Football Travels to Rutgers for Non-Conference Tilt

Football at Rutgers
Date	Saturday, Sept. 9 \| 3:30 p.m.
Venue	Piscataway, N.J. \| High Point Solutions Stadium (52,454)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Press Conference Video. \| Teleconference Audio.
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	Big Ten Network
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669 \| Bag Policy

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road for the first time this season when it heads east for a non-conference bout with Rutgers University Saturday, Sept. 9. The battle between the Eagles and Scarlet Knights will begin with a 3:30 kickoff at High Point Solutions Stadium.
   The contest will be broadcast in the Big Ten Network with Jason Horowitz delivering the play-by-play, while Chuck Long will serve as the analyst. The game will also be aired on WEMU (89.1 FM) with veteran broadcasters Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick calling the action from the press box and Chad Bush manning the sidelines. WEMU's pregame show from the stadium begins at 3:20 p.m.

ERIKSEN EARNS MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Running back Ian Eriksen was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 2. It is the first weekly award of his career. Eriksen paced the EMU offense in a 24-7 win over Charlotte, Sept. 1. The Clarkston, Mich. native rushed for 37 yards on seven carries, averaging a team-best 5.3 yards per touch. He also punched in two scores, marking the fourth time in his career that he has found the endzone twice in a single game.

ALL-TIME VS RUTGERS: Saturday will be the second all-time meeting between EMU and Rutgers, with the Scarlet Knights leading the tally, 1-0. The first game between the two squads came back in 2013 when RU came out on top, 28-10, in Piscataway. Only one player on the team today played in that game, as sixth-year linebacker Ike Spearman, then a sophomore, finished with six tackles, including 1.5 for loss.

COACHING CONNECTIONS: While EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton and Rutgers Head Coach Chris Ash never crossed paths with the Drake Bulldogs, both head men have the distinct honor of being a part of the program at some point. Creighton was the leader of the Bulldogs from 2008-13, while Ash is a Drake alum, playing defensive back for the Iowa based school from 1992-95, and then serving as a graduate assistant, and then defensive coordinator from 1997-99.

CREIGHTON 150: With the 24-7 victory over Charlotte, Sept 1, Head Coach Chris Creighton earned the 150th victory of his 21-year coaching career. Creighton racked up 32 at Ottawa (Kansas), 63 at Wabash, 44 at Drake, and now has 11 at EMU to put his career total at 150.

DEFENSE KEEPING IT ON THE DOWN LOW: By holding Charlotte to just seven points in the 24-7 win, Sept. 1, EMU held its season-opening opponent to its fewest points since 2008, when it shutout Indiana State, 52-0. The Eagle defense only got stronger as the game went on as well, as Eastern held the 49ers to just 20 total yards over its final six possessions.
   Furthermore, EMU did not allow Charlotte to venture into the red zone in 14 possessions. The last time EMU's defense held an opponent outside the 20-yard line for the entire game was Sept. 10, 2011, against Alabama State University. Coincidentally, that is also the last time the Eagles limited the opposition to just seven points in a game.

PICKS GALORE: The three interceptions in the 24-7 win over Charlotte, Sept. 1 were the most picks in a single game for the Eagles since the 2008 season opener, a 52-0 victory over Indiana State.

BRODY TO THE HOUSE: In Charlotte's first drive, just its sixth play of the game, Brody Hoying jumped a pass and took it 35 yards the other way to the house to open the scoring in a 24-7 win over the 49ers. The first interception of Hoying's EMU career was also the first pick-six for the Eagles since Jaylen Pickett did so against the very same 49er squad, one season ago, Sept. 17, 2016.
   In addition, it was the first time EMU's season-opening score came on the defensive side of the ball since 1995, when the Eagles housed a fumble recovery 45 yards against the University of Akron.

ROBACK RISING: Redshirt senior Brogan Roback has put up standout numbers in his four seasons in the Green and White, placing him near the top of the EMU record books for numerous categories. For his career, he has 6,030 passing yards and 38 passing touchdowns, which ranks third all-time in program history for each category. His 522 completions rank fourth and, his 6,301 total yards are fifth in the EMU annals.

SPREADING THE LOVE: Quarterback Brogan Roback picked up where he left off last season by spreading his passes around to a plethora of targets in his first game of the season. The fifth-year senior completed passes to 10 different receivers in the 24-7 win over Charlotte, Sept. 1, with none of the 10 totaling more than five receptions and more than 80 yards.

NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN: After 26 players made their debut in 2016, that number shrank to just 10 in 2017. Also of note, all 22 starters against Charlotte, Sept. 1, were returners from last year's squad.

BACK IN THE GARDEN STATE: Saturday's contest marks the return of two Eagles to the state of New Jersey. Freshman running back Dez Horne (Glassboro, N.J.) and senior defensive back Ikie Calderon (Neptune, N.J.) call the Garden State their home, while junior Kwanii Figueroa (Brooklyn, N.Y) played at nearby Paramus Catholic High School.

LAST TIME VERSUS RUTGERS: Despite out-gaining Rutgers, 373 to 274, EMU dropped a 28-10 decision to the Scarlett Knights, Sept. 14, 2013. Quarterback Tyler Benz led the Eastern offense by throwing of 335 yards on 24-of-40 passing, with a touchdown and an interception. Defensively, Mycal Swaim led EMU with eight total tackles, while Ike Spearman, Donald Coleman, and Great Ibe each totaled six tackles.

A WIN WOULD...: Eastern Michigan is looking to open a season 2-0 for the first time since 2011 when it knocked off Football Championship Subdivision foes Howard University (W, 41-9) and Alabama State University (W, 14-7). Prior to that season, the last occurrence came in 1989.

ALL-TIME VS THE BIG TEN: The Big Ten Conference has been EMU's most common "Power 5" conference faced in its history, with 38 all-time meetings between Eastern and institutions from the Rosemont, Ill.-based league. EMU has yet to win a game versus a Big Ten school, going winless in games against 10 of the 14 teams.
   In fact, Eastern is still in search of its first win over a "Power 5" opponent in this its 59th meeting.

BECK ON THE STOP: A name Eagle fans have become accustomed to hearing in on tackles over the last four years is senior Jason Beck. The Indianapolis, Ind. product, who is transitioning from safety to linebacker this season, has racked up 272 so far for his career, placing him 24th all-time at EMU. Should Beck replicate his 104-tackle output from a season ago, he will finish in the top-five in program history.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the Rutgers game, EMU will enjoy an early season bye week before welcoming Ohio University to "The Factory" to open Mid-American Conference play Saturday, Sept. 23. Game time is still TBA.

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Players Mentioned

Jason Beck

Ikie Calderon

Ian Eriksen

Kwanii Figueroa

Dez Horne

Brody Hoying

Brogan Roback

Ike Spearman

Eastern Michigan Athletics