As close as close can be

A football program does not have to be winning to be competitive. No one in America exemplifies that more than Eastern Michigan University's football team.

This past weekend the Eagles traveled to Kalamazoo and dropped a close 27-24 contest to directional rival Western Michigan, a fourth straight loss after a start that found the Eagles Michigan's only unbeaten FBS school. While a 2-4 record may leave some fans setting their countdown clocks for Midnight Madness at their school's basketball arenas, there's something different about this 2-4 record.

First, EMU has lost each of their last three games by exactly three points, the previous two in overtime. In their OT loss to San Diego State--the same San Diego State that just beat Boise State on the Smurf Turf--the Eagles passed up what may have been a winning 48-yard field goal (their kicker had just made a 51-yarder) and were stopped cold on a fourth-down plunge. In their triple-overtime loss to Northern Illinois, they forced a NIU fumble in the second extra possession and, knowing all they needed for victory was a field goal, climbed into a shell, basically using three downs to set up a kick that Chad Ryland ended up missing.

Second and most importantly, their loss quality has increased tremendously. Only an Eastern Michigan football fan can understand much less truly appreciate that point.

The 2018 Eagles have lost these four games by a grand total of 16 points, dating back to their 35-28 defeat on the road at Buffalo, who happen to sit atop the Mid American Conference with a 5-1 record. Even with all the heartbreak, the cornerstone memory of this season remains a 20-19 win against Purdue on a rainy afternoon at Ross-Ade Stadium, the school's second straight win against a B1G opponent.

Many may say a close defeat is still a defeat. They've likely not followed a team accustomed to being bludgeoned on a regular basis. Show me on the doll where your opponent beat you this week. But all that was prior to the school's signing of Chris Creighton as its football coach. The man charged with changing a losing tradition--his first road game was a 65-0 loss to the Florida Gators--may have needed a couple seasons for his message to gain a foothold, but he's made believers of his team and all who follow them.

Not since a 61-20 blowout at Missouri in September of 2016 have the Eagles lost by double digits. Of their 16 defeats since then, six of them have occurred in overtime.

Nothing better exemplifies Creighton's ride at EMU better than Saturday's game at Waldo Stadium. After holding the Eagles on their opening drive after a 4th and 1 run on their own 40-yard line, Western Michigan drove 60 the other way in the next 2:42 with little difficulty. When the EMU offense sputtered on its next possession, the atmosphere at Waldo Stadium had evolved into one of an expected rout.

To their suprise, this wasn't the Eastern Michigan they've known in the past.



They may not consistently be winning, but they're longer getting consistently blown out.