The Eastern Michigan Eagles will be the fifth game of the 2026 season and the third home game.
The Eagles will be coming off their FCS game with Lindenwood prior to their visit to McGuirk
In 2025 Eastern Michigan went 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the MAC. Of interest to UMass fans, Eastern Michigan lost their FCS game to Long Island 23-28. They lost their Power Four game to Kentucky 23-48.
UMass is 2-4 all-time against the Eagles. UMass lost the last game, in 2024, 14-28 in McGuirk.
In 2025, the Eagles were average in offense (76th total offense) and slightly better in passing offense (59th). Defense was the weak point being 100th in scoring defense and 111th in total defense.
In 2026, Eastern Michigan returns four starters on offense and three on defense, which is decent for the Transfer Portal Era.
Lindy's ranks them 7th in 2026 in the MAC and Athlon has them 8th.
The Eagles return QB Noah Kim (a Michigan State/Coastal Carolina 2024 transfer). He threw for 2,817 yards and 18 TD's in 2025, a total that far surpassed any UMass QB's recent efforts.
Kim has a good group of receivers to throw to. Nick Devereaux was 2nd team All-MAC and had 34 receptions for 510 yards. TE Joshua Long was also 2nd team All-MAC.
On defense, Eastern Michigan returns leading tackler Barry Manning at LB, one of three returning starters.
I watched a couple of 2025 Eastern Michigan full-game replays on the web and was impressed by safety Bryce LLewellyn. He's a excellent tackler and always around the ball. Phil Steele has him first-team preseason All-MAC.
By the time UMass and the Eagles meet on October 3rd, we should have pretty good insight into the 2026 Minutemen. Like everyone else, I feel UMass will be improved. But does "improved" mean no longer totally awful, but just bad (as in a 3-9 season), or an actual mid-level MAC team?
My feeling is this is a 50-50 game. It's at home and the Eagles are the level of team we should be able to compete with if we are ever to be anything other than the worst team in the MAC. If UMass wins the two FCS games and Sacramento State game, the Minutemen would have the chance for an all-time FBS level four game win streak. That would be balm to the battered egos of UMass fans. Can anything that good happen to us? We'll see..
Go UMass!!
