EMU Treks to DeKalb Tuesday to Battle NIU on ESPN2

Football at Northern Illinois
Date	Tuesday, Nov. 19 \| 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT)
Venue	DeKalb, Ill. \| Huskie Stadium (24,000)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Press Conference Video \| Teleconference Audio
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN2
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – #MACtion continues Tuesday, Nov. 19, as the Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road for the final time in the 2019 season to battle Northern Illinois University. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT) inside Huskie Stadium.
   The Eagles (5-5, 2-4 MAC) look to build off a 498-yard, six touchdown performance at Akron, Nov. 12. Meanwhile, the defending MAC Champion Huskies (4-6, 3-3 MAC) still have their eyes set on bowl eligibility following a 31-28 victory at the University of Toledo, Nov. 13
   The contest will be nationally televised by ESPN2 with Matt Barrie providing play-by-play and Cole Cubelic serving as the analyst. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard, Rob Rubick, and Tom Helmer calling the action on the field.

NOVEMBER BOOM: EMU is 9-3 in the month of November the last four years. In the four seasons prior, Eastern combined for a total of seven wins during the entire 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 campaigns.

WHAT'S STILL AT STAKE: While the goal of a 2019 MAC Championship may be dashed, plenty of opportunities to cement the team's legacy still await Eastern Michigan over its final two contests. EMU can post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1986-89. It would also mark just the 13th winning campaign for Eastern since 1970.
   Furthermore, the Eagles are still very much in the hunt for its third bowl appearance in the past four years. Eastern has never played in a bowl in consecutive seasons, as it looks for its first postseason victory since the 1987 California Bowl.

EAGLES ON MAC LEADERBOARDS: After 10 games, a slew of Eagles have established themselves on one-or-more of the MAC leaderboards.
    Offensively, Mike Glass III's 248.6 passing yards per game and 279.3 yards per game of total offense both rank first in the league. Wide out Mathew Sexton ranks 10th in the conference with 50.1 reception yards per-game, while teammates Quian Williams and Arthur Jackson III also sit inside the top-15 in reception yards per game, with 48.1 and 47.2 yards per game averages, respectively.
        Defensively, senior Kobie Beltram is fifth in the league with 9.4 tackles per game, while fellow upperclassman Vince Calhoun ranks ninth with 8.7 per game. Turan Rush is fourth in the MAC with 0.5 sacks per game on the season.

PLAYING DISCIPLINED: Eastern ranks among the nation's best in both fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards per game. EMU's 43 total penalties ranks ninth-nationally, while its 37.8 penalty yards per game is fifth-best in the country.

VAN HOEVEN NAMED CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: For the second consecutive year, junior center Mike Van Hoeven was named Academic All-District® by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He joins Andrew Wellock (2005-06) and Jean Oliver Gagnon Gordillo (2004-05) as the only players in program history to collect the honor in multiple seasons. Additionally, Van Hoeven was one of nine Mid-American Conference players to be named to the 25-man team.
   A master's student with a 3.95 GPA in exercise science, Van Hoeven has started every game this year at center for the Eagles. Part of a pass-oriented offense that leads the MAC and ranks 33rd nationally with 274.9 yards per game through the air, he has helped EMU quarterbacks record the first and second-best percentage of passes completed in program history (90.9 and 86.1%).

SHAQ SCORES FOUR: Senior running back Shaq Vann turned in one of his best performance in the 42-14 victory over Akron, Nov. 12. The South Bend, Ind. native used 28 rushing attempts to compile 142 yards on the ground and four rushing TDs. His 142 single-game rushing yards in the second-best of his career, just behind a 156-yard, two touchdown performance against Mississippi Valley State, Sept. 2, 2016.
   With his fourth rushing score, Vann became the first Eagle to rush for four touchdowns since the 2012 season, when Bronson Hill hit that number against Toledo, Oct. 13. Additionally, the four scores were the most by a single player against Akron since the 2000 season, a 19-year stretch, when NIU's Thomas Hammock tallied that total against the Zips.

CHECK THE LAST BOX: Since his arrival in 2015, Head Coach Chris Creighton has earned victories over 10-of-11 MAC opponents. This week, he will have the opportunity to check the final box with a win over NIU, Nov. 19.
   No EMU head coach has ever accomplished the feat in the league's current configuration. Jim Harkema defeated the then-nine other MAC schools during his tenure from 1983-1992, while the late-Rick Rasnick downed nine of the 13 league members from 1995-99.

