Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Bowling Green
Senior Night Set for Friday Against Bowling Green
11/5/2007 10:29:00 AM | Football
Game time set for 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU
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33rd MEETING: Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green have met 32 times on the gridiron with BGSU holding a 21-10-1 advantage. The Falcons won a squeaker last year, 24-21, Oct. 14, in Bowling Green, Ohio. BGSU has won the last eight in a row with Eastern's last victory a 21-13 decision, Oct. 21, 1989. The Falcons hold an 8-6 advantage in games played in Ypsilanti.
SENIOR NIGHT: The EMU-Bowling Green game has been designated Senior Night for the Eagles with a total of 11 seniors playing their final home games for the Green and White. The EMU seniors: Ken Bohnet (Grand Ledge, Mich.-Grand Ledge), Julius Brown (Washington, D.C.-Archbishop Carroll), Zedrick Bryant (Immokalee, Fla.-Immokalee), Aaron Glenn (Detroit, Mich.-Denby), Jason Jones (Southfield, Mich.-Lathrup), Travis Lewis (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Loy Norrix), Darran Matthews (Redford, Mich.-Thurston), Jerry Topolinski (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc), Pierre Walker (Detroit, Mich.-Central), Khalid Walton (Southfield, Mich.-Southfield) and Eric Young (Shiocton, Wisc.-Shiocton).
EMU-BGSU CONNECTION: The connection between the EMU and BGSU football teams starts at the top. EMU head coach Jeff Genyk played football at BGSU before completing his bachelor's degree in 1982. Genyk and BGSU head coach Gregg Brandon also were on the same coaching staff at Northwestern from 1993-98.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The Eastern Michigan University football team will play the second of three Friday night games this season when the Eagles host the Bowling Green State University Falcons (Nov. 9). Eastern hosted Northwestern University in the first Friday game (Oct. 19) and the Eagles will close out the season Friday, (Nov. 16) at Central Michigan. EMU enters the BGSU game with a 3-7 overall mark, a 2-2 Mid-American Conference West Division record and a 2-3 overall league mark. Bowling Green enters the game with a 5-4 overall record, and 3-2 records in the MAC East and overall. The game will be Senior Night with 11 Eagles playing their final home games.
EAGLES SECOND IN THE NATION IN NET PUNTING: EMU is currently ranked second in the nation in net punting at 39.85 yards per game. Georgia Tech is the leader with a 41.04 average. The Eagles also have several other individuals ranked near the top of the latest national statistical report. Redshirt freshman Ryan Downard (Lima, Ohio-Shawnee) is fifth in the country in interceptions with .60 per game, senior defensive tackle Jason Jones (Southfield, Mich.-Lathrup) is tied for 10th in tackles-for-loss at 1.60 per game, and junior middle linebacker Daniel Holtzclaw (Enid, Okla.-Enid) is 12th in tackles at 10.90 per game. On the team front, in addition to the runner-up spot in net punting, EMU is 36th in turnover margin at .50 per contest. Downard's six picks is also the best for an EMU player since Terry Reed recorded six in 1997. Bob Navarro is the EMU single-season interception lead with 12 in 1989.
WALKER ON THE TRIFECTA: Senior tailback Pierre Walker (Detroit, Mich.-Central) set a career record with three touchdown runs last weekend (Nov. 3) at Toledo. Walker scored on runs of one, one and three yards. In the last two weekends, Walker has turned in the two top individual efforts of his four-year career. He not only set a career-best with 151 yards gained on 33 rushes in a 19-2 win over Western Michigan (Oct. 27), but he was also the first EMU tailback to turn in a 100-yard rushing game since Anthony Sherrell pulled off the feat, Oct. 22, 2005, with 107 yards against Miami. Quarterback Tyler Jones (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) also rushed for 107 yards in that Miami game in 2005, marking just the third time in school history that EMU had two players rush for more than 100 yards in the same game. The last time that was accomplished before 2005 was 1975. Walker came right back at Toledo (Nov. 3) and rushed for 93 yards on 22 carries to go along with his three scores. For his career, Walker has now scored nine touchdowns.
BIG ON "O": The Eagles have turned in two consecutive outstanding offensive efforts. In a 19-2 win over Western Michigan (Oct. 27) the Eagles had 392 yards in total offense and at Toledo last weekend (Nov. 3) Eastern had 417 yards in total offense. The top total offense this season came at Ohio (Oct. 13) with 425 yards.
JUST MISSING THE SHUTOUT: The EMU defense pitched a shutout against Western Michigan (Oct. 27) but the visiting Broncos managed two points, against EMU's offense, on a safety in the second quarter. The last time EMU had a shutout was the 1997 season when the Eagles won a 45-0 decision over Akron (Oct. 18).
EAGLES GET FIRST PART OF MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY: With the 19-2 win over Western Michigan Oct. 27) the Eagles moved into the early lead for the Michigan Mid-American Conference Trophy sponsored by the state of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. The trophy is awarded to the Michigan-MAC school that holds the season's advantage in football games played between Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Western Michigan. EMU won the battle of Michigan schools in 2004, the first year of the trophy, by winning both matchups with their Michigan counterparts. The 2005 trophy went to Western Michigan and the 2006 trophy was captured by CMU. CMU and WMU meet Tuesday, Nov. 6, and EMU closes its year at CMU (Nov. 16).
CAREER BEST: Redshirt sophomore Zach Johnson (Springboro, Ohio-Springboro) turned in outstanding efforts in both the punting and place-kicking games in the 19-2 win over a visiting Western Michigan team (Oct. 27). Johnson booted a career-best 50-yard field goal and also had five punts for 198 yards, including four inside the 20-yard line. Johnson's 50 yarder ties for eighth longest field goal in EMU history.
THIRD STRAIGHT FOR HOMECOMING: EMU's 19-2 win over Western Michigan (Oct. 27) marked the third consecutive Homecoming win for the Eagles. Eastern won the 2006 Homecoming tilt, 17-13, (Oct. 21) against Toledo and the Eagles also captured the 2005 Homecoming game, 27-20, over Kent State (Oct. 1).
GAGE SETS MARK--MAC RECORD IN SIGHT: Redshirt sophomore wide receiver-kick return specialist Dontayo Gage (Pontiac, Mich.-Northern) broke the EMU single-season kickoff return yardage record when he had three returns for 105 yards against Northwestern University ( (Oct. 19). The 105 yards against the Wildcats give Gage 784 yards on 30 returns this season. Gage breaks the mark of 725 yards in returns by Trumaine Riley in 2003. Through 10 games, Gage has now accumulated 880 yards on 35 kickoff returns. WMU's Rashad McDade has the MAC mark with 898 kickoff return yards in the 1999 season but three current MAC returners, including Gage, have more than 800 this year.
MID-SEASON ACCOLADES: Five EMU players have earned mention on Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine mid-season All-American and All-Mid-American Conference rankings. Senior defensive tackle Jason Jones (Southfield, Mich.-Lathrup) was chosen fourth-team All-American on the mid-season list. In addition, Jones, Khalid Walton (Southfield, Mich.-Southfield) and Daniel Holtzclaw (Enid, Okla.-Enid) were all named mid-season first-team All-MAC while Andy Fretz (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Central) and Darran Matthews (Redford, Mich.-Thurston) were selected to the All-MAC second team.
TURNING THEM OVER: The Eagles came up with six turnovers in a 19-2 win over Western Michigan (Oct. 27). The Eagles added one fumble recovery at Toledo (Nov. 3) and now rank 36th in the nation in turnover margin at .50 per game.
