Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, December 12
Rynearson Stadium
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2-4 , 1-5
41
vs
33
Northern Illinois
0-6 , 0-6
1st quarter1st
2nd quarter2nd
3rd quarter3rd
4th quarter4th
FinalF
Northern Illinois
10
0
14
9
33
Eastern Michigan
10
10
14
7
41
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Football Downs Northern Illinois in Season Finale, 41-33
12/12/2020 4:16:00 PM | Football
The win gives Eastern its second-straight victory NIU
Photo Gallery | Postgame Highlight Video. | Postgame Press Conference.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team defeated Mid-American Conference West Division foe Northern Illinois University in its 2020 season finale, 41-33, at "The Factory," inside Rynearson Stadium, Dec. 12.
The win gives EMU (2-4; 2-4 MAC) its second-consecutive victory over Northern Illinois (0-6; 0-6 MAC) for the time since the Eagles won two in-a-row over the Huskies in 1987 and 1997, respectively. The victory also pushed Head Coach Chris Creighton to 4-3 in season-finale games, a feat that is extra sweet today, as it is the seven-year anniversary of Creighton's introductory press conference at Eastern.
Offensively, the Eagles were led by junior quarterback Preston Hutchinson (Mason, Ohio-Mason), who completed 21-of-29 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. The Mason,Ohio native also picked up 26 yards and one touchdown on the ground. In the backfield,freshman running back Darius Boone Jr. (Tulsa, Okla.-Union) rushed for 38 yards on 10 attempts and scored his second-career touchdown, while sophomore Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge (Iowa)) recorded 58 rushing yards on seven attempts. Junior wide out Hassan Beydoun (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn) grabbed eight catches for 136 yards, reaching the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and fourth time in his career. Beydoun is one of seven players in program history to reach the 100-yard plateau four times in a career, which is also tied for fourth in the EMU football record books. Moreover, the feat marks the 130th time in EMU football history that a Green and White wide out has eclipsed 100 yards in a game. Sophomore Tanner Knue (Mason, Ohio-Mason) was another reliable target for Hutchinson as he was able to haul in five catches for 42 yards and one touchdown, while junior Dylan Drummond (Cleveland, Ohio-Cuyahoga Heights) also tallied a score in his stat line.
On the defensive side, junior Tariq Speights (Valencia, Calif.-Valencia (College of the Canyons)) led EMU with 11 tackles, including one tackle-for-loss, while junior Kory Hernandez (Dectur, Ga.-Cedar Grove (Iowa Western C.C.)) notched nine stops. Senior Terry Myrick (Austell, Ga.-Woodward Academy) tallied seven tackles and two tackles-for-loss, while freshman Mark Lee Jr. (Columbus, Ohio-Northland) had a career day as he recorded his first career fumble return, which resulted in a 61-yard touchdown.
The Eagles offense got off to a hot start with an efficient opening drive down the field. On their first set of downs, the offense found itself in a fourth-and-one situation. The Green and White opted to go for it, and to their satisfaction, Hutchinson was able to nudge his way forward for the first down. The offense followed up with seven additional plays to cap-off the drive with 68-yards, ending with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Knue. Junior Chad Ryland (Lebanon, Pa.-Cedar Crest) added the extra-point to give the Eagles their first advantage of the contest, 7-0, with 10:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Less than two minutes later, the offense was back in action as a result of a strong defensive effort forcing a short, three-play drive for NIU. On the first play of the drive for EMU, Beydoun exploded down the field for 36-yards, placing the Eagles at the NIU 44-yard line. Despite strong effort amongst the offense, they had to settle for the field goal. Ryland split the uprights from 39 yards out to extend the Eagles' lead to 10-0 with 5:45 left in the first quarter. The Huskies' offense emerged with some momentum, driving 43 yards over nine plays. NIU's John Richardson punched through a 36-yard field goal to register their first points of the contest. The momentum did not end with the field goal, as NIU then pounced on a loose football on the squibbed kick-off. Two plays and 24 yards later, the Huskies reached the end zone for the first time. Northern Illinois then converted the extra-point to tie the game at 10 points apiece to end the first quarter.
