Football Opens 2013 Campaign Saturday Versus Howard

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team embarks on its 122nd season Saturday, Aug. 31, at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich. against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Howard University. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:04 p.m.
The contest will be shown on ESPN3 with Dan Gutowsky providing the play-by-play and Mark Herrmann 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.

2013 SEASON: The 2013 season is the 122nd for the Eastern Michigan University football team. The first year of intercollegiate football in Ypsilanti was 1891 when the team posted an 0-2 record. EMU has fielded a team every year since 1891 with one exception, when the 1944 season was canceled because of World War II.

38th FOR THE MAC: The 2013 season marks the 38th year that the Eagles have been a part of the Mid-American Conference football championship race. EMU was admitted into the league in 1971, but a complete league schedule was not available until the 1976 season.

KICKING OFF THE SEASON: EMU is 54-59-8 (47.9%) all-time on opening day. Last season, the Eagles began the season at Ball State, breaking a four game streak of kicking off the season at home. The Howard game will mark the sixth time in the last 10 years that the Eagles will open at home in Rynearson Stadium.

ALL-TIME AGAINST HOWARD: When both teams take the field to begin the 2013 season, it will be the third meeting between the two programs with all three contests taking place in the last seven years. EMU leads the series 2-0, winning the recent matchup 41-9, Sept. 4, 2011, to open the 2011 campaign. The Green and White also claimed the series opener, taking down the Bison, 38-15, in Rynearson Stadium, Sept. 22, 2007.

BENZ IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT: After starting the final nine games of the 2012 campaign, redshirt junior quarterback Tyler Benz returns with experience to lead the EMU offense under new offensive coordinator Stan Parrish. Benz passed for 1,511 yards last season, completing 114-of-212 passes with 14 touchdowns. The Park Ridge, Ill. native had a career-day against Army, Oct. 20, throwing a career-high five touchdowns and personal-best 369 yards in the 48-38 victory over the Black Knights.

EAGLES VERSUS THE FCS: The Eagles have posted an 8-4 record against Football Championship Subdivision opponents since the 2001 campaign. EMU has won four of the last five contests against FCS schools including a 38-15 decision over Howard, Sept. 22, 2007, a 52-0 victory over Indiana State, Aug. 28, 2008, a 41-9 win against Howard, Sept. 4, 2011, and a 14-7 decision against Alabama State, Sept. 10, 2011.

NEWCOMERS LOOK TO MAKE IMPACTS: With 28 newcomers added to the 2013 squad, there will be some looking to make an immediate impact on the field to begin the season. One of those student-athletes could very well be junior college transfer Kent Collins. After spending two seasons at Cerritos Junior College and earning first team All-California Region IV and All-National Division Northern Conference accolades, Collins will compete for the starting center position for the Green and White.

CANADIAN CONNECTION: Eastern Michigan is one of just 17Football Bowl Subdivision schools to feature a player from Canada on its roster. Senior Kalonji Kashama will be heavy contributor, while Oliver Kathalay will seek more playing time.
The other FBS schools to have multiple Canadians on its roster include: Michigan State (4), Iowa (3), UNLV (3), Virginia (3), Boston College (2), Buffalo (2), Connecticut (2) and Rice (2).

COACHING CHANGES FOR 2013: Eastern Michigan University Head Football Coach Ron English announced his coaching staff for the 2013 campaign. The Eagles will have four new assistant coaches on staff while shuffling around the responsibilities of others.
On the offensive side of the ball, Stan Parrish takes over as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2013. Doug Downing remains as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for his fourth season on staff, while Mike Hart enters his second season as the running backs coach. For the fifth-straight season, Tom Burpee will coach the tight ends, but will hand off special teams responsibilities to Ryan Oshnock. Rounding out the offense, Brad Wilson enters his first year as the offensive line coach.
Defensively, Ken Delgado enters his fourth season at EMU mentoring the defensive line while KiJuan Ware will work with the secondary. Mark Criner rounds out the staff and will coach the linebackers.

SOPHOMORE SUCCESS: Eastern Michigan's 2011 recruiting class paid major dividends in 2012, as the Eagles' sophomore class accounted for 36 percent of the team's points last season. Bronson Hill led the way for EMU with seven touchdowns for a total of 42 points. Meanwhile Ryan Brumfield had 18 points, Tyreese Russell had 18 and Demarius Reed had six. Defensively, Pudge Cotton also had an interception return for a touchdown.

BY THE NUMBERS: Last year the Eagles ranked 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 was strong inside the redzone, scoring on 83 percent of trips inside the 20 ... Eastern scored touchdowns 55 percent of the time when inside their opponents' 20.
Michigan Born and Bred: The Eagles' roster featured 35 players from the state of Michigan. This total ranks second among Michigan MAC schools, trailing Central Michigan (68) and in front of Western Michigan (32).

55 AND COUNTING: Despite the Eagles' recent struggles, an impressive streak has remained intact and is in its sixth season in 2013. EMU has not been held scoreless in a game since a 37-0 home loss to Northern Illinois University, Sept. 27, 2008 - a streak of 55 games.
In fact, the Eagles have only been shut out three times in the past 129 games dating back to the start of the 2002 campaign. Additionally, Eastern Michigan has scored 35-or-more points in a game on 22 occasions during that same span.

NITTANY LIONS AWAIT: Following the season opener at home against Howard, the Eagles make their first road trip of the season, traveling to 'Happy Valley' to battle the Penn State Nittany Lions, Sept. 7. The game is scheduled for a noon kickoff and will be televised on Big Ten Network.
The Eagles and Nittany Lions met on the gridiron two years ago, Sept. 24, 2011, with the Green and White suffering a 34-6 setback to Penn State in Beaver Stadium.

BRONSON HILL BURSTS ON TO THE NATIONAL SCENE: Running back Bronson Hill proved to be EMU's big-play threat last fall. Hill carried just seven times in the first five games but took over as primary ballcarrier against Toledo, Oct. 13. In five games after sliding in that role, Hill carried 105 times for 724 yards. He gained just 106 yards in 28 carries in EMU's last two games, but he left his mark in October and early November.
Of the 114 FBS players with at least 140 carries in 2012, only 12 managed to average 7.0 highlight yards per carry, and only seven of those 12 were running backs: Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey, Oklahoma's Damien Williams, Kent State's Dri Archer, UCF's Latavius Murray, Utah State's Kerwynn Williams, Houston's Charles Sims and Hill.

POWER OF SEVEN: A total of 16 of EMU's 48 games under Head Coach Ron English have been decided by seven points-or-less. The Eagles are 6-10 in those contests.

ENGLISH TO TAKE OVER DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ROLE: Head Coach Ron English will assume the role as the team's defensive coordinator in addition to also helping coach the safeties and special teams. He joins a select group of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Head Coaches that also serve the coordinator role. That group includes West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen, Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson, Southern Methodist's June Jones, Washington State's Mike Leach, San Diego State's Rocky Long, BYU's Bronco Mendenhall and Penn State's Bill O'Brien.
For the complete listing, turn to page eight of these notes.

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 led the way with 16 first-year players having seen game action. Meanwhile, Akron was tops in the MAC with 13 freshmen and Miami was next with 12.

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 in 2012 was the hardest in the Mid-American Conference and 29th nationally according to the NCAA. EMU's 2012 opponents had a combined record of 64-50 with seven opponents appearing in bowl games and Illinois State advancing to the NCAA FCS playoffs.

SEVEN OPPONENTS PLAYED IN BOWL GAMES LAST YEAR: Seven of the Eagles' 2013 opponents appeared in bowl games in 2012. Central Michigan won the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl with a 24-21 thriller over Western Kentucky; Ohio captured a 45-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl. Meanwhile, Ball State lost to UCF, 38-17, in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, Bowling Green fell to San Jose State, 29-20, in the Military Bowl, Rutgers came up short against Virginia Tech, 13-10, in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Toledo lost to Utah State, 41-15, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and Northern Illinois dropped a 31-10 decision to Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

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