Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
2012 EMU Football Season In-Review
12/11/2012 3:50:00 PM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
121st season of EMU football
Complete Release (PDF).
2012 Stats.
2012 Stats.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The 2012 football season brought plenty of ups and downs for Eastern Michigan University. The Eagles, who finished the season with a 2-10 overall mark and a 1-7 record in Mid-American Conference play, had plenty of expectations entering the year, but injuries and inexperience dampened the squad's potential.
Eastern Michigan, which retained the Michigan MAC trophy following a 29-23 victory over Western Michigan, Nov. 17, finished nationally in the top-75 in five statistical categories to go along with a pair of top five rankings in the MAC standings.
Offensively, Eastern Michigan rushed for 1,960 yards and 13 touchdowns on 448 carries for the 61st-best ground attack in the nation. The Eagles have now rushed for more than 1,900 yards in each of the past three seasons.
Defensively, EMU ranked 38th nationally and third in the MAC in pass defense. The Eagles gave up just 212.75 yards per game. Additionally, the team ranked 21st nationally in net punting with an average of 39.35 yards per kick.
For their season-long efforts, nine players were selected for College Football Weekly Performance Awards, four took home All-MAC accolades, three Eagles earned MAC West Division Player of the Week honors and two student-athletes captured MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week distinctions.
FOUR EAGLES GARNER ALL-MAC HONORS: Four members of the EMU football team were named to the All-Mid-American Conference teams, Nov. 28, announced by the league office. Senior punter Jay Karutz earned first-team honors, while senior tight end Garrett Hoskins, senior linebacker Justin Cudworth and senior defensive end Andy Mulumba were named to the second team.
Karutz turned in an outstanding senior campaign for the Eagles, ranking second in the MAC and 27th nationally with 42.74 yards per punt. A two-time Ray Guy Award candidate, he finished the season with 24 punts that landed inside the 20-yard line and 12 punts of 50 yards-or-better including a career-long 64-yard punt against Ball State University, Aug. 30. In total, he racked up 2,949 yards via the punt this season which ranks fourth-best in EMU history.
One of just 17 student-athletes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision that is originally from Australia, Karutz finished his EMU career ranked fourth in career punting average (40.1) and punting yardage (8,063).
Hoskins played in all 12 games in 2012, leading the team in catches with 38 receptions for 542 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdowns ranked second most among the All-MAC tight end nominees. Named 2012 Mid-Season All-MAC by Phil Steele, Hoskins finished with an average of 14.3 yards per catch.
The Grand Rapids, Mich. native was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week, Oct. 24, after recording seven receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown in a 48-38 victory over Army, Oct. 20. He finished his career with 74 catches for 1,135 yards and eight touchdowns.
Cudworth started 10 games for EMU at linebacker this season, finishing the year with 85 tackles (31 solo, 54 assists) to go along with 8.0 tackles-for-loss, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. A two-time All-MAC honoree, he ranked 12th in the MAC in tackles and 13th in tackles-for-loss.
A native of Monte Nido, Calif., Cudworth led the team in tackles-for-loss and was third in tackles. He had four-or-more tackles in every game, including a season-high 14 against MAC East Division Champion Kent State, Oct. 6. He finished his two-year career as an Eagle with 168 tackles (63 solo, 105 assists) and 16.5 tackles-for-loss.
Mulumba started all 12 games for the Eagles in 2012 and 31 in his career. The Montreal, Quebec native had 73 tackles (27 solo, 46 assists) to go along with seven quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. He finished second on the team with 7.0 tackles for a loss of 25 yards.
A first time All-MAC honoree, Mulumba had a career-best 11 tackles and three hurries against Central Michigan, Nov. 10. He finished his career with 48 games played to go along with 156 tackles (59 solo, 97 assists) and 18.0 tackles-for-loss.
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 was the hardest in the Mid-American Conference and 29th nationally according to the NCAA's latest statistical release. EMU's 2012 opponents had a combined record of 64-50 with nine opponents appearing in bowl games and Illinois State advancing to the NCAA FCS playoffs.
