Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU Football Tied for Nation's Biggest Turnaround In 2016
1/12/2017 12:32:00 PM | Football
Eagles were one of seven FBS teams to post a six-game improvement from 2015
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University football team finished in a seven-way tie for the most improved program in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2016, bettering its win total from one win in 2015, to seven this season. Head Football Coach Chris Creighton led the Eagles to their first bowl appearance in 29 years following one of EMU's most successful seasons in its 125-year history.
Army West Point, Colorado, EMU, Georgia Tech, Troy, UCF, and Wyoming each improved by six games in the win column from a season prior.
The turnaround is tied for the largest in school history, equalled only by the 1924 and 1977 teams. The then-Hurons went 8-0 under Head Coach Elton J. Rynearson in 1925 after going 2-5-1 in 1924. Meanwhile, the 1977 club finished 8-3 following a 2-9 campaign in 1976 for Head Coach Ed Chelbek.
However, the NCAA calculates most improved teams slightly differently for its yearly award rather than just comparing wins from year-to-year. To determine games improved, the NCAA adds the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses, then they divide by two (includes bowl games). Using this standard, Eastern Michigan still tied for the national lead after upping its win total by 5.5.
The all-time NCAA record for largest improvement is held by the University of Hawai'i squad that finished 8.5 games better during the 1999 season. Meanwhile, the Mid-American Conference record is eight, set by Miami University in 2010.
USA Today also honored the program with an A- in its final grades of the 2016 season. Various factors were taken into account in the grading system, as in a normal classroom, to make up each team's final letter grade. The Eagles were one of just 25 FBS squads to earn a ranking in the A range (A+, A or A-).
As an offense, EMU ranked 35th in the FBS in total offense, posting 455.2 yards per game in 13 contests. The team also shattered the school record for total offense with 5,917 yards, breaking the previous record of 5,010. Other notable offensive highlights for the Eagles this past season include ranking 16th nationally in third down conversions, 18th in passing offense, 21st in red zone offense, and 25th in first down offense.
Eastern was led by redshirt junior quarterback Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio-Toledo St. John's Jesuit), who put up tall numbers in his 10 appearances in 2016. He finished with 219 completions for 2,694 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had six 300-yard games and a season-high of 468 yards. The offense got its start up front from an experienced offensive line, which had 166 combined starts under its belt. The group combined to allow the ninth fewest sacks in the nation, as well as the second fewest tackles for a loss. On the ground, redshirt sophomore running back Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) led the rushing attack with 771 yards on 184 carries and nine scores. Junior wide receiver Sergio Bailey II (La Mesa, Calif.-Olympian-Grossmont College) was the leading pass catcher with 60 receptions for 868 yards and seven touchdowns.
On defense, the Eagles saw a remarkable improvement in its first season under defensive coordinator Neal Neathery. EMU allowed 86.5 yards per game less in 2016 (432.7 per game) than it did in 2015 (519.2 per game) to rank 83rd in the country and seventh in the MAC. The team also took a huge step forward in stopping the run, as the defense gave up 149 yards per game less on the ground in 2016 than it did a year earlier. Overall, EMU was nationally ranked seventh in fumbles recovered, 32nd in turnovers gained, 58th in interceptions, and 59th in rushing defense.
Senior defensive lineman Pat O'Connor (Chicago, Ill.-Saint Rita) finished the season with 20.5 sacks for his career, making him the program leader since 1998. His 8.5 sacks this year ranked 42nd in the nation and fifth in the MAC. O'Connor and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jeremiah Harris (Lambertville, Mich.-Bedford Senior) were a dynamic combination both forcing and recovering fumbles, with O'Connor ranking 10th nationally in fumbles forced and Harris placing eighth in most fumbles recovered. Additionally, Harris was fifth in blocked kicks and was one of just 34 players in the FBS to block multiple kicks in 2016.
Special teams were also a large component of the team's success in 2016. Redshirt junior punter Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill.-O'Fallon) was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, punting the ball 63 times for an average of 43.5 yards and a career-long of 61 yards. He pinned opponents inside the 20 yard line, 29 times, and had 18 kicks of 50+ yards. His season average ranked 25th in the country and second in the MAC. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman kicker Paul Fricano (Rochester N.Y.-Churchville-Chili) burst onto the scene this season as a model of consistency, breaking the single-season extra point record after converting on 42-of-43 attempts this season. In total, the Rochester, N.Y. native hit 19-of-24 field goal attempts with a season long of 46, for a team-high 99 total points. His 79.2 percent field goal percentage ranked 36th in the country, and second in the MAC, while his 1.46 field goals per game were 21st in the nation, and second in the conference.
Overall, Eastern Michigan saw eight of its student-athletes named to All-MAC teams. The eight honorees were the most since the 1996 campaign. Furthermore, EMU had 18 student-athletes represented on the 2016 MAC Academic All-MAC Football Team. The 18 Eagles were the most in the MAC and also the most in EMU history.
NCAA determines games improved by adding the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses, then dividing by two
Army West Point, Colorado, EMU, Georgia Tech, Troy, UCF, and Wyoming each improved by six games in the win column from a season prior.
The turnaround is tied for the largest in school history, equalled only by the 1924 and 1977 teams. The then-Hurons went 8-0 under Head Coach Elton J. Rynearson in 1925 after going 2-5-1 in 1924. Meanwhile, the 1977 club finished 8-3 following a 2-9 campaign in 1976 for Head Coach Ed Chelbek.
