Football Has a Date With Ball State for Homecoming

Football vs. Ball State
Date	Saturday, Oct. 12 \| 2 p.m. ET
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Rynearson Stadium (30,200)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Press Conference Video \| Teleconference Audio
Live Stats	Fan 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

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team is set to play its second home contest of the season, when it hosts the Cardinals of Ball State University Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff for the annual homecoming tilt is scheduled for 2 p.m. at "The Factory" inside Rynearson Stadium.
   The Eagles (3-2, 0-1 MAC) return home for the first time since their thrilling last-second, 34-29, win over Central Connecticut State, Sept. 21. Last week, EMU fell to in-state rival Central Michigan, 42-16. Meanwhile, Ball State (2-3, 1-0 MAC) comes into the game on the heels of a 27-20 come-from-behind win over MAC West foe Northern Illinois University.
   The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN+ with Robert Lee providing play-by-play and Forrest Conoly 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, and Tom Helmer providing insights from the sideline.

99th HOMECOMING: This week marks the 99th EMU Homecoming after it was created in 1920. Overall, it is the 92nd Homecoming contest, after the game was added to the festivities during the 1926 season. EMU has celebrated Homecoming every year since with the exception of 1943 and 1944 during World War II. EMU is 45-44-2 all-time on Homecoming, but has not tasted victory in the game since 2014, a 37-27 win over Buffalo.

DANCING PARTNERS: Saturday marks the sixth-time BSU has served as EMU's homecoming opponent and the first since 2013. EMU is 1-4 in those meetings, with the lone win coming in the magical 1987 season. The other previous meetings include: 1980 (L, 0-26 - Oct. 18), 1984 (L,10-17 - Oct. 27), 1987 (W, 35-28 - Oct. 17), 2001 (L, 14-35 - Oct. 13), and 2013 (L, 20-51- Sept. 21).

ALL-TIME VS. BALL STATE: The Eagles and Cardinals have met 60 times in their respective histories, with BSU leading the all-time series, 34-24-2. The two schools first met in 1936, and have faced off annually since 1973. EMU has won the last three meetings, out-scoring the Cardinals, 146-75, including a 42-20 blowout in Muncie last season, Oct. 20, 2018.

RECAPPING LAST YEAR'S MEETING: Quarterback Tyler Wiegers passed for three touchdowns and ran for another as Eastern Michigan scored in every quarter to defeat Ball State, 42-20, in Muncie, Oct. 20, 2018.
   Wiegers was a crisp 22-for-28 passing for 257 yards for Eastern Michigan. Wiegers threw touchdown passes to Line Latu, Arthur Jackson III and Isaac Holder. Shaq Vann put the Eagles on the board with a one-yard run early, Line caught a 41-yarder in the second quarter and Wiegers scored on a keeper from the 1 with 24 seconds left in the half for a 21-6 lead.
   The Cardinals Riley Neal ended a 10-play, 75-yard drive with a 16-yard pass to Riley Miller before halftime and scored from 11 yards out to end another 75-yard drive in the third quarter. Ball State was trailing 42-13 when Will Jones rambled for an 80-yard score with about two minutes remaining.
   Eastern Michigan defenders had an interception, a fumble recovery and five three-and-outs in the win.

THE LAST TIME BSU PUNCHED IN AT THE FACTORY: Plenty of records were surpassed as Eastern Michigan blew past Ball State, 56-14, in Rynearson Stadium, Nov. 2, 2017. EMU's 42-point differential marked the largest in conference play for the Eagles since joining the MAC in 1976. EMU's previous high-water mark was a 41-point defeat of Kent State University during the 1996 campaign.
   The Eagles sprung for 622 yards of total offense, including 468 through the air and 154 on the ground. It was the fourth-highest total offensive effort from EMU in program history, and the most since 2012. The 35 first downs were also the second-most in program history behind the 38 against Central Michigan in 2008.

CROSSOVER CONNECTIONS: 12 players between the EMU and BSU rosters will have extra motivation heading into Saturday's matchup. Four Cardinals return home to the Mitten State, while eight Eagles square-off with a team from their home state, Indiana.

