EMU Prepares for Senior Day Clash With Bowling Green

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team will finish out the 2013 home campaign by hosting the Falcons of Bowling Green State University Saturday, Nov. 23, at Rynearson Stadium. The cross-divisional contest, in which EMU will honor its 14 seniors before the game, is set to begin at 1:04 p.m.
   The Eagles enter the Mid-American Conference West Division contest with a 2-8 (1-5 MAC) record following a 35-32 overtime victory against Western Michigan University at Rynearson Stadium, Nov. 9. Meanwhile, the Falcons are 7-3 (5-1 MAC) after shutting down Ohio University, 49-0, at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio, Nov. 12.
       ESPN3 will broadcast the game with Michael Regh 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.

BRUMFIELD NAMED MAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: EMU junior running back Ryan Brumfield was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 10. The running back earns the honor for the first time in his career after having one of his best games as an Eagle in EMU's thrilling 35-32 overtime victory over Western Michigan University, Nov. 9.
   Brumfield ran for a career-high 148 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries to lead the Eagles. He scampered 23 yards for Eastern's first touchdown of the day before sprinting four yards up the gut for the game-winning score. Brumfield also completed a crucial halfback pass on a two-point conversion that tied the game and forced overtime. The Chester Springs, Pa. native took the hand off from quarterback Brogan Roback and rolled to the left before throwing back to the right flat where a wide open Roback made the catch, crossed the line and converted the two-point try.

HILL'S MARCH TOWARDS 1,000 YARDS RUSHING: Junior running back Bronson Hill needs 167 yards rushing to become the 11th EMU player to run for 2,000 yards in a career. The Grand Rapids, Mich. product also needs just 72 yards on the ground to reach 1,000 yards in a season. Anthony Sherrell was the last EMU running back to reach the grand total, when he rumbled for an EMU single-season record of 1,531 yards in 2003.

FACING THE FALCONS: Bowling Green leads the all-time series against EMU, 24-11-1, including taking 10 of the last 11 contests versus the Green and White. Last season, the Eagles fell to the Falcons, 24-3, Oct. 27, 2012, at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio. The two programs will meet on the field in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2007 and 2008 campaigns.

SENIOR SNAPSHOTS: Saturday's game is the final Rynearson Stadium appearance for 14 Eastern Michigan University seniors. Below is a quick snapshot of each of those seniors.

#3 - Donald Coleman: Safety Donald Coleman has played in 21 games for the Eagles throughout his career recording 148 tackles (63 solo, 85 assist). A transfer from North Carolina State University, Coleman tallied a career-high 19 tackles at Michigan State (Oct. 22, 2012).

#17 - Donald Scott: Wide receiver Donald Scott has appeared in 44 games for the Green and White, recording 38 catches for 562 yards and five touchdowns. His best season came in 2012 where he tallied a career-high 255 yards receiving on 19 catches to go along with three touchdowns.

#21 - Ja'Ron Gillespie: Defensive back Ja'Ron Gillespie has started 11 of his 36 career games played. A native of Washington, D.C., Gillespie has totaled 51 tackles (32 solo, 19 assist) to go along with three tackles-for-loss and a pair of pass deflections.

#23 - Joe Fleming: Fullback Joe Fleming has played in 22 games for the Green and White, notching four receptions and five carries during his career. During the 2011 campaign, Fleming scored his only career touchdown on a reception against Howard (Sept. 4).

#26 - Mycal Swaim: Safety Mycal Swaim has appeared in 18 games throughout this two-year career at EMU. After transferring from Butte College in Oroville, Calif., Swaim has recorded 92 tackles in two seasons as an Eagle, including 72 this year. Against Penn State (Sept. 7), the Chico Calif. native hauled in his first career interception. In EMU's latest victory over Western Michigan, Swaim did his part in the thrilling overtime contest, tying his career-high with nine tackles.

#32 - Javonti Greene: Running back Javonti Greene has played in 40 contests splitting time between running back and wide receiver. He has totaled 1,487 all purpose yards (1,184 rushing, 290 receiving, 13 kick return) and 10 touchdowns. During the 2011 campaign, Greene rushed for 100+ yards against Howard (Sept. 4) and Alabama State (Sept. 10) and turned in a three-touchdown performance at Central Michigan (Oct. 15). As a freshman, the West Palm, Fla. native became the first EMU runner in school history to record two 50-yard plus runs for scores in a game when he recorded touchdown runs of 55 and 53 yards at Virginia (Oct. 23, 2010).

#34 - Kody Fulkerson: Kicker Kody Fulkerson has participated in 34 games for EMU, recording 31 extra points and 14 field goals. Used mainly as a kickoff specialist during the 2012 and 2013 campaigns, Fulkerson has notched 5,190 yards on 93 kickoffs.

