Michigan State opened the third quarter with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive after Eastern Michigan had closed the first half with its own 13-play, 78-yard touchdown possession. Charles Brantley then forced and recovered Harold Mack’s fumble. Three plays later, Alessio Milivojevic hit Charles Taplin for a 38-yard touchdown. Eastern lost 35-7, with its long scoring possession quickly overtaken by two Michigan State scores.
Eastern visits Wisconsin on Saturday, September 19, at 12:30 p.m. ET on Peacock. The Eagles have a 21% chance to win, enough to make an upset worth imagining, with sustained resistance after halftime the thing to watch. Eastern enters 1-2 overall but already owns a MAC win, having beaten Sacramento State before the two losses. The two losses complicate Eastern’s bid to reverse three straight years of declining records, but Wisconsin will not decide its bowl hopes. November games against Central Michigan at Ford Field and Western Michigan on the road also offer a separate prize, Eastern’s first Michigan MAC Trophy since 2022.
The defensive change under Chris Creighton deserves particular attention. Eastern promoted returning assistants Tate Omli and Kasey Teegardin to co-defensive coordinators for 2026, entrusting the improvement to coaches already in the program. The rushing yards allowed have climbed from 49 against Sacramento State to 137 against San Jose State and 258 at Michigan State. Creighton said afterward that the defense held up early but wore down. Omli and Teegardin need their defenders to keep winning downs when Wisconsin comes back to the run after halftime.
There is something to build on. Eastern has five takeaways through three games, after needing eight games to reach five last season. An extra possession could make this upset possible. Stops that force punts would let Eastern compete without needing a turnover to end every dangerous drive.
Wisconsin just rushed for 233 yards against Western Illinois, although Abu Sama III’s 72-yard touchdown on the first offensive snap supplied a substantial portion. Keep that explosive in mind alongside the long possessions Eastern needs to prevent. The last meeting offers an uncomfortable memory. In 2021, Wisconsin rushed for 352 yards while Eastern managed 92 total yards and three first downs. David Carter’s 98-yard interception return supplied Eastern’s only touchdown. Another takeaway would be welcome; the offense needs to contribute its own scoring possessions this time.
With Noah Kim and offensive coordinator Mike Piatkowski returning, Eastern had reason to expect more through the air. Kim followed 174 passing yards against San Jose State with 118 yards and four sacks at Michigan State. Dennis Strey Jr. at right guard and Samuel Adjin at right tackle made their first career starts that day; Creighton described an injury-affected line and deferred his evaluation until film review. Watch whether Kim gets enough time to turn a manageable down into another first down.
Braydon Bennett offers a more encouraging development. Against San Jose State, he had 20 rushing yards and no catches. At Michigan State, he gained 56 yards on nine carries and added a 22-yard reception, while starting back Amareon Blue ran for 40 yards. Giving both backs productive work could help Eastern extend possessions and keep Wisconsin’s offense waiting.
Personnel bears watching, too. Mack entered the medical tent after the hard third-quarter hit at Michigan State, and Creighton said Caleb Coley played less than intended. Those postgame remarks established neither a diagnosis nor either player’s Wisconsin availability. Watch their participation before assuming Eastern can count on a full workload from either.
The interactive guide has Eastern’s season probabilities, with the forecast explained in the methodology.
In Wisconsin, lean into the possessions just after halftime. Look for a run stopped short of the sticks, a punt forced, then Kim and the backs keeping the ball. Eastern needs those ordinary plays to accumulate long enough for an upset chance to survive into the fourth quarter.