YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football program will look to add another tally to its Mid-American Conference winning column when the Eagles host Northern Illinois University’s youth sports day at the factory on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
Eastern (4-2, 1-1 MAC) dominated Western Michigan University, 45-23, at Waldo Stadium in their last appearance on Oct. 8. Samson Evans hit a career-high three rushing touchdowns while Jose Ramirez broke the program record with 4.0 sacks in the win. The east pass rush totaled seven sacks for the win, a season-high for the unit, while the offense earned a season-high 45 points.
The Huskies (1-5, 0-2 MAC) are trying to get back on track and finish their current five-game slack. NIU fell to the University of Toledo in its last competition on October 8, 52-32.
The game will be televised nationally on ESPN+. WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app will broadcast the action as Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call.
The Band Day competition at Rynearson Stadium will feature 19 local high school bands performing together during a special halftime concert. A total of nearly 1,000 high school musicians and twirling groups will be in attendance.
A win on Saturday would take EMU’s record to 5-2 for the first time since the 2016 season and only the third since the 1995 season. Additionally, a win over NIU Eastern would give Eastern their first win over a defending MAC champion since beating Bowling Green on October 1, 2016 28th-25th on the road.
: Eastern’s 22-point (45-23) win over Western Michigan gave them their largest lead over the Broncos in series history. The previous best was a 19-point, 19-0 win against WMU on October 18, 1930.
: Eastern Michigan smashed their Western Michigan State rival 45-23 to earn their fourth straight win in the series on Oct. 8 for the first time in their 58-game history. Also, the Eagles have defeated the Broncos in back-to-back contests on the road for the first time since doing so in two games between 1987 and 1989. Eastern has defeated Western in consecutive road games at only two points in program history (the first meeting was in 1906).
Senior defenseman Jose Ramirez notched a career-high four sacks on Oct. 8 against WMU. This number is the highest in a single game in the program’s history (statistics kept since 1998). The previous best was a 3.0, held by five other former East players. The four sacks is the second most in any competition in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision this season. The University of Houston’s Derek Parish is the top spot with 4.5 sacks. His 4.0 tackles for loss is also a career high for the Lake Alfred, Fla. native. The performance came just a week after he hit a career-high 3.0 TFLs to date against UMass on Oct. 2.
For his efforts, Ramirez was voted Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week as well as Breakout Defensive Player for the East-West Shrine Bowl.
With Eastern’s win over Western Michigan, head coach Chris Creighton now has 41 wins as a bench boss in Eastern Michigan. That number ties Jim Harkema for fourth most all-time at EMU. It took Harkema 10 seasons to accomplish the feat. Creighton is in the ninth year at the top of the green-whites. Additionally, Creighton has now coached 100 games at Eastern Michigan. He is one of only four coaches in EMU history to reach the 100 games coached milestone (Elton J. Rynearson – 187, Fred Trosko – 110, Jim Harkema – 103, Chris Creighton – 100).
EMU head coach Chris Creighton fared better against Western Michigan than EMU’s other two main rivals, Central Michigan University and Toledo. Creighton has had four wins over WMU since 2014, one more than the two wins he holds over CMU and UT respectively. Additionally, Creighton has yet to have the best CMU or UT in consecutive seasons, but may cross the Rockets off that list with a win over Toledo on Oct. 29.
Senior offensive lineman Sidy Sow is one of the most enduring players in the history of the EMU program. With 48 career starts, Sow is just a nod from tying the program’s all-time record, currently held by Vince Calhoun, who started 49 games for the Green-Whites between 2016-19. Sow’s 49 career games played are just five points behind all-time leaders Terry Myrick (2017-21) and Jake Julien (2017-21), who each played 54 times in their respective careers.
Eastern Michigan’s offense had its best season, 45 points, against Western Michigan. The 45 points is the highest for the EMU since they scored 52 points in Toledo on November 2, 2021. Eastern Michigan has 45+ points in 11 contests since the beginning of the Chris Creighton era (2014-Pres.). Five of those games (45%) have come since 2020, when Creighton took over offensive play duties.
Eastern’s 35 points, scored in the first half of his game at WMU, is the most for the team since the 2017 season, when they tied the same number en route to a 56-14 win over Ball State on Nov. 2 lost. Eastern Michigan has hit 20+ points in the first half of games 27 times under Chris Creighton. The Eagles are 21-6 in these games. Additionally, nine of those 21 games (43%) have been played since the start of the 2020 season, when Creighton began calling the offensive plays for the team. The stats are even more impressive when you consider that the 2020 season only consisted of six games.
In addition, the EMU offense rushed for a season-best 351 yards in the first half of the game. EMU’s best single-half performance to date in terms of first-half overall length was 307, which the team pitched against ASU on September 17. When the game came into play, the eastern Michigan offense had averaged 190.4 yards in the first half of this season’s contests.
EMU’s offense was one of the best in the Mid-American Conference, ranking third a season ago. Eastern converted 42.4 percent (67 of 158) of his third down tries, which ranked 45th in the nation in the regular season.
The EMU scoring unit got off to a good start in 2022. The Eagles are currently converting at a 51.4 percent clip (38 to 74). That number ranks highest in the Mid-American Conference and 11th nationally.
