Football Faces No. 22/23 Northern Illinois Saturday in DeKalb, Ill.

TV: Comcast Sports Net Chicago

DeKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) -- After an extremely emotional week, the Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road again with a trip to DeKalb, Ill., Saturday, Oct. 26, to square off against the Huskies of Northern Illinois University. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT at Huskie Stadium.
The Eagles enter the Mid-American Conference West Division contest with a 1-6 (0-3 MAC) record following a 56-28 league setback to Ohio University at Rynearson Stadium, Oct. 19. Meanwhile, the nationally-ranked Huskies are 7-0 (4-0 MAC) after rolling past Central Michigan University, 38-17, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Oct. 19. NIU moved up to No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and is in its third consecutive week at No. 23 in the Associated Press Poll.
The contest will be locally televised by Comcast Sports Net Chicago (CSN) with Mike Couzens providing the play-by-play and Bob Chmiel serving as the analyst. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick calling the action on the field.

ALLEN NAMED MAC WEST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior Tyler Allen was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Special Teams Player of the Week for the period ending Oct. 19. The honor is the first of Allen's career, as he was also selected the National Kickoff Returner of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards.
As one of the statistically best returners in EMU history, Allen has been waiting to break a big one for a touchdown. The junior finally saw the crease he was looking for on the opening kickoff against Ohio, Oct. 19, picking up the ball from the opposite side of the field at EMU's own 10-yard line before dashing down the sideline to put EMU up, 7-0, to begin the contest.
The 90-yard kick return for a score was the first of Allen's career and tied a Rynearson Stadium record for the longest return by an Eagle. In fact, the last kickoff returned for a touchdown by EMU was a 90-yarder by Dontayo Gage at home against Ball State, Sept. 8, 2007.
The last kick of any kind returned for a score by the Green and White was an 83-yard punt return by Demarius Reed at Kent State, Nov. 19, 2011.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE HUSKIES: Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois will be meeting for the 44th time in history when the two teams square off Saturday, Oct. 26, in a Mid-American Conference West Division game. NIU holds a 27-14-2 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1927. NIU recorded a 49-7 victory last year, Nov. 23, 2012, in Rynearson Stadium. Eastern's last win in the series came Sept. 15, 2007, in DeKalb, Ill. by a 21-19 margin.

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 seven games, the Grand Rapids, Mich. native has run for 752 yards on the ground, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. In the Eagles' last two games, Hill has rushed for 400 yards, including a 257-yard performance against Ohio, Oct. 19.
The junior running back led the EMU offense with 23 carries, averaging 11.2 yards per rush in the Eagles, 56-28, setback to Ohio. In the loss to the Bobcats, Hill broke free for a season-long 70-yard run, tying his 70-yard scamper against Toledo, Oct. 13, 2012, for the fourth longest run by an Eagle in Rynearson Stadium history. The 200+-yard day was the second of his career, falling just 30 yards shy of his personal-best of 287 yards that he set against Toledo last season. At Army, Oct. 12, Hill rushed for 143 yards to pace the Eagles' ground attack.

90+ YARDS TO PAYDIRT: Not only did the Eagles return the opening kickoff 90 yards against Ohio, but they also produced two offensive drives of more than 90 yards. After being pinned back at the EMU 1-yard line mid-way through the third quarter, Tyler Benz and Bronson Hill led the Eagles down the field in 10 plays, capped by a 62-yard touchdown pass from Benz to Tyreese Russell. Later in the quarter, EMU found the end zone once again, traveling 91 yards down the field in just 1:27.
The two touchdown drives of 90-or-more yards mark the first time EMU has ever accomplished that feat since computer statistics were made available in 1998. Moreover, the 99-yard scoring drive was the longest since the Green and White drove 97 yards for a touchdown against Toledo, Sept. 18, 2004.

FACING RANKED OPPONENTS: The matchup with No. 22/23 ranked Northern Illinois will be the ninth time since 1992 that Eastern Michigan has played a team ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Of those eight previous opponents, four were ranked in the top 10. A complete list can be found on page nine of these notes.

