Football Set to Honor Senior Class Saturday Versus Akron

Football vs. Akron
Date	Saturday, Nov. 10 \| 12:05 p.m.
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Rynearson Stadium (30,200)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Press Conference Video \| Teleconference Audio
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN3
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team will close out the 2018 home portion of the schedule with at "The Factory", hosting the University of Akron Saturday, Nov. 10, at 12 p.m. The Mid-American Conference cross-divisional matchup will be the final home game for EMU's 18-member senior class, whom will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on the gray turf inside Rynearson Stadium.
   The Eagles enter the MAC clash at 5-5 (3-3 MAC) after a strong defensive performance in a 17-7 victory over rival Central Michigan University, Nov. 9. Meanwhile, the Zips (4-4, 2-3 MAC) fell at home to MAC West Division leader Northern Illinois University, 36-26, Nov. 11.
       The meeting will be televised on ESPN3 with Dan Gutowsky providing play-by-play and Bobby Carpenter serving as the analyst. The game will also be aired on WEMU (89.1 FM) with Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick calling the action from the press box.

THANK YOU!: Prior to the game, EMU will honor an 18-member senior class that helped rebuild the Eagles' football brand from the ground up. Over the course of these upperclassmen's careers, the Eagles have seen 18 wins, including the first two wins over Power Five opponents in school history, as well as their first bowl appearance since 1987.
   The group includes: Ka'John Armstrong (Detroit, Mich.-Loyola), Blake Banham (St. Paul, Minn.-Cretin-Derham Hall), Chris Bukoski (Dewitt, Mich.-Dewitt), Ikie Calderon (Neptune, N.J.-Neptune-College of the Desert), Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston), Jeremiah Harris (Lambertville, Mich.-Bedford Senior), Lemar Harris (Raleigh, N.C.-Millbrook), Jeremy Hickey (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice), Jesse Kelly (Ventura, Calif.-St. Bonaventure-Oregon-Ventura College), Tyler LaBarbera (Elk Grove Village, Ill.-James B. Conant-DuPage), Jimmy Leatiota (San Jose, Calif.-Wilcox-College of San Mateo), Justin Moody (Richmond, Va.-Monacan), Jaylen Pickett (Zephyrhills, Fla.-Zephyrhills), Kyle Rachwal (Lapeer, Mich.-Lapeer East), Dakota Tallman (Elyria, Ohio-Elyria Catholic), Ville Valasti (Helsinki, Finland-Itakeskuksen Iukio-Diablo Valley College), Tyler Wiegers (Lake Orion, Mich.-Detroit Country Day-Iowa), and Ross Williams (Southfield, Mich.-Groves).
As a special thank you to all the tremendous fans who have cheered on the Eagles this season, EMU will also be celebrating Fan Appreciation Day this weekend. While the Eastern football team works to reach bowl eligibility, fans in attendance can win adidas gear, future game tickets, and other great prizes!

PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999: For the first time since the 1999 campaign, EMU has posted three consecutive MAC victories with wins over Toledo, Ball State, and CMU. Eastern closed out the 1990s with wins over Ohio (27-26 - Oct. 16), Toledo (20-13 - Oct. 23), and Ball State (31-21 - Nov. 6).
   EMU's last four game league streak came in 1995, while if EMU wins out it world mark the program's longest MAC streak since the 1989 season when the then-Hurons rolled off five straight league wins.

BEST THREE-YEAR STRETCH: EMU is currently amid one of the best three-year stretches in program history. EMU is 17-18 since 2016, its most wins in a three-season span since 1987-89 when the Eagles went 10-2, 6-3-1, and 7-3-1.

SHUT IT DOWN: Eastern's defense shutdown the Central Michigan offense, Nov. 3, holding the Chippewas to 138 yards of total offense, without allowing an offensive score. It marked the first time the Eagles had held an opposing offense off the scoreboard since shutting out Indiana State, 52-0, Aug. 28, 2008. Additionally, it was the first time EMU blanked an FBS opponent's offense since besting Western Michigan, 19-2, Oct. 27, 2007.

