Defensive line: F
Eastern Michigan runs a 5-2 defensive scheme and even with five defensive linemen, opposing offenses have run wild. How wild? Try 277.1 rushing yards a game wild. Couple that with NIU’s MAC-leading rushing offense and you can see some problems arising for Eastern Michigan on Saturday. Defensive end Brandon Downs leads the team in sacks with 4.5.

Linebackers: D
Linebacker Andre Hatchett leads the team in tackles with 74, but are also part of the problem when it comes to stopping the run for Eastern Michigan. NIU offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover did praise the play of Hatchett though.
“He’s a good player,” Limegrover said. “They put him in a lot of positions to be successful. He’s a guy they feel can make some plays.”

Secondary: B-
Eastern Michigan owns the fourth-rated pass defense in the nation. But that may be a result of teams just running the ball down its throat. Against Northwestern, which owns the 24th ranked passing offense, Eastern Michigan’s secondary held the Wildcats to only 158 passing yards in a 27-24 loss. They didn’t do too well against Arkansas, the nation’s 14th best passing offense. In that 63-27 loss, the Eagles secondary gave up 297 yards through the air. Defensive back Chris May leads the defense with four interceptions.

Special Teams: C-
Kicker Joe Carithers is 8-for-13 on the year for a less-than-stellar 61.5 field-goal percentage. Eastern Michigan is 94th in the nation in net punting with a 33.63 net average. Zach Johnson has been the main punter for the Eagles, punting 36 times this year. The return game hasn’t been too great either, ranking 106th in punt returns and 86th in kick returns with no touchdowns. Opponents have returned two punts for touchdowns.

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