Football to Tangle with CMU on 'Black Friday'

Football vs. Central Michigan
Date	Friday, Nov. 27 \| 4 p.m. ET
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Rynearson Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Media Guide \| Press Conference Video \| Virtual Game Program
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	CBS Sports Network \| CBSSN Channel Finder
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Attendance Information	No general public attendance will be allowed

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team will enjoy a second consecutive week at home as it welcomes Mid-American Conference West Division foe and in-state rival, Central Michigan University to town Friday, Nov. 27. The Black Friday affair is set to begin at 4 p.m. inside "The Factory," at Rynearson Stadium.
    EMU (0-3; 0-3 MAC) is in search of its first victory of the season after falling to Toledo, Nov. 18. Meanwhile, Central Michigan (2-1; 2-1 MAC) will play following a loss for the first time this season, as the Chippewas were bested by Western Michigan, 52-44, on the same date.
     The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network with Jason Knapp providing the play-by-play and Malik Zaire serving as the analyst. WEMU (89.1 FM) will also air the game with Matt Shepard, Rob Rubick, and Tom Helmer on the call.

WHAT'S THE FAN SITUATION: The EMU Department of Athletics will remain active as it meets the extraordinary standards for risk mitigation set forward by the State of Michigan. Due to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) orders, EMU will not be able to host any fans. This includes players and coaches guests, band, cheer, or dance team members.

ON BLACK FRIDAY: Eastern hopes to change its Black Friday fortunes under head coach Chris Creighton when Central Michigan comes to town, Nov. 27. EMU is 1-3 on the day after Thanksgiving since 2014, with its lone win coming in 2018 at Kent State.

HUTCHINSON CONTINUES TO PRODUCE: Junior quarterback Preston Hutchinson continued his hot start to the season against Toledo, Nov. 18. The Mason, Ohio native completed 25-of-38 pass attempts for 244 yards and four scores.
   His total completions and completion percentage (65.8) were season-highs, while his four passing touchdowns is the best mark of his career. Hutchinson has thrown for 240+ yards in each of his last three contests, an accomplishment that has not happened since Mike Glass III hit the same mark between weeks six-eight last season.

STRAIGHT FROM THE BEAR: The EMU Office of Athletic Media Relations is no stranger to noting EMU's close-game tendencies, but last week, ESPN's Chris Fallica, known as "The Bear" on the network's flagship pregame show, College Gameday, took to Twitter to discuss it as well.
   According to Fallica, 26 of EMU's last 29 MAC games and 39 of its last 44 games overall (prior to EMU's game against Toledo, Nov. 18) had either been a win or a one possession loss.

THE RECEPTION OF A LIFETIME: A normal team meeting speech from Chris Creighton quickly turned into an unforgettable moment, Nov. 17, as he announced that sophomore wide receiver Tanner Knue had officially earned a full-ride scholarship, a goal that the walk-on from Mason, Ohio set for himself when he arrived in Ypsilanti.
   A basketball star during his youth, it was not until his senior year in high school that Knue took to the gridiron. There, he caught 21 passes for 352 yards and had five touchdowns, and averaged 17.2 yards per catch as the team posted a 9-3 record. Those numbers were good enough to catch the eyes of the EMU coaching staff, who went on to offer Knue a walk-on position with the team.
   Knue is off to an incredible start during the 2020 season. He burst onto the scene in EMU's Week One matchup at Kent State, Nov. 4. His third-career appearance saw him record his first-career start, collect his first collegiate reception, and subsequently set career-bests in receptions (4), longest reception (19 yards), and reception yards (45). He more than doubled that performance against Ball State, Nov. 11, as he collected eight receptions and amassed 121 yards, both of which are career-highs. His 100-yard game is just the 128th in the 129-year history of the program.
   Knue notched another milestone in his football journey when he found the end zone for the first time in his career versus Toledo, Nov. 18.

FLY TO THE BALL: A staple of Neal Neathery's defense is the "next man up" mentality. That mindset has been on display in full force through EMU's first three games of the season. One week after 20 different Eagles recorded two-or-more tackles against Ball State, Nov. 11.
   A total of 15 EMU defenders tallied multi-stop efforts versus Toledo, Nov. 18. A similar trend occurred in EMU's Week One matchup with Kent State, Nov. 4. In that contest, 19 Eagles had two-or-more tackles.

LET'S TALK ABOUT TERRY: Senior linebacker Terry Myrick continued his hot start to the season in Eastern's matchup with Toledo, Nov. 18. The Atlanta-based run-stuffer recorded a career-high 14 stops, had 1.5 tackles for loss, picked up one sack, and forced a fumble. The sack and forced fumble were both season-firsts for Myrick. The defensive leader was equally impressive against Kent State, Nov. 4, and Ball State, Nov. 11, as he racked up 10 stops in each contest, both team highs. Myrick's 11.3 tackles per game average ranks third in the Mid-American Conference and 10th nationally.

THE CANNON CONNECTION: Senior tight end Bryson Cannon continues to make his presence felt within the EMU offense as the season progresses. The second-year Eagle had a career-best performance against the Ball State Cardinals on Nov. 11 as he had personal bests in receptions (5) and yards (76), and also hauled in a career-long 37-yard grab.
   He followed that performance with a two-reception game against Toledo, Nov. 18. Cannon also scored a touchdown in that outing, his second of the season, which ties his personal-best for single-season scores. Cannon now has six multiple-reception games since his arrival in Ypsilanti, which leads all tight ends on the EMU roster.

