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Posted on Thu, Oct 13, 2011 : 12:34 p.m.

Eastern Michigan football team heads to CMU seeking first road win

By Rich Rezler

EMU_Akron_English.jpg

Ron English and the Eastern Michigan football team, shown during a win over Akron at Rynearson Stadium, travel to face Central Michigan on Saturday.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

The Eastern Michigan football team, unbeaten at home this season, returns to Rynearson Stadium on Oct. 22 for three straight Mid-American Conference games.

What happens Saturday in Mount Pleasant will have a big impact on just how important those game will be for the Eagles.

“We’re 1-1 in our league and undefeated at home, so that’s a beautiful thing,” Eastern Michigan coach Ron English said. “We’re still in the race, and it’s been a long time since Eastern Michigan could say that in October, but we are legitimately still mathematically in the race for this MAC championship.

THURSDAY LIVE CHAT

WHO: Eastern Michigan (3-3, 1-1 MAC West) at Central Michigan (2-4, 1-1 MAC West)

WHEN: 3 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant

RADIO: WEMU (89.1 FM)

ODDS: Central Michigan is favored by 13 points.

“So, we want to go up there and take care of our business.”

The road hasn’t been kind so far for the Eagles (3-3, 1-1 MAC West), who’ve lost at Michigan, Penn State and Toledo by a combined score of 119-25.

Against Central Michigan (2-4, 1-1), they’ll face a young team that’s struggled itself to put together four quarters of solid football.

The Chippewas led Kentucky 13-3 at halftime and lost 27-13. Last week, they were within 21-17 at halftime at North Carolina State before losing 38-24.

“We’ve kind of come unglued in the second half,” Central Michigan coach Dan Enos said. “We’ve got to find a way to play for four quarters and play well for four quarters.”

One key contributor to the Chippewas' up-and-down season is quarterback Ryan Radcliff, who threw for a career-high four touchdowns and 387 yards in an Oct. 8 win against Northern Illinois. Last week, he was intercepted four times in the second half against N.C. State.

“He’s going to need to play better than he did in the second half if we’re going to have a chance to win any of these games,” Enos said. “He has to learn to not pre-determine where he’s throwing the ball. When he goes through his progression, he’s pretty good. When he doesn’t, he’s not.”

Things aren’t rosy in Ypsilanti, either, where English says the Eagles are coming off their “worst game of the year” in a 54-16 loss to Toledo.

“The way we approach this game … we just have to come back, show some character and get ready to play a much-improved Central Michigan football team,” English said.