SOPHOMORE SUCCESS: Eastern Michigan's 2011 recruiting class has paid major dividends in 2012, as the Eagles' sophomore class accounted for 36 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 18 and Demarius Reed has six. Defensively, Pudge Cotton also has an interception return for a touchdown.
HITTING THE 30s: A total of 17 EMU players participated in 30-or-more games during their careers. The players, with total games in parenthesis, are: Andy Mulumba (48), Mike Zupancic (47), Andrew Sorgatz (47), Marcell Rose (46), Alex Gillett (45), Matt Boyd (45), Garrett Hoskins (41), Korey Neal (39), Alex Bellfy (38), Jay Karutz (36), Kody Fulkerson (36), Corey Manns (35), Kalanji Kashama (34), Donald Scott (34), Corey Watman (34), Dominique Sherrer (33), Javonti Greene (31).
GILLETT FINISHES CAREER WITH HIS NAME ALL OVER THE RECORD BOOK: Senior quarterback Alex Gillett played in 45 games for the Eagles, earned 33 starts, and made significant advancement in several EMU career categories. Gillett rushed 506 times for 2,388 yards and 14 touchdowns and completed 349-of-660 passes for 4,448 yards and 35 touchdowns in those 45 games. He recorded 1,166 total offensive plays (rush and pass) for 6,836 total offensive yards.
He ranked third all-time in total offensive yards and was just the sixth player in school history to reach 4,000 total offensive yards. His 349 career completions are good for the seventh spot while his 4,411 career passing yards is eighth in EMU history. Additionally, his 35 career touchdown passes are tied with Matt Bohnet for third in EMU history.
KARUTZ BOOTS: Senior punter Jay Karutz turned in an outstanding senior campaign for the Eagles, ranking second in the MAC and 27th nationally with 42.74 yards per punt. A two-time Ray Guy Award candidate, he finished the season with 24 punts that landed inside the 20-yard line and 12 punts of 50 yards-or-better including a career-long 64-yard punt against Ball State University, Aug. 30. In total, he racked up 2,949 yards via the punt this season which ranks fourth-best in EMU history.
MAC GETS A RECORD-SETTING SEVEN BOWL INVITATIONS: For the first time in Mid-American Conference history a member program will be playing in one of the five prestigious BCS Bowl games as MAC Champion Northern Illinois will face Florida State in the Discover Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Seven MAC teams will be playing in bowl games this year as invitations were extended. The seven bowl invitations established a new conference record for the most bowl appearances in a single season. The previous high was five bowl invitations, which happened on four separate occasions (2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011).
Northern Illinois (Discover Orange Bowl), Kent State (GoDaddy.com Bowl), Toledo (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl), Ball State (Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg), Bowling Green (Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman), Ohio (Advocare V100 Independence Bowl) and Central Michigan (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl) will represent the MAC in bowl games this season.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Eastern Michigan played 11 “true” freshmen during the 2012 campaign. That amount was 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 was tops in the MAC with 13 freshmen and Miami is next with 12.
Ron English Announces Football Staff Coaching Change: Eastern Michigan University Head Football Coach Ron English announced Dec. 4, that offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ken Karcher is no longer a member of the EMU coaching staff.
EMU will begin an immediate search to fill the position. English will make no further comment on the matter until the search has been concluded.
Karcher had been a member of English's staff since he took over the EMU program in December of 2008.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Eagles rank 19th in the nation in net punting at 39.35 yards per play and 38th in pass defense at 212.75 yards per game ... EMU has been strong inside the redzone, scoring on 83 percent of trips inside the 20 ... Eastern has scored touchdowns 55 percent of the time when inside their opponents' 20.
MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY BACK TO YPSILANTI: With the 29-23 victory at Western Michigan, Nov. 17, EMU retained the Michigan MAC Trophy for the fourth time, the most out of any of the other competing schools. Created in 2005 by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, the Eagles kept the trophy due to each team finishing with 1-1 records against each other.
