Football Continues Three-Game Road Swing Saturday at Kentucky

Football at Kentucky
Date	Saturday, Sept. 7 \| 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue	Lexington, Ky. \| Kroger Field (61,000)
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Press Conference Video \| Teleconference Audio
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	SEC Network Alternate
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Order Tickets Online or call 734.487.3669

LEXINGTON, Ky. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team is set to go from the blue waters of the Grand Strand to the bluegrass of Kentucky when it makes the trek to Lexington for a week two bout against the University of Kentucky. The Saturday, Sept. 7, non-conference contest is scheduled to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. at Kroger Field.
   The contest will be televised on SEC Network Alternate (Xfinity channel 785 in Metro Detroit). Mike Morgan and Hutson Mason will be in the booth, while Taylor Davis reports from the sideline. 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.

FLY THE FLAG: 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 helped fly the MAC Jolly Roger in 2019 with a 30-23 win at Coastal Carolina,
Aug. 31. EMU has previously 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.

EMU IN THE BLUEGRASS: Saturday's game marks only EMU's sixth venture into the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and its first since 2017. Prior to 2017, Eastern had not played in the bluegrass state since 1999, when the team battled Louisville.
   Eastern Michigan has an all-time combined record of 3-7-1 against Eastern Kentucky (0-3-1), Kentucky (0-1), Kentucky State (2-1), Louisville (0-1), and Western Kentucky (1-1).

PROTECT THE BALL: A common goal in Head Coach Chris Creighton's program, the Eagles were able to win the turnover battle against the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31. Although EMU surrendered the ball on one occasion, the Eastern defense forced four turnovers in the contest, paving the way for a season-opening win.
   Eastern has won or tied (16-2) the turnover battle in 18 of its last 20 victories under Creighton. Furthermore, EMU's 3.00 turnover margin is good for fifth nationally.

FILLING UP THE GLASS: Senior quarterback Mike Glass III had an efficient week one performance against the Chanticleers, Aug. 31, throwing for 188 yards and three touchdowns on 20-of-22 passing. His 90.9 completion percentage is the best single-game percentage of any EMU quarterback in the modern statistical era (since 1999), and currently ranks first nationally.
   For his efforts, he was named the MAC West Division's co-Offensive Player of the Week.

FIVE FROM 9: After completing 20-of-22 passes and protecting the ball perfectly in Eastern's game against Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31, senior QB Mike Glass III has now played in five consecutive games without throwing an interception. Since his last INT, Sept. 22, 2018, against San Diego State, the St. Louis native has completed 61-of-86 passes (70.9%) and thrown for seven touchdowns.

SPREADING THE WEALTH: It was far from a one-man show in Eastern's 30-23, season-opening win against Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31. In all, eight different receivers hauled in at least one reception, including six with multi-catch performances. In the run game, five different Eagles had rushing attempts. Overall, 57 different players saw game action for the Eagles during the contest, seven of them playing for the first-time in their EMU career.

RED HOT IN THE REDZONE: The EMU offense made the most of its five trips inside the Coastal Carolina redzone, Aug. 31, scoring four times, including three touchdowns and one field goal. A game-changing statistic, EMU allowed just 10 redzone points against the Chanticleers while scoring 23 of its 30 points from inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

FOUR PICK PERFORMANCE: It was a no fly zone in the Grand Strand, as the EMU secondary tallied three interceptions against the Chanticleers, Aug. 31. Considered a top secondary in the conference, the Eagles picked up right where they left off in 2018 after finishing third in the MAC and 33rd nationally in INT's last season. Seniors Kevin McGill and Brody Hoying notched their fifth and third-career interceptions, respectively, while sophomore Blake Bogan earned the second INT of his young career. Elsewhere on the field, it was the defensive line that showed high-level coordination, as senior Clay Holford tipped and secured a Coastal Carolina pass for his first-career interception.
   It was the most by EMU since a four-pick performance at Vanderbilt, Sept. 29, 2007.

