Football Travels to Purdue for Non-Conference Tilt

Football at Purdue
Date	Saturday, Sept. 8 \| 12 p.m.
Venue	West Lafayette, Ind. \| Ross-Ade Stadium (57,236)
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 \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road for the first time this season when it heads southwest for a non-conference bout with Purdue University Saturday, Sept. 8. The battle between the Eagles and Boilermakers will begin with a 12 p.m. kickoff at Ross-Ade Stadium.
   The contest will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with Joe Beninati delivering the play-by-play, while Chuck Long will serve as the analyst. Fans in southeastern Michigan can catch the game on Comcast channels 256 or 1313, and BTN2Go. 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.

NEWCOMERS SHINE IN 2018 DEBUT: Eagle rookies were an important part of EMU's win over Monmouth, Aug. 31, as new Eagles were responsible for 23 of the team's 51 points.
   Freshman quarterback Jarius Grissom showcased his speed with his first rushing touchdown in the third quarter against the Hawks, while wide receiver Dylan Drummond earned his first collegiate receiving touchdown in the second quarter. Freshman Chad Ryland added the last nine points by freshmen with his six PATs and a second quarter 34-yard field goal. Junior college transfer Kobie Beltram led the defensive effort with nine tackles, the most in an Eastern Michigan debut since 2013.

ALL-TIME VS. PURDUE: Saturday's match-up marks the third time the Eagles have faced the Boilermakers in the program's history. Eastern will be looking for its first-ever win against Purdue. In the last meeting, the Boilermakers posted a 54-16 victory, Sept. 15, 2012.

WILD FOR WIEGERS: In his first collegiate start, senior quarterback Tyler Wiegers had a near-perfect game, completing 18-of-21 passes for 238 yards, with two touchdowns in Eastern's decisive, 51-17, win over Monmounth, Aug. 31. Completing 85.7 percent of his passes, including his first nine attempts, Wiegers set the Eastern Michigan standard in the modern statistical era, besting Todd Porter's previous mark of 77.4 percent (24-for-31). In addition to 16 and 10-yard TD strikes, Wiegers added 19 yards on three rushes. Overall, Wiegers led the Eagles' to their third straight season-opening win, while also helping the offense produce the fourth-most points in a home opener in program history.

CLICKING AT A HIGH RATE: EMU quarterbacks were a combined 22-for-27 against Monmouth, Aug. 31, to set the school's modern era statistical record for pass completion percentage at 81.5 percent. The mark edged out a 77.4 percent (24-of-31) mark set against UNC Charlotte during the 2016 campaign. Mike Glass III, Jarius Grissom, and Tyler Wiegers each saw time in the pocket for the Green and White with running back Shaq Vann also taking a direct snap, as saw four different players took a snap from the center. In total, EMU racked up 302 yards and five scores via the air, while remaining clean without a sack and just one quarterback hurry.

ESPECIALLY SPECIAL PLAY: Freshman Chad Ryland made a historical mark in Eastern's record book during his collegiate debut, kicking EMU's lone field goal and scoring six extra points in the Eagles 51-17 victory over Monmouth. His six PATs rank tied for seventh-most in EMU single game history, and are tied for the most by a "true" freshman in the Eastern record books. The last freshman to achieve the mark was Dylan Mulder against Army, Oct. 20, 2012.

STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE: Senior team captain Blake Banham was awarded one of Eastern Michigan's highest honors, Aug. 30, as he was chosen by staff to wear the No. 2 jersey The jersey has been memorialized for EMU player Demarius Reed, who passed away in 2013. In his first game wearing "The Deuce" jersey, Banham showed his teammates and fans why he was awarded the honor, finishing as the squad's top receiver with a career-best 103 yards on eight receptions in the 51-17 rout of the Monmouth Hawks.

REACHING INTO THE BAG OF TRICKS [AGAIN]: Offensive coordinator Aaron Keen wasted little time reaching into his bag of tricks, using a trick play for a touchdown to add to Eastern's lead against Monmouth, Aug. 31. On a screen to wide receiver Isaac Holder, he heaved a pass down field and found Bryce Kemp for a 34-yard touchdown to make it 13-0 over Monmouth. It was Holder's first completion on the season, and his second career TD pass. Holder's first career touchdown throw was also to Kemp, a 45-yard strike against Northern Illinois, Oct. 26, 2017.

GREAT GAME KOBIE: A transfer from San Francisco, junior Kobie Beltram made his Eastern Michigan debut against Monmouth, Aug. 31 and filled up the box score in the process. Beltram led the Eagles with nine tackles, three solo and six assists, while getting in on a sack and tackle-for-loss. The Antioch, Calif. native's nine stops were the most in a debut since former Eagle Great Ibe racked up nine in EMU's, 34-24, come-from-behind win over Howard, Aug. 31, 2013.

PICKING OFF A POWER 5: Last year, Eastern Michigan posted a thrilling 16-13 win over Rutgers, Sept. 9, 2017, for the program's first victory over a 'Power 5' program in 59 tries. In addition, it was also EMU's first win over a Big Ten Conference team in 39 attempts.
   In that game, defensive lineman Jeremiah Harris wreaked havoc on the Rutgers offense. For his efforts, he was named the MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week.
   The Lambertville, Mich. native had the game-sealing sack on the final play of the game. In addition to the sack, Harris added a tackle for loss, a pass breakup at the line, a QB hurry, as well as an interception to halt a potential Rutgers scoring drive. While not showing out in the box score, Harris was the catalyst for a defense that held RU to just 128 yards rushing, 198 passing, and 15 first downs.

