Ohio Comes to Town for Band Day Saturday, Oct. 19

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After back-to-back road games in New York, the Eastern Michigan University football team returns to Ypsilanti to host Ohio University, Oct. 19, in a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional contest. Kickoff from Rynearson Stadium is set for 1:04 p.m. and fans are encouraged to wear white as the game will be a "White Out."
ESPN3 will broadcast the game with Dan Gutowsky providing the play-by-play and Dustin Fox serving as the analyst. The contest will once again hit the airwaves of WEMU (89.1 FM) with Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick calling the action on the field.

BAND DAY: The contest against the Bobcats is also Band Day at Rynearson Stadium, with 13 high school bands in attendance, performing as one during a special halftime concert. The schools scheduled to participate include: Divine Child High School, EA Johnson High School, Garden City High School, Hartland High School, Madison High School, Powers Catholic High School, Riverview Community High School, Roseville High School, Skyline High School, St. Mary Catholic Central High School, Whitmore Lake High School, Whiteford High School and Ypsilanti Community Schools.

EAGLES UNITE GAME: The game against Ohio will also be an Eagles Unite game, where student-athletes from various EMU athletic teams will come out to support the football team. The athletes will wear their special Eagles Unite t-shirt and form a pregame tunnel from which the team will emerge onto the field. At halftime, they will return for a special on-field introduction as well as a celebratory photograph.
The new mantra of the Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics – "Eagles Unite" – is more than just a catchy slogan, but a campaign of support that pervades all of EMU's 21 varsity sports. The athletic department is encouraging student-athletes to attend specific sporting events that serve as the opportunity for them to show their school pride both on and off the field while building camaraderie amongst other student athletes.

ALL-TIME GREEN AND WHITE VS. GREEN AND WHITE: The two green and white teams will meet on the gridiron for the 30th time in history when they take the Rynearson Stadium turf, Oct. 19. Ohio leads the series 17-11-1, winning eight out of the last nine matchups. EMU last defeated Ohio, Oct. 16, 1999, in a tightly-contested 27-26 game in Ypsilanti.

THE GAUNTLET BEGINS: Life in the Mid-American Conference doesn't get easy for the Eagles as they face the top two teams in each division throughout their next five contests. The Green and White face the predicted top two teams in the East in Ohio, Oct. 19, and Bowling Green, Nov. 23. Both teams have lived up to the preseason hype, combining for an overall record of 9-4, including 4-1 mark in MAC play.
Similarly, in the West Division, Northern Illinois and Toledo have put together impressive records and statistics through the first half of the season. The undefeated Huskies have defeated two Big Ten Conference teams in non-conference play and are currently ranked No. 23 in the polls. Toledo, after a tough non-league schedule, has righted the ship to post a 3-3 overall mark. EMU faces these two teams on the road in back-to-back contests, Oct. 26 at NIU, before going to Toledo, Nov. 2.

BRONSON RUNNING DOWNHILL: After taking over the starting duties midway through last season, Bronson Hill was expected to be the primary back this year, and that has been the case. Through six games, the Grand Rapids, Mich. native has ran for 495 yards on the ground, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. In the Eagles' most recent game against Army, Oct. 12, Hill rushed for a season-high 143 yards and a touchdown, including a season-long 43 yard scamper.
The junior running back has eclipsed the century mark six times in his career, helping the Eagles reach the 200-yard rushing plateau 16 times under Head Coach Ron English.

LAST TIME WE MET IN YPSI: Ohio will be making its first trip to Ypsilanti since the 2010 campaign, when the Bobcats escaped with a 30-17 victory at Rynearson Stadium, Oct. 2. EMU turned in a great first-half effort only to be out-scored 20-7 in the second half to spoil homecoming.
After fighting to a 10-10 halftime tie, the Eagles were not able to contain the Bobcats in the second half as Ohio scored three unanswered touchdowns. For the Eagles, quarterback Alex Gillett led the way, completing 15-of-30 passes for 208 yards and one touchdown pass. Dwayne Priest led the Eagles' rushing attack with 117 yards on 19 rushes, his fourth career 100-yard rushing effort.
Ohio was paced by quarterback Boo Jackson who completed 15-of-24 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown. Jackson also led the Bobcats on the ground, gaining 60 yards on 13 rushes.

DYNAMIC DUO AGAINST ARMY: Tyler Benz and Bronson Hill have enjoyed playing Army the past two seasons, statistically. The dynamic duo has now combined for 920 yards and nine touchdowns in the past two games against the Black Knights. In the 50-25 loss in West Point, Oct. 12, the two combined for 366 yards against Army. Last season versus Army, Oct. 20, 2012, Benz threw 19-of-31 for 369 yards and five touchdowns, including one to Hill. Meanwhile, Hill ran for 185 yards and one touchdown on the ground in the Eagles' 48-38 win at Rynearson Stadium.

RUSSELL FILLING THE SHOES: With Tyler Benz losing his favorite target from a year ago in All-MAC Second Team tight end Garrett Hoskins, the Eagles were left wondering who will fill the void. Through five games this season, EMU may have found its guy at the same position. Junior tight end Tyreese Russell is currently leading EMU in catches (28) and yards (290) through six games in 2013. The Chicago, Ill. native recorded career highs against Rutgers, Sept. 14, hauling in nine catches for 84 yards.

NEW LOOK IN WEST POINT: Eastern Michigan unveiled new helmets during the Army game, Oct. 12. The helmets, designed by Pakmode Media + Marketing, are predominantly white, featuring an E on one side and the player's number on the other. The helmets also have a gray stripe down the top in a feather texture, and one side features the outline of the state of Michigan in gray. The back features wings and the phrase "Time to Fly."
This will be the third type of helmet Eastern has worn this year. The Eagles have already helmets that are all gray with the a green Block E logo on both sides, and an all green helmet with a Block E on both sides.

GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START: The 15 points the Eagles scored in the first quarter against Army, Oct. 12, were the most points scored during the opening 15 minutes this season. Coming into the contest, EMU had tallied a total of just 16 points in the opening frame during the first five contests.

DEFENDING MAC CHAMPS AWAIT: Following the home cross-divisional game, the Eagles return to the road and West Division play, traveling to DeKalb, Ill. to face defending MAC Champion Northern Illinois University. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. CT from Huskie Stadium.

NEW BOWL GAMES FOR THE MAC STARTING IN 2014: The Mid-American Conference has announced the creation of a pair of bowl games in Boca Raton, Fla. and Nassau, Bahamas, for a six-year period (2014-19). The Boca Raton Bowl will be played at FAU Stadium, while the Bahamas Bowl will be played at Thomas A. Robinson Stadium..
With further announcements coming shortly, the MAC will have created two new primary appearances on an annual basis for the next six years. Starting in the 2014 college football season, the MAC will have a minimum five guaranteed bowl opportunities.

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