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FACTS & STATS: Site: Kelly/Shorts Stadium (30,255) -- Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Television: ESPN Game Plan. Home Record: EMU 0-2, CMU 2-0. Away Record: EMU 0-2, CMU 2-1. Neutral Record: EMU 0-0, CMU 0-0. Conference Record: EMU 0-1, CMU 2-0. Series Record: Central Michigan leads, 53-27-6.

GAME NOTES: The red-hot Chippewas will take to the field this Saturday afternoon when Central Michigan hosts the Eastern Michigan Eagles in a Mid- American Conference battle at Kelly/Short Stadium.

The Eagles fly into Mount Pleasant low on the radar because the team has yet to claim a victory in 2009. The last time EMU was in action, it suffered a tough, 24-12 setback to Temple at home. Since the beginning of the 2006 campaign the Eagles have struggled on a road, losing 20 of their last 23 contests as the visitor.

As for the Chippewas, they opened the season with a 19-6 setback to Arizona on the road, but since then the team has been unstoppable, winning four consecutive matchups, including a hard-fought 20-13 decision over Buffalo this past weekend. CMU has been a powerhouse in the MAC since 2006 and comes into this meeting with a 23-4 mark against league foes since the beginning of that campaign.

The Chippewas hold a commanding, 53-27-6 edge over the Eagles in the all-time series, but Eastern Michigan has won four of the last five showdowns, including a 56-52 decision last year.

Eastern Michigan did not score a touchdown against Temple on Saturday until the final two minutes of regulation, and the lack of firepower was a clear factor in the team's 12-point home loss. Kyle McMahon led the passing attack with 230 yards on 25-of-36 passing, but the signal caller also tossed an interception and was sacked once. Unfortunately the ground game was bottled up by Temple, as the Eagles were limited to just 50 yards on 29 totes (1.7 ypc). The rushing attack has been a sore spot for this team all year, as the Eagles have stumbled to a 110.2 ypg average on 3.2 ypc. McMahon will be relied on not only to step in for Andy Schmitt, who will be out the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, but to also lead this offensive unit, which lacks a consistent ground game. The signal caller does have some options to throw to, beginning with Jacory Stone, who is leading the team with 23 receptions for 243 yards. As a whole, the Eagles come into this contest averaging just 277.0 total yards per matchup and that has translated to only 16.8 ppg.

The Eagles were unable to run the ball against Temple on Saturday, and the defense had its own issues against the ground game, as the Owls punished EMU for 242 yards and two scores on 5.5 yards per attempt. Overall the unit surrendered 365 total yards, and although the defense did force a turnover and grabbed two sacks, the Eagles allowed Temple to score on all four of its red zone chances. Stopping the run has been a major problem for the Eagles, who are being gashed for a whopping 276.8 ypg on the ground and out of the 15 touchdowns allowed by this unit, 14 have come via the run. Playing inside their own red zone has also been a problem for the Eagles, who have allowed opponents to convert on 16-on-18 red zone chances. Coming into this contest the Eagles are allowing 366.0 total yards, which is not terrible, but that has led to 30.2 ppg, which is way too high for a team that rarely scores.

Dan LeFevour's legend at Central Michigan continued to grow this past weekend, as the quarterback threw his team on his shoulders and led the Chippewas to a 20-13 victory over Buffalo. LeFevour led the ground game with 98 yards on 21 carries, but was even better with his arm, throwing for 268 yards and two scores on 22-of-38 efficiency. Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown also played a big role in the win, as Anderson hauled in eight passes for 95 yards, while Brown collected six receptions for 112 yards. Both players scored, while Brown also added a touchdown on the ground. LeFevour, who is in his fourth year as the starter, has been lights out for CMU, completing 71.6 percent of his throws for 993 yards and nine scores against four interceptions. The signal caller is fortunate to have options such as Anderson and Brown, who have combined for 55 receptions, for 591 yards and five scores (Brown has four, and Anderson has one).

The Chippewas did allow 433 total yards against Buffalo, which is nothing to be happy about, but despite its inability to stop the Bulls from moving down the field, the defense was able to hold its counterpart to 13 points, and that is always a good thing. The main problem came against the run, as the Bulls stampeded CMU's frontline for 223 yards on 6.0 yards per attempt. It was a shocking turn of events for the Chippewas, who have done well against opposing ground games, limiting foes to just 135 yards per matchup on only 3.6 yards per attempt. While the offense gets most of the attention, the defense has been just as good, if not better, as the Chippewas have limited the opposition to just 305.8 ppg and only 16.0 ppg. However, if there is a knock against this unit it has been its inability to make big plays, as the team has collected just five turnovers, while recording only nine sacks.

Eastern Michigan has won the last two meetings against CMU, but look for the Chippewas to easily dispose of the much weaker Eagles this weekend. LeFevour and company should have no trouble scoring and putting big numbers up in the process.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Central Michigan 45, Eastern Michigan 20