Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
0-3
Michigan
3-0
Football Downed at No. 25 Michigan
9/19/2009 3:41:00 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Eagles rack up 179 yards on the ground and 285 total yards for the game
Box score.
Photo Gallery.
Postgame Press Conference Audio.
Video Highlights.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University Head Football Coach Ron English's return to Michigan Stadium was bittersweet, as the 25th ranked University of Michigan handed the Eagles a 45-17 non-conference setback Saturday afternoon, Sept. 19.
The Eagles proved to be a major test for the nationally ranked Wolverines in the "Battle for Washtenaw County", as Eastern Michigan trailed by just a touchdown, 24-17, as the teams headed into the locker room for halftime. Things remained tight until Michigan was able to put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter.
In consecutive weeks the Green and White have proved a major thorn in the side of Big Ten Conference teams after nearly knocking off Northwestern University, 27-24, last weekend, Sept. 12, in Evanston, Ill.. Nonetheless, the Eagles fall to 0-3 to open the 2009 campaign while the Wolverines remain perfect at 3-0.
In his first-year as head coach at EMU, English was a member of the University of Michigan football staff from 2003-07, where he coached the defensive backs for his first three seasons and served as the football program's defensive coordinator in his final two seasons under legendary Head Coach Lloyd Carr.
Senior quarterback Andy Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.-St. Johns) paced the Eagles offensively, going 13-for-22 for 97 yards via the air and picked up 22 yards on five carries along with touchdown on the ground before leaving the game late with an injury. Junior Dwayne Priest (Roanoke, Va.-William Fleming-Fork Union Academy) led the Eagles' rushing attack with 27 carries for 91yards and a score while true freshman quarterback Alex Gillett (Clyde, Ohio-Clyde) added six rushes for 36 yards. Defensively, senior Chris May (Jupiter, Fla.-Dwyer) intercepted two passes and Andre' Hatchett (Indianapolis, Ind.-Warren Central) added nine stops.
For Michigan, Carlos Brown carried the ball 13 times for 187 yards and two touchdowns while Denard Robinson added three carries for 60 yards and a pair of scores. Quarterback Tate Forcier ran the ball six times for 68 yards while going 7-for-13 for 68 yards via the air.
The host Wolverines got on the board first thanks to great starting field position. However, the defense was able to hold Michigan's offensive attack, allowing just a 37-yard field goal by Jason Olesnavage with 10:46 still showing in the first quarter.
On the ensuing drive the Eagles got a boost from Terrance Blevins (Detroit, Mich.-Denby), who, on fourth down and inches, broke off a 22-yard scamper down to the U-M 44-yard line. A pass interference penalty brought the Green and White even closer to the end zone, but the drive would stall, forcing junior place-kicker Joe Carithers (Dacula, Ga.-Dacula -Palomar J.C.) to come in for the 43-yard field goal to knot the score at 3-3 with 5:32 left in the opening quarter.
The Wolverines would promptly retake the lead, marching 60 yards in nine plays and was closed out by a nine-yard touchdown scamper by Brown with 2:30 remaining. The PAT was true to make it 10-3.
Unphased by the deficit, Schmitt was again able to march his offense down the field as the Eagles squared it at 10. His 11-yard quarterback keeper with 11:16 to play in the second quarter capped the 11-play, 79-yard drive. EMU's drive gave the Eagles the early edge in total yardage (121 to 92) while upping its stranglehold on time of possession (14:14 to 4:30).
However, back-to-back touchdown runs by Michigan put the Wolverines up 24-10 with 7:15 left in the half.
A May interception at midfield at the 4:18 mark allowed the momentum to swing back in favor of Eastern Michigan as the Wolverines had a 22-yard run deep into EMU territory overturned by instant replay. Six plays later, Priest found pay dirt on a five-yard sweep to cut into the deficit. Carithers' extra point split the uprights to make it 24-17 as the teams headed into the locker room for the intermission.
Following the break, neither side was able to get an offense in gear thanks enlarge partly by stingy defense. On its third possession of the half, Michigan was again able to expand the lead to 14 points, 31-17, when Martavious Odoms took the reverse and scooted 13-yards for the Wolverine touchdown. Olesnavage added the extra point to make it 31-17 with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter.
U-M tacked on to its lead at the 3:06 mark with another touchdown on the ground by Robinson, who had just entered the game as the quarterback following an injury to Forcier. The scoring drive was set up off a tipped Schmitt pass that was snatched out of the air by Craig Roh at the EMU 21-yard line.
EMU had a prime opportunity to pull within two scores early in the fourth quarter, as Schmitt directed the offense 55 yards in 14 plays to the U-M five-yard line. However, on fourth and goal, Schmitt's pass bounced off Tyrone Burke (Syracuse, N.Y.-Corcoran-Milford Academy) to give the ball back to Michigan.
Eastern Michigan will now take a week off before returning to action Saturday, Oct. 3, for the Mid-American Conference lid-lifter versus Temple University. The game is also EMU's annual homecoming contest with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. at Rynearson Stadium. WEMU (89.1 FM) and WCHB (1200 AM) will carry the game on the radio with Eagle All-Access video streaming the game via EMUEagles.com.
Team Stats
EMU 0, MICH 3
MICH - Olesnavage, J. 37 yd field goal 5 plays, 32 yards, TOP 1:28
EMU 3, MICH 3
EMU - CARITHERS, Joe 43 yd field goal 8 plays, 49 yards, TOP 5:14
EMU 3, MICH 10
MICH - Brown, Carlos 9 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 9 plays, 60 yards, TOP 3:02
EMU 10, MICH 10
EMU - SCHMITT, Andy 11 yd run (CARITHERS, Joe kick), 11 plays, 79 yards, TOP 6:14
EMU 10, MICH 17
MICH - Shaw, Michael 5 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 6 plays, 69 yards, TOP 1:56
EMU 10, MICH 24
MICH - Brown, Carlos 90 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 1 plays, 90 yards, TOP 0:11
EMU 17, MICH 24
EMU - PRIEST, Dwayne 5 yd run (CARITHERS, Joe kick), 6 plays, 36 yards, TOP 2:13
EMU 17, MICH 31
MICH - Odoms, M. 13 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 7 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:41
EMU 17, MICH 38
MICH - Robinson, D. 13 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 3 plays, 21 yards, TOP 0:41
EMU 17, MICH 45
MICH - Robinson, D. 36 yd run (Olesnavage, J. kick), 2 plays, 46 yards, TOP 0:34
