Junior defensive end Sam Williams said Eastern Michigan better be ready for the football team’s best shot.

Unlike last season, when CMU lost 48-45 to Eastern at home, this season the Chippewas still have much to play at noon Friday when they enter Rynearson Stadium.

After losing its first meaningful Mid-American Conference game since 2006, Williams said CMU moved on from its 31-24 loss to Ball State and will be ready for Eastern (2-9 overall, 1-6 MAC).

“We bounced back well. We understand that losing is part of the game,” Williams said. “Eastern’s our next game and that our next biggest game of the season for us getting nine wins and possibly getting to a bowl game.”

Despite their record, the Eagles will present a challenge to even the most focused of CMU teams, Williams said.

The Eagles have scored on 86.7 percent of their red zone attempts, third-best among MAC teams. EMU scored touchdowns on 68.8 percent of its red zone attempts, second in the conference to No. 15 ranked Ball State’s 69.2 percent.

Many of those touchdowns have come from EMU senior running back Terrence Blevins, who is fifth in the conference with 10 rushing scores this season.

Williams said Blevins is equally as talented as former Eagle running back Pierre Walker, who ran for a game-high 149 yards and three touchdowns against the Chippewas last season.

“Not too much different, I mean, they’re both really good running backs. Pierre was really tough guy to tackle last year and (Blevins) has a lot of the same similarities,” Williams said. “We’ve just got to bottle him up and make sure we do a good job tackling him, I think we’ll be OK.”

Junior quarterback Dan LeFevour said the Chippewas know they will get their cross-state rivals’ best shot. The Eagles are 3-1 against CMU since 2004.

“Eastern Michigan has always played us tough no matter what their record is,” LeFevour said. “You can throw the records out the window, this is just one of those type of games.”

Friday’s game is important to CMU (8-3, 6-1 MAC) because it enhances its chance at a bowl game. Yet, the Chippewas will know by Tuesday night if the game could have conference championship implications as well.

If Western Michigan beats Ball State on Tuesday night in Muncie, Ind., a Chippewa win Friday could secure another division title. LeFevour said the team will watch the WMU-BSU matchup very closely.

“I’m sure we’ll be watching, obviously it has something to do with whether or not we have a chance to go to the MAC Championship,” LeFevour said. “So we’ll be tuned in to what goes on there.”

CMU also has a chance to win the Michigan MAC Trophy, given to the in-state school with the best record against its in-state rivals.

EMU stole the trophy with its win last season. But both WMU and EMU already have a loss against a Michigan school.

Friday’s game starts at noon and EMU is allowing free admittance for anyone into Rynearson Stadium.

sports@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: Justin Berndt