Eastern Michigan Athletics
Senior Day Set for Friday at Noon
11/25/2008 2:39:19 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Eastern Michigan hosts rival Central Michigan - Admission is Free!
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2008 SEASON: The 2008 season is the 117th for the Eastern Michigan University football team. The first year of intercollegiate football in Ypsilanti was 1891 when the team posted an 0-2 record. EMU has fielded a team every year since 1891 with one exception, when the 1944 season was canceled because of World War II.
BATTLE FOR THE MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY: The Eastern Michigan University football team will be out to keep possession of the Michigan Mid-American Conference Trophy sponsored by the state of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, when it hosts Central Michigan Friday, Nov. 28, in the regular-season finale for both squads. Game time is noon.
SENIORS CLOSE IT OUT: A total of 13 seniors will be playing their final games for the Eastern Michigan University football squad when the Eagles host Central Michigan Friday, Nov. 28, in the regular-season finale for both teams. The 13 seniors are: Reggie Brown, Joe Charles, Lyle Garrison, Dwayne Harrison, Daniel Holtzclaw, Josh Hunt, Tyler Jones, T.J. Lang, Chris Larkins, Judson Rambaud, Corey Riley, Spenser Smith and Jacob Wyatt. Three seniors, Terrence Blevins, John Bonner, and Jermaine Jenkins are expected to return in 2009 as fifth-year seniors. A brief capsule on each graduating senior can be found on page four of this release.
FINAL GAME FOR HEAD COACH: Head coach Jeff Genyk is in his fifth season and the EMU-CMU game Friday, Nov. 28, will be his final one as the Eagles’ head coach. EMU Director of Athletics Derrick Gragg announced Monday, Nov. 24, that Genyk’s contract would not be renewed for the 2009 season. He will serve as the head coach in the season finale against Central Michigan.
EMU VS. CMU: Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan will be meeting for the 86th time in history with CMU holding a 53-26-6 edge in the series that started in 1902.
LAST TIME VERSUS CMU: Mt. Pleasant, Mich. — Eastern Michigan captured the Michigan MAC Trophy with a thrilling 48-45 come-from-behind win over Central Michigan University here in Kelly/Shorts Stadium Friday night, Nov. 16, at in a Mid-American Conference West Division game. Trailing by a 45-42 count with just 6:30 left in the game, the Eagles marched 62 yards in eight plays and took a 48-45 lead with 3:08 left on a one-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Pierre Walker (Detroit,Mich.-Central). Eastern was assessed with a personal foul penalty on the score, however, and Zach Johnson’s (Springboro, Ohio-Springboro) 33-yard extra-point kick was no good, giving the Eagles the tenuous three-point lead. West Division champion CMU (6-5; 5-1 MAC) then moved down to the EMU 14-yard line, but a 15-yard personal foul penalty moved the Chippewas back to the EMU 34. After an incomplete pass with just 00:27 remaining, Central faced a fourth-and-30-yard situation. The Chippewas then called on the field-goal unit, but a 52-yard field goal attempt was wide left, giving the Eagles the 48-45 victory. The win for the Eagles closed their season with a 4-8 overall record and a 3-4 MAC mark. The win also gave the Eagles possession of the Michigan MAC Trophy, sponsored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, which goes annually to the team with the best record in games involving EMU-CMU and Western Michigan. Eastern was 2-0 while CMU was 1-1 and WMU 0-2. The Eagles, who were a perfect six-for-six on offensive fourth down attempts on the evening, rolled up 441 yards in total offense, with Walker gaining 149 yards on 31 carries while scoring three touchdowns. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Andy Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.-St. Johns) completed 25-of-34 passes for 212 yards and one touchdown and also rushed 11 times for 61 yards and three scores.
HOLTZCLAW MOVES INTO SECOND ON EMU TACKLES’ LIST: Senior middle linebacker Daniel Holtzclaw (Enid, Okla.-Enid) has moved into second on the EMU career tackles list with 425 stops during his outstanding four-year EMU career. Holtzclaw has started all 46 games over the past four seasons. The EMU career tackle leader is Reese McCaskill who had 450 total tackles from 1992-95. Holtzclaw has also recorded a whopping 19 double-figure tackle games during his career.
