EMU Readies for San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 20

Football vs. San Jose State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)
Date	Tuesday, Dec. 20 \| 1:30 p.m. MT (3:30 p.m. ET)
Venue	Boise, Idaho \| Albertsons Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Updated Record Book (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video \| SJSU Notes (PDF)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN \| ESPN Deportes \| Postgame Awards Ceremony
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Watch Party	Fowling Warehouse Ypsi Ann Arbor (3050 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti, MI 48197)

BOISE, Idaho (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team will play in its fifth bowl game in the last seven years when it participates in the 26th Annual Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Tuesday, Dec. 20, on the blue turf of Albertsons Stadium. The Eagles finished the regular season with an 8-4 mark and a 5-3 record in Mid-American Conference play. EMU made appearances in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, the 2018 Camellia Bowl, the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl, and the 2021 LendingTree Bowl.
    The Spartans finished the regular season with a 7-4 record, going 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference. SJSU is bowling for the first time since 2020. It will be Head Coach Brent Brennan's second bowl game as head coach of SJSU. Furthermore, he is the first head coach to lead the Spartans to two bowl games since Claude Gilbert in 1986 and 1987.
    Kickoff from Boise State University's campus is set for 1:30 p.m. MT (3:30 p.m. ET) and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Clay Matvick and Rocky Boiman will be in the booth, while Dawn Davenport reports from the sideline. The game will also be aired on WEMU (89.1 FM) with veteran broadcasters Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick calling the action on the field. WEMU's special 30-minute pregame show from the stadium begins at 1 p.m. MT (3 p.m. ET).

PARTY LIKE IT'S 1987?: The Eagles will face off against San Jose State for the second time in the postseason, as the matchup is a rematch of the 1987 California Bowl. The then-Hurons were a 17-point underdog, but EMU prevailed with a 30-27 win over the Spartans in Fresno, Calif., Dec. 12, 1987.

EYES ON NINE: A triumph would give Eastern Michigan exactly nine victories in a season for the first time ever, and would go down as the second-best win total in the 131-year history of the program. Eastern's best season came in 1987, when the team won 10 games (nine regular season) en route to the program's lone Mid-American Conference title and postseason bowl victory (California Bowl). EMU teams have finished with eight wins six times, including this season.

SEVEN IN THE FBS: The Eagles defeated seven Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents during the 2022 regular season campaign. That number is the second-most in a single season in program history (FBS officially established in 1978); only the 1987 team took down more with eight FBS wins during its nine-win regular season.

FIRST-TIME ACCOMPLISHMENT: Eastern Michigan will add another to its list of "firsts" under ninth-year Head Coach Chris Creighton in 2022. With its selection to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Eastern will make four consecutive bowl appearances (excluding COVID-shortened 2020 season) for the first time in program history.

LET'S ROCK AND BOWL: Eastern Michigan's 34-28 win over Akron, Nov. 8, gave the program bowl eligibility for the fifth time in the previous six full seasons and just the sixth time in program history. The win also gives EMU bowl eligibility in four consecutive seasons for the first time in program history (excluding COVID-shortened 2020 season).
   Of note, EMU's 1971 appearance in the Pioneer Bowl does not figure into the bowl count since it was a NCAA Division II regional final contest and not part of the bowl system.

WHAT'S STILL AT STAKE: Plenty of opportunities to cement the team's legacy still await Eastern Michigan in its postseason bowl contest. A win would give EMU just its second in program history and its first since the 1987 California Bowl (EMU defeated San Jose State, 30-27).

NOT ONE, NOT TWO, BUT…: In going to a bowl game for the fourth time in five seasons, 13 student-athletes will have the opportunity to do something that just other group (three previous student-athletes) in program history has accomplished previously - play in four bowl games. Those 13 student-athletes participated in the 2018 Camellia Bowl, 2019 Quick Lane Bowl, 2021 LendingTree Bowl, and now the Potato Bowl.
    Of those 13 student-athletes, three will have the opportunity to become the first student-athletes in EMU history to record a snap in four different postseason bowl games: Dylan Drummond, Sidy Sow, and Gunnar Oakes. Blake Bogan would be the fourth, but is out with injury.

