Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-6 , 1-2
Northwestern
5-3 , 2-2
Football Falls to Northwestern, 26-14
10/19/2007 11:46:00 PM | Football
Turnovers costly to EMU in loss to Wildcats in Collegiate Clash IV
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DETROIT, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University football team could not overcome a host of turnovers and a late fourth-quarter surge by Northwestern University as the visiting Wildcats posted a 26-14 non-conference win over the Eagles here Friday night in Collegiate Clash IV at Ford Field.
Head coach Jeff Genyk's Eagles pulled within five points, 19-14, when true freshman quarterback Kyle McMahon (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Pontiac Notre Dame Prep) ran 19 yards for a touchdown and Zach Johnson (Springboro, Ohio-Springboro) added the PAT with 04:54 left in the game.
The Wildcats, 5-3 overall, then struck back with a 71-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Becher to wide receiver Kim Thompson, a product of Detroit Country Day High School, with just 02:44 remaining.
The Eagles, now 2-6 overall, had one last chance to score but the Eagles' final drive ended at the Wildcat four-yard line with 01:36 and Northwestern was able to run the clock out on the final possession.
McMahon, starting his first game in place of injured starter Andy Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.-St. Johns), finished the game by completing 28-of-48 passes for 282 yards and rushing 13 times for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Tyler Jones (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) hauled in eight passes for 104 yards.
Eastern was guilty of four turnovers, losing three on interceptions and one on a fumble. Northwestern had one interception and one fumble in the game.
Northwestern was led by Becher who completed 25-of-42 passes for 361 yards and one touchdown while tailback Omar Conteh ran 19 times for 122 yards and one touchdown.
"We felt our players came out and played extremely hard in a very physical, hard-fought game," EMU head coach Genyk said. "Our turnovers in the red zone-tight zone, were all kind of freshman based and if we had a little more experience we don't fall into some of the traps that the Northwestern defense makes."
The Eagles jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead when , getting his first collegiate start in place of injured starter , rushed for a five-yard touchdown at the 06:41 mark of the first quarter. Zach Johnson (Springboro, Ohio-Springboro) added the PAT. That touchdown drive was set up by an interception by junior safety Jacob Wyatt (Lansing, Mich.-Sexton) at the EMU 46-yard line.
The visiting Wildcats added a 25-yard field goal by Amado Villareal to cut EMU's advantage to 7-3 with 00:41 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats then took advantage of an EMU fumble at the four-yard line that was recovered by defensive end David Ngene. Northwestern then drove 96 yards in 11 plays capped off by a 12-yard run by Omar Conteh at the 10:24 mark of the second quarter. The PAT made it 10-7 Wildcats.
Another EMU turnover proved to be fatal as Northwestern turned in an interception at the Wildcat 5-yard line. The Eagles' defense came up with a strong effort at that point, however, and held the visitors to three points on a 28-yard field goal at the 04:40 mark to stake Northwestern to a 13-7 lead. The first half ended with that 13-7 Northwestern advantage.
Sophomore Dontayo Gage (Pontiac, Mich.-Northern) established an EMU single-season kickoff return list in the first half when he ran back three kickoffs for 105 yards, giving him 784 for the season, snapping the mark of 725 by Trumaine Riley in 2003.
The third quarter went scoreless as the two teams combined for three turnovers, with Northwestern turning in two interceptions and Eastern grabbing one fumble. The Eagles' had one chance at a score but a 47-yard field goal attempt by Johnson was wide left. That set up the 20-point fourth quarter from the two teams.
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Team Stats
NU 0, EMU 7
EMU - MCMAHON, Kyle 5 yd run (JOHNSON, Zach kick), 8 plays, 42 yards, TOP 3:38
NU 3, EMU 7
NU - Villarreal, A 25 yd field goal 14 plays, 66 yards, TOP 5:53
NU 10, EMU 7
NU - Conteh, Omar 12 yd run (Villarreal, A kick), 11 plays, 96 yards, TOP 3:14
NU 13, EMU 7
NU - Villarreal, A 28 yd field goal 11 plays, 85 yards, TOP 4:13
NU 19, EMU 7
NU - Bacher, C.J. 1 yd run (Bacher, C.J. passfailed), 12 plays, 82 yards, TOP 5:03
NU 19, EMU 14
EMU - MCMAHON, Kyle 19 yd run (JOHNSON, Zach kick), 10 plays, 57 yards, TOP 2:27
NU 26, EMU 14
NU - Thompson, Kim 71 yd pass from Bacher, C.J. (Villarreal, A kick) 5 plays, 93 yards, TOP 2:10
