Football Treks to Virginia to Battle Old Dominion

NORFOLK, Va. (EMUGameDay.com) -- After playing in "The Swamp," life on the road continues for the Eastern Michigan University football team as the Green and White travels to Norfolk, Va. to square off against the Old Dominion Monarchs. The Eagles will battle the new Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program at 6 p.m. under the lights of Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. The two squads will hit the gridiron for the first time as ODU makes the transition to Conference USA.
   The contest will be shown on Cox 110 with Doug Ripley providing play-by-play and Andy Mashaw serving as the analyst. Once again, WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick calling action on the field.

PACK YOUR BAGS: EMU continues a four-game road swing that will cover 2,006 miles over a 42-day span.

EMU AGAINST CONFERENCE USA: With conference realignment still in full effect throughout the world of college football, Conference USA has been in the center of the changes. Only five (Marshall, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP) of the current 13-member schools were members of Conference USA back in 2010 when conference realignment started to take shape. The Eagles are 3-9 all-time against the current Conference USA institutions, having only played against three of them. EMU is 1-3 against Marshall University, a former Mid-American Conference foe. The Green and White has faced Louisiana Tech six times, while splitting the series with one win apiece against Western Kentucky.

IN THE COMMONWEALTH: Saturday's contest at Old Dominion will mark just the third time that EMU has squared off against a team from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Eastern Michigan dropped a 25-24 to Liberty University at Rynearson Stadium, Oct. 14, 1989, while also falling to the University of Virginia, 48-21, at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Oct. 23, 2010.
   Old Dominion will return the favor and travel to Ypsilanti for a Sept. 5 contest next season.

RETURN TO VIRGINIA: EMU has two players on its roster from the state of Virginia. Linebacker Nathan Adams (Crozier, Va.-Goochland) and wide receiver Austin Stone (Palmyra, Va.-Fork Union Military Academy) are both Virginia natives and played their high school football in the state.

TILLMAN TACKLES: Redshirt junior defensive back Ray Tillman burst onto the scene against Florida, Sept. 6. The Auburn Hills, Mich. native recorded 11 tackles against the Gators, tying a team high. Tillman's double-digit day not only led the Green and White, but it also marked a career best and tied the amount of tackles he recorded throughout the entire 2013 season. His previous game high in tackles was four against Bowling Green, Nov. 23, 2013.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Senior Tyler Allen continues to climb up the EMU record book in terms of kickoff returns. Already the school's record holder with the most kickoff returns in one season, Allen is closing in on the career returns record of 130 held by Trumaine Riley. After returning six kicks against Florida, Sept. 6, the Lansing Mich. native passed the century mark and now has 105 for his career. Allen is also chasing Riley for the record of career return yards. The speedy EMU receiver has 2,211 return yards for his career, second in EMU laurels behind Riley's 2,541 mark.

BIG PLAYS LEAD TO BIG TROUBLE: Giving up lengthy plays has proved to be costly for the EMU football team to start the 2014 season. Through the first two games of the season, the Eagles have allowed 14 plays over 30 yards with eight of them resulting in touchdowns. Moreover, opposing teams have recorded three touchdowns over 70 yards against EMU this season.

RAPIER RETURNS TO OLD STOMPING GROUNDS: While Eastern Michigan and Old Dominion will meet on the gridiron for the first time in history, there is one man who is familiar with both football programs as well as the athletic departments. EMU Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Operations Tommy Rapier worked at ODU from 2008-13, serving as equipment manager for the football program before being promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Director for Athletic Equipment and Facilities. In that position, he oversaw the equipment room operations of 18 NCAA Division I sports consisting of 465 athletes as the school began its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Conference USA. He also oversaw the facility needs for S.B. Ballard Stadium at Foreman Field and the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.

ROUGH ROAD: EMU will play away from "The Factory" for the third-consecutive week when Coach Creighton leads the Eagles into East Lansing, Mich. to battle the nationally-ranked Spartans of Michigan State University. The 10th matchup between the two in-state institutions will kickoff at noon on the Big Ten Network.

PETERSMARK TO BE INDUCTED INTO EMU ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME: The E-Club Alumni Chapter, the official varsity athletic letterwinners club, has announced the addition of seven new members into the Athletic Hall of Fame. The Class of 2014 will be honored at the Hall of Fame ceremony Friday, Oct. 24, in the atrium of the Convocation Center.
   The Class of 2014 includes: Boaz Kisang Cheboiywo (men's cross country/track), Kathy Hart (women's basketball coach), Fred LaPlante (men's cross country/track), Tom Michael (men's swimming and diving), Lorenzo M. Neely (men's basketball), Allyson Newman (women's gymnastics) and Brett Petersmark (football).
   This year's class will mark the 39th anniversary of the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. inside the Convocation Center followed by the ceremony and dinner at 7 p.m. The Class of 2014 will then be recognized at halftime the EMU football game on Saturday, Oct. 25, against Northern Illinois University.
   Reservations are $45 and include the evening reception and ceremony as well as a plated dinner and beverages. For questions please call the Office for Alumni Relations at 734.487.0250.

2014 SEASON: The 2014 season is the 123rd 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.

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Players Mentioned

Nathan Adams

Tyler Allen

Austin Stone

Ray Tillman

Eastern Michigan Athletics