PISCATAWAY -- As Rutgers was about to begin its first practice of a three-day installation of the Eastern Michigan game-plan last Tuesday, Chris Ash huddled his team together and proceeded to light into them for the next 90 seconds.
The tenor of Ash's pre-practice message? Don't think you accomplished anything by almost upsetting No. 8 Washington and don't take Eastern Michigan for granted.
On the same day, Chris Creighton was receiving a history lesson. The Eastern Michigan coach recalled talking with his media-relations director, who told him that in the 126-year history of the program no Eastern Michigan team had defeated a team from the current Power-5 ranks.