EMU Football Opens 2019 Campaign Saturday at Coastal Carolina

Football at Coastal Carolina
Date	Saturday, Aug 31 \| 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue	Conway, S.C. \| Brooks Stadium (20,000)
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

CONWAY, S.C. (EMUEagles.com) – College football is back in session as the Eastern Michigan University football team heads to the Grand Strand for a week one matchup with Coastal Carolina University. The Saturday, Aug. 31, non-conference contest is scheduled to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. inside Brooks Stadium.
   The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Jeff McCarragher delivering the play-by-play and Nate Ross serving as the analyst. The game will also be aired on WEMU (89.1 FM) with veteran broadcasters Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick calling the action from the press box.

THE GRASS IS... WHAT COLOR?: Saturday's contest will mark a first in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history, as EMU becomes the first school that plays its home games on a non-green field to travel to a stadium that also features a non-green playing surface. EMU's Rynearson Stadium features a gray artificial surface, while CCU's Brooks Stadium is known for its teal "surf turf".
    Boise State is the only other FBS school to feature a non-traditional playing surface, as Albertsons Stadium features a blue rug. Neither EMU nor CCU have played BSU on the gridiron.

128 YEARS OF FOOTBALL: This is the 128th year for the EMU football team. The first year of intercollegiate football in Ypsilanti was 1891, when the team, then known as the Michigan Normal College Normalites, posted an 0-2 record. EMU has fielded a team every year since 1891 with one exception, when the 1944 season was canceled because of World War II.

ALL-TIME VS. COASTAL CAROLINA: This marks the first time the Eagles and Chanticleers have met on the gridiron. While the two have yet to square off against one another, EMU has experience playing against members of the Sun Belt Conference. EMU holds a 4-7-1 record against teams in the #FunBelt, earning wins over Arkansas State (1976), Louisiana-Lafayette (2006), and Louisiana-Monroe (1970 & 1975), with its last matchup against a Sun Belt member coming in the 2018 Camellia Bowl, against Georgia Southern.
   Entering its third season at the FBS level, Coastal posted a 5-7 record in 2018, which included wins over Louisiana-Lafayette and UAB, both of whom made bowl appearances. The Blazers also took home the Conference USA crown in 2018.

AGAINST THE PALMETTO STATE: The contest will mark EMU's first venture into the state of South Carolina since the 2000 campaign when the Eagles dropped a 41-6 decision to the University of South Carolina, Sept. 16.
   CCU is just the second program that EMU has battled from the Palmetto State.

TIES WITH THE CHANTS: While there are no direct ties between the two programs, there are some links between EMU and CCU when the Chanticleers program was born in the early 2000s. Bruce Gregory, who previously served as Coastal's senior associate athletics director for internal operations for 11 years, held a variety of roles at Eastern Michigan from 1998-2003 including: assistant director of compliance, director of football operations, and assistant football coach. Gregory is now a senior associate athletics director at the University of Houston.
   Additionally, John A. Martin spent eight years as CCU's assistant athletics director for media relations after working four years as EMU's assistant sports information director. Martin is currently the assistant director of communications at Colorado State University.

#FLYTHFLAG: Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher debuted a pirate flag in 2018 for when a conference member posts a non-conference victory. Once again EMU hopes to help fly that MAC Jolly Roger in 2019. EMU has posted road non-conference wins in 2015 (Wyoming), 2016 (Charlotte), 2017 (Rutgers), and 2018 (Purdue). The streak is the longest by EMU since the then-Hurons rolled off non-league road triumphs in 10 consecutive years between 1966 and 1975.

FIRST TIME, LONG TIME: Saturday's game marks the first time in EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton's six-year tenure that the team has opened the season away from Ypsilanti. EMU has opened each of the last six seasons at Rynearson Stadium, posting a 5-1 record in that span. The trek to Conway is the first opening-game road trip for the squad since the 2012 season, when the Eagles opened against Mid-American Conference foe Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

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 was one of eight FBS teams to have played in at least seven one-score games last season, however, the Eagles were 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).

BEST THREE-YEAR STRETCH: EMU is currently amid one of the best three-year stretches in program history. EMU is 19-19 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.

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.

ROLLING AND BOWLING: The 2019 Eagles look to build off of what has been arguably the best three-year stretch in program history, from 2016-18. During the previous three years, Eastern has won 19 games, played in two bowl games, including its first since the 1987 California Bowl (2016 Bahamas Bowl), and became the first team in program history to have players who appeared in two bowl games, after the team reached the 2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.

GIVE ME A GLASS: Back for his senior season is quarterback Mike Glass III, who was officially named the EMU starter by Head Coach Chris Creighton in July. Glass split time under center in 2018, throwing for 1,024 yards and nine passing touchdowns in eight games. Also a threat with his feet, he accumulated 412 yards rushing and six scores. Glass notched back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games, tallying 101 yards on the ground at Western Michigan (Oct. 6) and 125 yards against Toledo (Oct. 13). With those totals, Glass became the first EMU quarterback to rush past the century mark in back-to-back games. He closed out the season by throwing for a season-high three touchdowns against Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl, Dec. 15.

WELL-SEASONED SECONDARY: A preseason favorite to be one of the best in the conference, the EMU secondary remains largely in-tact after finishing third in the league in interceptions and 33rd nationally in 2018. Leading the way are captains Kevin McGill and Vince Calhoun.
   McGill finished last year tied for the team lead with three picks to go along with 38 tackles. His three INTs were second-most in the MAC and are tied for 55th in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks. According to Pro Football Focus, McGill led all MAC cornerbacks in catch rate and allowed a mere 34.4 passer rating during his junior campaign. For his efforts, he was a Second Team All-MAC honoree in 2018.
   A Third Team All-MAC selection for the second time in 2018, Calhoun continued to lead the Eagles' secondary last season. His 84 stops ranked second-most on the team in 2018, while his three interceptions were tied for the most by an Eagle as well as second-most in the conference. He also tallied two tackles-for-loss, including a sack. Calhoun sealed Eastern's seventh win of the year with a fourth-quarter interception at Kent State, Nov. 23.

RYNEARSON TURNS 50: Rynearson Stadium, the home of EMU football, officially opens for its 50th season of action on Sept. 21, when Eastern hosts Central Connecticut State. The 2019 EMU football season will feature a year-long series of events, initiatives, and programming centered around fans, student-athletes, and the community. The celebration will salute the five decades of student-athletes that have played inside Rynearson Stadium, as well as the more than 2.8 million fans who have passed through the turnstiles to watch one of the 252 home games in the venue.

PRESEASON POLLING: The EMU football team was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division in the league's preseason poll, released July 23. The Eagles received 83 points, finishing ahead of Ball State (43) and Central Michigan (36). Toledo was selected to win the West Division with 127 total points, followed by Western Michigan (112) and defending MAC Champion Northern Illinois (103). In the East Division, Ohio was selected first with 144 total points ahead of Miami with 107 total points. Defending East Division Champion Buffalo finished third with 100 points, followed by Kent State with 62 points, then Akron (54) and Bowling Green (37).

TEAM THEME: Plastered along the halls of the newly-opened Student Athlete Performance Center, on team t-shirts, and on social media, the 2019 theme of EMU football is officially, "Y> (Greater than)." The theme, denoted by the letter "Y," and the ">," symbol, represents the team's mission to consistently find meaningful and inspirational purpose in all that they do, both individually and as a collective unit. According to team leadership, every players "Y," meaning why they play the game, should outweigh that of their opponents.

NEW ADDITIONS: The 2019 Eastern Michigan football team welcomed four new full-time staff members during the course of the offseason.
   Jeff Collett joins the EMU family as the Director of Recruiting Operations and Player Personnel. Collet, a veteran coach, makes the move from Centre College, where he spent the previous six seasons working with the defensive line and as the Recruiting Coordinator.
   Taking over the running backs room, Sam Sewell arrived in Ypsilanti from Indiana State University, where he spent the previous two seasons as the running backs coach. Prior to his time with the Sycamore's, Sewell made stops at Colorado State-Pueblo, McKendree, and Northern Colorado.
   Darren Paige is the newest leader of the EMU wide receivers. A student-athlete at Miami (Ohio)and Findlay, Paige played two seasons in the Arena Football League before making the transition to coaching. The Rossford, Ohio native comes to Eastern Michigan via Stony Brook, where he served as the team's wide receivers coach in 2018.
   A veteran coach at the highest level of college football, James Patton joins the Eagles as the team's offensive line coach, bringing more than 26 years of experience to his new role. Prior to his move to Ypsilanti, Patton spent the previous two seasons as a quality control coach at Pittsburgh. The Miami (Ohio) graduate had full-time stints at Northwestern, Oklahoma, where he coached in a BCS National Championship game, and Indiana, among other stops.