APPROACHING BOWL ELIGIBILITY: If the Eagles get their sixth win, it would be the second time in the past three years that Eastern has been bowl eligible. EMU posted its lone bowl victory in 1987 when it downed San Jose State, 30-27, in the California Bowl. Most recently, EMU battled Old Dominion in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl.
   The Mid-American Conference has tie-ins with the Bahamas Bowl, the Camellia Bowl, the Dollar General Bowl, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and the Frisco Bowl. In addition, the MAC has secondary agreements with the Boca Raton Bowl and the Quick Lane Bowl if other league's are unable to fill their allotments. Overall, there are 39 bowls in 2018 with 78 spots available for the 129 FBS schools.

LEADING THE NATION: Eastern Michigan holds the nation's stingiest kick return defense at just 14.0 yards per return. The Eagles have allowed just 21 kick returns for 294 yards to go along with 15 touchbacks. Rutgers is ranked second nationally in the category at 14.88 while Ohio is third at 15.08

SAXX CROSBY: Opposing quarterbacks have gotten to know junior defensive end Maxx Crosby more than they would like over the past three seasons as the Colleyville, Texas native has wreaked havoc in opponents' backfields. Against Central Michigan, Nov. 3, Crosby recorded two sacks and four tackles-for-loss to move into third all-time in career sacks. His 19.0 career sacks are the most by an Eagle since Pat O'Connor pushed his career total to 20.0 in 2016. Meanwhile, Crosby has 36.5 career TFLs, the second-most in EMU history, as well as the most since Jason Jones racked up 50 from 2004-07.

THE NEAL NEATHERY EFFECT: Prior to EMU Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Neal Neathery's arrival in 2016, the Eagles recorded four-or-more sacks just eight times in the 10 previous seasons. Under his direction, Eastern has accomplished the feat nine times, most recently in its 17-7 win over Central Michigan, Nov. 3.

TALLY THE TAKEAWAYS: EMU's defense registered two interceptions and forced two fumbles in its victory against Central Michigan, Nov. 3. It is just the third time since 2005 that Eastern's defense has racked up four-or-more takeaways. Prior to Saturday's showing, the last occurrence came at Ball State, Nov. 8, 2016. In that game, the Eagles forced three fumbles and recorded two INTs in a thrilling come-from-behind win. The other time came back during the 2007 season when EMU picked off Vanderbilt's QB four times, Sept. 29.

FORCED FUMBLE FIEND: Combining with CJ Hunt on a strip sack in the game against Central Michigan, Nov. 10, Jeremiah Harris totaled the seventh forced fumble of his career. The seven forced fumbles is currently tied for seventh among active FBS players.
   Harris and Maxx Crosby (8) are the only active teammates to be ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA in career fumbles forced. Crosby is tied with Kentucky's Josh Allen as the NCAA's active leader in career fumbles forced at 0.23 per game.

STANDING TALL: Eastern currently holds the nation's seventh-best red zone defense, allowing opponents to score only 30 times on 42 attempts.
   EMU is ranked 21st nationally in the fewest second-half points allowed at just 9.8 a game.

SECOND HALF SHUT DOWNS: The Eastern Michigan defense held Central Michigan, Nov. 3 to just 39 yards of offense in the second half, the fewest yards the defense has yielded in a half this season. EMU's previous low after the intermission was 70 against Northern Illinois, Sept. 29.

HOW THE CHIPS FELL: In addition to holding Central Michigan without an offensive score, Nov. 3, Eastern held the Chippewas to their lowest point total against the Green and White in more than 40 years. EMU only yielded a field goal in a 9-3 victory over CMU, Sept. 10, 1977.

RETURN GAME STRONG: Senior Blake Banham came up huge on the special teams front for Eastern against Central Michigan, Nov. 3, as the St. Paul, Minn. native returned six punts and a kickoff for a combined 96 yards. Banham's 96 returning yards were the most by an Eagle since Jaron Johnson returned four kickoffs for 100 yards against CMU Nov. 22, 2016. Additionally, Banham has now recorded 13 plays of 20-yards-or-more, with four coming against CMU.

ONE > 11: Wide receiver Blake Banham registered 200 all-purpose yards in the Eagles defeat of the Chippewas, Nov. 3. Banham's efforts alone bested the entirety of Central Michigan's offense by more than 60 yards, as the Chips managed just 138 yards of total offensive yards. Banham's receiving efforts alone topped all of CMU's receivers by more than 30 yards, 99 to 61, while his return efforts were more than four times that of the Eagles opponent, 119 to 21.

NO 100-YARD WARRANTY ON THIS VANN: Shaq Vann added some mileage for the Eagles as he logged 114 rushing yards against CMU, Nov. 3. Vann lapped Central Michigan's rushing efforts by 37 yards, while Eastern Michigan's total ground attack (137 yards) was just one yard shy of the Chippewas' total offensive yardage (138 yards).
   Vann recorded his first 100+ yard rushing performance this season, the fourth of his career.

STREAK COMES TO AN END: Quarterback Tyler Wiegers entered EMU's game against Central Michigan having thrown 149 passes without an interception. Wiegers streak, which dated back to Eastern's win over Purdue, Sept. 8, came to a close against the Chippewas, Nov. 3. Entering the game in the second quarter, Wiegers went 3-for-5 through the air before CMU picked off his pass on third and long, snapping his streak at 154 throws.

TOP-LEVEL COMPETITION: Eastern's five losses have come against teams that are a combined 18-3 record in conference play and are 34-12 overall. All five of those teams are bowl eligible.

CREIGHTON MOVES INTO TOP FIVE IN ALL-TIME WINS AT EMU: With Eastern's 17-7 win over Central Michigan, Nov. 3, Head Coach Chris Creighton tied Rick Rasnick for fifth all-time in victories at Eastern Michigan. Rasnick led the Eagles to 20 wins from 1995-99.

SENIOR DAY SUCCESS: The Green and White has fared well in Senior Day contests the past two years, as EMU has sent its senior classes out on a high note.
   In 2016, Eastern Michigan came from behind to knock off in-state foe Central Michigan, 26-21, and moved to 7-5 on the year, its first seven-win season since 1989. More recently, an Ian Eriksen seven-yard scamper at the end of the third quarter led Eastern to a 34-31 win over Bowling Green, Nov. 21, 2017.
   For the complete write up on each member of EMU's senior class, turn to page two of these notes.

ALL-TIME VS AKRON: The Zips hold a 19-12 advantage over the Eagles all-time. They last met in 2015 where UA prevailed, 47-21, in Ypsilanti, Oct. 10. In that game, the Eagles kept things tight early, but the Zips rattled off 26 unanswered points to claim the victory.
    EMU's last victory over Akron came in 2011 when the Green and White triumphed, 31-23, Oct. 1, at Rynearson Stadium.

LAST VICTORY OVER THE ZIPS: Eastern's last win over Akron came back during the 2011 campaign, a 31-23, victory at Rynearson Stadium. EMU jumped out to a 10-point lead before thwarting an Akron game-tying scoring drive with a minute to play to secure the win. Junior running back Dominique White turned in a career-best 164 yards rushing on 28 carries and tallied three touchdown runs.

LAST TIME WE MET: Turnovers proved costly for Eastern Michigan as EMU fell to Akron, 47-21, Oct. 10, 2015. The Eagles managed 413 yards of total offense but a trio of turnovers kept them from capitalizing on possessions. Brogan Roback paced the Eagles passing game, with 196 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns, while Eddie Daugherty hauled in a career-best seven receptions for 107 yards and a score.

ON THE HORIZON: After playing 11 consecutive weeks, the Eagles will enjoy a bye week before traveling to Kent, Ohio, Nov. 23 to close out the regular season against Kent State University. It will be the first meeting since 2012 and the 31st overall with the Golden Flashes holding a 17-13 edge in the series.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ka’John Armstrong

Blake Banham

Chris Bukoski

Ikie Calderon

Maxx Crosby

Eddie Daugherty IV

Ian Eriksen

Jeremiah Harris

Lemar Harris

Jeremy Hickey

CJ Hunt

Jaron Johnson

Jesse Kelly

Tyler LaBarbera

Jimmy Leatiota

Justin Moody

Pat O'Connor

Jaylen Pickett

Kyle Rachwal

Brogan Roback

Dakota Tallman

Ville Valasti

Shaq Vann

Tyler Wiegers

Ross Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics