Don't tell Central Michigan football coach John Bonamego his team's last opponent of the regular season is a pushover. He isn't buying it. And in his eyes, the Chippewas don't have anything to celebrate about just yet.

"We haven't accomplished anything yet," Bonamego said. "We are bowl eligible but we don't have a bowl berth yet. There are a lot of reasons to play this week. Being bowl eligible is something we don't take lightly, but we aren't popping the champagne just yet."

A win against Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. on Friday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium would be the team's seventh of the season, and virtually guarantee a trip to one of the six bowl game slots slated for the Mid-American Conference this year.

The Eagles are 1-10 this season and have won just one game since October of 2014. EMU's only victory this year came during Week 2, a 48-29 topping of Wyoming. It was the program's first nonconference road win since 1989.

During that game, quarterback Brogan Roback threw for a career-high 330 yards. For comparison, CMU passer Cooper Rush has thrown for more than 300 yards seven times this season, including five of the last six games.

"We are probably going to need seven (wins to get a bowl bid)," Rush said. "It's a rivalry game, so it is going to be intense. That's just the way these games go. Records go out the window when you play in those tough games. They're going to want to knock us off. They could ruin our season."

It will take EMU's best effort of the season to knock off the heavily-favored Chippewas. EMU ranks dead last in seven statistical categories league wide, including turnover margin and opponent's third down conversion rate.

Yet Bonamego refuses to discredit counterpart Chris Creighton's ability.

"They've got nothing to lose," Bonamego said. "I've learned in this game, and I've been around it long enough, that no matter what level, you really truly can't look passed anybody. If you fail to execute the fundamentals, anything can happen."

Friday will be senior day for the Chippewas. The program will honor 13 seniors before the game. CMU holds a 58-28-6 advantage in the all-time series with EMU. The Chippewas have won five of the last six meetings with the Eagles including a 38-7 victory last season in Ypsilanti.

On of those seniors is defensive tackle Shafer Johnson, who will wear the honorary Derrick Nash legacy jersey during the game. He said he wasn't expecting it when it was announced at the end of a practice this week.

"I was shocked. It never crossed my mind," Johnson said. "I thought I was getting punk'd. I'm looking around like 'where's Ashton (Kutcher) at?' I'm happy. We know he should be here with us. If he was here, he would be a major contributor."

Johnson knows firsthand how dangerous EMU can be. He was on the sidelines when the Eagles defeated the Chippewas 35-28 in 2011 on a last-minute run by then quarterback Alex Gillette to win the game and hand CMU its fifth loss that season.

"Because it is a rivalry game, we always bring the intensity. If they don't match it, then that is on them," he said. "Their run game is solid. Defensively, we are not taking them lightly. It starts up front. If we don't do our job, then we are screwed. They're going to fight us."