Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Northern Illinois
Eagles Swing Back Into MAC Action for Thursday Night Game
11/2/2009 11:37:54 AM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
The Eastern Michigan-Northern Illinois game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, the second consecutive appearance for the Eagles
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EASTERN MICHIGAN AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Michigan University and Northern Illinois University will be meeting for the 40th time in history when the two teams square off Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m. (CST) in a Mid-American Conference West Division game in DeKalb, Ill.. NIU holds a 23-14-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1927. NIU recorded a 37-0 shutout last year, Sept. 27, 2008, at Rynearson Stadium, while Eastern won the 2007 matchup, Sept. 15, by a 21-19 margin. Prior to that EMU victory, the Eagles had lost six in a row. Northern has an 11-8-1 lead in the games played in DeKalb.
SECOND STRAIGHT NATIONAL TV APPEARANCE: The Eastern Michigan-Northern Illinois game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, the second consecutive appearance for the Eagles. Eastern's Oct. 31 game at Arkansas was also a nationally televised game on ESPNU.
BACK HOME IN THE LAND OF LINCOLN: EMU starting offensive lineman Andrew Sorgatz (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton North) will be the lone Eagle from the state of illinois on the travel list for Thursday's, Nov. 5, EMU-NIU game. Sorgatz has been a starter at left guard all season as a true freshman.
QUICK TURNAROUND: The Eastern Michigan University football team will have a quick turnaround from Saturday's, Oct. 31, night game at Arkansas. The Eagles must now get ready for a Mid-American Conference West Division battle at Northern Illinois, set for Thursday, Nov. 5. EMU will leave for the Northern game on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and return immediately after the Thursday night contest. Eastern will then return to action Saturday, Nov. 14, in the home season finale against Western Michigan University which will be Senior Day.
AIRING IT OUT: True freshman wide receiver Kinsman Thomas (Bennettsville, S.C.-Marlboro County) made his first EMU touchdown reception a memorable one as he raced 77 yards with the Kyle McMahon (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Pontiac Notre Dame Prep) pass for a score at Arkansas, Oct. 31. That 77-yard pass play tied for the seventh longest in EMU football history. Ironically, the last time a 77-yard pass play was turned in by senior wide receiver John Bonner (Dayton, Ohio-Chaminade Julienne), Nov. 12, 2005, against Ball State. Bonner's 77-yard reception came from quarterback Matt Bohnet, but did not result in a touchdown. Bonner recorded the first touchdown grab of his career Saturday against Arkansas when he caught a 32-yard McMahon aerial for a score.
THREE FOR SCORES: Junior quarterback Kyle McMahon (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Pontiac Notre Dame Prep) turned in the first three-touchdown pass game of his caeer when he found paydirt for touchdown passes of 8, 32 and 77 yards at Arkansas, Oct. 31. McMahon's previous single-game best was a two touchdown pass performance at Toledo, Nov. 3, 2007. McMahon's three scores at Arkansas were to three seperate receivers, with Ben Thayer (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Hackett Catholic Central) catching the 8-yarder, John Bonner (Dayton, Ohio-Chaminade Julienne) the 32-yard TD reception, and true freshman Kinsman Thomas (Bennettsville, S.C.-Marlboro County) made the 77-yard scoring grab.
WINNING THE SECOND HALF: After seeing Arkansas race out to a 42-0 halftime lead Saturday, Oct. 31, the Eagles returned for the second half on a mission, out-scoring the Razorbacks 27-21 over the final 30 minutes of the game. The EMU offense rallied for 20 points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth. That 27-point output tied the top scoring effort of the season for the Eagles. They also scored 27 in a two-point loss to Ball State, Oct. 24.
EAGLES FOURTH IN PASS DEFENSE: The EMU pass defense, ranked first in the nation through most of the first six weeks, has slipped to fourth in the latest national rankings. The Eagles have allowed 146 yards per game this season.
TWO GET FIRST: Senior John Bonner (Dayton, Ohio-Chaminade Julienne) and freshman Kinsman Thomas (Bennettsville, S.C.-Marlboro County) both recorded the first toudown receptions of their careers at Arkansas, Oct. 31.
