Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
3-2 , 2-0
Kent State
1-4 , 0-3
Football Downs Kent State, 27-20, on Homcoming
10/2/2005 3:07:00 PM | Football
EMU senior quarterback Matt Bohnet totals 272 total yards of offense
Box score.
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University football team moved to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since 1995 with a 27-20 victory over a visiting Kent University team here Saturday, Oct.1, in the Eagles' Homecoming game.
For Eastern the win was the first Homecoming victory since the 2002 season when EMU won a 48-45 double-overtime decision over Southern Illinois. It was the first Homecoming win over a NCAA Division I-A opponent since a 31-20 win over Ohio, Sept. 23, 1995.
The Eagles are now 3-2 overall and 2-0 in league action, while Kent State drops to 1-4 and 0-3 in MAC play.
Senior quarterback Matt Bohnet completed 23-of-40 passes for 218 yards with two touchdowns. Bohnet also ran for 54 yards on 14 carries, while freshman tailback Dwayne Harrison led the attack with 66 yards and 16-yard touchdown scamper. Senior wide receiver A.J. Bennett caught seven balls for 88 yards and a touchdown, while junior Eric Deslauriers added four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
The Golden Flashes were paced by true freshman quarterback Jon Brown passed for 243 and one touchdown, defensively Jon Sessler recorded a career-best 17 total tackles in the setback.
After stopping Kent State on the first offensive possession of the game, the Eagles drove 83 yards on 10 plays culminating in a 16 yard run by Harrison followed by an Andrew Wellock PAT.
The Eagles built on that early 7-0 lead with 1:13 left in the first half, on a 14 yard pass from Bohnet to Bennett. Wellock added a the PAT for a 14-0 halftime advantage.
Bohnet helped put the Eagles back on the board with 13:31 left in the third quarter in a 15 yard pass to Deslauriers with Wellock once again adding the PAT for a 21-0 Eagle lead.
Kent State scored its first points of the game at the 7:01 mark of the third quarter, driving 46 yards in five plays, scoring on a nine-yard Brown pass to Derrick Bush. Travis Mayle added the PAT to make it 21-7.
The Eagles roared back with two-consecutive Wellock field goals, in the third quarter, an 18 yarder with 1:17 left and a 25 yarder at the 00:18 mark to give EMU a 27-7 lead.
Kent State turned in the game's final two scores, a two yard run by Jerry Flowers and a three yard run by Greg Keys, to cut Eastern's lead to seven, 27-20. But a Darran Matthews interception with 1:18 iced the win for the Eagles.
The Eagles will continue Mid-American Conference play Saturday, Oct. 8 with a 7 p.m. game at Toledo.
Quoting the Coaches:
EMU Head Coach Jeff Genyk
"We're right on track where we want to be, we are in a position to keep making those November games mean something. We have three upper-tier MAC teams in a row and we need to win at least one of those games."
" I really fell Kent State is one of the best defenses in the MAC, and I think they proved it last year when the beat us so badly. So coming back this years means a lot to our defense."
Kent state Head Coach Doug Martin
"We played two good quarters of offense, two quarters of defense, but we need four to win."
Team Stats
KSU 0, EMU 7
EMU - HARRISON, D. 16 yd run (WELLOCK, Andrew kick), 10 plays, 83 yards, TOP 3:44
KSU 0, EMU 14
EMU - BENNETT, A.J. 14 yd pass from BOHNET, Matt (WELLOCK, Andrew kick) 9 plays, 71 yards, TOP 3:18
KSU 0, EMU 21
EMU - DESLAURIERS, E. 15 yd pass from BOHNET, Matt (WELLOCK, Andrew kick) 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 1:23
KSU 7, EMU 21
KSU - BUSH 9 yd pass from BROWN, Jo. (MAYLE kick) 5 plays, 46 yards, TOP 1:48
KSU 7, EMU 24
EMU - WELLOCK, Andrew 18 yd field goal 13 plays, 49 yards, TOP 5:35
KSU 7, EMU 27
EMU - WELLOCK, Andrew 25 yd field goal 4 plays, 0 yards, TOP 0:51
KSU 13, EMU 27
KSU - FLOWERS 2 yd run (MAYLE kickfailed), 8 plays, 43 yards, TOP 1:28
KSU 20, EMU 27
KSU - KEYS 3 yd run (MAYLE kick), 9 plays, 61 yards, TOP 1:41