#40 - Sean Kurtz: Linebacker Sean Kurtz has played in 22 contests since arriving in Ypsilanti from Santa Ana Community College. A native of Anaheim, Calif., he has recorded 65 tackles (22 solo, 43 assist) to go along with an interception.

#55 - Tim Brown: Linebacker Tim Brown has played in three games in his two seasons at EMU. He came to Ypsilanti from San Jose City College where he recorded 92 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, seven forced fumbles, six pass breakups, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

#69 - Shawn Sinawe: Offensive lineman Shawn Sinawe has played in two games during his EMU career with both of them coming in 2011.

#74 - Matt Price: Defensive lineman Matt Price has seen action in 15 contests throughout his career for the Green and White. A local product out of Saline, Mich., Price has made 10 tackles as an Eagle, including a career-high three in the 2012 season opener at Ball State (Aug. 30, 2012).

#79 - Orlando McCord: Offensive lineman Orlando McCord has been an anchor for the EMU offensive line starting all 10 games this season. In his four-year career at Eastern, the Detriot, Mich. native has played in 33 games.

#93 - Cy Maughmer: Defensive lineman Cy Maughmer has appeared in 21 games throughout his career at EMU after transferring from Glendale Community College. In his two years as an Eagle, Maughmer has recorded 59 tackles, including a forced fumble and fumble recovery against Ohio (Nov. 1, 2012). This season, he has been recognized for this success on the field and in the classroom by being named to the to the 2013-14 Capital One Academic All-District team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Last season, the Glendale, Ariz. native received the Elton J. Rynearson Scholar-Athlete Award.

#95 - Kalonji Kashama: Defensive end Kalonji Kashama has played in 32 games during his EMU career, tallying 84 tackles, including 14.5 tackles for loss. This season, Kashama has recorded four sacks and forced a fumble at Rutgers (Sept. 14). In the Eagles' win against Western Michigan, the Brampton, Ontario, Canada native sacked the Broncos' quarterback twice to chip in with the victory.

LAST BATTLE OF THE BIRDS AT RYNEARSON: It has been six years since the Eagles and Falcons met on the gridiron of Rynearson Stadium. On a cold and windy Friday night, Nov. 9, 2007, Eastern dropped a 39-32 decision to Bowling Green, although EMU running back Pierre Walker had a career day. The senior tailback rushed for 155 yards on 31 carries along with a touchdown. EMU quarterback Andy Schmitt gave the Eagles a 32-31 lead with an eight-yard touchdown run on a fake handoff with 6:22 left in the game. A two-point conversion run was just short. Schmitt went 12-for-18 for 134 yards on the day.
   The visitors then came back to regain the lead, 39-32, with 3:54 left when BGSU quarterback Tyler Sheehan rushed for a one-yard score followed by a two-point conversion. Eastern had one final shot at the win, driving to the BGSU 46-yard line but a fourth-and-three pass was broken up, giving the Falcons the ball with just 1:48 left and they held the ball the rest of the game to claim the seven-point win.

PARRISH PICKS UP VICTORY AS INTERIM HEAD COACH: Following the dismissal of Head Coach Ron English, Nov. 8, EMU Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator Stan Parrish was named Interim Head Coach. Just 24 hours later, in his debut as the EMU head man, Parrish guided the Eagles to a come-from-behind overtime victory over Western Michigan, Nov. 9. The emotional 35-32 overtime win provided plenty of excitement.
   Facing fourth down with the game on the line, Parrish lined the EMU offense up in a power formation before quarterback Brogan Roback faked the hand-off to Ryan Brumfield and found a wide open Dustin Creel open for a touchdown. Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, Parrish rolled the dice with a little trickery. Roback gave the ball to Brumfield in the backfield to show a run; however, running to his left, the left-handed Brumfield threw back across the field to an open Roback, who made the reception and crossed the goal line for the successful conversion.

BRUMFIELD IN THE BACKFIELD: Junior tailback Ryan Brumfield has become a focal point in the EMU offense recently. Making his first collegiate start against Toledo, Nov. 2, the Chester Springs, Pa. native led the EMU ground attack with 67 yards on 17 carries, enough for 3.9 yards per rush. Brumfield also found the end zone on the receiving end of a three-yard touchdown pass from freshman Brogan Roback, his fifth score of the year. He followed his first career start with a career-high 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including the game-winner, in EMU's 35-32 overtime victory over Western Michigan, Nov. 9. In two starts, Brumfield has recorded three touchdowns, thrown a successful two-point conversion pass and averaged 107.5 yards on the ground at 6.7 yards per carry.

CLOSING THE SEASON WITH THE CHIPPEWAS: The EMU football team will close out its 2013 season with a trip to Mt. Pleasant to battle Central Michigan University in a Black Friday affair, Nov. 29. With a victory over the Chippewas, the Eagles will win the Michigan MAC Trophy for the third consecutive season. The game time has yet to be announced by the Mid-American Conference.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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