STREAK BUSTING: On Saturday, the Eagles will be seeking to break a couple of impressive streaks that the Huskies have built in Mid-American Conference play. NIU own the longest conference winning streak in the nation at 20 games as it has not lost to a MAC opponent since falling at Central Michigan (48-41) in its 2011 league opener. EMU is also looking to become the first MAC school to win in DeKalb since the 2008 campaign. NIU has won 17 straight league games at home since CMU earned a 33-30 overtime win at Huskie Stadium, Nov. 12, 2008.

LAST TIME WE MET IN DEKALB: The last time these two programs met at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Head Coach Ron English's club nearly pulled off an impressive road win to end its 2011 campaign. However, a late rally fell just short for the Eagles in an 18-12 loss Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, in the regular season finale. Trailing by 12 late in the game, the Eagles cut the deficit to six when quarterback Alex Gillett found Nick Olds for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 6:19 left in the game. The two-point conversion run by Javonti Greene failed, leaving NIU leading by an 18-12 count. The Eagles' defense would then stop Northern's next offensive possession at the NIU 42, forcing a punt, but the Huskies' defense held its ground to secure the win that would give them the MAC West title.

GROUND AND POUND: The Green and White pounded the rock against Ohio University, Oct. 19, rushing for 315 yards on 39 carries led by Bronson Hill who ran for 257 yards on the afternoon. The team rushing total of 315 is the fifth most by an EMU team coached by Ron English. The Eagles ran for an English era-best 350 yards in a 35-28 victory over Central Michigan, Oct. 15, 2011.

EMU MOURNS THE DEATH OF DEMARIUS REED: The EMU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is extending its deepest condolences to the family, friends and teammates following the passing of Demarius Reed, a junior student-athlete on the football team.
Following the Ohio game, Oct. 19, Head Coach Ron English made the following statement about Reed: "I know that our football team and our coaching staff really wanted to honor Demarius by giving our best effort and we wanted to give our best effort for four quarters. I thought our team and our coaches really played hard and really worked at it under a really difficult and trying last 24 hours or so. We lost a terrific leader, a young man who really turned his life around and a young man who really became a Christian. This has been really difficult for all of us, but we really wanted as a team and as a program to honor Demarius today and we gave our best effort in doing that."
The Ypsilanti Police Department is still looking for information regarding the homicide investigation. If you have any additional information regarding this case please contact Detective Sergeant Thomas Eberts at 734.482.9878 or Crime Stoppers at 1.800.773.2587.

THREE EAGLES NAMED TO PHIL STEELE ALL-MAC MIDSEASON TEAM: Phil Steele has honored three Eastern Michigan University football players as members of his 2013 Mid-Season All-Mid-American Conference teams. Named to the All-MAC second team were junior tight end Tyreese Russell and sophomore defensive lineman Pat O'Connor. Earning third team recognition was senior safety Mycal Swaim.

THE GAUNTLET CONTINUES: The conference schedule is not easy for the Eagles. The Green and White has faced three MAC foes thus far, and those teams boast a 9-1 combined record in conference play. The next two games will be tough road tests for EMU, taking on two familiar MAC West Division opponents in Northern Illinois and Toledo. The Huskies and the Rockets have put together impressive records and statistics through the first half of the season. The undefeated Huskies have defeated two Big Ten teams in non-conference play and are currently ranked 22/23 in the polls. Toledo, after a tough non-conference schedule that featured Florida and Missouri, has righted the ship to post a 4-3 mark. EMU faces these two teams on the road in back-to-back contests, Oct. 26 at NIU, before going to Toledo, Nov. 2.

SOARING SOUTH TO TOLEDO: The Eagles will stay on the road in the MAC West when they travel to the University of Toledo to face the Rockets under the lights Saturday, Nov. 2. Kickoff for this divisional showdown from the Glass Bowl is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Football Faces No. 22/23 Northern Illinois Saturday in DeKalb, Ill.

Related News

Next Event

Related Videos