BEYDOUN BOUNCES BACK: After sitting out of EMU's Week Two matchup against Ball State, Nov. 11, due to injury, junior wide out Hassan Beydoun bounced back with an impressive performance versus Toledo, Nov. 18. The Dearborn, Mich. native hauled in eight receptions for 64 yards, which was second on the team. Beydoun now has 8+ receptions in each of his last three games, dating back to the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl, Dec. 26.
   He is the first player to accomplish that feat since the 2008-09 seasons, respectively, when Jacory Stone recorded three such games between weeks 11 and 12 of the 2008 campaign, and Week One of the 2009 season.

FIRST-TIME PLAYERS: Each year, teams across the country are able to debut new talent that has emerged. That was no different for Eastern Michigan in its Week One matchup at Kent State, Nov. 4. Fourteen Eagles made their first-ever appearance in the Green and White during the contest, including six defensive players, seven offensive players, and one special teams player. Nine of the first-time players are newcomers on the 2020 roster, while five participants have been on the team for at least one season.
   An additional four players saw first-time action against Ball State, Nov. 11, including first-time starter, sophomore Samson Evans, who began the game at running back for EMU. Three additional players contributed off the bench.
   Seven more Eagles touched the turf against Toledo, Nov. 18, bringing this season's total number of first-time players to 27, a number that is not surprising when considering EMU has the 19th-youngest roster in the FBS.

RARE FUMBLES: EMU has surrendered three fumbles in its last two contests, a trend that is rare for the Green and White. Prior to the giveaways in those games, EMU had not given the ball away on the ground in consecutive games since weeks 11 and 12 of the 2018 season, respectively.

JOLT OF JULIEN: Senior punter Jake Julien's 53-yard blast against Toledo, Nov. 18, tied his season long for a single punt. The Barrie, Ontario native averaged 44.2 yards per punt over six tries on the night, totaling 265 yards. Julien was also able to pin the Rockets inside their own 20-yard line on two of his boots. Julien's 43.9 yards per punt average is second-best in the MAC and ranks 23rd nationally.

WELCOME HOME, WILLIAMS: Junior wide out Quian Williams had the best performance of his season against Toledo, Nov. 18. The Oklahoma City product recorded eight catches for 86 yards, which led the team. He also recorded his first score of the season when he hauled in a 12-yard touchdown reception with 7:13 left in the contest.

SPREADING THE WEALTH: Quarterback Preston Hutchinson had plenty of options in the passing game against Toledo, Nov. 18, as a season-high seven Eagles recorded receptions, six of which brought in at-least two grabs. EMU has spread the wealth well this season in the passing game, as at least five different players have received a pass in each game this season.

COUNTING CAREER-HIGHS: A total of 10 different Eagles recorded career-highs in tackles against Toledo, Nov. 18. Senior linebacker Terry Myrick led the way for the Green and White with 14 stops, three better than his previous high of 11. Three players registered their first career-tackles in the game as well.

DEFENSE FORCING TURNOVERS: The EMU defense has been successful at forcing turnovers throughout the team's first three games this season. Eastern has recovered three fumbles and has two interceptions thus far, which ranks fourth and fifth in the conference, respectively. Through its first three games in 2019, EMU turned opponents over seven times.

EMU ON THE NATIONAL LEADERBOARDS: EMU has notched itself onto the national and conference leaderboards in a slew of individual and team-based categories. Senior linebacker Terry Myrick continues to be one of the nation's best tacklers, ranking third in the MAC and 10th in the NCAA in tackles per game (11.3), while as a team, EMU remains one of the most disciplined in the country (167 total penalty yards ranks 26th nationally).

CHIP DIP: EMU and CMU will meet on the gridiron for the 98th time in history between the two programs, with the Chippewas holding the series lead, 61-30-6. Last year, Central raced out to an early lead and never looked back as it was able to pull out the win, 42-16, in Mount Pleasant.

THE LAST TIME WE MET: Big plays proved too much for Eastern as the Chippewas tallied three touchdowns of 60-or-more yards en route to 587 yards of offense in the 42-16 decision.
   Quarterback Mike Glass III paced the EMU offense with 206 yards of total offense, throwing for one touchdown, and running for his eighth-career rushing TD. Wide out Mathew Sexton contributed his second touchdown of the season, while then-junior defensive back Alvinoski LaFleur recorded his first-career interception.

LAST TIME CMU CAME TO TOWN: Tyler Wiegers threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Blake Banham midway through the fourth quarter and the defense forced a fumble that led to a game-clinching field goal three plays later as Eastern Michigan beat Central Michigan 17-7, Nov. 3, 2018.
    Wiegers directed a nine-play, 70-yard drive, completing all six passes on the drive for 66 yards. On the ensuing second down, Jeremiah Harris and Ty Eddington sacked Tony Poljan for a loss of 10 yards. On third-and-16, Maxx Crosby sacked Poljan and forced a fumble that Harris returned seven yards to the seven. Chad Ryland, then a freshman, booted a 26-yard field goal and Vince Calhoun picked off Austin Hergott with 2:08 to go to wrap it up.
    Wiegers was 17-of-25 for 150 yards with a pick and Banham had seven catches for 99 yards. Shaq Vann, who put the Eagles up 7-0 with a 26-yard run on their first possession, had 117 yards on 13 carries.
    Central Michigan was held to 138 yards with four turnovers. The touchdown was a 68-yard fumble return by Mike Danna.

ON THE HORIZON: EMU will finish its in-state rivalry series on the road against Western Michigan, Dec. 5. The final road game on Eastern's 2020 slate is set to kick-off from Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Blake Banham

Hassan Beydoun

Vince Calhoun

Bryson Cannon

Maxx Crosby

Ty Eddington

Samson Evans

Mike Glass III

Jeremiah Harris

Preston Hutchinson

Jake Julien

Tanner Knue

Alvinoski LaFleur

Terry Myrick

Chad Ryland

Mathew Sexton

Shaq Vann

Tyler Wiegers

Quian Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics