EMU Football Game Notes for the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl

Football vs. Georgia Southern
Date	Saturday, Dec. 15 \| 4:30 p.m. CT
Venue	Montgomery, Ala. \| Cramton Bowl (25,000)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| EMU Record Book \| GS Notes
Live Stats	Media Stats
Watch	ESPN
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669 \| Complete Bowl Event Schedule

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team will play its first bowl game on United States soil in 31 years when it participates in the fifth annual Raycom Media Camellia Bowl Saturday, Dec. 15, in Montgomery, Ala. The Eagles, who finished the regular season with a 7-5 mark and 5-3 record in Mid-American Conference play, are back in the postseason for the second time in three years after an appearance in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl.
   Eastern will meet the Georgia Southern University Eagles in a matchup of the MAC against the Sun Belt Conference. GS is making its second bowl appearance in program history after finishing the regular season 9-3 and 6-2 in conference play. Georgia Southern last played in the postseason in 2015 when it knocked off MAC foe Bowling Green, 58-27, in the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
   Kickoff from the historic Cramton Bowl is set for 4:30 p.m. CT and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN. Mike Corey and Rene Ingoglia will be in the booth, while Lauren Sisler reports from the sideline. The game will also be aired on WEMU (89.1 FM) with veteran broadcasters Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick calling the action on the field. WEMU's special 30-minute pregame show from the stadium begins at 5 p.m. ET.

LET'S ROLL, LET'S BOWL: The Camellia Bowl marks the third Division I bowl game in program history, and EMU's first since 2016. EMU is 1-1 in those games, as it defeated San Jose State, 30-27, in the 1987 California Bowl and fell to Old Dominion, 24-20, in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl.
   The trip to Montgomery, Ala. marks the first time EMU student-athletes have the opportunity to play in more than one bowl during their careers.

WHO ARE WE?: Playing in a postseason bowl for the second time in the last three seasons and the fourth time in school history, the Eagles enter the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in one of the best three-year stretches in school history. Eastern's 19 wins over the past three seasons are the most since winning 23 from 1987-89, while the Eagles' five straight MAC wins to close out the campaign gave the team its first winning record in conference play since 1995.
   The Green and White turned in another stout season on the defensive side of the ball in 2018, as it posted one of the most successful defensive campaigns in program history. EMU's 22.0 points allowed per game tied for the fifth-best mark in school history in the modern era (since 1976), and the best since 1993. Eastern's 352.9 yards of offense allowed was the second-best mark since 1998, as well as the best since 2011. Furthermore, the Eagles intercepted 13 passes, the most since 2007, and forced 24 total turnovers.
   On the national scale, the Eagles were one of the top defenses in the country. Eastern currently owns the fourth-best redzone defense in the NCAA, while holding opponents to 160.0 passing yards per game, the fifth-fewest in the nation. EMU ranked 10th in turnover margin, 12th in turnovers gained, 12th in passing efficiency defense, 17th in fumbles recovered, 17th in fourth down conversion defense, 28th in interceptions, 32nd in scoring defense, and 35th in first-down defense.
   Furthermore, defensive coordinator Neal Neathery's crew proved to be very stingy late in the year, as EMU's defense only allowed one offensive touchdown over the final 12 quarters of the season. Moreover, Eastern is ranked 14th nationally for fewest second-half points allowed at just 8.9 per game.
   Offensively, senior quarterback Tyler Wiegers led the MAC in completion percentage at 64.8, a clip that ranks 26th nationally. He has shared time with Mike Glass III, who has missed four games due to injury, but the two have combined for 23 touchdowns (17 passing, 6 rushing), 2,707 passing yards, and just four interceptions.
   The Eagles' 2018 season was highlighted by a 20-19 walk-off victory at Purdue for the program's second consecutive win over a team from the Big Ten Conference.

EARNING THE EIGHTH: The Eagles head into their third bowl game in nearly three decades in search of their eighth win of the season, currently posting a 7-5 overall record. Eastern Michigan has not posted eight wins in a season since 1987, when EMU finished the season 10-2 under Jim Harkema. If the Eagles were to defeat Georgia Southern, it would be just the seventh time in EMU's 127-year history that the Green and White have posted eight-or-more wins in a season all-time.

LAYING CLAIM: In going to a bowl game for the second time in three seasons, 19 student-athletes will have the opportunity to do something that no one in program history has accomplished previously. EMU's roster includes 19 players that saw time in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, including seven starters. Prior to the Camellia Bowl, no player in program history has played in two bowl games during their Eastern Michigan careers.
   Furthermore, Chris Creighton is the first coach to lead multiple Eastern teams to bowl games.