2019 CAPTAINS: Eastern Michigan University's football team announced its team captains for the 2019 campaign, May 14. Providing leadership for the squad will be seniors Vince Calhoun, Mike Glass III, Kevin McGill, and Shaq Vann. Calhoun, Glass III, and McGill all earned the honor for the first time, while Vann has been named a captain for the third time in his EMU career.

HEART (BREAK) OF DIXIE: A 40-yard field goal by Georgia Southern's Tyler Bass as time expired decided the 2018 Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, as the Eastern Michigan football team fell, 23-21, Dec. 15, at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. EMU closed the 2018 season with a 7-6 record (5-3 Mid-American Conference), its first winning conference record since 1995 and first US bowl appearance in 31 years. Although not a surprise to anyone who follows EMU football on a consistent basis, the game was the eighth in 2018 for the Eagles that was decided by a touchdown or less.

CONSISTENT COACHING: When Chris Creighton steps onto the field in Conway, S.C., Aug. 31, to lead the Eagles against the Chanticleers, he will officially begin his sixth year at the helm of the program. Nine coaches, five head and four interim, have come-and-gone at EMU since the last time a head-man has coached six years (Jim Harkerma, 1983-92) at Eastern. Harkema, who coached nine full seasons for the Green and White, resides one spot ahead of Creighton as the fourth-winningest coach in program history.

THE NOT-SO UNDERDOGS: With EMU's win over Purdue, Sept. 8, 2018, Head Coach Chris Creighton picked up his second "Power Five" win in a 364-day span. In doing so, he became one of two active MAC coaches to have multiple "Power 5" wins. He joins Ohio's Frank Solich (5).

CREIGHTON ENTERS TOP-FIVE: With seven more wins in the 2018 campaign, EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton passed 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 can climb the next rung on the ladder with 19 more victories, which would tie Jim Harkema for fourth-best all-time at Eastern. The San Francisco native is the only coach in EMU history to take a team to two postseason bowl games.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CHRIS CREIGHTON?: In his head coaching career, Chris Creighton has racked up the frequent flyer miles, coaching games in seven different countries. Creighton added the Bahamas to that list in 2017 when he lead the Eagles to the Bahamas Bowl after it already consisted of the United States, Sweden, Austria, Panama, Tanzania, and Germany.

NEW-SOUNDING RADIO BROADCAST CREW DEBUTS: The Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics and WEMU (89.1 FM) announced today, July 24, its broadcast team for the 2019 football season. Tom Helmer, 23-year broadcast veteran, will join the crew and work along side familiar voices Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick.
   Helmer, a native of Saline, Mich., will contribute in numerous ways during the 2019 campaign including play-by-play, reporting, and contributing to the Eastern Insider Podcast. A veteran with 23 years with of experience, Helmer has worked the sidelines for FOX NFL Sunday, hosted the Colorado Rockies' pre-and-postgame shows, filled in on play-by-play for the Boston Red Sox, and hosted various studio shows involving the Denver Broncos as well as college football, basketball, and hockey.
   Shepard, who became the primary play-by-play voice of the Detroit Tigers prior to the 2019 season, will re-join Eastern's broadcast team after the Tigers' season is completed. Shepard first handled EMU football play-by-play duties during the 1999 season. He returned in 2002 and held the post ever since.
   Meanwhile, the 2019 campaign will be the 20th year for Rubick as part of the EMU broadcast team. Following a seven-year career as a tight end with the Detroit Lions, Rubick has established himself as a superb analyst, providing detailed and pertinent commentary from an insider's perspective.
   WEMU will continue to serve as the FM flagship and originating station for EMU football and basketball broadcasts. In 2019-20, WEMU will broadcast more than 50 live games, as well as interviews and stories during WEMU's news programs.
   Listeners in eight counties can catch Eagles' games on 89.1 FM. As a public radio station with a large broad-based audience, WEMU's signal extends from Washtenaw County to the Detroit metropolitan and Toledo, Ohio markets. The broadcasts are also streamed live on WEMU.org, and WEMU's free Android and iPhone applications (available through iTunes).

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EMU Football Opens 2019 Campaign Saturday at Coastal Carolina

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