Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-10 , 2-6
Northern Illinois
10-2 , 8-0
Eagles Fall to MAC West Division Champion NIU Huskies
11/26/2010 4:41:00 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team closed out its 2010 season with a 71-3 loss to Mid-American Conference West Division champion Northern Illinois University here Friday afternoon, Nov. 26, in Rynearson Stadium on Senior Day.
EMU finishes the year with a 2-10 overall record and a 2-6 MAC mark while NIU improves to 10-2 and finishes the regular season with an 8-0 league record. The Huskies will represent the West Division in the MAC Championship game Friday, Dec. 3, at Ford Field in Detroit.
The Eagles were paced by senior running back Dwayne Priest (Roanoke, Va.-Fleming-Fork Union Military Academy) with 59 yards rushing on 21 carries. Sophomore quarterback Alex Gillett (Green Springs, Ohio-Clyde) who completed four-of-nine passes for 11 yards.
NIU opened the game with three unanswered touchdowns to take an early 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Huskies' Chad Spann began the scoring on a 71-yard touchdown run on the first play of NIU's second offensive series of the game. Kicker Michael Cklamovski missed the extra point kick to make it 6-0 with 9:58 remaining in the first quarter.
The NIU defense then sacked Gillett, forcing a fumble that the visitor's Sean Progar recovered at the EMU 22-yard line.
The Huskies made that turnover pay off two plays later when Ricky Crider ran 22 yards for a score. Cklamovski made the extra point boot for the 13-0 lead at the 8:53 mark.
Spann gave the Huskies a 20-0 lead with 3:47 left in the first on a two-yard run and Cklamovski added the PAT.
Eastern broke the scoreless drought at the 12:55 mark of the second quarter when Sean Graham (Commerce Township, Mich.-Orchard Lake St. Mary's-Florida State University) capped a 63-yard drive in 12 plays with a 27-yard field goal to make it 20-3.
Northern then came back with another score when Harnish found Willie Clark for an 18-yard touchdown toss. Cklamovski added the PAT kick for a 27-3 NIU lead with 10:56 remaining in the second quarter.
Clark made it back-to-back touchdown receptions with 4:26 left in the first half when he hauled in a 16-\yard scoring strike from Harnish with Cklamovski adding the PAT for a 34-3 NIU lead.
Northern closed out the first-half scoring on a 38-yard field goal by Cklamovski with 1:01 left in the second quarter.
NIU opened the second half by forcing an EMU three-and-out and responding with an 81-yard run from scrimmage by backup quarterback Jordan Lynch followed by a Cklamovski PAT for a 44-3 NIU lead at the 12:23 mark of the third quarter.
Lynch came right back with a 61-yard touchdown dash with Cklamovski adding the PAT for a 51-3 NIU led with 10:32 left in the third quarter.
The visitors would go on to add 20 more points the rest of the way to produce the 68-point win.
Team Stats
NIU 6, EMU 0
NIU - SPANN, Chad 71 yd run (CKLAMOVSKI, M kickfailed), 1 plays, 71 yards, TOP 0:12
NIU 13, EMU 0
NIU - CRIDER, Ricky 22 yd run (CKLAMOVSKI, M kick), 2 plays, 22 yards, TOP 0:11
NIU 20, EMU 0
NIU - SPANN, Chad 2 yd run (CKLAMOVSKI, M kick), 7 plays, 57 yards, TOP 3:09
NIU 20, EMU 3
EMU - GRAHAM, Sean 27 yd field goal 12 plays, 63 yards, TOP 5:47
NIU 27, EMU 3
NIU - CLARK, Willie 18 yd pass from HARNISH, Chand (CKLAMOVSKI, M kick) 5 plays, 57 yards, TOP 1:53
NIU 34, EMU 3
NIU - CLARK, Willie 16 yd pass from HARNISH, Chand (CKLAMOVSKI, M kick) 3 plays, 23 yards, TOP 1:20
NIU 37, EMU 3
NIU - CKLAMOVSKI, M 38 yd field goal 8 plays, 54 yards, TOP 2:10
NIU 44, EMU 3
NIU - LYNCH, Jordan 81 yd run (CKLAMOVSKI, M kick), 1 plays, 81 yards, TOP 0:12
NIU 51, EMU 3
NIU - LYNCH, Jordan 61 yd run (CKLAMOVSKI, M kick), 1 plays, 61 yards, TOP 0:10
NIU 58, EMU 3
NIU - GRADY, DeMarcus 61 yd run (CKLAMOVSKI, M kick), 1 plays, 61 yards, TOP 0:10
NIU 65, EMU 3
NIU - GRADY, DeMarcus 30 yd run (SIMS, Mathew kick), 2 plays, 32 yards, TOP 0:53
NIU 71, EMU 3
NIU - HOPKINS, Jasmin 74 yd run (CKLAMOVSKI, M kickfailed), 1 plays, 74 yards, TOP 0:13