BEATING THE BRONCOS BACK-TO-BACK: EMU's 29-23 defeat of Western Michigan, Nov. 17, marked the first time Eastern has won consecutive games against the Broncos since the Green and White rattled off three straight wins from 1989-1991.
Eastern Michigan, which retained the Michigan MAC trophy following a 29-23 victory over Western Michigan, Nov. 17, finished nationally in the top-75 in five statistical categories to go along with a pair of top five rankings in the MAC standings.
Offensively, Eastern Michigan rushed for 1,960 yards and 13 touchdowns on 448 carries for the 61st-best ground attack in the nation. The Eagles have now rushed for more than 1,900 yards in each of the past three seasons.
Defensively, EMU ranked 38th nationally and third in the MAC in pass defense. The Eagles gave up just 212.75 yards per game. Additionally, the team ranked 21st nationally in net punting with an average of 39.35 yards per kick.
For their season-long efforts, nine players were selected for College Football Weekly Performance Awards, four took home All-MAC accolades, three Eagles earned MAC West Division Player of the Week honors and two student-athletes captured MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week distinctions.
FOUR EAGLES GARNER ALL-MAC HONORS: Four members of the EMU football team were named to the All-Mid-American Conference teams, Nov. 28, announced by the league office. Senior punter Jay Karutz earned first-team honors, while senior tight end Garrett Hoskins, senior linebacker Justin Cudworth and senior defensive end Andy Mulumba were named to the second team.
Karutz turned in an outstanding senior campaign for the Eagles, ranking second in the MAC and 27th nationally with 42.74 yards per punt. A two-time Ray Guy Award candidate, he finished the season with 24 punts that landed inside the 20-yard line and 12 punts of 50 yards-or-better including a career-long 64-yard punt against Ball State University, Aug. 30. In total, he racked up 2,949 yards via the punt this season which ranks fourth-best in EMU history.
One of just 17 student-athletes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision that is originally from Australia, Karutz finished his EMU career ranked fourth in career punting average (40.1) and punting yardage (8,063).
Hoskins played in all 12 games in 2012, leading the team in catches with 38 receptions for 542 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdowns ranked second most among the All-MAC tight end nominees. Named 2012 Mid-Season All-MAC by Phil Steele, Hoskins finished with an average of 14.3 yards per catch.
The Grand Rapids, Mich. native was named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week, Oct. 24, after recording seven receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown in a 48-38 victory over Army, Oct. 20. He finished his career with 74 catches for 1,135 yards and eight touchdowns.
Cudworth started 10 games for EMU at linebacker this season, finishing the year with 85 tackles (31 solo, 54 assists) to go along with 8.0 tackles-for-loss, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. A two-time All-MAC honoree, he ranked 12th in the MAC in tackles and 13th in tackles-for-loss.
A native of Monte Nido, Calif., Cudworth led the team in tackles-for-loss and was third in tackles. He had four-or-more tackles in every game, including a season-high 14 against MAC East Division Champion Kent State, Oct. 6. He finished his two-year career as an Eagle with 168 tackles (63 solo, 105 assists) and 16.5 tackles-for-loss.
Mulumba started all 12 games for the Eagles in 2012 and 31 in his career. The Montreal, Quebec native had 73 tackles (27 solo, 46 assists) to go along with seven quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. He finished second on the team with 7.0 tackles for a loss of 25 yards.
A first time All-MAC honoree, Mulumba had a career-best 11 tackles and three hurries against Central Michigan, Nov. 10. He finished his career with 48 games played to go along with 156 tackles (59 solo, 97 assists) and 18.0 tackles-for-loss.
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 was the hardest in the Mid-American Conference and 29th nationally according to the NCAA's latest statistical release. EMU's 2012 opponents had a combined record of 64-50 with nine opponents appearing in bowl games and Illinois State advancing to the NCAA FCS playoffs.
SOPHOMORE SUCCESS: Eastern Michigan's 2011 recruiting class has paid major dividends in 2012, as the Eagles' sophomore class accounted for 36 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 18 and Demarius Reed has six. Defensively, Pudge Cotton also has an interception return for a touchdown.
HITTING THE 30s: A total of 17 EMU players participated in 30-or-more games during their careers. The players, with total games in parenthesis, are: Andy Mulumba (48), Mike Zupancic (47), Andrew Sorgatz (47), Marcell Rose (46), Alex Gillett (45), Matt Boyd (45), Garrett Hoskins (41), Korey Neal (39), Alex Bellfy (38), Jay Karutz (36), Kody Fulkerson (36), Corey Manns (35), Kalanji Kashama (34), Donald Scott (34), Corey Watman (34), Dominique Sherrer (33), Javonti Greene (31).
GILLETT FINISHES CAREER WITH HIS NAME ALL OVER THE RECORD BOOK: Senior quarterback Alex Gillett played in 45 games for the Eagles, earned 33 starts, and made significant advancement in several EMU career categories. Gillett rushed 506 times for 2,388 yards and 14 touchdowns and completed 349-of-660 passes for 4,448 yards and 35 touchdowns in those 45 games. He recorded 1,166 total offensive plays (rush and pass) for 6,836 total offensive yards.
He ranked third all-time in total offensive yards and was just the sixth player in school history to reach 4,000 total offensive yards. His 349 career completions are good for the seventh spot while his 4,411 career passing yards is eighth in EMU history. Additionally, his 35 career touchdown passes are tied with Matt Bohnet for third in EMU history.
KARUTZ BOOTS: Senior punter Jay Karutz turned in an outstanding senior campaign for the Eagles, ranking second in the MAC and 27th nationally with 42.74 yards per punt. A two-time Ray Guy Award candidate, he finished the season with 24 punts that landed inside the 20-yard line and 12 punts of 50 yards-or-better including a career-long 64-yard punt against Ball State University, Aug. 30. In total, he racked up 2,949 yards via the punt this season which ranks fourth-best in EMU history.
MAC GETS A RECORD-SETTING SEVEN BOWL INVITATIONS: For the first time in Mid-American Conference history a member program will be playing in one of the five prestigious BCS Bowl games as MAC Champion Northern Illinois will face Florida State in the Discover Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Seven MAC teams will be playing in bowl games this year as invitations were extended. The seven bowl invitations established a new conference record for the most bowl appearances in a single season. The previous high was five bowl invitations, which happened on four separate occasions (2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011).
Northern Illinois (Discover Orange Bowl), Kent State (GoDaddy.com Bowl), Toledo (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl), Ball State (Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg), Bowling Green (Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman), Ohio (Advocare V100 Independence Bowl) and Central Michigan (Little Caesars Pizza Bowl) will represent the MAC in bowl games this season.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Eastern Michigan played 11 “true” freshmen during the 2012 campaign. That amount was 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 was tops in the MAC with 13 freshmen and Miami is next with 12.
Ron English Announces Football Staff Coaching Change: Eastern Michigan University Head Football Coach Ron English announced Dec. 4, that offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ken Karcher is no longer a member of the EMU coaching staff.
EMU will begin an immediate search to fill the position. English will make no further comment on the matter until the search has been concluded.
Karcher had been a member of English's staff since he took over the EMU program in December of 2008.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Eagles rank 19th in the nation in net punting at 39.35 yards per play and 38th in pass defense at 212.75 yards per game ... EMU has been strong inside the redzone, scoring on 83 percent of trips inside the 20 ... Eastern has scored touchdowns 55 percent of the time when inside their opponents' 20.
MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY BACK TO YPSILANTI: With the 29-23 victory at Western Michigan, Nov. 17, EMU retained the Michigan MAC Trophy for the fourth time, the most out of any of the other competing schools. Created in 2005 by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, the Eagles kept the trophy due to each team finishing with 1-1 records against each other.
BEATING THE BRONCOS BACK-TO-BACK: EMU's 29-23 defeat of Western Michigan, Nov. 17, marked the first time Eastern has won consecutive games against the Broncos since the Green and White rattled off three straight wins from 1989-1991.
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