OVERTIME THRILLERS: Eastern Michigan versus Northern Illinois has provided incredible theatrics as of late. In each of the last three seasons, the MAC West Division matchup has taken overtime to decide the winner. It is just the second occurrence in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history that the same opponents needed extra time in three consecutive seasons.
   The other, of course, involves none other than Eastern Michigan and rival Central Michigan from 2004 to 2006. EMU downed CMU 61-58 in quadruple overtime at Ford Field, Nov. 6, 2004, and then again clipped the Chips in overtime during the 2005 season, 23-20, Sept. 24. Central escaped in 2006 with a 24-17 overtime victory at Rynearson Stadium, Sept. 23, 2006.

IT TAKES MORE THAN REGULATION: The last three meetings between Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan have required more than four quarters to decide the victor.
   Last year, Tre Harbison cracked the goal line on his fourth consecutive carry to lift NIU to a 26-23 triple-overtime win at Rynearson Stadium, Sept. 29, 2018. Trailing 23-20, the Huskies took seven plays to score the winning TD. Harbison's 10-yard run gave the Huskies a first-and-goal at the 4. He bulled three yards to the 1, was stopped for no gain, then took a handoff straight ahead through a hole in the line for the winner. EMU's Chad Ryland boomed a high, 28-yard field goal to forge a 13-13 tie with three seconds left in regulation. He launched a 42-yarder down the middle to give the Eagles a 23-20 lead in the third overtime.
   The 2017 game at Huskie Stadium was sent into overtime thanks to an EMU blocked field goal attempt as regulation expired. In the extra period, NIU answered an Eastern field goal with a touchdown to hand the Eagles a 30-27 setback, Oct. 26.
   The season prior, Eastern Michigan saw a 21-point edge disappear as Northern Illinois scored 24 unanswered to force OT. NIU scored on its first possession in the extra period, while EMU was stopped on fourth-and-short for the 31-24 decision, Nov. 16, 2016.

CLOSE CONNECTIONS: First-year offensive line coach James Patton will have the challenge of coaching against family when EMU faces Northern Illinois, Nov. 19. Patton's son, Brayden, is a redshirt junior offensive lineman for the Huskies. A consistent presence of the field, he has played in each game for NIU this season.

RETURN FOR REEVES: Second-year tight ends coach Rob Reeves is set to return to an old stomping ground when Eastern travels to Northern Illinois, Nov. 19. For three seasons, from 2008-10, Reeves was the running backs coach for the Huskies, serving under then-Head Coach Jerry Kill. Reeves then joined Kill at Minnesota before making his way to Ypsilanti.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE HUSKIES: The Eagles and Huskies have met 49 times in their respective histories in a series that dates back to 1927. NIU holds a strong lead in the all-time tally, going 33-14-2, including winning the last 11 contests. EMU's last three meetings with NIU have been decided in overtime by a combined 13 points.

LAST WIN VS. NIU: Eastern's last win in the series came Sept. 15, 2007, by a 21-19 margin. In that game, Eastern Michigan overcame a 13-point deficit to post a 21-19 victory over Northern Illinois on the road. An EMU interception setup a Pierre Walker game-winning touchdown score with 5:29 left in the game. Then, with the outcome still very much in doubt, Eric Young stepped up to block Chris Nendick's 50-yard field goal attempt as time expired to seal the two-point EMU win.

NOT-SO CLOSE CALL: EMU has played in 33 one possession affairs under Chris Creighton, including five this season. Although close calls are on-brand for the Eagles, the team's last win, a 42-14 rout of Akron, Nov. 12, was not close. The win marked the fourth-time in the Creighton era that the Eagles have bested an opponent by 28 points or better. Last season, EMU routed Monmouth, 51-17, to begin the 2018 campaign.

SHAQ ATTACK: Senior running back Shaq Vann's 142-yard effort in the snow at Akron was the sixth of his career. Additionally, Vann is best among MAC running backs with 245 carries without a fumble. His last rushing miscue came versus Bowling Green, Nov. 21, 2017.
   Vann is just the eighth running back in program-history to surpass 2,300 yards rushing with 2,355 yards in 41 career games. Overall, his 473 all-time carries rank 11th at EMU and he needs five carries to pass Larry Ratcliff (1969-71) for the next spot on the career rushing attempts list. Meanwhile, his 22 career touchdowns (21 rushing, 1 receiving) is tied with Dwayne Priest for seventh.

