even has a better TD/INT ratio. But it was apparent that more than anything else offensively, this team struggled to score touchdowns in the redzone.
Benz had substantially more playing time than Roback this year and only threw 4 TDs in the redzone. Roback, in his own right, also threw for 4 TDs in the redzone. The issue here is that Benz was a liability inside the 20. Benz threw 3 picks and fumbled twice in the redzone this year and when you struggle to get into scoring position in the first place, it becomes absolutely impossible to score any points. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Roback plays his best in the redzone. All 4 of his passing TDs and 1 rushing TD have come inside the redzone. Oh ya, and get this, no turnovers.
Now I'm not saying that this is the end all statistic that makes one QB better than another but for a young team points are never automatic and with Roback in the redzone, points are automatic. Whomever takes up the head coaching job will have an interesting decision to make when it comes to the leadership of this offense. Roback or Benz?
Well if you ask us here at the Water Tower what we think...let the love affair continue and play Brogan.
 The Mid-American Conference has released its list of the 2013 All-MAC football selections. 3 Eagles, TE - Tyreese Russell, RB - Bronson Hill and OL - Lincoln Hansen were selected with Russell making the All-Mac Second Team Offense and both Hill and Hansen being selected for the All-MAC Third Team Offense. Last week, Hill became the first EMU player in 10 years to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. He, along with Russell and Hansen will return next year for their senior seasons.
In our estimation, there were a few EMU players snubbed from the All-MAC awards list including LB - Ike Spearman who ended with a team leading 82 tackles to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions (well worth a 2nd or 3rd team All-MAC mention). Also missing on the All-MAC list was WR - Dustin Creel who led the Eagles in receptions with 46 and ended with 593 yards (1 yard less than Russell) and a team leading 5 TDs. If it's any consolation, both Spearman and Creel made our EMU All-Water Tower team with Spearman winning the Defensive POY and Creel the Most Improved. The All-Water Tower Awards can be accessed using the button below.
It may seem odd to write a piece regarding the recent history of Eagle Quarterbacks at this point in the season. With only a game against CMU remaining and a new coach in the near future, change is coming....again. But then, that's the reason this timing makes perfect sense. The Quarterback is such a pivotal position in football but more so to small programs with a limited amount of weapons and I have been wondering why the quarterback position has been so vanilla over the past 10 years. What is Northern Illinois without Jordan Lynch? What is Ball State without Keith Wenning? My point is that in a league where defenses are primitive and schemes are simple, the Quarterback positions reigns supreme. Since 2004, EMU has fielded 5 regular quarterbacks; Matt Bohnet (2004-2005), Andy Schmitt (2006-2008), Alex Gillet (2009-2011), Tyler Benz (2012-2013) and now Brogan Roback.
An interesting thing to note here is that since 2004, EMU quarterbacks have only thrown for 2000 yards in a season 3 times. This statistic right here is why EMU has not been successful. The Eagles run an old man's game in a new age league and while it's admirable, it hasn't been effective. So is this a coaching problem? A personnel problem? The easy answer would be to say both, but is it? The Bohnet Years (2004-2005)
The year is 2004 and the first year for new head coach Jeff Genyk. It's also the first year for big bodied, Iowa transfer QB Matt Bohnet. Hailing from Grand Ledge MI, Bohnet was praised for his arm strength and had the body of an NFL QB standing 6'3" and roughly 230 lbs. Genyk had something to work with and he knew it. This was the new era of EMU football. Bohnet stormed onto the MAC football scene throwing for over 2,800 yds and 21 TDs on the way to a 4-7 record. Bohnet wasn't afraid to throw the ball, that much was apparent. Enter 2005; EMU coming off a optimistically disappointing season and Matt Bohnet prepared to take the next step into MAC stardom. He acknowledged his own talent but pondered if this team could never make the next step. This was going to be his year, the year of the QB. Bohnet led the Eagles to a 3-2 start with 7 TDs and 2 INTs. This is what Eagle Nation had been waiting for; a big name and a big player to grow the EMU brand. The success though was short lived as the Eagles would go on to lose 5 in a row and finish 4-7. During that 5 game stretch, Bohnet passed for only 5 TDs (4 of them coming in a loss to WMU). Matt Bohnet's years at EMU become lost in that he compiled a 8-14 record as a starter. Bohnet though, had done something no QB had been able to do at EMU since the 87' season. He proved that Eastern could win and could win by passing the football. The mold for the new EMU quarterback had been set and it was time to begin production on the big-bodied rocket-armed QBs that would play for EMU. Or was it?..... The Gillett Years (2009 - 2012)
After Schmitt's devastating injury in 2009, the EMU QB position was in flux. Kyle McMahon, the perennial backup, had been less than impressive and there was only one other option for new HC Ron English. This was his team and he was going to mold his playdough the way he wanted. Enter; Undersized boyish looking Alex Gillett from Clyde H.S. (OH). Now it's easy to look back and say Gillett should have never been a QB. But everyone knew from the first day of spring ball that he didn't have great arm strength and very poor pocket awareness. The one thing that Gillett did have was leadership and the willingness to win. Oh and that damn kid could run! Fortunately or unfortunately, Gillett became the face of the Eagles while I attended EMU. Why? Well Gillett just happened to lead EMU to it's first 6 win season in a billion years and nearly took them to a bowl game. The problem? He couldn't throw the ball. Just to put it into perspective, nearly 45% of the times Gillett dropped back, he ran the ball. And so the mold of the quarterback had been thrown out as quickly as it had been built. Although Gillett had some bright spots in his career, his EMU legacy ended when he was benched for sophomore Tyler Benz in the 2012 season. Gillett was eventually moved to WR where he would finish the season. Gillett finished his career at EMU with just over 4,400 passing yards and 2,500 rushing yards. A great kid with a great attitude just not a good quarterback. | The Schmitt Years (2006-2009)
While Bohnet was undoubtedly setting the standard for quarterbacks at Eastern Michigan, one young man Andy Schmitt was waiting. Waiting to pick up where his predecessor would leave off. Schmitt known as a pro-style QB coming out of Saint John's was being groomed to take over a program that would finally ascend to the top of the MAC under Genyk's regime. In 2006, Schmitt felt the growing pains of Division 1 College football getting happy feet in the pocket and struggling with Genyk's offensive schemes. He was young though. What could you expect from a true freshman with no running game. EMU had 1 win in 2006. Schmitt's demise as an EMU QB started at that moment. Although EMU would go on to win 4 games in 2007, Schmitt continued to struggle with the schemes only throwing for 1,600 yds on the season. Schmitt's patience in the pocket continued to dwindle as he was also the 2nd leading rusher for the Eagles. Things would have to change for Schmitt and they would have to change quick. Genyk was starting to lose patience in his prized recruit and he couldn't afford to let another year slip away under his dime. Schmitt did some soul searching that year, wondering what legacy he would leave as the QB for this team. It was starting to show that Schmitt didn't have the physical talents that Bohnet did and his time was running out to make the impression he had been hoping to make on this program. Schmitt's demise continued into the early 2008 season as EMU got off to a 1-4 start behind an abysmal passing game. After being shut out 27-0 to NIU, Genyk had a choice to make. Either he was going to have to commit to a shaken Schmitt, or he would have to move on. He opted to not only stay with Schmitt, but to exclusively run the offense through him as he had once done with Bohnet. Schmitt though, never had the tools or talent to do what Bohnet did as he needed two games each with over 75 pass attempts to get to 2,600 yds passing and more importantly, only 3 wins. Genyk, was relieved of coaching duties after 4 seasons and Schmitt never got his last shot with a season ending injury his senior year against Michigan. This is where the legend of Alex Gillett begins. The Benz Year (Mid 2012 - Mid 2013)
Unfortunately, Tyler Benz was the culmination of the realization that Alex Gillett stunk as a quarterback and the fact that Benz was the best "backup option". Benz wasn't particularly great or terrible at any one thing, he just didn't have that confident quarterback feel. When Ron English got tired of Gillet's inconsistencies, he turned to Benz pleading for help. Benz, again did not fit the mold that Bohnet had built; but, it didn't really matter all that much as Ron English was in a "win now" mode and could care less about bringing in the right personnel. Benz had moderate success taking over for Gillett as he finished the season with over 1,500 pass yards through 9 starts with his big game coming against Army where he threw 369 yds and 5 TDs. Unfortunately for Benz and fortunately for fans, the best recruit in Eagle history was waiting at the helm. Enter Brogan Roback... | The White Knight
 I know... a rough recollection for Eagle fans. But, I can say that hope has arrived. Brogan Roback is the answer. Hailing from Toledo Saint John's (OH), Roback created some recruiting buzz when he chose to come to EMU to play for Ron English. He is the 1st 4-Star recruit in EMU history and will one day be hailed as the Eagle's white knight. The one who will turn this program around, the one who will again set the mold and the standard that Bohmet had set before him. He is a winner. We have gotten to see Brogan play a fair amount this year and I will say that I am extremely impressed. He hasn't boasted great numbers in his limited season but keep the faith Eagle fans, Roback is the answer and this team is moving in the right direction.
It was officially announced that 3-star recruit Gary Hosey (Cass Tech, MI) has de-committed to EMU and committed to Buffallo.
Hosey, the 5'10" 226lb 3-star LB recruit was stamped as the face of the 2014 EMU class until he recently de-committed from Eastern Michigan. No surprise that this decision came shortly after the firing of EMU Head Coach Ron English. Hosey was ranked as the #45 LB recruit in the nation and was a big target for the Eagles as he would help address some of the defensive struggles experienced over the last 2 years. Hosey, instead committed to Buffalo where he was rumored to be recruited as a running back rather than a LB.
The de-committment of Hosey leaves the 2014 class with only 4 official commitments to date with only 1 of them (CB - Jason Beck, Arsenal Tech, IN) being a ranked recruit.
Needless to say, the staff has some recruiting work to do.
 Now that the season is over (couldn't have ended quickly enough), The Water Tower is ready to hand out some hardware to the biggest and brightest Eagles this year. Even coming off a 2-10 season, there were some players with standout performances throughout the year. The award groups are listed Below: Individual Awards- The Water Tower Player of the Year
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Special Teams Player of the Year
- Freshman of the Year
- Most Improved Player of the Year
Team Awards- Offensive All-Water Tower Team
- Defensive All-Water Tower Team
|  Offensive Player of the Year:
RB - Bronson Hill
RUSH: 196 Att, 1,101 yds, 5 TD
REC: 16 Rec, 175 yds, 1 TD
 Defensive Player of the Year:
LB - Ike Spearman
82 Tot. Tackles, .5 Sacks, 2 INT
3.5 TFL
 Most Improved Player of the Year
WR - Dustin Creel
46 Rec, 593 yds
12.9 Avg, 5 TD
 Freshman of the Year:
P - Austin Barnes
50 Punts, 1,983 yds
12 Inside the 20, 6 punts of 50+
 The Water Tower Player of the Year
RB - Bronson Hill
RUSH: 196 Att, 1,101 yds, 5 TD
REC: 16 Rec, 175 yds, 1 TD
| | Offensive All -Water Tower Team:
QB - Brogan Roback
RB - Bronson Hill
WR - Dustin Creel
WR - Jay Jones
TE - Tyreese Russell
OL - Lincoln Hansen
OL - Orlando McCord
Honorable Mention
WR - Demarius Reed
RB - Ryan Brumfield
QB - Tyler Benz | Defensive All -Water Tower Team:
DL - Kalonji Kashama
DL - Pat O'Connor
LB - Ike Spearman
LB - Sean Kurtz
CB - Mycal Swaim
CB - Willie Creear
S - Donald Coleman
Honorable Mention
LB - Hunter Matt
CB - Jaleel Canty
S - Pudge Cotton | Congratulations to all the award winners! I must say that it was hard to decide on Bronson Hill for the POY, but when you look back at a season that is hopefully soon forgotten, who else was there to choose from? Hill is the 1st 1,000 yard rusher since 2003 (Anthony Sherrell) and is by far the most explosive player on this team. I must say though, I flirted with the idea of giving it to Ike Spearman or Dustin Creel. Though you may be able to argue the POY award, I don't know that you could argue against him as the Offensive Player of the Year. The defensive POY was a tough one. Ike Spearman has a better statistical line than most everyone else on this side of the ball albeit a porous defensive front. But Spearman also dumbfounded me with plays using poor discipline and horrid play recognition. I went back and forth between Spearman, Kurtz and Mycal Swaim but with the numbers that Spearman put up in his first real season of work, I just didn't have the testicular fortitude to pick anyone else. Freshman of the year was another tough choice but from day 1 against Howard, Austin Barnes stood out. Barnes lost a little bit of his luster towards the end of the year, but make no mistake, this kid is for real. Amidst many tough choices laid perhaps the easiest award to hand out. The Most Improved. Could you pick anyone else other than Dustin Creel? Now that Brogan Roback is at the helm, Creel has become dynamic leading the team in reception (46), in TDs (5) and 2nd in yardage (593).
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