: The Eastern Michigan offense has 20+ points in seven straight games dating back to December 18, 2021 against Liberty in the LendingTree Bowl. The track is the fourth of its kind under Creighton. The best stretch of consecutive games over 20 points occurred between October 26, 2017 and November 14, 2017. September 2018 when the Eagles accomplished the feat in 14 straight games.
: A year after leading the Mid-American Conference in rushing touchdowns, Senior Samson Evans has picked up right where he left off. Evans scored a career-high with three quick touchdowns against Western Michigan on October 8. He previously had the same number on September 3, 2021 against Saint Francis University (Pa.). The contest is his second multi-touchdown game of the season (vs. Eastern Kentucky, Sept. 2) and sixth of his career. His six rushing records in 2022 tie for conference leadership (Maquez Cooper – Kent State University; Lew Nichols – Central Michigan University). Additionally, Evans’ three quick touchdowns against the Broncos are the most for an Eastern player against a conference opponent since the 2020 season, when former quarterback Preston Hutchinson found the end zone three times in the team’s game against Ball State on Nov. 11.
Senior wideout Hassan Beydoun has become part of an elite group in eastern Michigan: the 2,000-yard receiving club. At 2,082 yards through the air in his career, Beydoun is just one of four players to have entered that territory. He currently ranks third all-time in program history, behind Kevin Walter (2,838 yards from 1999-02) and Eric Deslauriers (3,250 yards from 2003-06).
Senior running back Samson Evans put his name in the EMU record books with his three rushing touchdowns against Western Michigan on Oct. 8. He now ranks 12th all-time with 20 career touchdowns. Gary Patton holds the all-time record for 31 touchdowns between 1984 and 1987.
Senior Samson Evans has made a great start in six games in 2022. He is one of the nation’s most consistent defenders, currently ranking 12th in the nation with 630 rushing yards. He is first in the MAC and 16th in the country with an average of 105 rushing yards per game. Additionally, Evans ranks fourth in the MAC and 38th nationally in all-purpose yards, where he has averaged 117.5 per game in 2022.
: Junior wide receiver Darius Lassiter recorded a stellar performance for the Green-Whites with his 45-23 win in Western Michigan on Oct. 8, while posting career-best overall receptions (6) and yards received (104). His total receiving yards paced the Eagles against the Broncos. The wideout also caught his second career touchdown reception. His first came against UMass a week earlier, on October 1st. Lassister has recorded touchdowns in consecutive weeks for the first time in his career.
: Senior quarterback Taylor Powell returned to action for the first time since September 17, when he took the field on October 8 against Western Michigan. Passing for 293 yards and three touchdowns. The three points mark a career high for Powell, who threw three touchdowns in the Eagles’ season-opening win over Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 2. He ranks third in the Mid-American Conference this season with 66.1 percent completion.
: Back from injury for the first time since the EMU game in Louisiana on Sept. 10, senior wide receiver Dylan Drummond made an immediate impact in the game. He scored his first touchdown reception of the season at 5:52 on the clock in the first quarter to give his team a 14-0 lead. The touchdown, his 12th as an eagle, is his first since Nov. 9, 2021 in Eastern’s game against Ohio. The score gives Drummond, the second longest of his career, a five-game scoring slip (six games without a TD to close the 2019 season).
: Dylan Drummond is among the nation’s most influential wideouts. After four receptions against WMU on Oct. 8, the Cleveland, Ohio native now has 160 career receptions, which ranks 30th among all active FBS players (teammate Hassan Beydoun ranks 10th with 183). Additionally, he has recorded a reception in 34 straight games that ranks fourth best among active FBS players.
Last season, Drummond had 64 catches for 704 yards and six leading-team touchdowns — a number that ranks 10th all-time in a single season at the EMU. Drummond now has 12 careers in which he has received touchdowns, making it the fifth-most in EMU history.
Head coach Chris Creighton has won almost 50 percent (38 of 78) of his games since the start of the 2016 season. In the three seasons prior to his arrival at Ypsilanti, the Eagles were victorious in just 28 percent (10 of 36) of their games.
A common goal in head coach Chris Creighton’s program, Eastern has won or drawn the turnover bout in 35 of their last 38 wins under Creighton (28 wins, 7 ties). The trend continued in EMU’s most recent win, a 45-23 triumph over Western Michigan on Oct. 8, where the two teams tied (losing a fumble each) in the turnover battle.
EMU’s win over Western Michigan means they will be playing for the Michigan MAC Trophy when they welcome Central Michigan to Ypsilanti on November 25th. Awarded annually to one of the Michigan-based institutions of the Mid-American Conference (EMU, WMU, CMU), the trophy is awarded to the team that has the best head-to-head record against each other. It is one of only two regularly awarded trophies between three teams (the other being the Commander-in-Chief trophy between Army, Navy and Air Force). Since 2005, EMU has claimed the award four times (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012).
