EMU Welcomes Texas State for Hall of Fame/Family Weekend

Football vs. Texas State
Date	Saturday, Sept. 25 \| 2 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	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| TuneIn Radio \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Attendance Information	GameDay Protocols \| Purchase Tickets.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team will close out its 2021 non-conference schedule when it welcomes Texas State University to "The Factory" Saturday, Sept. 25, for the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The 2 p.m. game is part of the University's annual Hall of Fame/Family Weekend.
   EMU is 2-1 (0-0 MAC) after putting together an impressive 42-28 road victory over Massachusetts Saturday, Sept. 18. The Eagles dominated on the offensive side of the ball, amassing better than 500 yards en route to their best point total of the young season. Meanwhile, Texas State heads to Ypsilanti with a 1-2 (0-0 SBC) record in hand after falling to Incarnate Word, 42-34, Sept. 18. The Bobcats nearly upended Baylor in their season opener, Sept. 4, falling 29-20, before defeating Florida International, 23-17, in overtime, Sept. 11.
   The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+, where Anthony Lima (play-by-play) and Marcus Ray (analyst) will have the call. As always, fans can hear the game for free on WEMU (89.1 FM) or The Varsity Network app with veteran broadcasters Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick calling the action from the press box.

HALL OF FAME: The EMU-Texas State game will be part of EMU's annual Hall of Fame Weekend. Alums Carl "CJ" Johnson (Men's Track and Field), Jason Jones (Football), Amanda Kulikowski (Soccer), Carl E. Thomas (Men's Basketball), Charles E. Thomas II (Men's Basketball), and LaTonya M. Watson (Women's Basketball) will all be enshrined.
    This year's class will mark the 45th anniversary of the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame with a ceremony Friday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. The Class of 2021 will then be recognized during halftime of the football game.

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, 29 of EMU's last 36 MAC games and 42 of its last 51 games overall have either been a win or a one possession loss.

HOT START: Eastern Michigan is off to a 2-1 start in 2021, a feat that eighth year Head Coach Chris Creighton has now accomplished five times with the Green and White (63%), including in five of the last six seasons. In the 20 seasons prior to Creighton's arrival, EMU started with two-or-more wins in its first three games just twice. In the 50 years prior, the number is just 14.

AGAINST THE #FUNBELT: Although EMU has never played Texas State, it does have plenty of experience against Sun Belt Conference opponents. Eastern holds a 5-7-1 record against teams in the #FunBelt, earning wins over Arkansas State (1976), Coastal Carolina (2019), Louisiana-Lafayette (2006), and Louisiana-Monroe (1970 & 1975), with its last matchup against a Sun Belt member coming in the 2019 season-opener, at Coastal Carolina, Aug. 31. EMU won that game, 30-23.

LONE(LY) STAR: Eastern Michigan has never played a school from the state of Texas on the gridiron, despite 20 different schools in the Lone Star State sponsoring the sport at the FBS or FCS levels. EMU's only trip to Texas occurred during the 1971 season during the inaugural edition of the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas, against Louisiana Tech.    EMU returns to the state during the 2025 season when it completes the home-and-home series with Texas State, Aug. 30.

NON-CONFERENCE FINALES: Saturday's game will serve as EMU's final non-conference tune up of the 2021 campaign before it begins Mid-American Conference play at Northern Illinois, Oct. 2. Eastern will try to improve upon its recent struggles in non-conference finishers, where it has just a 2-4 record since the start of the 2014 campaign.

FUN TO RUN: Eastern Michigan has placed an emphasis on running the rock early in the 2021 season. Through three games, 42 percent of the team's total yardage has come via the turf, but a whopping 91 percent of the team's offensive touchdowns have been via the rush. The percent of yards via the rush statistics ties for the second-most of any team in the Creighton era (2014-pres.), while the 91 percent number is by far the highest for the team under Creighton.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TAKEAWAYS: EMU has taken the ball away five times from its opponents in 2021, twice against Saint Francis, Sept. 3, once at Wisconsin, Sept. 11, and twice against UMass, Sept. 18. EMU has scored 35 points off those turnovers, once as a direct result of the play (98-yard interception-for-touchdown at Wisconsin), and four times in its subsequent offensive possession.

LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE: EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton picked up his 14th all-time non-conference victory with the 42-28 decision over UMass, Sept. 18. The eighth-year mentor owns 30 percent of EMU's non-conference triumphs since the University joined the Mid-American Conference ranks in 1976. Moreover, his total tops every EMU head coach, bettering E-Club Hall of Famer Jim Harkema's previous standard of nine from 1983-91.
Of those 14 non-conference wins, seven of them have occurred on the road. Prior to taking over in 2014, Eastern Michigan had only posted five conference road wins in the 37 prior seasons.

