Football Makes the Short Trip to Bowling Green

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road for the first time in 35 days with a trip to Bowling Green, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 27, to square off against the Falcons of Bowling Green State University. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium.
The Eagles enter the Mid-American Conference cross-divisional contest with a 1-6 (0-3 MAC) record following a 48-38 non-conference victory over Army at Rynearson Stadium, Oct. 20. Meanwhile, the Falcons are 5-3 (3-1 MAC) after rolling past the University of Massachusetts, 24-0, at Gillette Stadium, Oct. 20.
The contest will be locally televised by the Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BSCN) with Greg Franke providing the play-by-play and Tom Cole serving as the analyst. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Herman Moore calling the action on the field.

EXTENDED HOME COOKING: The Eagles are coming off a three-game home stand that featured contests against Kent State, Oct. 6, Toledo, Oct. 13, and Army, Oct. 20. In total, EMU was home for 35 consecutive days, marking the second consecutive season the oddity had occurred. Previously, EMU's longest streak without a road contest occurred during the 2005 season when the Eagles hosted Miami, Western Michigan and Ball State before enjoying a bye week to rest up for a trip to Buffalo, N.Y.

A THOUSAND AND COUNTING: After compiling just 2,370 yards of total offense through the first five games of the season, the Eagles have busted out for a combined 1,201 yards over the last two contests with 624 against Toledo, Oct. 13, and 577 versus Army, Oct. 20. The Eagles have used a balanced strategy of rushing and passing to reach that lofty two-game total, as 670 (55.8 percent) have been through the air and the remaining 531 (44.2 percent) on the ground.
Sophomore running back Bronson Hill racked up 283 rushing yards with four scores against the Rockets to lead all rushers, while redshirt sophomore quarterback Tyler Benz threw for five touchdowns and 369 yards to dispatch the Black Knights.

EAGLES GET IT DONE NON-CONFERENCE STYLE: With a 48-38 triumph against Army, Oct. 21, the Eagles defeated a non-conference Football Subdivision (FBS) opponent for the first time since Sept. 10, 2005. That day, EMU rolled to a 31-10 home victory over Louisiana-Lafayette as Matt Bohnet racked up two passing touchdowns and a pair of rushing scores.

BENZ DROPS FIVE ON BLACK KNIGHTS: In just his fourth start as an Eagle, redshirt sophomore quarterback Tyler Benz threw for five touchdown passes, good for the second most in the history of the program behind only Kainoa Akina's six-score performance at Akron, Nov. 24, 2001. Benz's four first-half touchdowns put him just one shy of Andy Schmitt, who threw for five in the opening half in a 56-52 win over rival Central Michigan, Nov. 28, 2008. The Park Ridge, Ill. native also notched a career-high 385 yards of total offense with 369 (19-31-1) via the pass. He added five rushes for 16 yards in the contest. For his efforts, he was selected the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week.

HOSKINS BREAKS THROUGH VS. ARMY: Senior tight end Garrett Hoskins turned in a career day against Army, Oct. 20, with seven receptions for a personal high of 158 yards to go along with a touchdown. The Grand Rapids, Mich. native shattered his previous single-game high of 103 yards set just a week earlier against Toledo, Oct. 13. Hoskins' touchdown reception, a one-yard strike from Tyler Benz in the first quarter, was his eighth career score and third of the 2012 campaign. Additionally, his 44-yard catch in the second quarter was also good for the third longest in his four seasons with the Eagles, with his longest of 73 yards coming against Ball State, Oct. 16, 2010. For his efforts, he was selected the National Tight End of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards.

REACHING THE CENTURY MARK: When sophomore Bronson Hill rushed for 185 yards in the Eagles' 48-38 win over Army, Oct. 20, it marked his second consecutive 100-plus rushing game this season.
Bronson Hill • 100-Yard Games
Date Opponent Rushes Net Yards TDs
Oct. 13, 2012 vs. Toledo 28 283 4
Oct. 20, 2012 vs. Army 26 189 1

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE FALCONS: The Eagles and Falcons will be renewing a rivalry that has been dormant since the 2008 campaign. BGSU leads the series, 23-11-1. EMU and BGSU first met during the 1919 season, when EMU captured a 10-0 victory in Bowling Green, Ohio.
The last time the teams met was Oct. 4, 2008, when the Eagles needed some last-second heroics to record a 24-21 win. Trailing by a 21-17 margin, the Eagles moved 77 yards in six plays and scored the winning points on a 16-yard scoring pass from quarterback Andy Schmitt to wide receiver Tyler Jones with just 36 seconds left in the game. Place-kicker Joe Carithers added the PAT kick for the 24-21 EMU advantage. The winning touchdown was set up by a big EMU defensive stand as the Eagles forced a Bowling Green punt, getting the offense the ball back with 1:21 left on the clock. The home team still had a chance to tie the game after that late EMU score, but a 52-yard field goal attempt by Sinisa Vrvilo was short and to the left as time expired.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the BGSU game, Eastern Michigan stays on the road for a Thursday. Nov. 1, contest at nationally-ranked Ohio University. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be shown to a national television audience on ESPNU from Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. Ohio and Eastern Michigan will be meeting for the 29th time in school history. The Bobcats hold a 16-11-1 edge in the series, including winning the last four meetings in the series dating back to the 2002 campaign. The Eagles' last victory over the Bobcats occurred Oct. 16, 1999, when EMU escaped with a 27-26 victory after the OU extra-point attempt was blocked with 1:06 remaining in the contest.
Eastern Michigan's last victory at Peden Stadium was almost 18 years ago, Nov. 12, 1994, when EMU rolled to a 24-13 victory.

ELITE COMPANY: Sophomore Bronson Hill turned in the then-best single-game rushing performance in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this year with 283 yards gained on 28 rushes to go along with an EMU record-tying four touchdown runs against Toledo, Oct. 13. His rushing effort is the second best in school history, trailing only Larry Radcliff's 291 rushing yards, Oct. 16, 1971, at home against Eastern Kentucky.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Eagles rank ninth in the nation in net punting at 41.1 yards per play ... EMU has been strong inside the redzone, scoring on 88 percent of trips inside the 20 ... Eastern has scored touchdowns 63 percent of the time when inside their opponents' 20.

KARUTZ CONTINUES TO BOOT: Senior punter Jay Karutz is averaging 44.2 yards per kick, which is tops amongst all Mid-American Conference punters. In total, he has 18 kicks that have been downed inside the 20-yard line and eight that have traveled more than 50 yards.

THROWING FOR 300: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tyler Benz became the first Eagle in 42 games to throw for 300-or-more yards in a single-game, when he tossed for 301-yards against the University of Toledo, Oct. 13. He is the first to eclipse the 300-yard mark since Andy Schmitt hurled for 516 yards against Central Michigan University, Nov. 28, 2008.

THE 600-YARD CLUB: Eastern Michigan's 624-yard outburst against Toledo, Oct. 13, was good for the third-best total offensive effort by an EMU team in program history and second best against an FBS opponent. The Green and White piled up 637 yards against FCS foe Indiana State, Aug. 28, 2008, and 632 yards against Mid-American Conference foe Akron, Oct. 18, 1997.
Not only did the Eagles post a 600-plus yard showing against the Sycamores in 2008, they also did it against Central Michigan University, Nov. 28, with a 616-yard performance. EMU has only put together a game with more than 600 yards four times in its history.

POWER OF SEVEN: A total of 14 of EMU's 43 games under Head Coach Ron English have been decided by seven points-or-less. The Eagles are 5-9 in those contests.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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