Non-Conference QBs EMU Will Face in 2023

There are two types of QBs EMU will face this September: 4-star recruits out of high school, or all-conference players at the FCS level.

Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics

The Ypsilanti Eleven is local, independently run, and is the only sports media hub on the internet (or anywhere) with this much coverage dedicated to Eastern Michigan. Your contributions will help pay for the year-round labor and improvements required to make this your favorite place to read about EMU and MACtion.

Everybody’s favorite game in the summertime is this: you pull out a football schedule and ask “what’s their record?” Sometimes we play the “what’s their record in non-conference play?” game.

Today, I want to call a slight audible to these poolside games. Instead of prognosticating with numbers, let’s get a heat check on four of the most important players Eastern Michigan’s defense will have to play against this September.

Who are the quarterbacks EMU will see this September?

vs. Howard: Quinton Williams

• Career stats: 27 games, 414/687 passing (60.3%), 4,801 yards (7.0 Y/A), 35 TD, 21 INT; 230 rush att., 449 rush yards (2.0 avg.), 10 rush TD

• 2022 stats: 10 games, 173/267 (65.0%), 1,884 yards (7.1 Y/A), 16 TD, 8 INT; 81 rush att., 172 rush yards (2.1 avg.), 4 rush TD

Quinton Williams wasn’t going to go to Howard at first. Out of high school, Williams was originally committed to Morgan State before he flipped his commitment a week before the 2019 early signing period. Howard’s head coach at the time, Ron Prince, and he was only Williams’ coach for a year before he was fired and replaced by Larry Scott, a South Florida grad.

Williams, measured at 6’5”, 205 lbs., is coming off back-to-back All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference seasons. Coming back with him include the three top rushers from last year’s Howard team, and three of the four top receivers as well.

While Williams wasn’t the highest-rated prospect out of Upper Marlboro, Md., there’s still something to be said for a QB of his size and mobility that’s entering his fourth year in the program. If there were more moving parts around the offense, then Eastern Michigan would very well be able to take this home game in as a cupcake opponent. But, with Howard, it’s just simply not going to be that easy.

Last year, Howard lost at South Florida 42-20. Howard didn’t play terribly against its FBS competition, but it did cough the ball up three times to the bulls (one interception, two fumbles) with two turnovers on downs in the second half. Point is, Williams and Howard played tough against its FBS foe last year, and I don’t see why they’d lie flat in the season opener at Rynearson Stadium this year either.

Y11 Audio: EMU Has The MAC's Respect, Now it Just Needs its Trophy