Eastern Michigan Athletics
Schmitt Lost for the Season with Injury
9/22/2009 9:45:43 AM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Senior quarterback injures right knee in Michigan game Saturday, Sept. 19
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team suffered a setback Monday, Sept. 21, when it was announced that senior quarterback and offensive captain Andy Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.-St. Johns) will be lost for the remainder of the 2009 season with a knee injury that will require surgery.
Schmitt injured the knee in the final quarter of the EMU-University of Michigan football game last Saturday, Sept. 19, at Michigan Stadium. He met with the team doctor Monday and an MRI confirmed that Schmitt tore the ACL in his right knee.
“It is always disappointing news when you lose a player to injury. Andy Schmitt is and will continue to be a great leader and tremendous part of what we are doing offensively,” EMU first-year Head Coach Ron English said.
Schmitt completed 13-of-22 passes for 97 yards and rushed five times for 26 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run, before suffering the fourth-quarter injury against Michigan that sidelined him the final 7:48 of the game. Schmitt finishes his EMU career ranked second in school history in career completions (607) and total offensive plays (1,210), third in career pass attempts (966) and passing yards (5,867), and total offensive yards (6,745) and tied for fourth in career touchdown passes (33). Schmitt played in 34 games over the past four years after redshirting as a freshman in 2005 and he started in 30 of those contests.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Schmitt enjoyed a breakout year in 2008 and set a host of records in EMU's final two games of the season, at Temple, Nov. 22, and at home against Central Michigan, Nov. 28. Against Temple he set the NCAA mark for completions without an interception when he threw 76 times. That total broke the mark of 70 set by Hawaii's Timmy Chang against Rice, Sept. 27, 2003. Schmitt set records for single-game total offensive plays (83), total offensive yards (504), single-game pass attempts (76), single-game pass completions (50), single-game passing yards (485) against the Owls. He topped most of those marks in the 2008 season finale versus Central Michigan. Against the Chips, Schmitt broke his mark for offensive plays (89), total offensive yards (554 yards), single-game pass attempts (80), single-game pass completions (58) and single-game passing yards (516). He now holds Mid-American Conference marks for single-game pass attempts (80) and single-game completions (58).
The 2009 Eagles are currently 0-3 with a bye week before returning to action for the annual Homecoming tilt Saturday, Oct. 3, against Temple University in the Mid-American Conference opener for EMU.
