EMU Travels to Akron Tuesday, Nov. 12, to Kickoff #MACtion

Football at Akron
Date	Tuesday, Nov. 12 \| 6 p.m. ET
Venue	Akron, Ohio \| InfoCision Stadium (30,000)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Press Conference Video \| Teleconference Audio
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPNews
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team begins play in the phenomenon known as "MACtion" when it travels to Akron, Ohio for a midweek showdown against the University of Akron Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Mid-American Conference cross-divisional affair is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. from InfoCision Stadium.
   The Eagles (4-5, 1-4 MAC) look to get back on track after falling at home to the University at Buffalo, 43-14, Nov. 2. Meanwhile, the Zips (0-9, 0-5 MAC) are still looking for their first victory in 2019, most recently having been dispatched by Bowling Green State University, 35-6, Nov. 2.
The contest will be nationally televised by ESPNews. 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 8-3 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.

LOTS 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 three 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.
   A total of 78 teams will play in the 39 bowl games scheduled in 2019.

EAGLES ON MAC LEADERBOARDS: After nine games, a slew of Eagles have established themselves on one-or-more MAC leaderboards.
   Offensively, Mike Glass III's 248.9 passing yards per game and 273.1 yards per game of total offense both rank second in the league. Wide out Arthur Jackson III ranks 12th in the conference with 50.7 reception yards per-game, while teammate Quian Williams also sits inside the top-15 in reception yards per game, with a 49.2 yard average. Mathew Sexton has quickly climbed to No. 17 on that list, averaging 47.0 reception yards per game.
   As a unit, the EMU offense ranks first in the MAC with a 277.9 yards per game average.
   Defensively, seniors Vince Calhoun and Kobie Beltram are tied for sixth in the league with 9.2 tackles per game, while fellow upperclassman Turan Rush is seventh in the MAC with five sacks on the season.

PLAYING DISCIPLINED: Eastern ranks among the nation's best in both fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards per game. EMU's 42 total penalties ranks seventh-nationally, while its 40.33 penalty yards per game is 10th-best in the country.

SEXTON SOARING: Senior wide out Mathew Sexton put on a season-best display against Buffalo, Nov. 2, hauling in a career-best 80-yard TD reception. With his performance, Sexton set a new career-high in yards with 425 on the season, surpassing his 419 from 2018. Additionally, his 3.2 receptions per game and 14.6 yards per catch averages are also personal-bests.
   In 41 career contests, Sexton has totalled 95 catches for 1,252 yards and nine scores. His 1,252 career yards already rank 15th in school-history. Additionally, with five more grabs, 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.

REWRITING HISTORY: Senior quarterback Mike Glass III's 80-yard touchdown pass to Mathew Sexton against Buffalo, Nov. 2, was the longest play from scrimmage for the Eagles in 2019. Additionally, the play was the longest pass in the 50-year history of Rynearson Stadium, edging Charlie Batch's 79-yard completion against Akron, in 1997. The play is tied for the second-longest pass in EMU football history, just behind Walter Church's 89-yard strike to receiver Eric Powell in 1998.

LONGEST YARD(S): EMU's four-play, 94-yard touchdown drive against Buffalo, Nov. 2, was the longest drive in terms of yardage for the team this season. EMU's previous long this season came against Western Michigan, Oct. 19, when it marched 83 yards in nine plays for a score.
   It was the longest drive since a 95-yarder to open the 2018 season against Monmouth, Aug. 31.

CHEWING UP THE CLOCK: The EMU offense struggled to move the ball against Buffalo, Nov. 2, totalling just six first downs in the setback. It marked the 16th time since 1999 that the Eagles failed to accumulate at-least 10 first downs in a contest. However, the bigger issue was time of possession, as Buffalo controlled the rock for 42:24 of the 60 minutes. It was the fourth time in the modern statistical era since 1998 that the opposition kept the ball for more than 40 minutes.

PASSING 2,000: Senior Mike Glass III needs nine yards passing to become the 14th EMU signal caller to toss for more than 2,000 yards in a season. The St. Louis, Mo. native currently has 1,991 yards passing and given his current pace could throw for more than 2,700.
   His 3,015 career passing yards ranks 14th in the EMU record books, while he has accounted for 36 (11 rush, 25 pass) of the team's 75 touchdowns the last two seasons.

THE RETURN OF #MACTION: EMU's clash with Buffalo, Nov. 2, was the last regular season Saturday game of the year for the Green and White as it turns its attention to midweek conference games, known as #MACtion. The Eagles' final three games will take place during the week, beginning with a trip to Akron followed by a Tuesday, Nov. 19, trip to DeKalb, Ill. for a MAC West showdown with Northern Illinois.

IT STARTS UP FRONT: Tuesday's matchup features a pair of teams that have struggled to consistently run the football in 2019. EMU has averaged 99.4 yards per game on the ground, while the Zips churn out just 52.3 ypg. Nationally, EMU is ranked 123rd nationally in rushing offense, while UA is 130th among Football Bowl Subdivision squads.
   On the flipside, both teams have been challenged to stop the run on defense. Eastern is 114th in the FBS with 209.3 yards per game given up via the rush, while Akron comes in 109th with 202.3 ypg allowed.

ALL-TIME VS. AKRON: The Zips hold a 19-13 advantage over the Eagles all-time. They last met in 2018 where EMU prevailed, 27-7, in Ypsilanti, Nov. 10. With the win, EMU became bowl eligible for the second time in three seasons, marking the first time that accomplishment had been reached in school history.

LAST WIN AT AKRON: It has been nearly a quarter century since EMU has emerged victorious in Akron, as the Eagles last defeated the Zips in the Rubber City during the 1995 campaign. That game saw Rick Rasnick's Eagles trounce the Zips, 49-29, Sept. 2.

RECAPPING LAST YEAR'S MEETING: Eastern's defense led the charge in the 27-7 victory over Akron, Nov. 10, 2018, limiting the Zips to just 90 yards of total offense while forcing 10 three-and-outs. Eastern Michigan picked off Akron's quarterback three times, as Kevin McGill, Vince Calhoun, and Maxx Crosby all came up with interceptions.

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 29 of the last 46 contests decided by seven points-or-less.
   Of those contests, seven have been decided in overtime with 16 coming down to the final play.

CLOSE CALLS UNDER CREIGHTON: In its 128-year history, the Eastern Michigan football team has played in 329 one-possession games. In just five-plus years at the helm of the program, Chris Creighton has coached in nearly 10 percent of those games, as his squads have played in 33 one possession affairs. Creighton's groups have been much improved as of late, as the Eagles have won five of its last eight one-possession games.

CLOSE CALLS: EMU is one of just 14 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams to have played in at least five one-score games this season. EMU is tied with Pittsburgh for the third-most single possession contest, as only North Carolina (8) and Miami (Fla.) (7) have played in more games that have gone to the wire.

SHAQ ATTACK: Senior running back Shaq Vann had a season-best 20-carry, 110-yard, two-touchdown effort against Toledo, Oct. 26. The 100-yard effort in the rain at Toledo was the fifth of his career and the first since passing the century mark last season against CMU, Nov. 3, 2018. Additionally, Vann is best among MAC running backs with 217 carries without a fumble. His last rushing miscue came versus Bowling Green, Nov. 21, 2017.
   Vann is just the 11th running back in program-history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing with 2,213 yards in 40 career games. Overall, his 445 all-time carries rank 11th at EMU and he needs 33 carries to pass Larry Ratcliff (1969-71) for the next spot on the career rushing attempts list. Meanwhile, his 18 career touchdowns (17 rushing, 1 receiving) is tied with Steve Clay for 17th.

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 322 stops, which ranks 15th all-time at EMU.
   With four more tackles, Calhoun will move past Ron Rice (1991-94) for 14th. Given his current pace, Calhoun would 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 181 solo tackles are seventh and needs seven more to pass Ron Rice (1991-94) for fifth all-time. Meanwhile, his 46 career games played at EMU is tied for 16th.

ACTION JACKSON: Senior wide receiver Arthur Jackson III has caught six touchdown passes in his last 10 games. In his two seasons at EMU, Jackson has 74 receptions for 1,048 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.

DUCES ARE WILD: EMU has attempted 10 two-point conversions this season, the most in the modern statistical era that began in 1999. The previous high was four set in 2004, 2016, and again in 2018. EMU is 3-of-3 on rushing PATs while just 1-for-7 when passing. Since 1999, Eastern success rate when going for two is 38.9 percent (19-for-49), including 46.7 percent (7-of-15) running and 35.3 percent (12-of-34) throwing.

ON THE HORIZON: Following its trip to Akron, the Eagles will again have the opportunity to play on the national stage, this time in DeKalb for a Tuesday night #MACtion game against Northern Illinois, Nov. 19.

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Players Mentioned

Kobie Beltram

Vince Calhoun

Maxx Crosby

Mike Glass III

Arthur Jackson III

Kevin McGill

Turan Rush

Mathew Sexton

Shaq Vann

Quian Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics