Y11 Audio

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

Eastern held on to beat Umas 19-17 at Rynearson Stadium on Saturday, which is not the kind of finish many had hoped to read on the scoreboard, but a win in non-conference play is a win in non-conference play.

How much of that score reads that there needs to be a change at quarterback?

The defense hung on and provided the team with four takeaways, including three in the first half. Special teams, expect for a missed PAT, is still performing well. But is it time to give one of the other QBs a shot?

If the UMass game says anything, then the answer might be pretty obvious.

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

Eastern Michigan returns home with its fifth game against UMass since 2014. While this isn’t a MAC game, it certainly feels like it (considering UMass was in the MAC not too long ago). EMU scraped by a win at home over UMass last year (20-13) and the Minutemen look better than what it showed up with last year on offense.

Sure, its starting QB is hurt, but improved nonetheless.

It’s round two of Chris Creighton vs. Don Brown, aka “Dr. Blitz”, and I went to a trustworthy source for great expertise on the topic of UMass football: Michael Traini from Fight Massachusetts/247sports.

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

Final score from Saturday: Minnesota 25, Eastern Michigan 6. As the saying goes: great teams cover. The gamblers everywhere either applaud or loathe EMU’s red zone defense.

One last look back at the Minnesota game, and I’ve got one big question for Eastern’s offense moving forward. Who’s going to step up and be that true X receiver this year?

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

With the Howard game behind us, it’s time to look ahead to Minnesota.

To help preview Eastern Michigan’s upcoming opponent, I asked Ryan Burns (Gopher Illustrated/247sports) to help break down the Gophers.

What expectations does this P.J. Fleck-led program play with? EMU fans recognize some former Western Michigan players wearing maroon and gold, but what about QB Athan Kaliakmanis and WR Daniel Jackson? The defense is going to be a huge task for EMU to face, but could special teams be a difference-maker if this is a tight game in the second half?

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

The final score from Week 1: Eastern Michigan 33, Howard 23.

Eastern Michigan’s special teams units, highlighted by Hamze El-Zayat’s 96-yard and Jaylon Jackson’s 84-yard touchdowns, really stole the show early on. That’s one of those things that doesn’t happen by accident, and that’s a really good warning sign for everybody else to seriously think hard about what you’re going to do on kickoffs and punts.

Not all of EMU’s starters and key contributors suited up for the game, but that shouldn’t totally explain this stat line: Howard’s explosive play rate on offense was 10% while EMU’s was 2%.

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

George Gervin honored with a bronze statue outside of the George Gervin GameAbove Center Thursday.

The same evening, it was announced that the honoree for the #2 uniform number this season will be WR Tanner Knue. DE Joey Zelinski will wear #0 for the defense to open the season vs. Howard.

Also, results from the survey that was released two weeks ago.

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

It’s finally, actually game week!

Howard comes to Rynearson Stadium as Eastern Michigan begins its 2023 season. The focus is as clear as ever — run last year’s record back, except beat Toledo this time. The MAC title hunt won’t officially start until the conference schedule begins, but the chase still begins for this team on Friday.

While EMU should beat Howard handily (SP+ projects EMU to win by two touchdowns), this is still a well-coached FCS squad with a ton of returning, productive players on both sides of the ball. They’re not going to make things easy for the Eagles.

Still, what should we expect to see out of EMU this week? And what questions might get answered this week?

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football podcast; read Ypsilanti’s college football newsletter at Ypsi11.com.

It’s Week 0! College football is really this week!

Ahead of last weekend, I previewed the MAC East with Justin Coffin (of MAC Football Pod). We continued our conversation into today’s episode: the MAC West preview.

Western Michigan (5:15) is going through a calculated coaching change that should force this team to be better at passing the ball. Will that work in Kalamazoo? Will that work in Year 1? Is Hayden Wolff, the Old Dominion transfer, going to be enough?

Northern Illinois (13:34) is a program that will always have my respect, but will this team be any good if Rocky Lombardi doesn’t get enough help?

I’ve got a lot of questions on Central Michigan (21:03). I trust CMU to play good defense, but I have no clue what to expect out of the offense.

Ball State (28:57) has as much potential as anybody in this division if things go right, but after last year’s performance, it’s hard to say which direction the program is truly heading in.

The team we’ve all be waiting to talk so much about: Eastern Michigan (37:21). Under Chris Creighton, this program has a winning record and a chance to make the program’s first MAC championship appearance.

The death star: Toledo (45:12). The Rockets already have some preseason Top 25 votes, but it’s still going to have to make some more believers out of voters. That’ll begin with a tough road game against Illinois, then it’ll be up to Toledo (as always) to not self-destruct its way out of a divisional race.

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

The 2023 college football season is only weeks away, so let’s focus on each of the divisional races within the MAC.

To help break down the MAC East race is Justin Coffin, formerly of Hustle Belt and Free on Saturday blogs, currently with MAC Football Pod (I should probably say that I’m also on that podcast.)

Kent State (9:45) doesn’t have a single starter returning to its offense, so it will take a lot for Kenni Burns to pick up his first career win.

Under second-year head coach Joe Moorhead, Akron (15:30) is a squad that we really want to be optimistic for. It helps when Akron has such a talented QB on its side, too.

Sure Buffalo (22:57) put up a 50 burger at Rynearson last year, but how much should the Bulls be feared heading into 2023? I’m confident the Bulls will be tough as nails, but I don’t know how it’ll string together wins in the second half of its MAC slate.

Bowling Green (27:22) is a liar and I have no idea what to expect from the team this year. How many marginal improvements does BG really want to stay happy with?

Last year’s darling team is no secret this year. Ohio (34:37) has maybe the best offense in the MAC coming back, and Kurtis Rourke’s bound to be a legit superstar in G5 football.

Miami (40:17) has been as consistent as you can ask for, but now it has the best formula a MAC team can ask for: a 4th-year starting quarterback with a 10th-year, defensive-minded head coach. If Brett Gabbert stays healthy, Miami has the chance to have a monster season.

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com

Welcome to another episode of Y11 Audio! This is Ypsilanti’s college football show and the official podcast of Ypsi11.com.

MAC Media Day is officially behind us and the narrative has been decided: Eastern Michigan is the #2 favorite to win its division this year. No media poll this year, but the MAC coaches put EMU behind Toledo, reigning MAC champs, in the division with one first-place vote — which is one more than Northern Illinois, Ball State, Central Michigan or Western Michigan have. That’s not something you say every year, now is it?

Also, a quick glance at the summertime two-deeps published by the team in the media packet, and I wonder if you heard something EMU athletic director Scott Wetherbee said about the future football schedules.

Y11 Audio is available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and basically wherever else podcasts are found.

Reach out to the show

Twitter: @ARAlvarado13 | @YpsiEleven

Email: [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

ypsilantieleven.substack.com