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. With its victory over UMass, Sept. 18, EMU has now posted road non-conference wins in 2015 (Wyoming), 2016 (Charlotte), 2017 (Rutgers), and 2018 (Purdue), 2019 (Illinois), and 2021 (Massachusetts). 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.

SPORTSCENTER SAMSON: Running back Samson Evans made national headlines following EMU's game at UMass, Sept. 18. The second-year Eagle not only rushed for his team-best fourth touchdown, but he did so by laying out a pair of UMass defenders with show-stopping stiff arms. The rush, which went for 13 yards and put EMU ahead, 21-0, was honored as play No. 9 in ESPN's daily SportsCenter Top 10 Plays Sunday, Sept. 19.

MORE FROM WESTMORELAND: Freshman wide out Zach Westmoreland hauled in a game-long 54-yard reception against UMass, Sept. 18, a new career-long. Two of his four career receptions have been EMU single-game highs in 2021 (29 at Wisconsin, Sept. 11).

BIG BAD BOONE: Freshman running back Darius Boone Jr. rushed for two touchdowns in the team's contest at UMass, Sept. 18. The game is his first with multiple scores in his career. His two touchdowns led all Eagles in the game. Boone Jr. now has five touchdowns in six career games with Eastern.

HAMILTON IS HOT: Senior running back Jawon Hamilton's 25-yard burst on EMU's second drive of the game at UMass, Sept. 18, was the longest of his EMU career. He previously went for a long of 14 yards against Saint Francis, Sept. 3. Hamilton finished the game with 122 yards rushing, an EMU career-best. His previous best was 64 yards, against Saint Francis, Sept. 3.
   With his effort, Hamilton recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of his EMU career and fourth overall as a collegiate player. His touchdown was the 18th of his career, his second with EMU. He transferred to EMU after three seasons with James Madison University.

FIRST TIME, LONG TIME: EMU scored touchdowns on each of its first three drives against UMass, Sept. 18. It was the first such occurrence since it did the same versus Toledo, Oct. 13, 2018.

QUICK STARTS: In scoring on three consecutive drives to begin the game at UMass, Sept. 18, EMU has now produced points on three straight drives twice in three games (three TDs vs Saint Francis, Sept. 3). Last season, EMU accomplished the feat one time. In 2019, the Eagles did it twice.

FOURTH DOWN STOPPERS: Through three games, EMU opponents are just 3-of-8 (38%) on fourth down conversions (UMass held to 1-of-3, Sept. 18). That number is significantly better than last season, when EMU opponents converted 87 percent of fourth down tries (13-of-15).

CANNOT CONTAIN CARTER: Freshman defensive back David Carter Jr. added his second interception of the season in the first half of EMU's game at UMass, Sept. 18. Carter Jr. has interceptions in back-to-back games, making him the first EMU player to do so since senior Alvinoski LaFleur did it to open the season last year at Kent State, Nov. 4, and again at Ball State, Nov. 11. Carter ranks ninth in the nation with two interceptions.

PEAVY PARTY: Freshman T.J. Peavy's fumble recovery as time expired in the third quarter at UMass, Sept. 18, was the first of his career. He added five tackles in the game, the third most of any Eagle.

BIG BEN: Senior quarterback Ben Bryant set new career-highs in numerous categories at UMass, Sept. 18, including passing yards (298), and total yards (314). His TD pass with 4:07 left in the game was his first in 364 days after he last delivered a score through the air against Austin Peay, Sept. 19, 2020, while he was still with Cincinnati.

(ALMOST) THE LAST TO PASS: EMU's score with 4:07 left in the fourth quarter at UMass, Sept. 18, was its first of the season through the air. The team entered the game as one of only 11 Football Bowl Subdivision schools (130 total) that were yet to throw for a touchdown in 2021.

HEY THERE, HASSAN: Junior wide receiver Hassan Beydoun led all EMU receivers in both receptions (6) and yards (101) at UMass, Sept. 18. The game was his fifth 100-yard receiving game in his career. He was the last EMU player to accomplish the feat, going for 136 against Northern Illinois in EMU's 2020 season finale, Dec. 12.

THE TRUEMAN SHOW: Junior defensive lineman Grant Trueman put together a career day at UMass, Sept. 18. The Chino Hills, Calif. native recorded three stops, had one tackle-for-loss, and also notched the team's lone sack of the contest. The three tackles are a career-high for Trueman, while both the sack and TFL were career-firsts for the third-year Eagle.

DANIEL DOES IT AGAIN: One week after making his first collegiate start and tying for the team-lead with seven tackles against Wisconsin, Sept. 11, defensive back Robert Daniel Jr. did it again at UMass. The Oak Park, Mich. native recorded another seven-stop day, which led all Eagles. He was followed closely by fellow safety and 2020 First Team All-MAC performer Alvinoski LaFleur, who had six tackles in his 2021 debut, against the Minutemen.

JACK BAUER POWER: The Eastern Michigan defense got widespread production at UMass, Sept. 18. The unit saw 23 different Eagles record a tackle, including a season-best 17 of which made multiple stops in the game. EMU's single-game high for individual tacklers in 2021 is 25, which came against Saint Francis, Sept. 3. Additionally, the EMU defense has now recorded at least 3.0 TFLs in each of its three efforts this season.

RAMIREZ WITH THE WRENCH: Defensive end Jose Ramirez became the first EMU student-athlete to earn the honor of leading the team out of the tunnel with the wrench in 2021 when he did so at UMass, Sept. 18. When asked why Ramirez was chosen, Chris Creighton described that the evening before the game, he asked the team to each write the name of the person they thought was the hardest working player on the team, on an index card. Ramirez earned the majority of the responses, something Creighton considers to be an incredible testament to his character and contributions to the team. For earning such high praise from his teammates, Ramirez was awarded the chance to 'carry the wrench'.

FIELD FLIPPER: Senior punter Jake Julien, a nominee for the 2021 Ray Guy Award, got off to an excellent start to the 2021 season in EMU's 35-15, season-opening win over Saint Francis, Sept. 3. The Barrie, Ontario native booted four balls for a total of 184 yards. His 46.0 yards per punt average in the game was well above his 43.4 career average, which is already atop the EMU record books (tied with Rich Hanschu).
   Julien followed his hot start with an even better game against Wisconsin, Sept. 11. Racking up eight punts for the third time in his career, Julien punted for 411 total yards, 51.4 yards per kick.
   Not to be outdone, Julien again upped his game at UMass, Sept. 18. There, he got just one opportunity, but booted the ball a whopping 58.0 yards.
   Julien's 50.2 yards per punt average ranks first in the Mid-American Conference and sixth nationally.

SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS: EMU currently ranks inside the nation's top-11 in a pair of special teams categories. As a unit, the EMU kick off unit has allowed just 11 yards of return this season, which is the 11th-best total of any team in the nation.
   As a punting unit, EMU's 45.15 net yards per punt ranks first in the MAC and seventh nationally.

PLAYING DISCIPLINED: EMU has been one of the most disciplined teams in the country thus far in 2021. The Eagles rank sixth nationally in both fewest penalties (11) and fewest penalties per game (3.67). Additionally, the team is 10th nationally in fewest penalty yards (100), and 11th in fewest penalty yards per game (33.33).

COMFORTABLE GOING FOR IT: EMU is currently ranked No. 1 in the MAC and 21st nationally with an 80 percent success rate when attempting to convert on fourth down. EMU is 4-of-5 on fourth down tries this season.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: A common goal in Head Coach Chris Creighton's program, Eastern has won or tied (24 wins, 3 ties) the turnover battle in 27 of its last 29 victories under Creighton. Eastern took the ball away twice against UMass, Sept. 18, and won the turnover count, 2-1.

WELCOME BACK, JASON!: Former football standout Jason Jones will be one of the six inductees into the E-Club Hall of Fame this weekend. Jones, who attended EMU from 2004-07, began his career as a tight end (2004) before moving to the defensive line (2005). He completed his four-year EMU career with an outstanding senior season (2007) when he led the Mid-American Conference in tackles-for-loss with 1.63 per game en route to being named First Team All-MAC. He ranks second in EMU history with 50.0 TFLs and seventh in sacks with 14.0. Jones notched five tackles-for-loss against Northwestern, Sept. 16, 2006, the second-most in a single-game in school history. He also had four TFLs at Vanderbilt during the 2007 season.
   Selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, as the 54th overall player, Jones' professional career included defensive line play for the Titans (2008-2011), Seattle Seahawks (2012), Detroit Lions (2013-15), and Miami Dolphins (2016). During his NFL career, recorded 212 tackles, 31.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, and 26 pass deflections. He has also continued to give back to EMU as a member of the Champions Advisory Board.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern hits the road for the start of Mid-American Conference play, at Northern Illinois, Oct. 2. The contest kicks off the 46th year that the Eagles have been a part of the Mid-American Conference football championship race. EMU was admitted into the league in 1971, but a complete league schedule was not available until the 1976 season.
    The Eagles will be looking for their 13th overall victory in a conference-play opener as they hold a 12-33 record in MAC season openers.

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Players Mentioned

Hassan Beydoun

Darius Boone Jr.

Ben Bryant

David Carter Jr.

Robert Daniel Jr.

Samson Evans

Jawon Hamilton

Jake Julien

Alvinoski LaFleur

T.J. Peavy

Jose Ramirez

Grant Trueman

Zach Westmoreland

Eastern Michigan Athletics