The EMU Office of Athletic Media Relations is no stranger to noticing EMU’s tight play tendencies, but ESPN’s Chris Fallica, known as “The Bear” on the network’s flagship pregame show College Gameday, took to Twitter to get around also to discuss it. According to Fallica, 36 of EMU’s last 42 MAC games and 52 of their last 66 games overall have been either a win or loss with just one possession. The trend continued with Eastern’s 45-23 win over Western Michigan on October 8th
The eastern Michigan offense got off to a hot start against the Broncos as they moved the ball 75 yards over 1:58 in just seven games to take a 7-0 lead. As the fourth-fastest touchdown drive of the season for the EMU, the Eagles have now scored on their opening drive in four games this season, including touchdowns in three of the effort. EMU has scored just four times on its inaugural drive throughout the 2021 campaign.
Wide receiver Tanner Knue continued his stellar senior season against UMass on Oct. 1. The Mason, Ohio native rushed for a team-best 72 yards in five receptions, including the team’s longest reception of the game, 39 yards. Knue recorded his fifth touchdown of the season, putting him in a tie for the MAC lead for points. He is currently 12th in the league with 363 yards this season.
: The Eastern Michigan offense came into their game in Western Michigan with a perfect 19-on-19 on their trips to the red zone, one of only six teams that was still perfectly inside the 20 this season. Unfortunately for the EMU, that stretch ended against the Broncos. The Green-Whites were 6-on-7 deep in WMU territory on their attempts, with a missed field goal in the fourth quarter costing the Eagles their perfection. Despite the snap, Eastern are still one of the best teams in the nation when they’re within their opponent’s 20-yard line. The EMU is 25 out of 26 this season, good for a 96 percent clip. That total is first in the Mid-American Conference and seventh nationally.
: The Eagles passed Western Michigan, 413-299 in overall length, including a 120-91 advantage on the ground, Oct. 8. The 45-23 win marks the third time EMU has rushed their opponents this season, previous games on September 17 at Arizona State and October 2 against UMass. The EMU have overtaken their opponents in consecutive games, the first event of its kind this season.
Eastern Michigan’s defense was strong to start the game in Western Michigan. The Eagles stopped the WMU in three straight drives to start the game, their second such feat this season. The EMU held Louisiana without a result in their first six attempts on September 10.
Additionally, the EMU defense forced a three-and-off to start the game against WMU, the third time EMU has accomplished the feat this season. It was the 21st time in the Creighton era (since 2014) that the defense forced a three to start the game. Additionally, it was the fourth time under Creighton that the defense has forced their opponent to go three-and-out on first possession in each half. Most recently on November 3, 2018 at home against Central Michigan. Eastern Michigan forced a three-and-off drive in 28 percent of his game (21 of 76) during Neal Neathery’s tenure as defensive coordinator (2016-Pres.).
: Eastern’s defense held Western’s offense to just five total yards in the first quarter of the game between the two rivals on Oct. 8, which was by far the best performance in a quarter for the green and white. Ahead of last week’s game, the EMU’s best defensive performance in a quarter was 35 yards conceded to Arizona State in the first quarter of the team’s Sept. 17 game at Tempe. The Eagles have now held five times as many opponents under 40 yards in a quarter season.
Senior Jordan Crawford made his career debut against WMU when he scored his first-ever fumbled recovery at 4:15 in the first half. It’s the EMU’s third fumbled rebound this season, the first since defenseman Kempton Shine recovered one on Sept. 17 against Arizona State. Additionally, Crawford added 0.5 sacks to Saturday’s win. He now has 1.5 sacks in the season, which ranks second on the team
Junior Chase Kline scored six tackles against Western Michigan on October 8 to finish second on the team in the singles game category. The Michigan State Transfer leads all Eagles with 53 stops this season, 19 more than the next closest Eagles, Jose Ramirez and Joe Sparacio, who each have 34 stops. Kline is sixth on the MAC this season with an average of 8.8 stops per game.
: The EMU Pass Rush put together a tremendous effort, bringing a total of seven sacks to victory over WMU. It’s the 17th time since 1998 that Eastern have recorded five or more sacks in a game. The last time the EMU did this was on November 2, 2021 in Toledo (5.0). The EMU’s program record for sacks in a game is eight, a number the team achieved in its game against Alabama State on September 10, 2011.
: Eastern has kept their opponents under 50 percent conversions on the third down try in four straight games, dating back to the team’s Sept. 17 contest in Arizona State. Most recently, the Eagles held Western Michigan in third place, 7-for-19 (37%), the unit’s third-best individual performance of the season. That four-game stretch is the best for the green and white since the 2020 season, when the Eagles kept opponents under the 50 percent mark on third tries in four straight games earlier in the season.
EMU opponents convert just 44 percent (37 out of 84) of their third tries this season.
: Defensive coordinator Neal Neathery continues to show off his schematic talent in the last two games for Eastern. In both competitions, October 2 against UMass and October 8 at WMU, the EMU defense has kept their opponent under 300 yards on total offense (UMass – 255; WMU – 299). It’s the first time since 2018 that the EMU has held back two consecutive opponents to less than 300 yards of total attack. That season, EMU limited Central Michigan to 138 yards in 64 games in a 17-7 win on Nov. 3 and conceded just 90 yards to Akron in a 27-7 win on Nov. 10
