Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Michigan
Eagles Head to Ann Arbor for Battle of Washtenaw County
9/14/2009 4:40:49 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Game time set for noon Saturday, Sept. 19, at Michigan Stadium
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EMU VS. MICHIGAN: Michigan and Eastern Michigan are meeting for the ninth time and U-M holds an 8-0 advantage in the series. The series started in 1896 with Michigan recording an 18-0 shutout. The last time the two squads met was Oct. 6, 2007 when Michigan turned in a 33-22 victory over EMU.
SECOND OF TWO STRAIGHT BIG TEN CONTESTS: Saturday's EMU-UM game is the second straight Big Ten matchup for the Eagles and also Michigan's second of the year against a Mid-American Conference opponent. Last weekend, Sept. 12, the Eagles lost a heartbreaker at Northwestern, 27-24. Michigan opened its season, Sept. 5, with a 31-7 home win over MAC opponent Western Michigan. Saturday's game is scheduled to be televised on the Big Ten Network. The EMU-Northwestern contest was also a Big Ten Network production.
STRONG UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CONNECTION: EMU's football coaching staff has a strong connection with the University of Michigan. First-year Head Coach Ron English was on the Wolverines' coaching staff for five seasons (2003-07). EMU assistant coaches Kurt Anderson, Tom Burpee, Steve Szabo and Tyrone Wheatley were also players, coaches or both at U-M. Anderson, a 2001 U-M graduate, earned two letters for the Wolverines from 2000-01and was a member of their coaching staff as a graduate assistant from 2006-07. Burpee completed his undergraduate degree at Michigan in 2005 and was connected with their football staff from 2002-07. Szabo was an assistant coach at Michigan in 2006 and 2007 and Wheatley earned varsity letters in 1991 and 1992 and 1993 and 1994 as one of the all-time great football and track athletes at U-M. He completed his degree in 2008.
SHORT ROAD TRIP (ACCORDING TO GOOGLE MAPS): The Eagles will make the shortest road trip of the season Saturday, Sept. 19, when they travel seven miles west to face the University of Michigan Wolverines. Rynearson Stadium and Michigan Stadium are just seven miles apart and are both located in Washtenaw County.
SCHMITT MOVES UP: EMU senior quarterback Andy Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.-St. Johns) completed 20-for-28 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown pass in last weekend's tough loss at Northwestern, Sept. 12, and moved up in a couple of career ares. Schmitthas moved up to second in career completions with 594, trailing only Walter Church (1996-00) who had 807. Schmitt had one touchdown pass at Northwestern, to senior wide receiver Jacory Stone (Cleveland, Ohio-Glendale), to give him 33 on his career, tying him with Robert Middlekauff (1951-53) for fourth. Current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch (1994-97) is the EMU career touchdown passes leader at 53.
TWO BIG TEN OPPONENTS IN A ROW: The road doesn't get any easier for the Eagles this week. Last weekend the Green and White motored to Evanston, Ill. to take on the Big Ten's Northwestern University Wildcats. Eastern came back from a 21-point deficit to tied that game at 24-all before the home team came back to kick a 49-yard field goal with just six seconds left to pull off the 27-24 win. Now the Eagles must travel to Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor to square off against Washtenaw County rival Michigan which owns a 2-0 season's mark after a thrilling, 38-34, win over Notre Dame last weekend.
OPEN WEEK ON THE HORIZON: After Saturday's, Sept. 19, contest at Michigan, the Eagles will have a bye weekend, Sept. 26. EMU will tne return to action Saturday, Oct. 3, for a 1 p.m. homecoming game against a visiting Temple team in Rynearson Stadium.
PRIEST ON THE CENTURY MARK: Junior running back Dwayne Priest (Roanoke, Va.-Fleming-Fork Union) turned in the best rushing effort of his career last weekend, Sept. 12, at Northwestern when he gained 127 yards on 17 carries while also scoring on a one-yard run. His previous best effort, and only other 100-yard game, came at Army, Oct. 11, 2008, when he carried the ball 17 times for 118 yards. Priest has now rushed 191 times for 864 yards and scored seven touchdowns during his 25-game EMU career.
STONE SOLID: Senior wide receiver Jacory Stone (Cleveland, Ohio-Glenville) continues to be a rock of steadiness for the Eagles. After opening the season with eight catches for 97 yards in the season opener against Army, Sept. 5, he came right back with seven receptions for 61 yards and a 25-yard touchdown pass in last weekend's game, Sept. 12, at Northwestern. Stone has hauled in 163 passes for 1,662 yards and eight touchdowns in his 38-game EMU career. Stone has now caught passes in 15 consecutive games, dating back to the final game of the 2007 season.