TURNAROUND AGENTS: EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton and Georgia Southern's Head Coach Chad Lunsford have more in common than just a school mascot, as both leaders have orchestrated complete turnarounds of their respective programs, leading to bowl invitations within three years of their hiring.
   Creighton was named the 37th head coach of the EMU football team in December of 2013, and within his first three seasons at the helm, turned a 1-11 team (2015) into a 7-5 team (2016), resulting in an invitation to the 2016 Bahamas Bowl. Lunsford was promoted to full-time head coach on Nov. 27, 2017, and has transformed the team from 2-10 in 2017 to a 9-3 club in 2018.

PICKS WILL BE HARD TO COME BY: The Camellia Bowl pits the top-two teams nationally in fewest interceptions thrown. GS has yet to throw a pick this season and ranks atop the NCAA list in fewest INTs, while EMU is slotted second with four.

POSTSEASON TEAMS: EMU's 2018 regular season included games against seven teams that will close out their schedules in the postseason. Purdue, Buffalo, San Diego State, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Toledo, and Army West Point.
   Eastern's five losses have come against teams that are a combined 22-10 in conference play and are 42-20 overall (.667). All five of those teams are playing in the postseason.

NOTHING NEW: When EMU faces Georgia Southern, it will not be the first time the Green and White take on a team that runs the option. Eastern hosted Army West Point at Rynearson Stadium earlier this season, falling 37-22.

CONTINUING TO FLUSH IT: For the past three seasons, Eastern Michigan's motto has been to go 1-0 each week while "flushing" the previous outcome. The short memory has proven beneficial for the program, with 23 of the last 37 contests decided by seven points-or-less.
   Of those contests, six have been decided in overtime with 10 coming down to the final play.

CLOSE CALLS: EMU is one-of-eight FBS teams to have played in at least seven one-score games this season, however, the Eagles are only one of three to be on the unfortunate side in as many as four. These three schools are: EMU (3-4), Air Force (2-5), and Arizona State (4-5).

STANDING TALL: Eastern currently holds the nation's fourth-best red zone defense, allowing opponents to score only 33 times on 46 attempts. EMU is ranked 14th nationally in the fewest second-half points allowed at just 8.9 a game.

BREAKING THE RECORD BOOK: The Eagles have rewritten the record book this season with 93 different all-time top performances. This includes senior Jeremiah Harris setting the EMU all-time game played record at 51 and sophomore Jake Julien tying Rich Hanschu's 1980 punting average standard of 43.6.

BEST THREE-YEAR STRETCH: EMU is currently amid one of the best three-year stretches in program history. EMU is 19-18 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.
   EMU is 8-2 in the month of November the last three years. In the four seasons prior, Eastern combined for a total of seven wins during the entire 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 campaigns.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA: EMU has never played a game in the state of Alabama prior to the Camellia Bowl. Eastern is 1-0 all-time against institutions in the state, a 14-7 victory over Montgomery's own Alabama State inside Rynearson Stadium, Sept. 10, 2011.

#MACtion vs. #FunBelt: The 2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl will be the first time in program history that Eastern Michigan and Georgia Southern Eagles have met on the gridiron.
   While the two have yet to square off against one another, both teams have experience playing members of each other's conference. EMU holds a 4-6-1 record over teams in the Sun Belt Conference, earning wins over Arkansas State (1976), Louisiana-Lafayette (2006), and Louisiana-Monroe (1970 & 1975).
   GS has played two Mid-American Conference opponents, holding a 2-1 all-time record over #MACtion foes. Georgia Southern earned their first NCAA Division I bowl game win when they beat Bowling Green in the GoDaddy Bowl in 2015, while they split a regular-season series with Western Michigan in the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

THE MAC IN THE CAMELLIA BOWL: The Mid-American Conference holds a 1-2 record in the Camellia Bowl all-time. Bowling Green bested South Alabama, 33-21, in the first-ever Camellia Bowl, Dec. 20, 2014, for the MAC while Ohio and Toledo dropped games to Appalachian State. Ohio came up short, 31-29, Dec. 19, 2015, and Toledo fell on the wrong end of a 31-28 decision, Dec. 17, 2016.

NAIL BITERS: The Camellia Bowl has been host to some tight games over the past four seasons, as no game has been decided by more than five points. In fact, the last four Camellia Bowls have been decided by a combined 16 points.

TEN EARN ALL-MAC ACCOLADES: EMU saw 10 of its student-athletes named to All-Mid-American Conference Teams, the league office announced Nov. 28. The 10 selections are second-most in program history, surpassed only by the 1989 team, which had 12 honorees. Additionally, the 10 honorees are the most under fifth-year head coach Chris Creighton, as EMU has seen a total of 26 student-athletes recognized in the last three seasons.
   Junior defensive lineman Maxx Crosby joins former NFL Draft picks Ron Johnson and Lional Dalton as the only EMU defensive players to ever earn back-to-back First Team All-MAC selections. Jake Julien, Kevin McGill, and Kyle Rachwal, and were each named to the second team. In addition, Blake Banham, Vince Calhoun, Jeremiah Harris, Brody Hoying, Jimmy Leatiota, and Steve Nielsen all garnered All-MAC Third Team honors.

SAXX CROSBY: Junior defensive lineman Maxx Crosby joined former NFL Draft picks Ron Johnson and Lional Dalton as the only EMU defensive players to ever earn back-to-back First Team All-MAC selections. Johnson did so during the 1976 and 1977 campaigns, while Dalton collected the honors in 1996 and 1997. Meanwhile, Crosby is just the fourth EMU defender to earn the first team accolades twice in a career, joining Johnson, Dalton, Richard Palmer (1991 and 1993), and Pat O'Connor (2014 and 2016).
   Opposing quarterbacks have gotten to know Crosby more than they would like over the past three seasons, as the Colleyville, Texas native has wreaked havoc in opponents' backfields. Crosby ranks fifth nationally in forced fumbles per game (0.36), as well as 10th in tackles-for-loss per game (1.6). He is also fifth in the MAC in sacks (0.68), a mark that ranks 35th in the FBS ranks.

SORRIER ON THE (WRONG) SIDELINES: When Eastern Michigan looks across the field to the Georgia Southern sidelines, it will see a familiar face in GS Assistant Athletic Trainer Bryce Sorrier. Sorrier is just a few months into his role with Georgia Southern after spending the two years prior as an assistant athletic trainer at EMU. At Eastern, Sorrier worked with the gymnastics and track and field programs.

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT: For the first time since This Is How We Do It by Montell Jordan was blaring on the radio, EMU football posted five consecutive Mid-American Conference victories with wins over Toledo, Ball State, Central Michigan, Akron, and Kent State. That year was 1995, as Eastern started out the conference campaign with wins over Akron (49-29 – Sept. 2), Ohio (31-20 – Sept. 23), Central Michigan (34-24 – Oct. 7), and Ball State (40-35 – Oct. 21).
    It marks the program's longest MAC streak since the 1989 season when the then-Hurons rolled off five-straight league wins. Additionally, it gave Eastern Michigan its first winning record in conference play since 1995, when the Eagles finished with a 5-3 MAC mark.

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 11 times, most recently in its 28-20 win over Kent State, Nov. 23.

HARRIS BAGGING SOME SACKS: Senior defensive end Jeremiah Harris fueled Eastern Michigan to a 28-20 road win over Kent State Friday, Nov. 23. Harris recorded nine tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and tied the program record for sacks in a game with a career-high three. He came up huge on fourth down, registering his third sack of the afternoon to thwart a KSU comeback attempt and turn the ball back over to EMU on downs in the third quarter.
      His five sacks this year are tied for 11th-most in the MAC. The Lambertville, Mich. native has also blocked a kick, intercepted a pass, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble this season.

NO AARP CARD NEEDED HERE: Sophomore punter Jake Julien is only EMU player in records that date back to 1959 to have recorded two punts of 70-or-more yards in their career. Julien had a 71 yards boot in the first quarter against Army, Oct. 27. It was his second 70+ punt in a three week span, as the Barrie, Ontario native turned in a career-best 73-yard punt against Western Michigan, Oct. 6. The punt against the Broncos made him just the fourth EMU player since 1993 to have eclipsed a punt of 70+ yards.
   Overall, Julien leads the MAC and ranks 23rd nationally in punting with an average of 43.6. He has 12 punts of 50-or-more yards and has 22 that have been downed inside the 20-yard line. Furthermore, 15 of those 22 have actually been whistled dead inside the 10-yard line with three having traveled more than 68 yards.

ERIKSEN BACK TO BEING HIMSELF: Senior running back Ian Eriksen carried the ball 17 times for a season-high 118 yards and a career-best three touchdowns in a 28-20 win at Kent State, Nov. 23. He posted a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter, before adding the game-winning score in the second period. His three rushing touchdowns were the most by an Eagle since Reginald Bell scampered for three scores against Buffalo, Oct. 11, 2014.
   For his efforts, he was named the MAC West Division's Offensive Player of the Week, Nov. 26.

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Players Mentioned

Blake Banham

Reginald Bell

Vince Calhoun

Maxx Crosby

Ian Eriksen

Mike Glass III

Jeremiah Harris

Brody Hoying

Jake Julien

Jimmy Leatiota

Kevin McGill

Steven Nielsen

Pat O'Connor

Kyle Rachwal

Tyler Wiegers

Eastern Michigan Athletics