Eastern Michigan Athletics

Photo by: Scott Olmstead
Football Squares Off With Northern Illinois on ESPNU
11/21/2011 12:54:00 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Friday, Nov. 25, 2011 » 10 a.m. CT » Huskie Stadium (24,000) » DeKalb, Ill.
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DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road for its regular season finale Friday, Nov. 25, against Mid-American Conference West Division rival Northern Illinois University. Game time is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Ill.
The contest will be shown on ESPNU with Justin Kutcher providing the play-by-play and Tom Luginbill serving as the analyst. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Andrew Wellock calling the action on the field.
PLENTY ON THE LINE FRIDAY: Forget waking up to stand in line for the “Black Friday” deals at the store, the EMU-NIU match up has plenty of reasons to get up early with the national spotlight shining on the post-Thanksgiving Day tilt. Not only does the contest have significance in the Mid-American Conference Championship race, but it also factors into the national bowl picture as well. With a victory, the Eagles can spoil the Huskies' MAC West Division title dreams, as well as, make the Green and White bowl eligible and above-.500 in the final MAC standings for the first time since 1995.
WIN MORE MINUTES ... PAY THE PRICE: The Eagles have made dramatic progress every season under Head Coach Ron English. The 2011 season is the perfect example of that as the Green and White has posted a 6-5 record through its first 11 games, surpassing the team's entire win total during the first two seasons of English's tenure as head coach.
RUN, RUN, RUN: In 11 games this season, Eastern Michigan has rushed for 2,487 yards and 16 touchdowns on 527 carries for the 13th-best ground attack in the nation. In fact, the Eagles have been picking up yardage at a prolific rate and are currently on pace to set the school record for most net rushing yards in a season. The 1987 Hurons, who captured the 1987 Mid-American Conference title, ran the ball a program-best 610 times for a total of 2,701 yards. Through its first 11 games, that 1987 squad ran the football 551 times for 2,489 yards and 34 touchdowns.
EMU SEEKS TO BECOME BOWL ELIGIBLE: For the first time since the 1995 season and just the sixth time in the past 25 years, Eastern Michigan looks to become bowl eligible with a victory at Northern Illinois, Nov. 25. EMU needs seven wins this season because it has two victories over FCS schools and only one counts for bowl eligibility.
The Eagles, who have not to been to a bowl game since the 1987 California Bowl, clinched no-worse than a .500 season with a 30-17 win on Senior Day against Buffalo, Nov. 12. The win over UB also snapped a 15-year streak of consecutive losing seasons for the Green and White.
ALL-TIME VERSUS NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Michigan University and Northern Illinois University will be meeting for the 42nd time in history when the two teams square off Friday, Nov. 25, in a Mid-American Conference West Division game. NIU holds a 25-14-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1927. NIU recorded a 71-3 victory last year, Nov. 26, 2010, in Rynearson Stadium. Eastern's last win in the series came Sept. 15, 2007, at Huskie Stadium by a 21-19 margin.
SPECIAL TEAMS GALORE AT KENT: In the Eagles' 28-22 loss at Kent State, Nov. 19, the Green and White recorded a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and returned a punt for a touchdown. L'Shane Bynum got a paw on the Matt Rinehart kick, while Brandon Slater batted the Freddy Cortez 46-yard attempt. Then with 10:49 to play in the third quarter, freshman Demarius Reed returned a punt 83-yards to the house for his first career touchdown return.
REED TO THE HOUSE: Freshman kick returner Demarius Reed returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown at Kent State, Nov. 19, for his first career punt return for a touchdown. The return was the sixth longest in program history and the longest by an Eastern Michigan player since an 82-yarder by Chris R. Roberson at Ball State, Oct. 19, 2002. Additionally, Reed's return surpassed the entire season punt return yards total for any Eagle during the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 campaigns. On the day, he finished with four returns for 107 yards and the score.
For his efforts, he was named the MAC West Division's Special Teams Player of the Week.
FIRST FOR 100 VERSUS THE FLASHES: Redshirt junior Dominique Sherrer became the first running back to rush for more than 100 yards in game against the Golden Flashes this season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native finished the game with 136 yards on 24 carries. Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein is the only other player to top the century mark against KSU, as he finished with 19 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
EMBRACE THE PROCESS: The six wins by the Green and White in 2011 are the most victories in a season by an EMU squad since 1995, when the then-Rick Rasnick led Eagles finished with a 6-5 record.
EASTERN EXPRESS: It is not exactly a reincarnation of the famed SMU “Pony Express” from the mid-1980's, but Eastern Michigan boasts an extremely potent running attack that is starting to turn heads. The Eagles have four players that are averaging more than 50 yards per game on the ground. Dominique Sherrer leads the way at 105.8 yards per game, followed by Alex Gillett (60.8), Javonti Greene (60.1) and Dominique White (52.6).
EMU is the only school in the MAC to boast this feat, with Temple being the next closest with three players averaging more than 50 yards per game via the run.
ROCK SOLID AT HOME: Eastern Michigan was 5-1 inside the confines of Rynearson Stadium during the 2011 campaign, including opening the season by posting four straight home wins. The last time the Green and White boasted four consecutive home victories during the same regular season was 1987, when the Eagles knocked off Youngstown State (35-20), Northern Illinois (32-31), Ball State (35-28) and Ohio (34-16).
BEST 10-GAME DEFENSIVE EFFORT SINCE 1994: Through 11 games this season, the Eagles' defense has allowed just 274 points for a total of 24.9 points per game. The last EMU squad to accomplish the feat was the 1994 team which gave up 275 points through its 11 contests. EMU currently ranks 54th nationally and fifth in the MAC in scoring defense.
Listen to the Game.
Live Stats.
DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road for its regular season finale Friday, Nov. 25, against Mid-American Conference West Division rival Northern Illinois University. Game time is scheduled for 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Ill.
The contest will be shown on ESPNU with Justin Kutcher providing the play-by-play and Tom Luginbill serving as the analyst. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Andrew Wellock calling the action on the field.
PLENTY ON THE LINE FRIDAY: Forget waking up to stand in line for the “Black Friday” deals at the store, the EMU-NIU match up has plenty of reasons to get up early with the national spotlight shining on the post-Thanksgiving Day tilt. Not only does the contest have significance in the Mid-American Conference Championship race, but it also factors into the national bowl picture as well. With a victory, the Eagles can spoil the Huskies' MAC West Division title dreams, as well as, make the Green and White bowl eligible and above-.500 in the final MAC standings for the first time since 1995.
WIN MORE MINUTES ... PAY THE PRICE: The Eagles have made dramatic progress every season under Head Coach Ron English. The 2011 season is the perfect example of that as the Green and White has posted a 6-5 record through its first 11 games, surpassing the team's entire win total during the first two seasons of English's tenure as head coach.
RUN, RUN, RUN: In 11 games this season, Eastern Michigan has rushed for 2,487 yards and 16 touchdowns on 527 carries for the 13th-best ground attack in the nation. In fact, the Eagles have been picking up yardage at a prolific rate and are currently on pace to set the school record for most net rushing yards in a season. The 1987 Hurons, who captured the 1987 Mid-American Conference title, ran the ball a program-best 610 times for a total of 2,701 yards. Through its first 11 games, that 1987 squad ran the football 551 times for 2,489 yards and 34 touchdowns.
EMU SEEKS TO BECOME BOWL ELIGIBLE: For the first time since the 1995 season and just the sixth time in the past 25 years, Eastern Michigan looks to become bowl eligible with a victory at Northern Illinois, Nov. 25. EMU needs seven wins this season because it has two victories over FCS schools and only one counts for bowl eligibility.
The Eagles, who have not to been to a bowl game since the 1987 California Bowl, clinched no-worse than a .500 season with a 30-17 win on Senior Day against Buffalo, Nov. 12. The win over UB also snapped a 15-year streak of consecutive losing seasons for the Green and White.
ALL-TIME VERSUS NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Eastern Michigan University and Northern Illinois University will be meeting for the 42nd time in history when the two teams square off Friday, Nov. 25, in a Mid-American Conference West Division game. NIU holds a 25-14-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1927. NIU recorded a 71-3 victory last year, Nov. 26, 2010, in Rynearson Stadium. Eastern's last win in the series came Sept. 15, 2007, at Huskie Stadium by a 21-19 margin.
SPECIAL TEAMS GALORE AT KENT: In the Eagles' 28-22 loss at Kent State, Nov. 19, the Green and White recorded a blocked punt, a blocked field goal and returned a punt for a touchdown. L'Shane Bynum got a paw on the Matt Rinehart kick, while Brandon Slater batted the Freddy Cortez 46-yard attempt. Then with 10:49 to play in the third quarter, freshman Demarius Reed returned a punt 83-yards to the house for his first career touchdown return.
REED TO THE HOUSE: Freshman kick returner Demarius Reed returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown at Kent State, Nov. 19, for his first career punt return for a touchdown. The return was the sixth longest in program history and the longest by an Eastern Michigan player since an 82-yarder by Chris R. Roberson at Ball State, Oct. 19, 2002. Additionally, Reed's return surpassed the entire season punt return yards total for any Eagle during the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 campaigns. On the day, he finished with four returns for 107 yards and the score.
For his efforts, he was named the MAC West Division's Special Teams Player of the Week.
FIRST FOR 100 VERSUS THE FLASHES: Redshirt junior Dominique Sherrer became the first running back to rush for more than 100 yards in game against the Golden Flashes this season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native finished the game with 136 yards on 24 carries. Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein is the only other player to top the century mark against KSU, as he finished with 19 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
EMBRACE THE PROCESS: The six wins by the Green and White in 2011 are the most victories in a season by an EMU squad since 1995, when the then-Rick Rasnick led Eagles finished with a 6-5 record.
EASTERN EXPRESS: It is not exactly a reincarnation of the famed SMU “Pony Express” from the mid-1980's, but Eastern Michigan boasts an extremely potent running attack that is starting to turn heads. The Eagles have four players that are averaging more than 50 yards per game on the ground. Dominique Sherrer leads the way at 105.8 yards per game, followed by Alex Gillett (60.8), Javonti Greene (60.1) and Dominique White (52.6).
EMU is the only school in the MAC to boast this feat, with Temple being the next closest with three players averaging more than 50 yards per game via the run.
ROCK SOLID AT HOME: Eastern Michigan was 5-1 inside the confines of Rynearson Stadium during the 2011 campaign, including opening the season by posting four straight home wins. The last time the Green and White boasted four consecutive home victories during the same regular season was 1987, when the Eagles knocked off Youngstown State (35-20), Northern Illinois (32-31), Ball State (35-28) and Ohio (34-16).
BEST 10-GAME DEFENSIVE EFFORT SINCE 1994: Through 11 games this season, the Eagles' defense has allowed just 274 points for a total of 24.9 points per game. The last EMU squad to accomplish the feat was the 1994 team which gave up 275 points through its 11 contests. EMU currently ranks 54th nationally and fifth in the MAC in scoring defense.
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