Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Bested By Georgia Southern’s Walk-Off Field Goal at the Camellia Bowl
12/15/2018 9:09:00 PM | Football
EMU's touchdown with 3:33 left in the game overshadowed by GS's walk-off field goal
Postgame Audio.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (EMUEagles.com) – A 40-yard field goal by Georgia Southern University's Tyler Bass as time expired decided the 2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, as the Eastern Michigan University football team fell, 23-21, Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Cramton Bowl here in Montgomery, Ala.
As one would expect with a game involving EMU, which played in eight games this season decided by a touchdown or less, the Camellia Bowl was a tight one with neither team ever leading by more than 10 points. There were two lead changes in the final four minutes with Eastern Michigan taking a 21-20 lead with 3:33 remaining thanks to a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mike Glass III (St. Louis, Mo.-Hazlewood Central-Southwestern) to Arthur Jackson III (Oakland, Calif.-Wood-American River College) on a fourth-and-4. However, Georgia Southern marched right back down the field, and on a fourth-and-10, Eagles quarterback Shai Werts rushed 29 yards to put his team in field goal position. Three plays later, Bass gave his team the win.
EMU closed the 2018 season with a 7-6 record (5-3 Mid-American Conference), its first winning conference record since 1995 and first US bowl appearance in 31 years.. With the win, Georgia Southern earned its first 10-win season at the FBS level, ending the year 10-3 (6-2 Sun Belt Conference).
Bass' game-winning field goal was the second in the brief history of the bowl. Appalachian State kicker Zach Matics' 23-yard FG as time expired lifted the Mountaineers to a 31-29 win over Ohio in 2015. The five Camellia Bowl games have been decided by 17 total points and all five have come down to the final minutes.
The Eagles' offensive efforts through the air outpaced Georgia Southern, 204 to just 33, as Glass III tied the Camellia Bowl record with three touchdown passes to finish 17-for-25 and three touchdowns. Jackson III led the Eagles receivers with 86 yards on three receptions, including two of EMU's' three touchdown with grabs of five and 75. Senior captain Blake Banham (St. Paul, Minn.-Cretin-Durham) was targeted a team-high seven times, pulling down six receptions for 44 yards.
EMU's defense did its best to try win the contest, holding GS to only 104 total yards after the intermission as they finished with 364, including 331 on the ground. In his final game in the Green and White, senior linebacker Kyle Rachwal (Lapeer, Mich.-Lapeer East) led the Eagles' defensive efforts, tallying 12 tackles on the evening. Junior Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas-Colleyville Heritage) added a tackles-for-loss to finish with eight stops, while senior Jaylen Pickett (Zephryhills, Fla.-Zephryhills) added a nine-tackle performance.
The game started with consecutive series resulting in three-and-out efforts from both squads. On their second series, Georgia Southern scored the first points of the matchup, driving from the EMU five-yard line on a 15-play, 95-yard scoring drive.
Eastern Michigan came back with a strong effort, as Willie Parker's (Tampa, Fla.-Carrolwood Day School) 10-yard rush up the middle gave the Eagles their first first-down of the game. The Eagles drove down the field with another Parker rush, but were ultimately stopped at midfield after a false start penalty was too much to overcome.
The Green and White quickly got the ball back, as EMU's defense stepped up to stop GS's ensuing drive with a huge stop on third-and-long from senior Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater).
On the following play, junior Mathew Sexton (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton) blocked Georgia Southern's punt attempt, as the kick trickled just 11 yards to mid-field. The block was the first in Camellia Bowl history and the third by EMU this year.