However, the NCAA calculates most improved teams slightly differently for its yearly award rather than just comparing wins from year-to-year. To determine games improved, the NCAA adds the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses, then they divide by two (includes bowl games). Using this standard, Eastern Michigan still tied for the national lead after upping its win total by 5.5.
The all-time NCAA record for largest improvement is held by the University of Hawai'i squad that finished 8.5 games better during the 1999 season. Meanwhile, the Mid-American Conference record is eight, set by Miami University in 2010.
USA Today also honored the program with an A- in its final grades of the 2016 season. Various factors were taken into account in the grading system, as in a normal classroom, to make up each team's final letter grade. The Eagles were one of just 25 FBS squads to earn a ranking in the A range (A+, A or A-).
As an offense, EMU ranked 35th in the FBS in total offense, posting 455.2 yards per game in 13 contests. The team also shattered the school record for total offense with 5,917 yards, breaking the previous record of 5,010. Other notable offensive highlights for the Eagles this past season include ranking 16th nationally in third down conversions, 18th in passing offense, 21st in red zone offense, and 25th in first down offense.
Eastern was led by redshirt junior quarterback Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio-Toledo St. John's Jesuit), who put up tall numbers in his 10 appearances in 2016. He finished with 219 completions for 2,694 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had six 300-yard games and a season-high of 468 yards. The offense got its start up front from an experienced offensive line, which had 166 combined starts under its belt. The group combined to allow the ninth fewest sacks in the nation, as well as the second fewest tackles for a loss. On the ground, redshirt sophomore running back Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) led the rushing attack with 771 yards on 184 carries and nine scores. Junior wide receiver Sergio Bailey II (La Mesa, Calif.-Olympian-Grossmont College) was the leading pass catcher with 60 receptions for 868 yards and seven touchdowns.
On defense, the Eagles saw a remarkable improvement in its first season under defensive coordinator Neal Neathery. EMU allowed 86.5 yards per game less in 2016 (432.7 per game) than it did in 2015 (519.2 per game) to rank 83rd in the country and seventh in the MAC. The team also took a huge step forward in stopping the run, as the defense gave up 149 yards per game less on the ground in 2016 than it did a year earlier. Overall, EMU was nationally ranked seventh in fumbles recovered, 32nd in turnovers gained, 58th in interceptions, and 59th in rushing defense.
Senior defensive lineman Pat O'Connor (Chicago, Ill.-Saint Rita) finished the season with 20.5 sacks for his career, making him the program leader since 1998. His 8.5 sacks this year ranked 42nd in the nation and fifth in the MAC. O'Connor and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jeremiah Harris (Lambertville, Mich.-Bedford Senior) were a dynamic combination both forcing and recovering fumbles, with O'Connor ranking 10th nationally in fumbles forced and Harris placing eighth in most fumbles recovered. Additionally, Harris was fifth in blocked kicks and was one of just 34 players in the FBS to block multiple kicks in 2016.
Special teams were also a large component of the team's success in 2016. Redshirt junior punter Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill.-O'Fallon) was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, punting the ball 63 times for an average of 43.5 yards and a career-long of 61 yards. He pinned opponents inside the 20 yard line, 29 times, and had 18 kicks of 50+ yards. His season average ranked 25th in the country and second in the MAC. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman kicker Paul Fricano (Rochester N.Y.-Churchville-Chili) burst onto the scene this season as a model of consistency, breaking the single-season extra point record after converting on 42-of-43 attempts this season. In total, the Rochester, N.Y. native hit 19-of-24 field goal attempts with a season long of 46, for a team-high 99 total points. His 79.2 percent field goal percentage ranked 36th in the country, and second in the MAC, while his 1.46 field goals per game were 21st in the nation, and second in the conference.
Overall, Eastern Michigan saw eight of its student-athletes named to All-MAC teams. The eight honorees were the most since the 1996 campaign. Furthermore, EMU had 18 student-athletes represented on the 2016 MAC Academic All-MAC Football Team. The 18 Eagles were the most in the MAC and also the most in EMU history.
College Football's Most Improved Teams in 2016
| Team | 2015 Record | 2016 Record | Improvement |
| Army | 2-10 | 8-5 | +6 |
| Colorado | 4-9 | 10-4 | +6 |
| Eastern Michigan | 1-11 | 7-6 | +6 |
| Georgia Tech | 3-9 | 9-4 | +6 |
| Troy | 4-8 | 10-3 | +6 |
| UCF | 0-12 | 6-7 | +6 |
| Wyoming | 2-10 | 8-6 | +6 |
NCAA Most Improved Teams in 2016
| Team | 2015 Record | 2016 Record | Improvement |
| Army | 2-10 | 8-5 | 5.5 |
| Colorado | 4-9 | 10-4 | 5.5 |
| Eastern Michigan | 1-11 | 7-6 | 5.5 |
| Georgia Tech | 3-9 | 9-4 | 5.5 |
| Troy | 4-8 | 10-3 | 5.5 |
| UCF | 0-12 | 6-7 | 5.5 |
| Wyoming | 2-10 | 8-6 | 5 |
NCAA determines games improved by adding the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses, then dividing by two
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