EMU Set to Open the MAC Slate Versus NIU Saturday, Oct. 2

Football at Northern Illinois
Date	Saturday, Oct. 2 \| 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT)
Venue	DeKalb, Ill. \| Huskie Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Media Guide \| Press Conference Video
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

DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The wait is over! After four weeks of non-conference matchups, the Eastern Michigan University football team is set to open Mid-American Conference play when it travels to The Land of Lincoln for a contest against Northern Illinois University Saturday, Oct. 2. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CT (2:30 p.m. ET) inside Huskie Stadium.
   EMU enters the league-opener with a 3-1 record after a historic offensive performance over Texas State, Sept. 25. Meanwhile, NIU is 2-2 after getting its offense going in a 41-14 home win over Maine, Sept. 25.
   The game will be televised on ESPN+ where Doug Sherman and Stanford Routt 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.

HOT START: EMU is off to a 3-1 start in 2021, an accomplishment that eighth-year Head Coach Chris Creighton has now accomplished three times with the Green and White, including in consecutive 12-game seasons. Eastern has started with a record of 3-1 just 43 times in the 130-year history of the program.
   Prior to Creighton's arrival, the last such occurrence came in 1995. In the 50 seasons preceding Creighton's tenure, EMU accomplished the feat just 11 times. He is one of only five Eastern head coaches to accomplish the feat three-or-more times (Elton J. Rynearson - 14, Fred Trosko - 4, Dan Boisture - 5, Jim Harkema - 4, Chris Creighton - 3).

SEEKING FOUR: With a win, EMU would move to 4-1 for the first time since the 2016 season. EMU has posted four wins in its first five games just five times (1977, 1987, 1989, 1995, 2016) since joining the MAC in 1976.

WELCOME TO #MACTION: EMU's game against Northern Illinois, Oct. 2, will officially kick off the team's 46th season of play in the Mid-American Conference. EMU first took on a MAC schedule during the 1976 campaign, and has competed amongst its conference foes in every subsequent year since. Eastern currently holds a 113-235-6 mark in MAC contests. The Green and White captured its lone conference championship in 1987.

HISTORY FOR RYLAND: Junior kicker Chad Ryland put eight extra points through the uprights against Texas State, Sept. 25. Ryland's eight PAT makes are tied for the most in a single game in program history. The last player to hit the mark was Paulie Fricano, who did it versus Ball State, Nov. 15, 2017.    Additionally, with his eighth make of the day, Ryland passed Justin Ventura (1995-98) for the all-time program record in point-after makes (114).
   For his efforts, he was selected the MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week for the fifth-time in his career.

NUMBER 42: Senior quarterback Ben Bryant threw for a career-high three touchdowns against Texas State, Sept. 25. His performance marked the 42nd time in program history that an EMU QB has thrown for three scores. Kainoa Akina holds the all-time single game record of six passing TDs, which happened in a game at Akron, Nov. 24, 2001.
   For his efforts, he was selected the MAC West Division co-Offensive Player of the Week for the first-time in his career.

DRUMMOND NAMED TO PAUL HORNUNG AWARD HONOR ROLL: Junior wide receiver Dylan Drummond was named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for his impressive performance against Texas State. Drummond put together his best performance of the season in EMU's historic, 59-21 win over the Bobcats, Sept. 25. The Cleveland, Ohio native hauled in five receptions, the most of any player in the contest, for 59 total yards. Additionally, Drummond found the end zone for his first touchdown of the season during the contest.

EVERYTHING'S BIGGER AGAINST TEXAS: Eastern Michigan showed out in its first-ever game against a Texas-based institution, defeating Texas State, 59-21, Sept. 25. EMU's 59 points scored are the most this season and ranks seventh in program history for a single game. The most points an Eastern team has scored was against Toledo A.A. Nov. 3, 1894, when it put up 76.
   The 59 points is the most EMU has scored in a non-conference Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) game since the Green and White scored 51 points against UNLV, Sept. 16, 1995. Furthermore, the 59 points scored are the fifth-most in program history at home, and the third most inside Rynearson Stadium.
   EMU has scored 50+ points four times under Chris Creighton (all wins), most recently against Western Michigan, Dec. 5, 2020. That game saw the Eagles secure a 53-42 decision over the Broncos.

LARGEST MARGIN: EMU's 38-point margin of victory against Texas State, Sept. 25, was the largest against a non-conference FBS program under Creighton. Furthermore, the 59-21 triumph ranks as the 37th-largest margin of victory since the program began in 1891.
   Overall, EMU's 59 points were the most scored against a non-conference FBS foe. The Charlie Batch-lead Eagles of 1995 held the previous standard of 51 in a 45-point victory over UNLV, Sept. 16, 1995.

FIRST DOWN TOWN: EMU tallied 33 first downs against Texas State, which ranks third in the EMU record books for a single game. The last time EMU posted 30-or-more first downs was Nov. 22, 2014, at Ball State.

