Football Set to Honor Senior Class Tuesday, Nov. 16, Versus WMU

Football vs. Western Michigan
Date	Tuesday, Nov. 16 \| 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Rynearson Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Media Guide \| Press Conference Video
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN2
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team will see its 2021 home schedule come to a close Tuesday, Nov. 16, when it hosts in-state and Mid-American Conference West Division rival Western Michigan University for one final midweek #MACtion showdown. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. inside "The Factory."
   Eastern Michigan (6-4, 3-3 MAC) is looking to bounce back after a tough, 34-26, setback at the hands of Ohio University, Nov. 9. Meanwhile, the Broncos (6-4, 3-3 MAC) narrowly avoided an upset loss as it used a fourth-quarter comeback to escape, 45-40, versus Akron on the same night.
   The game will be televised on ESPN2. WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Rob Rubick calling the action from the field.

CELEBRATING THE SENIORS: Prior to the contest, EMU will honor 13 student-athletes and three student assistants that have had a significant impact on the program. Fans will want to arrive early to help celebrate Bryson Cannon, Jake Donnellon, Jawon Hamilton, Jeff Hubbard, Jake Julien, Alvinoski LaFleur, Freddie McGee III, Terry Myrick, Thomas Odukoya, Turan Rush, Woo Scott Sr., Michael Smith Jr., and Mike Van Hoeven along with managers Kyle Ranson, Leah Smith, and Alex Tizedes.

ALL-TIME POINTS WATCH: Kicker Chad Ryland needs just 19 points to surpass Andrew Wellock (2003-06) for the most career points in EMU history at 299.
   Ryland currently ranks 21st among active kickers in the FBS with 48 field goals made while coming in 34th in PAT percentage at 97.2.

A CHANCE TO WIN THE MICHIGAN MAC: EMU's first game against an in-state rival also means the beginning of its quest for the "Michigan MAC Trophy." Given annually to one of the Michigan-based, Mid-American Conference institutions (EMU, WMU, CMU), the trophy is awarded to the team which has the best head-to-head record against each other. It is one of just two regularly-awarded trophies between three teams (the other is the Commander-in-Chief's trophy between Army, Navy, and Air Force).
   Originated in 2005, EMU has claimed ownership four times (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012). Western Michigan has retained the trophy in each of the last three seasons.

LOOKING FOR SEVEN: A win over Western Michigan would move Eastern Michigan to 7-4 on the season. EMU has not won seven of its first 11 games in a season since 1989. Additionally, with two games remaining, EMU has the chance to get to eight regular-season wins for the first time since the 1987 season, when it finished with nine regular-season wins en route to the school's only football MAC championship.
   Overall, only 14 teams in the 130-year history of EMU football have finished with seven-or-more wins. Only two teams have done it in the 21st century; they have both been coached by Chris Creighton (2016, 2018). Prior to Creighton's arrival in 2014, EMU had produced 13 seasons with seven-or-more losses since 2000. If EMU gets to seven wins in 2021, it will mark the first time that the program has had three seven-plus win seasons in a six-year span since the Green and White did it three times between 1968-71.

LOOKING FOR A THREE-PEAT: An EMU win over Western Michigan would give the Eagles their first three-peat over the Broncos since EMU won in consecutive contests between the 2011-13 seasons. Eastern has scored 87 combined points on WMU in its last two contests against its Kalamazoo-based foe.

CONTINUING TO FLUSH IT: Eastern's motto has been to go 1-0 each week while "flushing" the previous outcome. The short-term memory has proven beneficial for the program, with 40 of the last 67 (60%) contests decided by eight points-or-less. Eight games have been decided in overtime with 19 coming down to the final play.

OH SO CLOSE: The Eagles have played in 40 one-score games since the beginning of the 2016 season, and hold a 17-23 record in those contests. The setbacks have been by an average of fewer than six points. Overall, 20 of the 40 games have been decided by three points-or-less.
    According to ESPN, since 2018 only one team has recorded more one-possession heartbreaks – Nebraska. The Huskers have 17 losses of the sort, while EMU has 15.

STRAIGHT FROM THE BEAR: The EMU Office of Athletic Media Relations is no stranger to noting EMU's close-game tendencies, but 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, 35 of EMU's last 39 MAC games and 48 of its last 58 games overall have either been a win or a one-possession loss. That trend continued with EMU's setback versus the Bobcats, Nov. 9.

CLOSING IN NOVEMBER: EMU is 11-9 in the month of November the last six years. In the five seasons prior, Eastern combined for a total of seven wins during the entire 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 campaigns. Furthermore, if you exclude last year's COVID-adjusted season when the schedule began in November, EMU's winning percentage jumps to .686 (11-5).

A TON, WELL, 41: Senior quarterback Ben Bryant threw for a career-high 41 completions against Ohio, Nov. 9. The La Grange, Ill. native's effort is the third-best in program history. Furthermore, the effort ranks second-most in Rynearson Stadium history.
   In the final two games of the 2008 season, Andy Schmitt completed 58 passes against Central Michigan, Nov. 28, after hooking up 50 times a week prior at Temple, Nov. 22.        Bryant completed the 41 passes on 57 attempts, which goes into the record book as the eighth-most in single-game program history.

CAREER DAY FOR DYLAN: One of the best scoring threats in the MAC, junior wideout Dylan Drummond added another impressive performance to his resume against Ohio, Nov. 9. Drummond brought in a career-best nine receptions (tied for the second-most on the team), for 73 yards. Additionally, he added his sixth touchdown of the season. That number leads all EMU pass catchers.
   Drummond now has a touchdown reception in four consecutive games. That stretch is a career-best for the Cleveland, Ohio native, and the longest current active streak on the team.

RIGHT ON, RYLAND: Junior kicker Chad Ryland continues to prove he is one of the best assets in the conference. Ryland was 2-for-2 on FG attempts against Ohio, Nov. 9, an effort which included his program-record-tying 55-yarder. After starting the season just 3-for-6, the Lebanon, Pa. native has hit his stride, knocking in his last eight attempts and 10 of his last 11 overall. Ryland is now 11-for-14 on the season. He is 11th in the MAC in terms of points responsible for, with 76 on the season, while his 7.6 points per game average are fifth in the league.

RIGHT THROUGH FOR THE RECORD: Junior kicker Chad Ryland drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired in the first half against Ohio, Nov. 9. The kick, the longest of Ryland's career, ties for the longest in school history. Former Eagle Dyland Mulder also hit from 55, against Miami, Nov. 7, 2015.

BEY-DO-IN HIS THING: Hassan Beydoun ranks second in the MAC (11th nationally) with 7.3 receptions per game, and sits at third in the conference in receiving yards (813) and fourth in receiving yards per game (81.5). The Dearborn, Mich. native had another good performance in EMU's latest game, against Ohio. Beydoun caught nine passes for 85 yards. The effort was his sixth straight with at five-or-more receptions.

ONE OF THREE: Hassan Beydoun has recorded three games with 10+ catches this season. He is currently one of only three players in the NCAA to have three or more such games (Jerreth Sterns - WKU.; Drake London - USC).

TERRY WITH THE TACKLES: Senior linebacker Terry Myrick came to play against Ohio, Nov. 9. The Austell, Ga. native led all Eagles with season-best 11 stops. The effort was Myrick's first with double-digit tackles since Nov. 27, 2020, when he notched 17 against Central Michigan. Additionally, the game was his eighth with 10+ tackles in his career.

STANDARD SETTER FOR SAMSON: Known for his strength in the short field, it was the bursting power of sophomore running back Samson Evans that was on full display against the Bobcats, Nov. 9. The Crystal Lake, Ill. native led all Eagles with a season-best 62 yards on eight carries. His long run of 37 yards, the best of any back in the game, ties the career-high he previously set in 2020, at Western Michigan, Dec. 5.
   As he has done all season long, Evans continued to be EMU's go-to option on the goal line as well. The second-year Eagle added two more rushing touchdowns to his total against Ohio, bringing his season ledger to a team and MAC-leading 11 on the season.

DAWN OF A KNUE DAY: Playing in just his second game this season after suffering an early injury, sophomore Tanner Knue had a breakout game against Ohio, Nov. 9. The Mason, Ohio native reeled in 11 receptions for 127 yards, both career-best marks for the slot receiver. The second 100-yard receiving game of Knue's career, he most recently did it against Ball State (122 yards), Nov. 11, 2020.

BYRANT GOES BIG, AGAIN: One week after throwing for a career-best 354 yards at Toledo, senior QB Ben Bryant went big against Ohio, Nov. 9. The first-year signal-caller threw for the exact same yardage against the Bobcats, completing 41-of-57 passes to record his fourth consecutive game with a 70+-percent completion percentage (71.9).

BRYANT'S NATIONAL RANKINGS: Senior quarterback Ben Bryant ranks fourth in the MAC and 13th nationally with a 70 percent completion clip in 2021. His 2,544 yards passing ranks first in the league and 14th in the country, while his 254.4 passing yards per contest also tops the MAC, and ranks 26th in the NCAA. Furthermore, he ranks second in the MAC with a 255.1 yards of total offense per game average. Bryant also ranks inside the nation's top-50 (42nd) in passing efficiency (148.7). If he keeps pace, Bryant's current completion percentage would rank second best for any Eastern player since the turn of the century. Only Andy Schmitt (72.8%) in 2007 has recorded a season with a better completion percentage since 2000.

ONE AWAY FROM THE TOP-FIVE: With 16 career sacks, senior defensive end Turan Rush is just one away from entering EMU's top-five all-time. The record, which has been kept since the mid-1990's, is currently held by Avery Brown, who racked up 25 in his career between 1994-97. Rush is currently tied for sixth with former Eagle Jeremiah Harris (2014-18).

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: A common goal in Head Coach Chris Creighton's program, Eastern has won or tied (27 wins, 4 ties) the turnover battle in 31 of its last 33 victories under Creighton.

ANOTHER BIG DAY FOR JOSE: One week after a career-best game that saw sophomore defensive end Jose Ramirez record 10 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble, the Lake Alfred, Fla. put together another strong game against Ohio, Nov. 9. Ramirez collected nine stops, the second-most by any Eagles, including a team-best 1.5 for loss. Ramirez is third on the team with 46 total tackles this year, and leads all Eagles with 9.5 TFLs.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TAKEAWAYS: EMU has forced 13 turnovers in 2021, and has scored points off of 12 (9 touchdowns, 3 field goals). EMU has scored 72 points off those turnovers, twice as a direct result of the play, and 11 times in its subsequent offensive possession. The Eagles turned two turnovers into a touchdown against Toledo, Nov. 2.

HANDS IN THE AIR: After tallying just 14 total pass break-ups in EMU's first five contests, the EMU defense has improved in disrupting the airwaves of opponents in its last five contests. EMU has 20 more PBUs in that span, including three in its most recent game, against Ohio, Nov. 9.

RECOVERING FUMBLES: Eastern Michigan has been one of the best teams in the nation when it comes to recovering fumbles in 2021. The Eagles have picked up eight loose balls this season, which ranks second in the MAC and 23rd nationally.

MOVING THE CHAINS: No team in the Mid-American Conference is more successful on third down than Eastern Michigan. As an offense, Eastern converts 48 percent (63-of-132) of its third-down tries. That number ranks 14th in the nation. EMU was 7-of-14 in its most recent contest, against Ohio, Nov. 9.

HIGH-FLYING OFFENSE: Eastern Michigan's offense is the best scoring unit in the Mid-American Conference. Averaging 34.0 points per game, EMU has put up 340 total points on 44 touchdowns, nine field goals, and 43 extra points. In total, 14 different Eagles have found the pay dirt in 2021, including five players who have scored multiple touchdowns. Sophomore Samson Evans leads all Eagles with 11 touchdowns.

PLAYING DISCIPLINED: EMU has been one of the most disciplined teams in the country thus far in 2021. The Eagles rank first in the nation in fewest penalties per game (3.70), third in fewest penalty yards per game (32.6), fifth in fewest penalties (37), and eighth in fewest penalty yards (326).

SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS: EMU's 42.92 net yards per punt ranks first in the MAC and 10th nationally. EMU is also one of only five teams in the league, and 44 teams in the nation, to have not allowed a blocked punt this season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE BRONCOS: The Eagles and Broncos have met 56 times in their respective histories, with WMU leading the all-time series, 34-20-2. After enduring five consecutive losses in the series between 2014-18, EMU has bested Western in the most recent pair of meetings.

LAST YEAR AGAINST WESTERN: It was a historic afternoon for EMU as it defeated WMU, 53-42, inside Kalamazoo's Waldo Stadium, Dec. 5, 2020. It was the first road win over WMU for the team since 2012. The Eagles failed to score on just two possessions during the game. That included its final possession of the contest, in which it simply kneeled the ball to run out the clock. It was the team's first 50-point performance since the 2017 season.
   Preston Hutchinson threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Darius Boone rushed for 148 yards on 25 carries. Defensively, EMU recovered a season-best three fumbles as Korey Hernandez paced the team with 10 stops.

LAST TIME WMU CAME TO TOWN: EMU earned a crucial victory as wide out Mathew Sexton collected his second game-winning touchdown of the season to clinch a 34-27 win over Western, Oct. 19, 2019, at "The Factory" inside Rynearson Stadium.
    Trailing 27-26 with 1:51 left in regulation, the Eagles started what proved to be the game-deciding drive at their own 28-yard-line. After Sexton made a three-yard catch and quickly ran out of bounds to the near sideline, QB Preston Hutchinson found Dylan Drummond for an 18-yard pass to advance to the EMU 47-yard line. After running back Shaq Vann crossed midfield with a four-yard carry, Drummond and fellow receiver Arthur Jackson III made catches of eight and seven yards, respectively, to move the ball to the WMU 34. One play later, Hutchinson reached Sexton with a jump ball at the right edge of the end zone to put the Green and White back in front, 32-27, with 36 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. EMU added the two-point conversion to extend the lead to 34-27 and held WMU off the board to seal the game.

LET THE GOOD TIMES BOWL: With its 52-49 win over Toledo, Nov. 2, Eastern Michigan is bowl eligible for the fourth time in the previous five (full) seasons, and just the sixth time in program history. EMU has now claimed bowl eligibility in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history (excluding COVID-shortened 2020 season).

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will close its 2021 regular season slate with a road trip to Mount Pleasant and a date with Central Michigan University. The Black Friday affair will be played Nov. 26.

Football Set to Honor Senior Class Tuesday, Nov. 16, Versus WMU

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Hassan Beydoun

Ben Bryant

Bryson Cannon

Jake Donnellon

Dylan Drummond

Samson Evans

Jawon Hamilton

Korey Hernandez

Jeff Hubbard

Preston Hutchinson

Jake Julien

Tanner Knue

Alvinoski LaFleur

Freddie McGee III

Terry Myrick

Thomas Odukoya

Jose Ramirez

Turan Rush

Chad Ryland

Woo Scott Sr.

Michael Smith Jr.

Mike Van Hoeven

Eastern Michigan Athletics