HOT OUT OF HALFTIME: Defensive coordinator Neal Neathery continues to prove that his halftime adjustments are spot-on, as the EMU defense held an opponent scoreless in the third quarter yet again when it blanked Coastal Carolina in the third frame, Aug. 31.
   The third-quarter shutout marks the eighth time in Eastern's last 14 contests that its opponent has failed to score in the first quarter out of the break.

STINGY DEFENSE: To go along with its four interceptions at Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31, the Eagle defense gave up just 74 yards rushing in 30 attempts (2.5 yards-per-carry), held the Chanticleers to a 37.5 percent third-down conversion rate, and allowed only three trips into the red zone.
   After one week of play, EMU is tied for first nationally in interceptions, ranks fifth nationally in turnover margin, sixth nationally in turnovers gained, and sits at 31st nationally in redzone defense.

READY TO PLAY IN WEEK ONE: With Eastern's 30-23 decision over Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31, the team improved its opening-game record under Head Coach Chris Creighton to an outstanding 5-1 mark. The game was the first road-opener for the team under Creighton, and marked the team's second opening-bout win over an FBS opponent in the Creighton era. It was the first since EMU's 24-7 win over Charlotte in the 2017 debut.
   The road victory was the first in season-opening fashion for the Eagles since they bested Akron, 49-29, to begin the 1995 campaign.

LOVE SHAQ: Returning fully healthy after receiving an unprecedented sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, running back Shaq Vann looked youthful in his season debut against Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31. The senior finished the game with a team-best 84 yards on 22 attempts.

A QUIAN TO SUCCESS: Up just three against a comeback-minded Coastal Carolina squad, 23-20, late in the fourth quarter, Aug. 31, it was a sophomore receiver who rose to the occasion for the Green and White. After escaping pressure, Glass connected with Quian Williams on a 32-yard strike to put the Eagles back up by two scores, 30-20, following the made extra-point. The touchdown was the first for Williams as a member of the Eagles.

BANGING ON THE DRUM(MOND): Sophomore receiver Dylan Drummond put on a show in the Eagles' week one matchup against Coastal Carolina. The Cleveland native hauled in a team-best five passes, including two that went for touchdowns. The sophomore's highlight-worthy 11-yard TD catch in the second quarter of the game was his first score since Eastern's 2018 season-opener, when the then-freshman went for 15 yards and a score in EMU's 51-17 throttling of Monmouth.
   Drummond's two TDs currently rank tied for first among all MAC players and fifth nationally.

ALL-TIME VS. KENTUCKY: When the Eagles and Wildcats square off Saturday, Sept. 7, it will be for just the second time in the respective schools' histories. In the first matchup between the Midwest foes, it was UK who bested EMU, 24-20 .
   The game, played Sept. 30, 2017, was highlighted by an Eastern defense that allowed just 228 yards of total offense, including just 53 Wildcat rushing yards. Offensively, quarterback Brogan Roback threw for 256 yards to eight different receivers, which included a touchdown pass to Sergio Bailey II on the first offensive play of the afternoon. Although EMU outgained UK, 312-228), the Wildcats outscored Eastern, 10-6, in the second half to claim victory.

ALL- TIME VS. THE SEC: Although the Eagles have picked-up victories over 'Power 5,' opponents in each of the last two seasons, Eastern has never bested a team from the Southeastern Conference, failing to emerge victorious in its first 10 contests against SEC opponents. On the other side of the ball, Kentucky will present a major challenge for EMU, as the Wildcats hold a SEC-best 85.7 win percentage (30-5) all-time against Mid-American Conference opponents, including 10 consecutive wins over MAC schools. UK's last loss to a MAC opponent came at the hands of Ohio University, who handed the Cats a 28-16 setback during the 2004 campaign.

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 24 of the last 38 contests decided by seven points-or-less.
   Of those contests, six have been decided in overtime with 11 coming down to the final play.

Football Continues Three-Game Road Swing Saturday at Kentucky

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Blake Bogan

Dylan Drummond

Mike Glass III

Clay Holford

Brody Hoying

Kevin McGill

Brogan Roback

Shaq Vann

Quian Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics