By Alan Gerould, Senior Columnist

The Western Michigan Broncos improved to 4-0 with a narrow, last-minute 30-27 win over Northern Illinois last Saturday. The Broncos host dangerous Eastern Michigan this Saturday with an eye on the continued march to Ford Field and the MAC Championship.

We are pleased to have Luke Gremban, Sports Editor of The Eastern Echo with us this week. Few in the media have as much knowledge as Luke as to what’s going on with the Eagles program. Thanks for joining us Luke. You are now on the BroncoBlitz hot seat!

BroncoBlitz: Eastern Michigan Coach Chris Creighton is now in his seventh season as Head Eagle. The Eagles have had relative success over Creighton’s tenure with bowl appearances in three of the last four seasons. But 0-4 has got to be disappointing to many in Eagles Nation that have come to expect more wins than losses. Is Creighton still on solid footing in Ypsilanti?

Luke Gremban: He isn’t going anywhere. Creighton has a solid overall record and has had the Eagles bowl eligible for three of his past six seasons. Expectations for this year are different for him, you can hear me talk about this more in depth on my podcast with Caleb Burlingam here. Creighton has a first-year starting quarterback in Preston Hutchinson and has had numerous injuries to key skill position players like Dylan Drummond and Darius Boone Jr. that have held the team back in terms of offensive production.

BroncoBlitz: Preston Hutchinson went off in his first career start last season versus the Broncos completing 31 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns including the game winner with under a minute left. Evaluate his performance thus far this season and who are his favorite weapons?

Luke Gremban: Hutchinson is a really talented quarterback, and has amazing ability to throw the ball down the field. However, the largest hole in his game is his decision making, throwing interceptions and making bad plays in key moments. This year, he is a run-and-gun quarterback, but next year he is going to be one of the best in the entire MAC.

BroncoBlitz: The Eagles defense has given up a lot of yards between the 20’s but are one of the leagues stingiest when it comes to red-zone defense. We know the Eagles are big. Where are the Eagles toughest and where are they most vulnerable?

Luke Gremban: The Eagles have a talented secondary, led by players like Alvinoski LaFleur, but they are susceptible to teams that can run the ball. The Eagle’s offense doesn’t do them any favors, since they pass the ball for a large percentage of their offensive possessions, leading to low TOP for the Eagles. Like you said, the Eagles shine in the red zone, and they have the players to step up and make things happen.

BroncoBlitz: Bronco Coach Tim Lester marvels at how close EMU manages to keep its games over the last several seasons, playing in more one possession games, than not. In a game that’s likely to be close, special teams are likely to play an important role. How would you evaluate the Eagles special teams?

Luke Gremban: I’m not going to lie, I don’t have a strong grasp on the special teams for the Eagles. I do know that Creighton recruits for speed and athleticism. Their special teams haven’t given me any reason to doubt them so far, I would evaluate them at average at least.

BroncoBlitz: Eastern spoiled Western’s chances to go back to the MAC Championship last season and could play a spoiler role again in Kalamazoo on Saturday. What must the Eagles do, or not do, to beat the Broncos? What will be the key to the game? And what will the final score be when the smoke settles at Waldo?

Luke Gremban: Run the freaking ball. Like I mentioned before, Darius Boone Jr. is injured for the Eagles, and he is their starting running back. Hutchinson has led the Eagles in rushing in every game since. Our offense is potent, but not balanced since all of our yards come through the air. If we can run the ball we can control the clock and play at our pace, which would really make this team dangerous. I suck at predictions, but I think that the Broncos will pull away late, 32-24 WMU.