FIRST TIME UNDER CREIGHTON: Although Chris Creighton-led EMU teams have put together a long list of "firsts," during his eight-year tenure, the team once again did something that it had yet to do – open consecutive games with three-straight touchdowns drives. EMU began the Sept. 25 game against Texas State with three consecutive TDs against the Bobcats after also doing it the week prior at UMass, Sept. 18..

FOUR SOAR SCORE: EMU threw for four touchdown passes against Texas State, Sept. 25. That number ties for seventh all-time in program history. Overall, it is the 15th game in program history in which the team has thrown for four touchdowns. The all-time EMU record is six, which came against Akron, Nov. 24, 2001.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: A common goal in Head Coach Chris Creighton's program, Eastern has won or tied (25 wins, 3 ties) the turnover battle in 28 of its last 30 victories under Creighton. Eastern took the ball away once against Texas State, Sept. 25, and did not turn the ball over as a team.

MAKING A POINT: EMU is currently averaging 35.8 points per game, the most under any Chris Creighton-led Eastern team. Only one other previous team, the 2020 squad, averaged more than 30 points per contest (33.4).

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE HUSKIES: Despite being division rivals, EMU and NIU have opened MAC play against each other just one time. That meeting came in 1977, when EMU took down the Huskies, 25-2, in DeKalb, Sept. 3.
   The Eagles and Huskies have met 51 times in their respective histories in a series that dates back to 1927. NIU holds a strong lead in the all-time tally, going 33-16-2, including winning 11 of the last 13 contests. Three of EMU's last five meetings with NIU have been decided in overtime by a combined 13 points.
   Last year's 41-33 victory, gave Eastern Michigan consecutive victories over Northern Illinois for the first time since it won back-to-back over the Huskies in 1987 and 1997, respectively.
   Of note, EMU has not won three consecutive over NIU since the 1950s when it rolled off seven straight triumphs between 1952 and 1958.

LAST YEAR IN YPSI: Quarterback Preston Hutchinson threw two touchdowns and scored on a one-yard run for a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead, and Eastern Michigan held off Northern Illinois 41-33 in the season finale, Dec. 12, 2021.
   Eastern Michigan led 34-17 with 5:48 left in the third quarter. Northern Illinois pulled within 41-26 after recording a safety with 3:29 left and on the Huskies' next possession, Ross Bowers connected with Cole Tucker from 14-yards out for a one-possession game with 2:17 remaining. Eastern Michigan was forced to punt, but NIU could not get past midfield as time expired.
   Hutchinson was 21-of-29 passing for 242 yards and he added 26 yards rushing for Eastern Michigan. Bowers threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns for NIU.
   With a 20-10 lead at the intermission, the Eagles added to it when Mark Lee Jr. returned a forced fumble 61 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Kempton Shine forced the fumble on Dennis Robinson after he caught a short pass from Bowers.

LAST TIME WE MET IN DEKALB: It was a historic showing for Eastern as it defeated NIU, 45-17, inside Huskie Stadium, Nov. 19, 2019. The win gave Eastern bowl eligibility in consecutive years for the first time, and for just the fifth time in program history.
   The victory was EMU's first over NIU since the 2007 season, and it was the Eagles' most points scored against the Huskies on their home field since 1997. Additionally, the game was only the ninth since 2000 in which Eastern has hung 45-plus points on a conference opponent.
   Eastern overpowered the Huskies in every aspect of the game. Offensively, senior quarterback Mike Glass III was electric, completing 20-of-24 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. In total, five different players scored a touchdown, while senior receiver Arthur Jackson III hauled in five passes for 78 yards, scoring two touchdowns in his effort.

BULLIES IN THE BACKFIELD: The EMU defense had no issues entering the opposition's backfield against Texas State, Sept. 25. The unit put together a nine tackle-for-loss effort, its best of the season. EMU's previous high was seven, which came versus Saint Francis, Sept. 3.
   The nine TFLs are the most for an EMU defense since it tallied 13 in a game against Toledo, Oct. 13, 2018.

HELLO? IS ANYBODY THERE?: A one-score game, 28-21, in the third quarter, EMU was able to pull away from Texas State, 59-21, Sept. 25. The effort saw EMU score 31 unanswered points in the contest, the most for the team since it scored 53 points without rebuttal through the first three quarters against Mississippi Valley State en route to a 61-14 win, Sept. 2, 2016.

MUCH IMPROVED: EMU has shown signs of improvement on both sides of the ball in key situations this season. Offensively, EMU is 50 percent on third down conversions (24-of-48), up seven percent from a season ago. The team is also 80 percent on fourth down tries (4-of-5), which is better than 2020's 78.6 clip (11-of-14.). Defensively, opponents are just 40 percent successful on fourth down tries (4-for-10), which is considerably lower than last season's 87 percent production rate (13-of-15).