Eastern Michigan used the field positioning from Sexton in a six-play scoring drive to add seven to the board. The drive saw sophomore Tyler Lyle's (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Kalamazoo Central) first-ever collegiate pass reception on the drive's scoring play, a one-yard rollout pass from Glass III. EMU used its strong passing game to get down the field, as the series was highlighted by a 20-yard catch by junior Isaac Holder (Tampa, Fla.-Sickles) and a 17-yard reception from freshman standout Dylan Drummond (Cleveland, Ohio-Cuyahoga Heights).
Georgia Southern quickly came back with their own touchdown to re-take the lead, before knocking in a 50-yard field goal to end the half. GS held a 17-7 advantage at the break.
Eastern used its first possession of the second half to close its scoring gap. On the Green and White's first play from scrimmage, Glass III threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to junior Jackson III for the second-longest pass play in bowl history.
EMU's defense came out of the locker-room just as stout as the offense, forcing the Georgia Southern Eagles offensive off the field on the following drive in just five plays. The Green and White defense held GS scoreless throughout the third quarter, keeping the score at 17-14 through 45 minutes of play.
A 35-yard field goal make increased Georgia Southern's lead to six points in the fourth quarter. EMU kept the Eagles to just three points with a big stop from junior Hunter Andrews (Metamora, Mich.-Lapeer) and freshman CJ Hunt (Avon, Ind.-Avon) on third-and-nine from the Green and White's redzone.
The Raycom Media Camellia Bowl appearance concluded EMU's 2018 football season.
CAMELLIA BOWL GAME NOTES:
- Georgia Southern defeated Eastern Michigan 23-21 in the fifth annual Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
- The five Camellia Bowl games have been decided by 17 total points
- The Georgia Southern-Eastern Michigan game was the lowest scoring game in bowl history
- The two-point margin tied the closest margin in bowl history (Appalachian State defeated Ohio 31-29 (last second FG) in 2015)
- Georgia Southern redshirt junior place kicker Tyler Bass hit the game-winning 40-yard FG as time expired
- It was the second game-winning FG in Camellia Bowl history (Appalachian State's Zach Matics 23-yard FG in the final play gave ASU 31-29 win over Ohio in 2015)
- Bass accounted for 11 of the Eagles 23 points in the win over Eastern Michigan (Camellia Bowl record with three made field goals)
CAMELLIA BOWL MILESTONES:
- Georgia Southern set the Camellia Bowl record with 58 rushing attempts
- Georgia Southern 301 rushing yards are second-most in bowl history
- Georgia Southern PK Tyler Bass set Camellia Bowl record for kickers with 11 points
- Georgia Southern RB Wesley Fields had 23 rushing attempts for 107 yards in the win over EMU
- Fields 23 rushing attempts are the second most in bowl history
- Georgia Southern QB Shai Werts had 16 rushing attempts for 79 yards and two TDs
- He tied the Camellia Bowl record with two rushing TDs (26 yard TD; 5 yard TD)
- Eastern Michigan QB Mike Glass completed 17-of-25 passes for 204 yards and three TDs
- He tied the Camellia Bowl record with three TD passes
- Glass completed a 75-yard TD pass to Arthur Jackson in the first play of the third quarter
- It was the second-longest TD pass in Camellia Bowl history (Bowling Green's James Knapke to Roger Lewis -78 yards in 2014)
- It was the third-longest scoring play in Camellia Bowl history (Appalachian State (Darryton Evans) had a 94-yard kickoff return in 2016)
EASTERN MICHIGAN NOTES:
- Eastern Michigan finished the season with 7-6 record
- EMU is now 1-2 all-time in bowl games
- The Eagles only bowl win was a 30-27 win over San Jose State in the 1987 California Bowl
- EMU receiver Arthur Jackson caught three passes for 86 yards and two TDs in the loss
- Jackson hauled in a 75-yard TD reception on the first play of the third quarter
- He pulled down the go-ahead 5-yard TD reception on fourth down late in the game
- Eastern Michigan finished with 301 total yards; third-lowest total of the season
- The Eagles had 235 vs. Army and 242 yards vs. Northern Illinois (EMU lost all three games)
GEORGIA SOUTHERN NOTES:
- Georgia Southern closes out the season with a 10-3 record
- It's the first 10-win season since the school moved to FBS in 2014
- Georgia Southern had an 8-game improvement from last season
- The Eagles posted a 2-10 record in 2016
