Football Closes Out 2013 at Central Michigan

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team (2-9, 1-6 MAC) will close out its 2013 season with a trip to Mount Pleasant, Mich. to battle Central Michigan University (5-6, 4-3 MAC) in a Black Friday affair, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m. With a victory over the Chippewas, the Eagles will retain the Michigan MAC Trophy for the third consecutive season.
The game can be seen on ESPN3 with Mike Couzens giving the play-by-play and Bob Chmiel serving as analyst. Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick will call all of the action on the field as the game can be heard through the airwaves of WEMU (89.1 FM).

MICHIGAN MAC TROPHY ON THE LINE: With both teams defeating the Western Michigan Broncos earlier in the season, the winner of Friday's regular season finale will win the Michigan MAC Trophy for 2013. The Eagles currently possess the trophy awarded to the Michigan MAC institution that defeats both of the other two state schools in the conference. The Green and White took the trophy from the Chippewas in the 2011 season, while retaining the award after all three teams went 1-1 against each other last year.

CHIP DIP: EMU and CMU will meet on the gridiron for the 91st time in history between the two programs with the Chippewas holding the series lead, 56-28-6. The road team has won the previous three meetings between the two in-state rivals, and the Eagles will look to up that streak to four straight games. Central won the last two contests in Ypsilanti, including last year's matchup where it slipped away with a 34-31 decision. The Green and White took the previous contest in Mt. Pleasant, a 35-28 victory that helped EMU earn the Michigan MAC Trophy.

HILL'S MARCH TOWARDS 1,000 YARDS RUSHING: Junior running back Bronson Hill needs 160 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 65 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.

LUCKY NUMBER THREE: With a victory against the Chippewas, EMU will win at least three games for the fourth time in the past seven seasons. The Green and White went 4-8 and 3-9 during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, respectively, in the final two years under former Head Coach Jeff Genyk. Eastern also finished with a 6-6 mark under former coach Ron English during the 2011 campaign, the most wins in a season since 1995. A loss against Central Michigan would bring the Eagles to a 2-10 record for the third time in the past four seasons.

LAST REGULAR SEASON FINALE VS. CMU: The last time Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan met to end the regular season, the two teams participated in a wild contest at Rynearson Stadium, Nov. 28, 2008. The thrilling 56-52 victory over the Chippewas gave EMU possession of the Michigan MAC Trophy, while also breaking numerous school records.
EMU redshirt junior quarterback Andy 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. Schmitt's 58 completions broke the NCAA mark of 56 set by Jarrod DeGeorgia of Wayne State (Neb.) vs. Duke, Nov. 9, 1996. All five of his EMU records broke his own marks, including 58 completions, 80 attempts, 516 passing yards, 89 total offensive plays and 554 yards in total offense. Senior wide receiver Tyler Jones caught an EMU single-game record 23 passes for 170 yards. That 23 reception mark tied UNLV's Randy Gatewood for the NCAA record. Gatewood caught his 23 passes against Idaho, Sept. 17, 1994. EMU place-kicker Joe Carithers tied an EMU single-game record with eight PAT kicks. For the game the Eagles rolled up a school record for offensive plays with 105 for a second-best 610 total offensive yards.

KURTZ'S CURTAIN CALL: In his final game on the Rynearson Stadium turf, EMU senior linebacker Sean Kurtz recorded his first career touchdown with a 10-yard pick six against Bowling Green, Nov. 23, putting the Eagles up 7-3 in the first quarter. While the interception return was the first score in Kurtz's career, it was his second career interception. The Anaheim, Calif. native picked off a pass earlier this year in EMU's 34-24 season-opening victory over Howard, Aug. 31. Kurtz's INT return to paydirt was thr first EMU pick six since Pudge Cotton took an opposing quarterback's pass 28 yards the other way at Purdue, Sept. 15, 2012.

CAREER DAY FOR EMU FRESHMAN: Eastern Michigan freshman linebacker Derric Williams had a career day in the 2013 home finale versus the Falcons of Bowling Green. The Lake Orion, Mich. native tallied a career-high seven tackles, the third best on the team, including pacing the defense with 1.5 sacks. The tackles-for-loss were the first of his career for the linebacker. In his debut season donning the Green and White, Williams has tallied 24 tackles.

STUCK IN THE SNOW: As the snow came down on a frigid day in Ypsilanti, the EMU offense mustered just 65 yards in a setback against Bowling Green, Nov. 23. The offensive output marked the third time an EMU team was held under 100 yards since the 1968 season. During the 1992 campaign, the Eagles gained 89 yards at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Nov. 14, 1992. EMU also fell one yard shy of the century mark, racking up 99 total yards of offense versus Akron in 1976.

SEASON-HIGH SACKS: The EMU defense recorded a season-best five sacks against Bowling Green, Nov. 23. Derric Williams led the Eagles with 1.5 sacks while Cy Maughmer, Hunter Matt and Pat O'Connor each added a sack of their own. Senior defensive end Kalonji Kashama also sacked the Falcons' quarterback in his final game at Rynearson Stadium. The previous season-high in sacks was four against Penn State, Sept. 7, in EMU's first road trip of the 2013 campaign.

ALLEN RETURNING TO THE TOP OF EMU HISTORY: After setting an EMU single season record in kickoff returns a year ago, junior Tyler Allen continues to move up the EMU career return charts. With 45 returns already this season, Allen now sits in second among the all-time great EMU returners with 91 total kickoff returns. Against Toledo, Nov. 2, the Lansing, Mich. native passed Corey Welch for second on the all-time list.
The junior wide receiver and kickoff return specialist has 900 return yards on the season, just 116 shy of the EMU season record of 1,016 yards held by Dontayo Gage, set during the 2007 campaign. Allen has returned kicks for a total of 1,936 yards, which also ranks second all-time at EMU, passing Steve Clay on the all-time list against the Rockets. Trumaine Riley (2003-06) holds the EMU standard with 2,541 career return yards.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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