Eastern's offense opened the second quarter with urgency, as it drove the field for 71 yards in just three minutes. Evans was responsible for 52 of those 71 yards, the highlight of which was an explosive 29-yard rush that set Hutchinson up for an eight-yard touchdown pass to Drummond. Ryland added another extra-point to regain the lead over the Huskies, 17-10, two minutes into the second quarter. The EMU defense forced another Huskies' three-and-out to return the ball to Hutchinson and company with 11:53 on the clock. Freshman Trey Bess III (McRae, Ga.-Telfair County) jump-started the following Green and White drive with a 20-yard rush to the NIU 29-yard line. However, the next set of downs consisted of two consecutive sacks by the Huskies that forced the Eagles' Jake Julien (Barrie, Ontario-North Collegiate) to punt the ball away, with 9:13 left in the half. In an attempt to avoid another three-and-out drive, NIU went for it on fourth down with two yards to go. However, to the Huskies' dismay, an arrant pass was broken up by sophomore Jerodd Vines (Detroit, Mich.-Central), which resulted in a turnover on downs.
The Eagles' offense picked up where the Huskies left off at the NIU 37-yard line looking to capitalize on their competitor's turnover. After running seven plays for 31 yards, EMU sent Ryland on the field to attempt a 24-yard field goal. The Pennsylvania native nailed the kick to extend Eastern's lead to 20-10 with 3:40 remaining in the half. With the score, the Eagles maintained their perfect red zone efficiency of 27-for-27 on the season.
NIU was unable to respond as their offense was stifled yet again, only gaining four yards in total. The Eagles' received the ball with 2:11 to go in the half, looking to extend their lead before heading into the locker room. Hutchinson connected with Beydoun for a 17-yard completion to put the Eagles within field-goal range. However, on the next play, the Huskies' forced the junior quarterback to fumble, marking his first turnover of the contest. The Huskies' took over at the NIU 30-yard line with a little over a minute left in the half, but ultimately could not take advantage of Eastern's fumble. The half ended at a score of 20-10, Eagles advantage, with Eastern scoring ten unanswered points.
Less than two minutes into the third quarter, freshman defensive back Kempton Shine (Chicago, Ill.-St. Rita) stripped the ball from a Huskies' receiver that was recovered and returned 61 yards to the house by freshman defensive back Mark Lee Jr. (Columbus, Ohio-Northland). The play was the first-career forced fumble for the Chicago native in the Green and White. Additionally, it was the first defensive score for Eastern in 2020. Ryland punched in the extra point and helped to expand the Eagles' edge to 27-10 at the 13:13 mark in the third period of action.
The two teams traded scores over the next eight minutes as the Huskies found their way into the end zone to put a stop to the Eagle's scoring run. NIU marched down the field as it covered 76 yards in ten plays, ultimately scoring on a four-yard run to slash Eastern's advantage to 27-17 halfway through the quarter. The Eagles responded with a score of their own, driving 75-yards in just seven plays. The drive was highlighted by a 24-yard completion to Beydoun, putting him over the 100-yard mark. Boone Jr. punched it in for the Eagles as he bolted up the middle for 18-yards into the end zone to register his first touchdown of the contest. Ryland remained consistent, hitting another extra-point to polish off the scoring drive, placing the score at 34-17 with 5:48 on the clock.
As the third quarter drew to an end, the Huskies offense found a spark. NIU moved 73 yards in ten plays, and capitalized on an EMU penalty with an 18-yard touchdown pass. With the addition of the extra-point, the Eagles lead was cut to ten, resulting in a score of 34-24 with under one minute to go. Following the long scoring drive, NIU attempted an onside kick, but fell short as the Eagle's managed to recover the football. Unable to pick up the first down, Ryland lined up for a 57-yard field goal attempt. The Pennsylvania product deceived the defense and punted, pinning the Huskies at their own two-yard line. With its back to the end zone, NIU could not achieve a first down and punted the ball back to EMU, completing the exchange with 13 minutes remaining in the quarter.
Hutchinson and company wasted no time with the short field, as he led the Eagles on another touchdown drive in less than three minutes, with a one-yard rush by the quarterback. The touchdown, paired with the extra-point, nudged the Eagle's advantage to 41-24 with 10:07 left in the game.
Possessions were exchanged by the two teams, none created a meaningful difference until an unfortunate high snap forced Hutchinson to dive on the football in their own end zone for a safety. With 3:20 left in the game, NIU would receive the ball still down by 15 points, 41-26. The Huskies proved resilient, as they depleted the Eagles' advantage further with a 52-yard drive capped-off by a touchdown. Heading into the two-minute warning, the Eagles remained on top by eight, 41-33. With one minute to go, the Huskies received the ball on the four-yard line in search of a touchdown to complete the comeback. Ultimately, the EMU defense held true, closing out the 2020 season with their second and final win.
With the regular season at its end, Eastern will begin offseason workouts shortly as they prepare for the 2021 season. For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU football, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media, at @EMUFB.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team defeated Mid-American Conference West Division foe Northern Illinois University in its 2020 season finale, 41-33, at "The Factory," inside Rynearson Stadium, Dec. 12.
The win gives EMU (2-4; 2-4 MAC) its second-consecutive victory over Northern Illinois (0-6; 0-6 MAC) for the time since the Eagles won two in-a-row over the Huskies in 1987 and 1997, respectively. The victory also pushed Head Coach Chris Creighton to 4-3 in season-finale games, a feat that is extra sweet today, as it is the seven-year anniversary of Creighton's introductory press conference at Eastern.
Offensively, the Eagles were led by junior quarterback Preston Hutchinson (Mason, Ohio-Mason), who completed 21-of-29 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. The Mason,Ohio native also picked up 26 yards and one touchdown on the ground. In the backfield,freshman running back Darius Boone Jr. (Tulsa, Okla.-Union) rushed for 38 yards on 10 attempts and scored his second-career touchdown, while sophomore Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge (Iowa)) recorded 58 rushing yards on seven attempts. Junior wide out Hassan Beydoun (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn) grabbed eight catches for 136 yards, reaching the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and fourth time in his career. Beydoun is one of seven players in program history to reach the 100-yard plateau four times in a career, which is also tied for fourth in the EMU football record books. Moreover, the feat marks the 130th time in EMU football history that a Green and White wide out has eclipsed 100 yards in a game. Sophomore Tanner Knue (Mason, Ohio-Mason) was another reliable target for Hutchinson as he was able to haul in five catches for 42 yards and one touchdown, while junior Dylan Drummond (Cleveland, Ohio-Cuyahoga Heights) also tallied a score in his stat line.
On the defensive side, junior Tariq Speights (Valencia, Calif.-Valencia (College of the Canyons)) led EMU with 11 tackles, including one tackle-for-loss, while junior Kory Hernandez (Dectur, Ga.-Cedar Grove (Iowa Western C.C.)) notched nine stops. Senior Terry Myrick (Austell, Ga.-Woodward Academy) tallied seven tackles and two tackles-for-loss, while freshman Mark Lee Jr. (Columbus, Ohio-Northland) had a career day as he recorded his first career fumble return, which resulted in a 61-yard touchdown.
The Eagles offense got off to a hot start with an efficient opening drive down the field. On their first set of downs, the offense found itself in a fourth-and-one situation. The Green and White opted to go for it, and to their satisfaction, Hutchinson was able to nudge his way forward for the first down. The offense followed up with seven additional plays to cap-off the drive with 68-yards, ending with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Knue. Junior Chad Ryland (Lebanon, Pa.-Cedar Crest) added the extra-point to give the Eagles their first advantage of the contest, 7-0, with 10:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Less than two minutes later, the offense was back in action as a result of a strong defensive effort forcing a short, three-play drive for NIU. On the first play of the drive for EMU, Beydoun exploded down the field for 36-yards, placing the Eagles at the NIU 44-yard line. Despite strong effort amongst the offense, they had to settle for the field goal. Ryland split the uprights from 39 yards out to extend the Eagles' lead to 10-0 with 5:45 left in the first quarter. The Huskies' offense emerged with some momentum, driving 43 yards over nine plays. NIU's John Richardson punched through a 36-yard field goal to register their first points of the contest. The momentum did not end with the field goal, as NIU then pounced on a loose football on the squibbed kick-off. Two plays and 24 yards later, the Huskies reached the end zone for the first time. Northern Illinois then converted the extra-point to tie the game at 10 points apiece to end the first quarter.
Eastern's offense opened the second quarter with urgency, as it drove the field for 71 yards in just three minutes. Evans was responsible for 52 of those 71 yards, the highlight of which was an explosive 29-yard rush that set Hutchinson up for an eight-yard touchdown pass to Drummond. Ryland added another extra-point to regain the lead over the Huskies, 17-10, two minutes into the second quarter. The EMU defense forced another Huskies' three-and-out to return the ball to Hutchinson and company with 11:53 on the clock. Freshman Trey Bess III (McRae, Ga.-Telfair County) jump-started the following Green and White drive with a 20-yard rush to the NIU 29-yard line. However, the next set of downs consisted of two consecutive sacks by the Huskies that forced the Eagles' Jake Julien (Barrie, Ontario-North Collegiate) to punt the ball away, with 9:13 left in the half. In an attempt to avoid another three-and-out drive, NIU went for it on fourth down with two yards to go. However, to the Huskies' dismay, an arrant pass was broken up by sophomore Jerodd Vines (Detroit, Mich.-Central), which resulted in a turnover on downs.
The Eagles' offense picked up where the Huskies left off at the NIU 37-yard line looking to capitalize on their competitor's turnover. After running seven plays for 31 yards, EMU sent Ryland on the field to attempt a 24-yard field goal. The Pennsylvania native nailed the kick to extend Eastern's lead to 20-10 with 3:40 remaining in the half. With the score, the Eagles maintained their perfect red zone efficiency of 27-for-27 on the season.
NIU was unable to respond as their offense was stifled yet again, only gaining four yards in total. The Eagles' received the ball with 2:11 to go in the half, looking to extend their lead before heading into the locker room. Hutchinson connected with Beydoun for a 17-yard completion to put the Eagles within field-goal range. However, on the next play, the Huskies' forced the junior quarterback to fumble, marking his first turnover of the contest. The Huskies' took over at the NIU 30-yard line with a little over a minute left in the half, but ultimately could not take advantage of Eastern's fumble. The half ended at a score of 20-10, Eagles advantage, with Eastern scoring ten unanswered points.
Less than two minutes into the third quarter, freshman defensive back Kempton Shine (Chicago, Ill.-St. Rita) stripped the ball from a Huskies' receiver that was recovered and returned 61 yards to the house by freshman defensive back Mark Lee Jr. (Columbus, Ohio-Northland). The play was the first-career forced fumble for the Chicago native in the Green and White. Additionally, it was the first defensive score for Eastern in 2020. Ryland punched in the extra point and helped to expand the Eagles' edge to 27-10 at the 13:13 mark in the third period of action.
The two teams traded scores over the next eight minutes as the Huskies found their way into the end zone to put a stop to the Eagle's scoring run. NIU marched down the field as it covered 76 yards in ten plays, ultimately scoring on a four-yard run to slash Eastern's advantage to 27-17 halfway through the quarter. The Eagles responded with a score of their own, driving 75-yards in just seven plays. The drive was highlighted by a 24-yard completion to Beydoun, putting him over the 100-yard mark. Boone Jr. punched it in for the Eagles as he bolted up the middle for 18-yards into the end zone to register his first touchdown of the contest. Ryland remained consistent, hitting another extra-point to polish off the scoring drive, placing the score at 34-17 with 5:48 on the clock.
As the third quarter drew to an end, the Huskies offense found a spark. NIU moved 73 yards in ten plays, and capitalized on an EMU penalty with an 18-yard touchdown pass. With the addition of the extra-point, the Eagles lead was cut to ten, resulting in a score of 34-24 with under one minute to go. Following the long scoring drive, NIU attempted an onside kick, but fell short as the Eagle's managed to recover the football. Unable to pick up the first down, Ryland lined up for a 57-yard field goal attempt. The Pennsylvania product deceived the defense and punted, pinning the Huskies at their own two-yard line. With its back to the end zone, NIU could not achieve a first down and punted the ball back to EMU, completing the exchange with 13 minutes remaining in the quarter.
Hutchinson and company wasted no time with the short field, as he led the Eagles on another touchdown drive in less than three minutes, with a one-yard rush by the quarterback. The touchdown, paired with the extra-point, nudged the Eagle's advantage to 41-24 with 10:07 left in the game.
Possessions were exchanged by the two teams, none created a meaningful difference until an unfortunate high snap forced Hutchinson to dive on the football in their own end zone for a safety. With 3:20 left in the game, NIU would receive the ball still down by 15 points, 41-26. The Huskies proved resilient, as they depleted the Eagles' advantage further with a 52-yard drive capped-off by a touchdown. Heading into the two-minute warning, the Eagles remained on top by eight, 41-33. With one minute to go, the Huskies received the ball on the four-yard line in search of a touchdown to complete the comeback. Ultimately, the EMU defense held true, closing out the 2020 season with their second and final win.
With the regular season at its end, Eastern will begin offseason workouts shortly as they prepare for the 2021 season. For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU football, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media, at @EMUFB.
Team Stats
NIU
EMU
Total Yards
420
373
Pass Yards
221
242
Rushing Yards
199
131
Penalty Yards
63
41
1st Downs
25
25
3rd Downs
2
4
4th Downs
3
1
TOP
32:55
27:05
1st Quarter
NIU 0, EMU 7
EMU - KNUE, Tanner 14 yd pass from HUTCHINSON, P. (RYLAND, Chad kick) 10 plays, 68 yards, TOP 4:18
NIU 0, EMU 10
EMU - RYLAND, Chad 39 yd field goal 10 plays, 59 yards, TOP 3:04
NIU 3, EMU 10
NIU - RICHARDSON, Joh 46 yd field goal 9 plays, 43 yards, TOP 3:43
NIU 10, EMU 10
NIU - RICHIE, Tyrice 19 yd pass from BOWERS, Ross (RICHARDSON, Joh kick) 2 plays, 24 yards, TOP 0:39
2nd Quarter
NIU 10, EMU 17
EMU - DRUMMOND, Dylan 8 yd pass from HUTCHINSON, P. (RYLAND, Chad kick) 10 plays, 71 yards, TOP 2:51
NIU 10, EMU 20
EMU - RYLAND, Chad 24 yd field goal 7 plays, 31 yards, TOP 3:21
3rd Quarter
NIU 10, EMU 27
EMU - LEE, Mark 61 yd fumble recovery (RYLAND, Chad kick)
NIU 17, EMU 27
NIU - COLLINS, Erin 9 yd run (RICHARDSON, Joh kick), 10 plays, 79 yards, TOP 4:42
NIU 17, EMU 34
EMU - BOONE, Darius 18 yd run (RYLAND, Chad kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:37
NIU 24, EMU 34
NIU - TRAVIS, Messiah 18 yd pass from BOWERS, Ross (RICHARDSON, Joh kick) 10 plays, 73 yards, TOP 5:04
4th Quarter
NIU 24, EMU 41
EMU - HUTCHINSON, P. 1 yd run (RYLAND, Chad kick), 6 plays, 43 yards, TOP 2:53
NIU 26, EMU 41
NIU - TEAM 6 yd safety
NIU 33, EMU 41
NIU - TUCKER, Cole 3 yd pass from BOWERS, Ross (RICHARDSON, Joh kick) 4 plays, 52 yards, TOP 1:03
Game Leaders
CMP
21
TD
2
YDS
242
INT
0
Players Mentioned
RB
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WR
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RB
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WR
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RB
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WR
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DB
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LB
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K
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DB
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LB
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DB
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