The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Under unchannelled conditions and in a whole new environment, Eastern Michigan and Old Dominion have arrived and settled down at the Atlantis resort as they now wait for Friday’s showdown in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

Old Dominion head coach Bobby Wilder told the press yesterday after their first practice that everything is going great for his Monarchs football team.

“We went hard. Everything was fast,” he said. “Everything was constant movement. We need to get acclimated to the 80 degrees and the 75 per cent humidity and we accomplished that this morning.”

And even though there’s a lot of excitement brewing at Atantis, Wilder said his Monarchs are focused on the task ahead of them, playing in their first bowl game.

“It was not hard to get them focused because we’ve addressed over the course of the last three weeks that we would keep our schedule the same – we would go hard in the morning, the focus would be practice,” he said.  

“Right now we are at noon time and they are eating lunch, then they are meeting, watching practice, and then from that point they have the rest of the day. They did a very good job with curfew last night. They were all ready to go this morning and this was a very good practice for us today.”

Eastern Michigan’s offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer said their Eagles’ players are enjoying every minute of the trip here.

“It’s fun. We have a beautiful day, a beautiful field,” DeBoer said. “Our guys gave a great effort. It’s a great day.”

Despite being away from home to play in another country for the first time, DeBoer said the Eagles are just as prepared as they would have been if they were still in the United States. 

“They are maybe not quite as focused as they need to be today, but the thing about our team right now is that we have enough veterans and this is important to them,” he said. “I have no concerns at all that tomorrow will be a much better practice.

“They will enjoy themselves today. They know that we are here to win a football game and every day will be better leading up to Friday’s game.”

Players from both teams have indicated that they are looking forward to the excitement leading up to the big game on Friday.

Old Dominion’s Rashaad Coward was right to the point, noting that their first practice was “hot and humid. But it was fun.”

And linebacker Anthony Wilson called it an amazing trip here so far.

“Ever since we got off the plane the weather has been great. Seeing the water, how clear it is, that’s amazing, it’s not like Virginia Beach back in Norfolk, so it’s been amazing so far,” he said.

“The hotel is humungous. Last night we went around the hotel. We left through one side and came out the other and didn’t know where we were.”

In case you wondering, Wilson said they’re not going to let the atmosphere distract them.

“The whole thing is all business,” he said. “We knew coming in that we were coming in to play a game and try to be 1-0 throughout the week.

“Coach is letting us have some free time, but at the end of the day, it’s all business.”

On the other hand, Eastern Michigan’s quarterback Brogan Roback said practice has been right on target.

“It is beautiful here. We are practicing in paradise. The stadium is awesome. The field is awesome,” he said. “Just getting back out here in the warm weather is different.

“We are used to the cold weather in Michigan, so we are getting used to that and staying hydrated. We have a lot to get through before the game and we will. We are cleaning up a few things, but mentally our guys are in it.”

What about the change in weather Roback?

“It’s a mindset that we have been preparing for,” Wilson stressed. “Staying hydrated and doing those things. Like I said, we can’t complain – it’s beautiful out here. It smells like football out here.”

Offensive linesman Andrew Wylle took it a bit further.

“The heat wasn’t bad,” he stated. “It took a little while to get used to. Obviously we are hydrating more. It feels good though. You come out here and you are already warm. The joints are loose.”

So far, Wylle said it’s been a lifetime experience for him and his teammates.

“It’s been hectic,” he pointed out. “We had a few hours to ourselves last night, which was nice. But overall it’s been hectic.”

This will be Wylle’s last game with the Eagles and he noted that he’s hoping to enjoy every moment of it.

“It’s going to be a blast,” he projected. “We are going to give it all we’ve got. It’s our last time together, all four of us, the seniors. We are going to fly around, have fun and hit some people. It’s going to be great.”

Both teams are cognizant of each other’s ability and neither is taking the other for granted.

Wilder put Eastern Michigan in prospective this way:

“Number one is how hard they play. You can see how determined they are,” he said. “ I know from talking to (EMU Coach) Chris Creighton and from reading articles about him, it all started for them like us.

“It started in January. He met with his leadership and they had a goal to go to a bowl game coming off a 1-11 (season). We had a goal to go to a bowl game coming off a 5-7 (record), and when you see the commitment by the players – similar to our team – a commitment to compete every play of the game, that’s when you know you’ve got a good football team.”

And defensive coordinstor Rich Nagy said the Eagles have a very good offensive scheme that they will have to deal with.

“They’ve got a good run game with some of their quarterback reads, so they are going to challenge you, make you play 11-on-11,” he said. “That’s always a challenge because you’re trying to keep some depth in your coverage sometimes.

“But if you’re not careful they can force you into some man situations. Then they get into their explosive plays by doing that, by forcing you to cover the run and then have one-on-ones on the outside and make some throws.”

On the other end of the spectrum, DeBoer said Eastern Michigan is as prepared as they will ever be.

“This morning we were talking about what we saw the first day we clicked on the film, because your game plan is based on what we saw those first two or three days we watched film,” he summed up.

In the prelude to the anticipated showdown, members of both Eastern Michigan and Old Dominion will visit the Ranfurly Home for Children today before they join the USA Football staff members in a free-for-all clinic for Bahamian youngsters at the Roscoe Davies playing field at 3:30 pm.

The big game is set for 1 pm on Friday.