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The Eastern Michigan University Eagles, Ohio Bobcats, and Toledo Rockets all open with their annual home spring games today, April 12th.
The Eagles are under a new coaching staff, and there are position battles aplenty in Ypsilanti this spring. The Bobcats have gone to five straight bowl games, and are looking to continue that success this season with a massive changing of the guard on offense, and finally the Rockets are trying to bounce back after failing to reach a bowl game in 2013.
The Chris Creighton era is beginning at EMU. If Creighton can get the Eagles focused, and have any kind of pulse on game day the Ypsilanti faithful will rally behind him. While most will tell you that the quarterback position is the biggest spring battle, no position is safe at EMU, nor should it be.
The Ohio Bobcats have been stable for years, but now 3-year starting QB Tyler Tettleton is in the CFL, departs leaving junior QB Derrius Vick should step in. With spring practices wrapping up today it all but appears to be his job moving forward. But the offensive line will be the area to pay the most attention too. It was plagued with injuries and inconsistent pay a season ago, and actually has gotten younger. There could be several freshman getting key playing time on that line.
Toledo lost a couple of key players and it will be interesting to watch the sexy position in this one. Terrance Owens threw for over 8,000 yards as a Rocket, but he isn't there any more so Brian Blackburn, Ryan Casey, Michael Julian, and Logan Woodside are competing for the Quarterback position. The team also lost star running back David Fluellen, and while we saw a lot of Kareem Hunt last season when Fluellen missed due to injury, the sophomore could have some stiff competition from fellow sophomore Damion Jones-Moore.