SIMILAR SQUADS: Statistically, EMU and BSU sit side-by-side among MAC schools in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Ball State's 31.5 points per game average is good for third in the league, while Eastern's 26.2 ppg settles in at fourth. On defense, the Cardinals rank seventh-overall, allowing 29.7 ppg, while the Eagles sit in the eight spot, allowing 32.6 points per contest.

USING MULTIPLE WEAPONS: Quarterback Mike Glass III completed passes to a season-high 11 different receivers against Central Michigan, Oct. 5. It marked the first time that 11-or-more players have recorded a reception in a single game for EMU since 12 players hauled in at-least one catch, against Ohio University, Sept. 23, 2017. Additionally, at least five EMU receivers have had multiple-catch games in every contest in 2019. Six players caught two-or-more passes against the Chippewas.

EXPECT A STRONG RESPONSE: While the 26-point setback to CMU, Oct. 5, was the largest margin of defeat for an EMU team since the 2016 season, the Eagles have proven to respond to tough losses in a positive way. After falling to Missouri, 61-21, Sept. 10, 2016, EMU responded with a win, overpowering Charlotte, 37-19, one week later, Sept. 17, 2016. Additionally, the Eagles have rectified a loss with a victory in their next game on nine different occasions since the start of the 2016 season.

BALANCED TACKLING ATTACK: A total of 15 different Eagles compiled a multi-tackle game against Central Michigan, Oct. 5. That number is a season-high for EMU bettering the 14 different Eagles that recorded multiple tackles against both Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31, and Illinois, Sept. 14. A balanced defensive attack, EMU has had a least 12 players record two-or-more tackles in each game during the 2019 campaign thus far.

AIRING IT OUT: A majority of Eastern's total offensive yards in 2019 have been by way of the pass. In total, 73.9 percent (1,342-of-1,815) of the team's yardage has come via the air. That number is on-pace to be the highest of the Chris Creighton era. Previously, the highest percentage of total yards from passing came in 2017, when 66 percent of the team's 4,653 yards of total offense came via the air.

PILOTING THE OFFENSE THROUGH THE AIR: Senior quarterback Mike Glass III continues to impress with his arm. The St. Louis native amassed 193 yards through the air on 19-of-33 passing against CMU, Oct. 5. Glass has now thrown for 180+ yards in six straight contests, dating back to the Camellia Bowl, Dec. 15, 2018. Glass' 1,313 total passing yards, 122 completions, and 66.7 completion percentage all rank second in the MAC.

MR. 1,000: Senior wide out Mathew Sexton led an Eagles receiving corps that saw 10 different players coral at least one catch against Central Michigan, Oct. 5. The Clinton, Mich. native had a team-best five receptions for 56 yards, and scored one of EMU's two touchdowns in the contest. Sexton's performance put him over the 1,000-yard career-receiving mark with 1,055.

PLAYING DISCIPLINED: Eastern ranks among the nation's best in both fewest total penalty yards and fewest penalty yards per game. EMU's 215 total penalty yards ranks 16th-nationally, while its 21 total penalties rank seventh-best in the country. Eastern tops the MAC in both categories.

STRONG IN THE THIRD: EMU is tied for 47th nationally in the fewest third quarter points allowed at just 5.2 points per game. The EMU defense has held opponents scoreless in the third quarter in 10 of its last 18 games. Last year, the team was second nationally in that category at 2.1 ppg.

CONTINUING TO FLUSH IT: For the past four 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 26 of the last 42 contests decided by seven points-or-less.
   Of those contests, six have been decided in overtime with 13 coming down to the final play.

ON THE HORIZON: Following the BSU game, Eastern Michigan will remain at home to host intrastate rival Western Michigan University Saturday, Oct. 19. The game is the Band Day as well as Hall of Fame Day inside Rynearson Stadium.
   The Class of 2019 includes: Mike Calhoun (Men's Track), Morris Ellis (Men's Track), Ron Fernandes (Football), Stacy Graham (Volleyball), and Kevin Walter (Football).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mike Glass III

Isaac Holder

Arthur Jackson III

Line Latu

Mathew Sexton

Shaq Vann

Tyler Wiegers

Eastern Michigan Athletics