Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
5-4 , 3-2
Ball State
6-4 , 4-2
EMU Drops Home Heartbreaker to Ball State
11/5/2011 3:59:00 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Field goal with nine seconds left spoils EMU bid for late win
Photo Gallery.
Postgame Audio.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team lost a heartbreaking 33-31 decision to the Ball State University Cardinals here Saturday, Nov. 5, in a Mid-American Conference West Division game in Rynearson Stadium. The game was regionally televised by ESPN+.
EMU sophomore place-kicker Kody Fulkerson (Zanesville, Ohio-Maysville) gave the Eagles a 31-30 lead with just 1:18 left in the game when he booted a 20-yard field goal.
Trailing by that one point, Ball State then drove the ball all the way to the EMU 27-yard line and place-kicker Steven Schott kicked a 44-yard field goal with just nine ticks left on the clock.
Eastern's last-ditch effort after the ensuing kickoff fell short and Ball State walked away with the three-point victory.
Head Coach Ron English's EMU squad drops to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in MAC action while Ball State improves to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in league play.
The loss spoiled a great offensive effort by EMU that saw the Eagles roll up 501 yards in total offense on 82 plays.
Eagles' quarterback Alex Gillett (Green, Ohio-Clyde) turned in a spectacular overall game, completing 12-of-17 passes for 196 yards and four touchdowns while rushing 18 times for 126 yards.
The EMU receiving corps turned in an outstanding effort as well with sophomore Nick Olds (Columbus, Ind.-East) catching four passes for 70 yards, including a 42-yard aerial from Gillett.
Freshman wide receiver Tyreese Russell (Melrose Park, Ill.-Walther Lutheran) caught two passes for 30 yards and recorded the first two touchdown grabs of his rookie season with scoring catches of 14 and 16 yards. Senior wide receiver Trey Hunter (Pemberville, Ohio-Eastwood) caught three passes, with one a 32-yard touchdown toss from Gillett.
The EMU defense also limited the Cardinals to just 91 yards rushing on 22 carries, but quarterback Keith Wenning picked up the slack, completing 20-of-35 passes for 284 yards and two scores.
The Cardinals took advantage of some poor field position to record the first points of the game.
After Eastern pinned the visitors on their own one-yard line the Cards struck gold on a 94-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Keith Wenning to wide receiver Torriel Gibson on the third play of the series at the 9:38 mark of the first quarter.
That touchdown pass was the longest in Rynearson Stadium history, breaking the mark of 79 yards by EMU quarterback Charlie Batch to wide receiver Ta-if Kumasi on Oct. 18, 1997.
Eastern came right back to knot the score at 7-7 when Gillett found Hunter for a 32-yard touchdown strike with 6:46 left in the quarter.
The Ball State offense moved into a 14-7 lead with 4:50 left in the quarter when it marched 75 yards in eight plays, culminating in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Wenning to Barrington Scott with Steve Schott adding his second PAT kick.
Not to be outdone, Eastern fought right back to tie the score at 14-all when Gillett found wide receiver Olds for a 42-yard touchdown pass with just 39 seconds left in the first. Fulkerson added the PAT boot.
Ball State moved back on top, 17-14, at the 13:23 mark of the second quarter on a 31-yard field goal by Schott.
The Eagles' offense came up with a 66 yard drive on 10 plays to take their first lead of the game with 1:47 in the first quarter with Gillett finding freshman Russell for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Fulkerson added the PAT for a 21-17 advantage.
Ball State came right back on the ensuing kickoff, taking it all the way to the EMU 15-yard line.
The Cards made that return pay off in the form of a 29-yard Schott field goal with 1:08 left to cut EMU's lead to one, 21-20.
Ball State reclaimed the lead on its first offensive possession of the second half, going 57 yards on seven plays with Jahwan Edwards scoring on a 15-yard run. Schott added the PAT for a 27-21 BSU lead.
The Eagles fought back in the final seconds of the third quarter to take a 28-27 lead when Gillett found Russell for a 16-yard touchdown strike, Russell's second of the day. Fulkerson once again made the PAT.
A Schott 23-yard field goal with 6:52 left in the game gave the visitors a 30-28 lead.
The never-say-die Eagles then came up with a major offensive drive of their own, traveling 66 yards in 13 plays with Fulkerson booting the 20-yard field goal with just 1:18 left for a 31-30 EMU lead, setting up the late three pointer by Ball State's Schott.
The Eagles will stay in Rynearson Stadium for a second straight week when the Eagles host East Division rival University at Buffalo Saturday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
BSU 7, EMU 0
BSU - GIBSON, Torieal 94 yd pass from WENNING, Keith (SCHOTT, Steven kick) 3 plays, 99 yards, TOP 0:44
BSU 7, EMU 7
EMU - HUNTER, Trey 32 yd pass from GILLETT, Alex (FULKERSON, Kody kick) 6 plays, 68 yards, TOP 2:46
BSU 14, EMU 7
BSU - SCOTT, B. 8 yd pass from WENNING, Keith (SCHOTT, Steven kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:49
BSU 14, EMU 14
EMU - OLDS, Nick 42 yd pass from GILLETT, Alex (FULKERSON, Kody kick) 7 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:05
BSU 17, EMU 14
BSU - SCHOTT, Steven 31 yd field goal 6 plays, 58 yards, TOP 2:10
BSU 17, EMU 21
EMU - RUSSELL, T. 14 yd pass from GILLETT, Alex (FULKERSON, Kody kick) 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 4:54
BSU 20, EMU 21
BSU - SCHOTT, Steven 29 yd field goal 4 plays, 3 yards, TOP 0:26
BSU 27, EMU 21
BSU - EDWARDS, Jahwan 15 yd run (SCHOTT, Steven kick), 7 plays, 57 yards, TOP 1:54
BSU 27, EMU 28
EMU - RUSSELL, T. 16 yd pass from GILLETT, Alex (FULKERSON, Kody kick) 13 plays, 88 yards, TOP 5:58
BSU 30, EMU 28
BSU - SCHOTT, Steven 23 yd field goal 13 plays, 76 yards, TOP 5:13
BSU 30, EMU 31
EMU - FULKERSON, Kody 20 yd field goal 13 plays, 66 yards, TOP 5:27
BSU 33, EMU 31
BSU - SCHOTT, Steven 44 yd field goal 9 plays, 46 yards, TOP 1:02