THE NEAL NEATHERY EFFECT: Prior to EMU Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Neal Neathery's arrival in 2016, the Eagles recorded four-or-more sacks in a game just eight times in the 10 previous seasons. Under his direction, Eastern has accomplished the feat 14 times, including last week against Texas State. EMU sacked the Bobcat quarterback four times.

LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE: EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton picked up his 15th all-time non-conference victory with the 59-21 decision over Texas State, Sept. 25. The eighth-year mentor owns more than 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 15 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.

GOOD HEAVENS, EVANS: Sophomore running back Samson Evans continues to make the most of his reps in 2021. Although he is fourth on the team in both rushing attempts and yards, he leads all Eagles in touchdowns. After finding the pay dirt yet again against Texas State, Sept. 25, the Crystal Lake, Ill. native now has six TD bursts on the year. That number ranks first among all players in the MAC and 19th in the country.

TOUCHDOWN THOMAS: Senior tight end Thomas Odukoya notched his first touchdown of the season off a 13-yard pass from wide receiver Dylan Drummond. It was the first time since the 2018 season that an EMU non-quarterback threw for a score. Former Eagle wide out Isaac Holder threw a 34-yard score to Bryce Kemp versus Monmouth, Aug. 31, 2018.

FIRST FOR FORDHAM: Freshman wide out Latrell Fordham created a memorable moment against Texas State, Sept. 25. The Davison, Mich. native not only notched a career-high 58 receiving yards, including a team-best 24 yarder, but he also caught his first touchdown pass. He was one of three different EMU receivers to score via TD passes in the game.

BIG TIME RUSH: Senior defensive end Turan Rush was stellar against Texas State. The West Virginia native finished as the team's leader in tackles-for-loss (3.5), sacks (1.5), and break ups (1), while notching five tackles to finish tied for third on the team. Those numbers are all season-highs for Rush, while his TFLs are a career-best mark. The effort was the third of Rush's career with better than one sack. Rush is currently 22nd in the nation with 1.5 TFLs per game.

FUN TO RUN: Eastern Michigan has placed an emphasis on running the rock early in the 2021 season. Through four games, 44 percent (663-of-1,508) of the team's total yardage has come via the turf, while 74 percent (14-of-19) of the team's offensive touchdowns have been via the rush. The percentage of yards via the rush statistics is the second-most of any team in the Chris Creighton era (2014-pres.), while the 74 percent number is by far the highest for the team under Creighton.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TAKEAWAYS: EMU has taken the ball away six times from its opponents in 2021, twice against Saint Francis, Sept. 3, once at Wisconsin, Sept. 11, twice against UMass, Sept. 18, and once vs. Texas State, Sept. 25. EMU has scored 38 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.

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 48.0 yards per punt average ranks first in the MAC and 10th nationally.

SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS: EMU currently ranks inside the nation's top-25. As a unit, the EMU kick off unit has allowed just 16 yards of return this season, which is the 24th-best total of any team in the nation.
   As a punting unit, EMU's 43.9 net yards per punt ranks 11th nationally and first in the MAC.

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 terms of fewest penalties per game (3.0). Additionally, the team ranks second nationally in both fewest total penalties (12) and fewest penalty yard per game (26.25). EMU ranks third nationally in total penalty yards (105).

COMFORTABLE GOING FOR IT: EMU is currently ranked No. 1 in the MAC and 14th 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.

FOURTH DOWN STOPPERS: Through four games, EMU opponents are just 4-of-10 (40%) on fourth down conversions. That number is significantly better than last season, when EMU opponents converted 87 percent of fourth down tries (13-of-15).

WHAT UP, WESTMORELAND: Freshman wide out Zach Westmoreland has been a major part of the EMU offense this season. Through four games, he ranks third in the nation with a 26.0 yards per catch average.
The Joplin, Mo. native ranks third on the team with seven receptions for 182 yards.

FRESHMAN SIGNAL CALLER: Freshman Austin Smith made his EMU debut late in the game against Texas State, Sept. 25. The Ellenwood, Ga. native became the first "true freshman" to go under center since Brogan Roback was called into action at Penn State, Sept. 7, 2013.
   Against TXST, Smith completed one pass for 16 yards as he helped march EMU down the field for its final score of the 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 37 MAC games and 42 of its last 52 games overall have either been a win or a one possession loss.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern returns to Ypsilanti for a game against Miami University, Oct. 9. The contest will be the marquee event of the University's 100th Homecoming Celebration. The 93rd homecoming football game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ben Bryant

Dylan Drummond

Samson Evans

Latrell Fordham

Preston Hutchinson

Jake Julien

Mark Lee Jr.

Thomas Odukoya

Turan Rush

Chad Ryland

Kempton Shine

Austin Smith

Zach Westmoreland

Eastern Michigan Athletics