GLASS IS BACK: After battling injury throughout October, senior quarterback Mike Glass III appeared healthy and energized against Akron, Nov. 12. The St. Louis native found eight different receivers and completed 20-of-25 passing attempts (80%), for 246 yards in the air. He also added a rushing touchdown via a QB sneak in the third quarter of EMU's 42-12 win.

PASSING 2,300: Senior Mike Glass III needs 63 yards passing to become the 11th EMU signal caller to toss for more than 2,300 yards in a season. The St. Louis, Mo. native currently has 2,237 yards passing and given his current pace could throw for more than 2,700.
   His 3,261 career passing yards ranks 11th in the EMU record books, while he has accounted for 37 (12 rush, 25 pass) of the team's 81 touchdowns the last two seasons.

FLIPPING THE FIELD: Against Akron, punter Jake Julien belted a season-best 66-yard punt. Julien is averaging 42.2 yards per kick in 2019 with 12 downed inside the 20-yard line.

RUN, RUN, EAGLES: Eastern turned in its best rushing performance of the season against Akron, Nov. 12. The team tallied 42 attempts, 252 total yards rushing, a 6.0 yards per rush average, and scored six rushing TD's in the game, all season bests. Previously, EMU's best performance came against Toledo, Oct. 26, when it ran for 168 yards and three scores.
   The last time EMU tallied six scores on the ground in a single-game was against Indiana State in the 2008 season opener, Aug. 28.

SEXTON SOARING: Senior wide out Mathew Sexton put on a strong display against Akron, hauling in a four catches for 76 yards. In 42 career contests, Sexton has totalled 99 catches for 1,328 yards and nine scores. His 1,328 career yards already rank 13th in school-history. Additionally, with one more grab, he will become the 15th EMU player with 100-or-more catches in a career. The last Eagle to join the century club was Sergio Bailey II (2016-17), who had 114.

SIX ALL AROUND: EMU's six touchdowns, against Akron, Nov. 12, are its most in a game since the 2018 campaign, when the Eagles hit that number against Ball State, Oct. 20. Additionally, EMU has now scored six-or-more touchdowns in a game on six different occasions during the Chris Creighton era.

CALHOUN NEARING MORE MILESTONES: With his nine tackle performance against WMU, Oct. 19, senior Vince Calhoun moved past 300 in his career. The Middleton, Ohio product stands at 326 stops, which ranks 13th all-time at EMU.
   With 13 more tackles, Calhoun will move past Ron Johnson (1974-77) for 11th. Given his current pace, Calhoun could surpass 114 tackles on the year and would have a chance to become just the eighth Eagle to record 350 career takedowns.
   Furthermore, Calhoun's 183 solo tackles are tied for sixth and needs six more to pass Ron Rice (1991-94) for fifth all-time. Meanwhile, his 47 career games played at EMU is tied for seventh.

KEPT AKRON ZIP(PED): Neal Neathery's defense held Akron scoreless in the first half of the game between the Eagles and Zips, Nov. 12. The defensive unit's first half shutout was its first since Nov. 16, 2016, when it held Northern Illinois scoreless in the first two frames.

BELTRAM LEADS THE WAY: Senior linebacker Kobie Beltram led the EMU defense, against Akron, Nov. 12. The Antioch, Calif. native registered a team-best 11 tackles, and tallied a sack. Beltram has recorded 10-or-more stops in six games this season, and leads all Eagles with 94 total tackles in 2019.

ACTION JACKSON: Senior wide receiver Arthur Jackson III has caught six touchdown passes in his last 11 games. In his two seasons at EMU, Jackson has 76 receptions for 1,064 yards and nine TDs. His nine career receiving scores rank 14th at EMU, while he joined teammate Mathew Sexton as just the 30th player in program history to accumulate 1,000-or-more yards receiving.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: A common goal in Head Coach Chris Creighton's program, the Eagles were able to win the turnover battle against Western Michigan, Oct. 19. Eastern's defense grabbed a late interception, critical in sealing the win.
   Eastern has won or tied (19-3) the turnover battle in 21 of its last 24 victories under Creighton.

ON THE HORIZON: Following its trip to NIU, the Eagles will return home for a Black Friday game against Kent State, Nov. 29. Included in the pregame festivities will be the team's annual Senior Day ceremony, which will pay tribute to the squad's 22 senior student-athletes and a pair of student managers.

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Players Mentioned

Kobie Beltram

Vince Calhoun

Mike Glass III

Bronson Hill

Arthur Jackson III

Jake Julien

Turan Rush

Chad Ryland

Mathew Sexton

Mike Van Hoeven

Shaq Vann

Quian Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics