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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Jeff Genyk (3rd season, 8-14) 2005 record: 4-7 MAC finish: 3-5 (6th West) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 85th (123.2 ypg) Passing: 60th (222.7 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 103rd (198.7 ypg) Passing: 46th (210.0 ypg) Date Opponent Aug. 31 at Ball State Sept. 9 at Michigan State Sept. 16 at Northwestern Sept. 23 C. Michigan Sept. 30 at UL Lafayette Oct. 14 at Bowling Green Oct. 21 Toledo Oct. 28 at W. Michigan Nov. 4 Ohio Nov. 11 Navy Nov. 18 at Kent State Nov. 24 Northern Illinois Depth Chart: Offense 6 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 19 Eric Deslauriers Sr. 81 John Bonner So. WR 3 Travis Lewis Jr. 80 Jacory Stone Fr. WR 85 Trumaine Riley Sr. 10 Brian Ceckiewicz Jr. LT 75 Courtney Ford Sr. 60 Andy Fretz Fr. LG 63 Khalid Walton Jr. 74 Joe Charles Jr. C 73 Desi Mayner So. 58 Kevin Minor Sr. RG 71 Chris Thomas Jr. 64 Ross Petersen Fr. RT 77 Tom Schmeding Jr. 68 Jake Bleeker So. TE 16 Ken Bohnet Jr. 86 R.J. Montemayor Sr. QB 8 Tyler Jones So. 2 Dontayo Gage Fr. RB 32 Pierre Walker Jr. 31 Corey Everson Fr. Depth Chart: Defense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 88 Kevin Howe Sr. 55 Mackenzie Lyons So. DT 83 Jason Jones Jr. 98 Allan Cozart So. DT 91 Josh Hunt Jr. 93 T.J. Lang So. DE 13 Corey Riley Jr. 94 Eric Young Jr. LB 11 Michael Richardson Sr. 46 Korey Jackson So. LB 44 Daniel Holtzclaw So. 54 Cortland Selman So. LB 42 Darran Matthews Jr. 41 Spenser Smith So. CB 30 Lyle Garrison So. 48 Tyrone Burke Fr. CB 23 Corey Reid So. 4 Duan Bracey Jr. SS 21 Jacob Wyatt So. 14 Blake Smith Jr. FS 35 Chris May Fr. 43 Chris Campa Fr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 40 Andrew Wellock Sr. P 40 Andrew Wellock Sr. KR 85 Trumaine Riley Sr. PR 4 Duan Bracey Jr.

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After starting 2005 with a 3-2 record, Eastern Michigan lost five straight and fell out of contention in the Mid-American Conference.

Third-year coach Jeff Genyk says the losing streak points to the fact that his team has to learn how to finish.

"We were in a lot of games but just couldn't find ways to win them," Genyk says. "We lost by 10 points combined to Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan and Ball State. If we win those games, it's a different year."

The Eagles will have to try to win this year without the services of quarterback Matt Bohnet, who graduated, and with a defense that is solid but very young - especially in the secondary.

OFFENSE

Eastern Michigan has to find a replacement at quarterback for Bohnet, but the good news for the Eagles is that Tyler Jones saw action in nine games last season and started one. He completed a nifty 63 percent of his passes and adds an athletic dimension to the quarterback position. Jones threw for 245 yards on 41-of-65 passing with two scores and one interception. He also ran for 267 yards, which ranked second on the EMU squad.

However, third-year head coach Jeff Genyk isn't ready to anoint Jones the starter just yet.

"Tyler has a slight edge on the other quarterbacks in camp because he has game experience," Genyk says. "But we are really having a competitive battle for the starting spot."

The Eagles struggled to run the football last season, and Genyk says he is determined to find a tailback this season who can carry the load. Pierre Walker is a speedy little back at 5'7" but missed spring practice with an injury. Corey Everson, a 5'11", 195-pound redshirt freshman, has caught Genyk's eye.

The strength of the Eagle offense is at receiver, where Eric Deslauriers returns for his senior season after catching 75 passes for 874 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Trumaine Riley and Travis Lewis are also both experienced wide receivers who will help a young quarterback settle into Genyk's system. Ken Bohnet, Matt's brother, is a big target at tight end, and Genyk wants to incorporate him in the offense even more.

The Eagles return three starters on the offensive line, with left tackle Courtney Ford leading the way. This unit must improve in order for the ground game to evolve.

DEFENSE

Genyk is very high on his defensive line, with Jason Jones, Josh Hunt and Kevin Howe all back from last year.

"Jones and Hunt, I think, is the best defensive tackle tandem in the league," Genyk says.

The Eagle defense shows its teeth with a linebacking corps that returns three players who saw plenty of action last season. Mike Richardson, on the weak side, finished with 102 tackles last season and three tackles for a loss, while Daniel Holtzclaw was third on the team with 91 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss. The third spot is held down by Darran Matthews, who had 64 tackles last season.

The Eagles are extremely young in the secondary, with Colorado transfer Corey Reid already stepping in as the unit's best player. Lyle Garrison is a small cornerback at 5'6", while free safety Chris May is a redshirt freshman. Strong safety Jacob Wyatt played in every game and finished with 12 tackles.

SPECIALISTS

Andrew Wellock is one of the top kickers in the league, but he missed two extra points last year at crucial times, and he converted only four of his eight attempts between 40 and 49 yards. Wellock also will handle the punting chores after averaging 38.3 yards per attempt last season.

FINAL ANALYSIS

In Genyk's second year, the Eagles made another step in the right direction with a solid 3-2 start before losing five straight - including three games by a total of 10 points.

If the Eagles can find a running game and gain experience in the secondary quickly, there is hope for another step under Genyk. If not, the Eagles could find themselves taking a step backwards.