TIES WITH THE BOILERMAKERS: Three members of the Purdue coaching staff have ties back to Eastern Michigan. Kevin Wolthausen first joined EMU in 2002 as an outside linebackers coach, then re-joined EMU and then-Head Coach Ron English's staff in 2009 as an associate head coach in charge of the linebackers. Currently, Wolthausen is in his second season with Purdue and first as an assistant coach working with the Boilermakers' special teams and defense. Current Purdue co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Nick Holt is somewhat familiar with being on the opposite sideline from EMU. In 2004, Holt served as the head coach for Idaho during the only meeting between the Vandals and Eagles. At the helm, Holt led the Vandals to a 45-41 victory inside Rynearson Stadium, Oct. 2. A video coordinator for EMU from 2007-13, Matt Patterson stepped out of Ypsilanti and into West Lafayette following the 2013 season. He currently holds the role of Lead Video Coordinator for the Boilermakers.

BACK IN WEST LAFAYETTE: Saturday's game will be a homecoming for EMU first-year defensive line coach Ben Needham, who attended West Lafayette High School. Growing up in West Lafayette, Needham played both sides of the line for the Red Devils, and was recruited to play at DePauw University by then-Head Coach Bill Lynch. Needham played two seasons on the Tigers' offensive line before transferring to earn his degree at Ohio State University.

WASBASH EXPRESS: While it will be his first coaching opportunity inside Ross-Ade Stadium, Head Coach Chris Creighton is no stranger to the area. Creighton served as head coach at nearby Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. from 2001-07. Aided by Defensive Coordinator Neal Neathery, Creighton amassed a 63-15 record (.808). During his final three years at Wabash, Creighton led the Little Giants to a 30-5 record (.857), including three-straight league championships and appearances in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs.

EASTERN AT ROSS-ADE: Saturday's match up will be Eastern's third trip to Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium, and its first since 2012. The Green and White are in search of its first win in West Lafayette, Ind., having dropped the 2012 clash, 54-16, and the 1991 meeting, 49-3.

PLENTY OF PURDUE: Including football, EMU and Purdue have faced off 16 times across seven sports, with the Boilermakers holding a 12-3-1 edge. Eastern's wins over Purdue have come in men's basketball and baseball. On the hardwood, the Eagles topped the Boilermakers, 47-44, in the Convocation Center, Dec. 8, 2012. Meanwhile, EMU's baseball team is unbeaten against the Big Ten Conference foe. The Eagles thumped Purdue, 20-2, May, 14, 2013, before recording a 6-5 win, April 12, 2016.

THEY'RE COMING HOME: Purdue University is located 256 miles from Ypsilanti, Mich., just a four hour drive from campus to campus. The road trip sends six of the Eagles players back to their home state, including senior Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams), sophomore defensive lineman CJ Hunt (Avon, Ind.-Avon) and freshmen Marc Hairston (Fort Wayne, Ind.-South Side), EJ Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.-Pike) and Max Chaffee (Granger, Ind.-Penn).
   The Boilermakers only have three roster members hailing from the Mitten in Navon Mosley (West Bloomfield, Mich.-West Bloomfield), Tim Cason (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) and Bearooz Yacoobi (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn). Cason and Eastern's Ian Eriksen are former teammates, both playing at Clarkston together during the 2012 season.

EAGLES IN INDIANA: As Eastern heads to West Lafayette, Ind. to play Purdue Sept. 8, they will aim to earn its 37th win over a NCAA team based in Indiana. The Eagles hold a 36-41 record against schools located in the Crossroads of America, including an 0-2 record against Purdue. Eastern has competed against five schools based in the state: Ball State, Indiana, Indiana State, Valparaiso and Purdue.

HALF A RACHWAL STILL STRONG ENOUGH: Before being ejected for targeting with just over a minute to play in the opening half against Monmouth, senior Kyle Rachwal was putting on a show. In just one half of play, Rachwal recorded four tackles, one TFL, two quarterback hurries, and the third interception of his career. Thankfully, Rachwal will not miss any time at Purdue.

CREIGHTON APPROACHING TOP FIVE IN ALL-TIME WINS AT EMU: With four more wins, EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton will tie Rick Rasnick for fifth all-time in victories at Eastern Michigan. Rasnick led the Eagles to 20 wins in 54 games from 1995-99. Creighton already has coached the eighth most games in EMU history at 50 in four+ seasons.

HAPPY TO SEE YOU, CHUCK: Rob Rubick, the analyst on WEMU's broadcasts of EMU football, will not be the only one happy to see Chuck Long in the booth for Big Ten Network in West Lafayette, Ind. Saturday. Long, a former Detroit Lion teammate of Rubick, was on the call for Eastern Michigan's historic win over Rutgers last season, EMU's first over a Power Five opponent in program history.

PART TWO OF THE ROAD TRIP: After Eastern takes on Purdue Sept. 8, the Eagles head on a cross-country tour across the United States with match ups against MAC foe, the University at Buffalo, Sept. 15, and San Diego State, Sept. 22. After traveling more than 5,000 miles back-and-forth, the Eagles will come home for Family Weekend at "The Factory" against Northern Illinois, Sept. 29.

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Players Mentioned

Blake Banham

Kobie Beltram

Max Chaffee

Dylan Drummond

Ian Eriksen

Mike Glass III

Marc Hairston

Jeremiah Harris

Isaac Holder

CJ Hunt

Great Ibe

Bryce Kemp

Dylan Mulder

Kyle Rachwal

Chad Ryland

Shaq Vann

Tyler Wiegers

Elijah Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics