Eastern Michigan Athletics
Remembering Tales from the Gridiron: First EMU Football Game
9/2/2020 2:00:00 PM | Football
For the next 12 weeks, EMU will take a weekly lookback at top games from the past 20 seasons
Written by Greg Steiner, EMU Associate Athletic Director/Media Relations
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – We all know that Saturday’s will look and feel very different this fall with the absence of football throughout the state of Michigan. Then again, not much has felt normal for many of us since March 12, when the SARS-CoV-2 virus (better known as COVID-19) flipped the world and sporting industry on its head.
People crave college football and the traditions it oozes. Players, coaches, fight songs, and stadiums are romanticized. Undoubtedly, most fans have long-standing memories of plays, games, or special moments that can immediately transport them back to that Saturday (or Tuesday in the case of #MACtion) in the fall.
This fall was scheduled to be the 129th season of Eastern Michigan University football. Only once since 1891 has the school not fielded a team – 1944 with the country still heavily involved in World War II. Of course, football will return as the Mid-American Conference and other leagues explore potential opportunities for the spring of 2021. However, the void will be noticeable for the next 13 weeks.
“The Factory” at Rynearson Stadium might sit vacant from the sounds of the Pride of the Peninsula or the pop of pads from a big hit, but the memories of seasons past still live on.
Do you remember your first EMU game? Where you were when Kevin Howe had a strip sack on Central Michigan’s quarterback to secure a 61-58 four overtime victory in 2004? What about when Tyler Allen returned the kickoff 90 yards to open the game against Ohio following the passing of DeMarius Reed in 2013? Had you given up when Mathew Sexton returned a blocked punt for a touchdown with 10 seconds remaining for a miraculous win against Central Connecticut in 2019?
Nestled in the football media guide and the website are the black-and-white numbers – wins and losses. However, the outcomes don’t always correlate to how vivid the memory or passion of the moment.
Since first setting foot in Ypsilanti in 1999, I’ve had the luxury to witness firsthand the power of college football at EMU. My first experience was as a student, then as a staff member, to now as the Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations.
Add it all up, and I’ve been around for 250 Eastern Michigan football games, eight coaches (five full-time, three interim), three bowl games, and countless other records. In researching for this series, I even surprised myself with how many details I was still able to quickly remember like it just happened.
For example, the first EMU game I ever attended was the 1999 homecoming affair against Western Michigan. A rainy, foggy night that saw the Broncos post a 40-37 overtime triumph. Not exactly one that stands out for most people, but it got me started and is still the only time I’ve ever watched a game from the Rynearson Stadium stands. Also, I’ll admit I left early due to the all the moisture in the air and only heard the ending on the radio.
Flash forward to the 2010 season, my first fully overseeing the football media relations operations after E-Club Athletic Hall of Famer Jim Streeter handed off the duties. Nothing like a power failure in the home opener against Army to test someone right out of the gates.
These are just two examples as for the next 12 weeks, I’ll look back at some of the top games and moments that I’ve witnessed from the corresponding week during my tenure at EMU. Additionally, I’ll also try to provide other memories from those games from the players, coaches, or broadcasters that took part in the contest.
Don’t be shy – you too can submit your favorite memories from seasons past and I’ll be sure to include them as well. We all want sports back, but for the time being, we can at least look back and the times we all cheered, cried, or celebrated together cheering on EMU.
Eastern Michigan By the Numbers since 1999
14,000 – Soft drinks/waters consumed in the Rynearson Stadium Press Box by the media, coaches and staff (estimated)
5, 408 – Total EMU Points Scored
3,360 – Pizzas Delivered to the Rynearson Stadium Press Box for Media Meals (estimated)
250 - Games Played
112 – Games at Rynearson Stadium
71 – Overall Wins
41 – MAC Wins
8 – head football coaches (five full-time, three interim)
4 – Michigan MAC Championships
3 – Bowl Games
Greg Steiner is in his 19th year with the Eastern Michigan University Athletic Media Relations Office and his fifth as the Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations. From Dec. 2004 until Oct. 2012, he was the office’s assistant director before serving as the assistant athletic director from 2012-16. He serves as the primary contact for the football and golf teams, while aiding in game-day help with nearly all 18 sports.
Steiner also oversees the EMU-ESPN initiative and production unit, in which EMU students receive valuable hands-on experience working with professional equipment and producing content for a national audience on ESPN3/ESPN+. Since its launch in 2015, EMU has produced 185 games for ESPN to go along with dozens more in-house productions.
Favorite Eastern Memories
This will be the 129th year for the EMU football team when it attempts to play in the spring following the fall postponement due to COVID-19. 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.