- Georgia Southern did not thrown an interception in 117 attempts this season
- GS is believed to be the first team in FBS history to complete a season without an interception
- Temple (1977) and Alabama (1981) threw only interception to hold the previous record in a season
- Georgia Southern improved to 2-0 all-time in bowl games
- GS defeated Bowling Green 58-27 in the 2015 GoDaddy.com Bowl
- Georgia Southern had 58 rushing attempts for 301 yards (5.7 yards per carry)
- The 58 rushing attempts set a Camellia Bowl record
- GS recorded its sixth 300-yard rushing game of the season
CAMELLIA BOWL PREGAME NOTES:
- The official kickoff time was 4:40 p.m. (CT)
- The game time temperature was 55 degrees with rain (first rain in Camellia Bowl history)
- Eastern Michigan won the toss and deferred to the second half
CAMELLIA BOWL FIRST QUARTER NOTES:
- Georgia Southern outgained Eastern Michigan 102-30 in the first quarter
- The teams combined for 22 running plays in the first quarter
- Georgia Southern had 17 running plays and one pass in the first quarter
- Georgia Southern opened the game with 14 straight running plays
- The lone pass attempt was a 13-yard completion (Shai Werts to Malik Murray) on third-and-12
- Eastern Michigan had five running plays and two pass attempts
- The first touchdown drive by Georgia Southern was the longest in bowl history in terms of plays and time
- The Eagles used a 15-play, 95-yard drive that took 9:01 of the clock
- GS quarterback Shai Watts capped the drive with a 26-yard TD run on third-and-one
- The 95-yard drive was the second longest in bowl history; fourth TD drive of 90+ yards
- It was Georgia Southern's longest drive (plays, yards and time) of the 2018 season
CAMELLIA BOWL SECOND QUARTER NOTES:
- Georgia Southern outgained EMU 128-60 in the second quarter
- GS outgained EMU 230-90 in the first half
- GS had the ball for over 20 minutes in the first half (20:29)
- Eastern Michigan Matthew Sexton blocked a punt on the opening possession of the second quarter
- It was the first blocked kick of any kind in Camellia Bowl history
- The blocked punt gave the EMU a first down at midfield and led to first TD of the game
- The offense responded with a 6-play, 50-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7
- EMU quarterback Mike Glass completed his first seven passes (53 yards; TD)
- His first incompletion came with 2:54 left in the first half
- Georgia Southern place kicker Tyler Bass made a 50-yard FG on the final play of the second quarter
- The 50-yard FG was the longest in Camellia Bowl history
CAMELLIA BOWL THIRD QUARTER NOTES:
- Eastern Michigan outgained Georgia Southern 128-39 in the third quarter
- Eastern Michigan scored on the first play of the second half
- Glass threw a 75-yard TD pass to Arthur Jackson as EMU cut the lead to 17-14
- The 75-yard TD pass was the second-longest TD pass in Camellia Bowl history
- EMU's 75-yard TD pass was the third-longest scoring play in Camellia Bowl history
CAMELLIA BOWL FOURTH QUARTER NOTES:
- The lead changed hands twice in the final four minutes
- Eastern Michigan took its only lead of the game with 3:33 left on the clock
- Glass fired a 5-yard TD pass to Jackson to cap a 16-play, 75-yard drive
- The TD pass came on fourth-and-four from the GS 5-yard line and gave EMU a 21-20 lead
- Georgia Southern answered with a game-winning drive, capped by Bass' 40-yard FG as time expired
- The Eagles drove 52 yards in nine plays for the winning score
- Werts converted a fourth-and-10 form the GS 41 yard line to set up game-winning FG
Team Stats

GS 7, EMU 0
GS - S. Werts 26 yd run (T. Bass kick), 15 plays, 95 yards, TOP 9:01

GS 7, EMU 7
EMU - LYLE, Tyler 1 yd pass from GLASS, Mike (RYLAND, Chad kick) 6 plays, 50 yards, TOP 3:15

GS 14, EMU 7
GS - S. Werts 5 yd run (T. Bass kick), 7 plays, 82 yards, TOP 4:05

GS 17, EMU 7
GS - T. Bass 50 yd field goal 9 plays, 29 yards, TOP 2:46

GS 17, EMU 14
EMU - JACKSON, Arthur 75 yd pass from GLASS, Mike (RYLAND, Chad kick) 1 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:13

GS 20, EMU 14
GS - T. Bass 35 yd field goal 8 plays, 38 yards, TOP 4:12

GS 20, EMU 21
EMU - JACKSON, Arthur 5 yd pass from GLASS, Mike (RYLAND, Chad kick) 16 plays, 75 yards, TOP 6:16

GS 23, EMU 21
GS - T. Bass 40 yd field goal 9 plays, 52 yards, TOP 3:33