Football Renews Rivalry with Central Michigan Saturday

Weekly Conference Call Audio.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After back-to-back road contests, the Eastern Michigan University football team returns to the friendly confines of Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Nov. 10, to kickoff rivalry week against Central Michigan University. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Eagles enter the Mid-American Conference West Division contest with a 1-8 (0-5 MAC) record following a 45-14 road setback to Ohio University at Peden Stadium, Nov. 1. Meanwhile, the Chippewas are 3-5 (1-3 MAC) after falling to Western Michigan University, 42-31, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Nov. 3.
The contest will not be televised but it will be video streamed on Eagle All-Access. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Chad Bush calling the action on the field.

BATTLE FOR THE MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY: Saturday begins the Eagles' chase for the Michigan MAC Trophy, which is given to the Michigan MAC university that defeats the other two schools in the same sport in the same regular season. In the event that no school defeats its other two rivals during the regular season, the Michigan MAC Trophy will remain with the winning school until one of the other rivals claims the title.
Created in 2005 by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, EMU currently holds the football trophy and Central Michigan has the basketball version.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE CHIPPEWAS: Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan will be meeting for the 90th time in school history. The Chippewas hold a 55-28-6 edge in the series, however, the Eagles have won five of the last eight meetings in the series dating back to the 2004 campaign. The series began in 1902 when CMU recorded a 10-0 victory, Nov. 1.
The Green and White's last victory at Rynearson Stadium against CMU came Nov. 28, 2008, when quarterback Andy Schmitt guided EMU to a 56-52 upset of the MAC West Division Champion Chippewas. In that contest, Schmitt set one NCAA record and established five EMU marks on the way to completing 58-of-80 passes for 516 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Eagles to victory. Wide receiver Tyler Jones caught an EMU single-game record 23 passes for 170 yards. Those 23 receptions tied UNLV's Randy Gatewood for the NCAA record. Additionally, EMU place-kicker Joe Carithers tied an EMU single-game record with eight PAT kicks.

Michigan Born and Bred: The Eagles' roster features 38 players from the state of Michigan. This total ranks second among Michigan MAC schools, trailing Central Michigan (68) and in front of Western Michigan (28).

LAST TIME WE MET: A dramatic 30-yard touchdown run by quarterback Alex Gillett with just 37 seconds left in the game broke a 28-28 tie to give Eastern Michigan a 35-28 win over Central Michigan inside Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Oct. 15, 2011.
Head Coach Ron English's Eagles held what looked like a safe 28-13 lead with 5:39 left in the game, but Central came back to score 15 unanswered points to tie the game at 28-all with 1:09 left.
Facing what looked like a certain overtime finish, the Eagles then took the ensuing kickoff and marched all the way to the CMU 30-yard line setting up the exciting run by Gillett. Kody Fulkerson added the PAT kick for the 35-28 EMU lead with 37 seconds left.
Central would not go quietly, however, advancing all the way to the EMU 28-yard line before cornerback Marcell Rose picked off a Ryan Radcliff pass on the last play of the game at the EMU four-yard-line and returned it to the eight before sliding down to end the contest.

SOPHOMORE SUCCESS: Eastern Michigan's 2011 recruiting class has paid major dividends in 2012, as the Eagles' sophomore class has accounted for 44 percent of the team's points this season. Bronson Hill leads the way for EMU with seven touchdowns for a total of 42 points. Meanwhile Ryan Brumfield has 18 points, Tyreese Russell has 12 and Demarius Reed has six. Defensively, Pudge Cotton also has an interception return for a touchdown.

REACHING THE CENTURY MARK: When sophomore Bronson Hill rushed for 111 yards in the Eagles' loss at Ohio, Nov. 1; it marked his third 100-plus rushing game this season.
Date Opponent Rushes Net Yards TDs
Oct. 13, 2012 vs. Toledo 28 283 4
Oct. 20, 2012 vs. Army 26 189 1
Nov. 1, 2012 at Ohio 25 111 0

BRUMFIELD SCORES A PAIR AT OHIO: Sophomore Ryan Brumfield recorded his first career two-touchdown performance at Ohio, Nov. 1. The Chester Springs, Pa. native caught a 17-yard TD pass from quarterback Tyler Benz in the first quarter and followed it up with a three-yard rush for the score in the second stanza.

GILLETT ON THE GRAB: Senior Alex Gillett continues to find different ways to contribute for EMU. After seeing his first action as a wide receiver against Bowling Green, Oct. 27, the co-captain recorded the first catches of his career at Ohio, Nov. 1. The Green Springs, Ohio product finished with a team-high three catches for 42 yards against the Bobcats.

NEAL AND HENDERSON RETURN: Seniors Korey Neal and Devin Henderson both returned to the EMU lineup at Ohio, Nov. 1. Neal had missed the previous five contests with an injury, while Henderson had missed the last four games.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Eagles rank 21st in the nation in net punting at 39.3 yards per play and 23rd in pass defense at 195.9 yards per game ... EMU has been strong inside the redzone, scoring on 84 percent of trips inside the 20 ... Eastern has scored touchdowns 63 percent of the time when inside their opponents' 20.

NO CUPCAKES: Playing football in the Mid-American Conference leaves little room for error. Just ask EMU Head Coach Ron English. EMU's strength of schedule is second-hardest in the Mid-American Conference and 34th nationally according to the NCAA's latest statistical release. EMU's 2012 opponents have a combined record of 47-38.

KARUTZ CONTINUES TO BOOT: Senior punter Jay Karutz currently boasts a per punt average of 43.3 yards, an average that, if the season ended today, would be the best in EMU history for a season. The North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia, native is tops amongst all Mid-American Conference punters and currently has 21 punts that have landed inside the 20-yard line and has 11 punts of 50 yards-or-better including a career long 64-yard punt against Ball State University, Aug. 30.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Eastern Michigan has played 11 “true” freshmen during the 2012 campaign. That amount is tied for 18th most nationally and third most in the Mid-American Conference. Texas and TCU lead the way with 16 first-year players having seen game action. Meanwhile, Akron is tops in the MAC with 13 freshmen and Miami is next with 12.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the CMU game, Eastern Michigan hits the road for the final time in 2012 for a Saturday, Nov. 17, contest against Western Michigan University. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan will be meeting for the 48th time in school history. The Broncos hold a 29-16-2 edge in the series which began in 1906 when EMU recorded a 14-5 victory in Kalamazoo, Nov. 17.
The Green and White's last victory over the Brown and Gold came just last season, Oct. 22, 2011 when EMU combined a tenacious defense with some timely offense to record a 14-10 win over WMU at Rynearson Stadium.
Eastern, trailing by a 10-7 count with under 11 minutes left, grabbed the lead on a 50-yard dash to paydirt by Javonti Greene. Kody Fulkerson added the PAT for a 14-10 EMU lead with just 7:46 left. The Eagles defense then came up with some magic of its own, stuffing a fourth-and-goal WMU attempt on the EMU one-yard line to regain possession of the ball with just 4:56 left in the fourth quarter. The offense would keep the ball the rest of the way to preserve the victory.

EMU DEFENSE TIGHTENS IN RED ZONE: The Eagle defense is holding its opponents to just 82 percent on their trips to the red zone. EMU's defense has allowed its opponents to enter the red zone on 38 drives, but has given up just 21 touchdowns and 10 field goals. EMU ranks 65th nationally in red zone defense.

SLOW STARTS: Through its first nine games this season, EMU has been out-scored, 74-34, in the first quarter and has trailed after the opening quarter in six games. The Eagles have been shut-out in the first quarter in five contests, but have turned the tables in the second stanza to score a total of 71 points.

POWER OF SEVEN: A total of 14 of EMU's 45 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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