Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-4 , 1-2
Bowling Green
2-3 , 0-1
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Football Plays the Homecoming Spoiler, Downing Bowling Green 24-21
10/4/2008 6:57:00 PM | Football
Eagles score with just 36 seconds left to spoil Homecoming for the Falcons
Box score.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — The Eastern Michigan University football team came up with some last-second heroics to record a 24-21 win over Bowling Green State University here Saturday afternoon, Oct. 4, in Mid-American Conference cross-divisional action before a Homecoming crowd of 16,217 in Doyt Perry Stadium.
Trailing by a 21-17 margin, the Eagles moved 77 yards in six plays and scored the winning points on a 16-yard scoring pass from junior quarterback Andy Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.-St. Johns) to senior wide receiver Tyler Jones (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) with just 36 seconds left in the game. Sophomore place-kicker Joe Carithers (Dacula, Ga.-Dacula-Palomar (Calif.) J.C.) added the PAT kick for the 24-21 EMU advantage. The winning touchdown was set up by a big EMU defensive stand as the Eagles forced a Bowling Green punt, getting the offense the ball back with 1:21 left on the clock.
The home team still had a chance to tie the game after that late EMU score, but a 52-yard field goal attempt by Sinisa Vrvilo was short and to the left as time expired.
The win was extra special for EMU head coach Jeff Genyk, a 1982 Bowling Green State University graduate and a former quarterback for the Falcons.
With the win the Eagles improve to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in MAC action while Bowling Green falls to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in league play. The victory also snapped the Eagles' nine-game losing skid to the Falcons, and marked the first EMU victory in Bowling Green, Ohio since Nov. 12, 1988.
Schmitt directed the EMU offense to 410 total yards on 68 plays. He completed 21-of-29 passes for 251 yards and one touchdown while Jones led all rushers with 13 carries for 60 yards while taking the direct snap from center during the game. Jones spent the rest of the game as a wide receiver. Sophomore tailback Dwayne Priest (Roanoke, Va.-William Fleming-Fork Union Military) added 45 yards on 11 rushes.
The EMU defense was outstanding all day and was paced by senior Daniel Holtzclaw (Enid, Okla.-Enid) with 10 tackles while Spenser Smith (Detroit, Mich.-Mackenzie) with five tackles and three sacks for 14 yards.
The Falcons opened the scoring on a six-yard pass from quarterback Tyler Sheehan to tight end Jimmy Scheidler with 1:18 left in the first quarter. Vrvilo added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Eagles fought back to knot the game at seven-all, capping a six-play, 65-yard drive on a one-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Terrence Blevins (Detroit, Mich.-Denby) followed by the PAT kick by Carithers with 2:34 left in the second quarter.
Eastern took its first lead of the game, 10-7, on a 28-yard field goal by Carithers on the first drive of the second half at the 9:40 mark. The Eagles drove the ball 60 yards in 10 plays with Carithers providing the go-ahead points.
BGSU came right back on its first possession of the second half to regain the lead, 14-10, on a 46-yard scoring toss from Sheehan to wide receiver Adrian Hodges. Vrvilo added the PAT kick.
The Eastern offense continued to use the clock to its advantage, answering with a 13-play, 78-yard touchdown drive that took 7:27 with Priest capping the drive with a 12-yard scoring run. Carithers added the PAT to once again give the Eagles the lead, 17-14, with 9.2 seconds left in the third quarter.
Bowling Green would add a Sheehan eight-yard run with 5:11 left before Eastern would pull off the late-game magic on the Schmitt to Jones pass to win the game.
EMU will head out of the conference next weekend, Oct. 11, for a non-conference date with Army in West Point, N.Y.
Team Stats
EMU 0, BGSU 7
BGSU - SCHEIDLER, Ji. 6 yd pass from SHEEHAN, Tyler (VRVILO, Sinisa kick) 14 plays, 88 yards, TOP 6:30
EMU 7, BGSU 7
EMU - BLEVINS, T. 1 yd run (CARITHERS, Joe kick), 6 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:04
EMU 10, BGSU 7
EMU - CARITHERS, Joe 28 yd field goal 10 plays, 60 yards, TOP 5:13
EMU 10, BGSU 14
BGSU - HODGES, Adrian 46 yd pass from SHEEHAN, Tyler (VRVILO, Sinisa kick) 5 plays, 68 yards, TOP 1:59
EMU 17, BGSU 14
EMU - PRIEST, Dwayne 12 yd run (CARITHERS, Joe kick), 13 plays, 78 yards, TOP 7:27
EMU 17, BGSU 21
BGSU - SHEEHAN, Tyler 8 yd run (VRVILO, Sinisa kick), 7 plays, 71 yards, TOP 3:07
EMU 24, BGSU 21
EMU - JONES, Tyler 16 yd pass from SCHMITT, Andy (CARITHERS, Joe kick) 6 plays, 77 yards, TOP 0:45
