EMU Football Depth Chart: Week 8

Of note: Sidy Sow prepared to make his 50th career start.

Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics

Eastern Michigan Football Depth Chart: Week 8 at Ball State

Eastern Michigan can’t spend time belly-aching over its (really bad) loss to Northern Illinois. Sticking to the script, it’s time for EMU to turn the page and focus on Ball State this week.

EMU, 4-3 overall, 1-2 in MAC play, has a tell-all game this week at Ball State.

The Cardinals have won a MAC title under Mike Neu, and are now 4-3 on the year with a 2-1 record in MAC play.

Both teams have at least one loss in divisional play; EMU lost to NIU, and Ball State lost to WMU in Week 2.

The stakes for the game are simple. Win, and your chances to fight up toward a divisional title improve. Lose, and you’re probably out of the race. Both teams still have Toledo to look forward to this year, but Toledo’s done a good job of leading the division with a 3-0 record; wins over Central Michigan and Northern Illinois. Unlike EMU and Ball State, Toledo might be able to afford a loss this weekend.

As tradition, EMU posted its weekly depth chart ahead of Ball State Week with its Monday morning notes. As another norm, don't take the published depth chart as gospel. That’s what the handy notes I’ve included are for.

Previous weekly depth charts: Week 1 vs. Eastern Kentucky | Week 2 at Louisiana-Lafeyette | Week 3 at Arizona State | Week 4 vs. Buffalo | Week 5 vs. UMass | Week 6 at Western Michigan | Week 7 vs. Northern Illinois

Offense

(Note: Players with starts this season in bold)

Quarterback

1. #7 Taylor Powell: For the season, Powell is 93/147 passing (63.3%) for 1,171 yards (8.0 Y/A) with 8 TD, 6 INT.

2. #4 Austin Smith

3. #8 Cam’Ron McCoy

Running back

1. #22 Samson Evans: Evans did not start and hardly touched the ball vs. NIU. Evans entered the game as the league’s rushing leader, but was limited to 4 yards on 4 carries.

2. #28 Jaylon Jackson: Jackson made his second start of the year vs. NIU. For the year, Jackson’s carried the ball 48 times for 232 yards (4.8 avg.), 1 TD. Receiving the ball, he’s caught 9 passes for 100 yards.

3. #27 Darius Boone Jr.

4. #21 Bryson Moss

X-Wide receiver

1. #24 Tanner Knue: Knue is the team’s leading receiver with 24 catches for 361 yards and 5 TD. This weekend will be his 20th career game.

2. #9 Darius Lassiter: Lassiter is the team’s second-leading receiver with 22 catches and 254 yards. He’s scored twice.

Z-Wide receiver

1. #1 Dylan Drummond: Drummond had EMU’s longest reception of the NIU game, but limited to three catches on eight targets. Drummond made his 30th career start vs. NIU.

2. #17 JB Mitchell III

H-Wide receiver

1. #2 Hassan Beydoun: Beydoun is second on the team with 3 TD, third in catches (19) and yards (212).

2. #16 Kaiden Keefe

Y-Tight end

1. #82 Gunnar Oakes: Oakes has caught 15 passes for 147 yards this year.

2. #83 Jere Getzinger

3. #85 Andreas Paaske: Paaske scored on a 75-yard catch-and-run last week, his first career TD.

Left tackle

1. #71 Marcellus Johnson: The Ball State game will be Johnson’s 40th career game played for EMU.

2. #74 Jez Janiver

Left guard

1. #62 Sidy Sow: Sow is set to make his 50th career start for EMU.

2. #79 Jimi McAdams IV

Center

1. #76 Richard Bates Jr.

2. #70 Dimitri Douglas

Right guard

1. #63 Mickey Rewolinski: Rewolinski made his first career start vs. NIU.

2. #68 Alex Howie: Injured, was out vs. NIU.

Right tackle

1. #77 Brian Dooley

2. #54 Zack Conti

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Defense

(Note: Players with starts this season in bold)

Defensive end

1. #52 Carter Evans: Injured, did not play last week vs. NIU.

2. #90 Grant Trueman

Nose tackle

1. #93 Jordan Crawford: Crawford is second on the team with 4.5 TFL made (20 total tackles, 1.5 sacks).

2. #91 Dexter Manior: In place of Carter Evans, Manior made his first career start last week vs. NIU at DE.

Defensive tackle

1. #94 Peyton Price

2. #99 Melvin Swindle II

BULL-Defensive end

1. #4 Jose Ramirez: Played in his 30th career game for EMU vs. NIU. Ramirez had 2 sacks against the Huskies to have 7 on the year. Ramirez is tied for the MAC lead with 10.5 TFL.

2. #95 Mikah Coleman

MIKE-Linebacker

1. #6 Chase Kline: Kline is EMU’s leading tackler with 60 made (23 solo, 0.5 TFL).

2. #10 Tariq Speights

WILL-Linebacker

1. #19 Joe Sparacio

2. #41 Justin Jefferson

Cornerback

1. #29 Kempton Shine

2. #33 Keylen Gulley

3. #5 Korey Hernandez

Cornerback

1. #17 Mark Lee Jr.

2. #15 Joshua Scott: In response to Blake Bogan’s injury vs. Buffalo, Scott has started the last three games at Rover.

DOG-Safety

1. #8 T.J. Peavy: Peavy did not start last week vs. NIU; Brandon Benson did in his place.

2. #21 Robert Daniel Jr.

3. #20 E.J. Williams

4. #32 Kendric Nowling

Free safety

1. #7 Brandon Benson: Benson has played in every game of the year, and made his second start of the year vs. NIU at Dog.

2. #16 Cameron Smith: Smith has appeared in every game of the season.

3. #27 David Carter Jr.: Carter played in the first five games of the season, but not in the last two.

ROVER-Safety

1. #35 Quentavius Scandrett: Scandrett has played in every game of the year, and has started the last two at free safety.

2. #13 Russell Vaden IV: After starting four of the first five games of the season, Vaden hasn’t appeared in the last two games.

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Special Teams

Punter

1. #30 Mitch Tomasek: Tomasek has punted the ball 23 times this year for 1,070 yards (46.5 avg.), long of 62, 4 touchbacks, 1 fair caught, 7 landed inside the 20, and 8 have gone for 50 yards or more.

2. #39 Adam Heston

3. #37 Blake Oschsendorf OR #33 Ryan Kingston

Place kicker

• #35 Jesus Gomez: Gomez is 6/8 on field goal tries this season and 25/25 on PAT kicks.

• #31 Brady Pohl

Long Snapper

1. #46 Steve Bird

2. #42 Zach Zoglio

Kickoffs

1. #31 Brady Pohl

2. #35 Jesus Gomez

3. #30 Mitch Tomasek OR #37 Blake Oschsendorf OR #39 Adam Heston

Kick returner(s)

1. #28 Jaylon Jackson: Jackson is the nation’s second-leading kick returner with 10 kick returns for 340 yards (34.0 avg.), and 1 TD. His two longest returns of the year have gone for 89 and 87 yards.

2. #2 Hassan Beydoun

3. #1 Dylan Drummond

4. #24 Tanner Knue

Punt returner(s)

1. #1 Dylan Drummond: Drummond has returned 3 punts for 34 yards with a long of 19.

2. #2 Hassan Beydoun: Beydoun has returned 5 punts for 26 yards with a long of 11 yards.

Holder

1. #39 Adam Heston

2. #37 Blake Oscsendorf

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   Well, Now What?

   Eastern Gutted in Home Loss to NIU, 39-10