RAMIREZ CONTINUES TO RACK UP ALL-AMERICA STATUS: Senior Jose Ramirez continues to rack up the national awards following a stellar 2022 season, adding his fourth All-America honor in the last week. The Lake Alfred, Fla., native collected Second Team All-America honors from The Sporting News. Ramirez garnered Third Team All-American accolades as voted upon by the Associated Press. Last week, he garnered Second Team All-America status through both the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Pro Football Focus.
   Ramirez is the first player in EMU history to earn the trifecta of All-America honors from WCFF, AP, and SN. Overall, he is the 20th Eastern Michigan football player to earn All-America status, and just the second to earn the honor through the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Andy Vanyo also earned second team status following the 1930 campaign. The Lake Alfred, Fla. native is the first player to earn All-America status since Justin Moody was named a Second Team All-American by Pro Football Focus for his special teams play during the 2016 campaign. Additionally, he is just the fourth All-American from EMU since 2000, and the first defensive All-American at Eastern since Charles Gordon in 1987.

RAMIREZ WINS EMU'S FIRST MVP: Senior defensive end Jose Ramirez made history, Nov. 30, when he was named the Mid-American Conference's Defensive MVP. The honor, won via a vote of the league's 12 head coaches, is the first league MVP ever awarded, on either offense or defense, to an Eastern Michigan player.
   One of the most dominant pass rushers in college football, Ramirez finished the 2022 regular season slate on numerous national leaderboards. He was first in the nation with 1.09 sacks per game, second in total sacks (12.0), and finished second nationally with 1.8 tackles for loss per contest. He also owns the nation's second-best single-game performance (in terms of sacks) this season. He collected a program-record 4.0 in Eastern's game at Western Michigan, Oct. 8. That game was one of three multiple-sack performances he issued for EMU this season. He is Eastern Michigan's third-leading tackler this season with 63 stops, and leads the Eagles in both quarterback hurries (10) and forced fumbles (2).

MICHIGAN MAC WINNERS: Following a season sweep of its in-state rivals, Western Michigan and Central Michigan, Eastern was able to reclaim the Michigan MAC Trophy for the first time since 2012. 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).
   Originating in 2005, EMU has claimed ownership of the award five times (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2022).

NINE EARN ALL-MAC DISTINCTION: Nine Eastern Michigan student-athletes earned slots as All-Mid-American Conference selections following the 2022 regular season. In addition to his Defensive MVP honors, defensive end Jose Ramirez earned first team honors, along with junior return man Jaylon Jackson, senior offensive lineman Sidy Sow, and sophomore punter Mitchell Tomasek.
   That group was joined by senior captain and offensive lineman Brian Dooley, and senior running back Samson Evans, who each earned Second Team All-MAC honors. Senior wide receiver Hassan Beydoun, sophomore placekicker Jesus Gomez, and junior wideout Tanner Knue earned third team accolades.
   For EMU, the four first team selections matches a program record (previously accomplished in 1987 and 1977, respectively), while the nine selections overall are the third-most in a single season for the program. EMU had a record 11 honorees in 1989, and 10 selections following the 2020 campaign.

CO-DIVISION CHAMPIONS: When coupled with Western Michigan's Week 12 win over Toledo, Eastern Michigan's regular-season-closing win over Central Michigan lifted it into a tie for first in the MAC West Division. Although Toledo played in the Mid-American Conference's championship game due to its head-to-head tiebreaker with EMU, the league does honor co-champions. The West Division championship is the first for EMU in school history. Prior to 2022, EMU had not held the top spot in any MAC standings since it won the league title outright in 1987.
   EMU finished with a 5-3 ledger in conference play and secured a winning record in its conference games for just the eighth time since joining the league in 1976. Chris Creighton-led Eagle teams have finished above .500 in MAC play one time, going 5-3 against league opponents in 2018. EMU's best-ever MAC ledger came in 1987, when the Green and White finished 7-1 against its conference opponents.

RIVALRY SWEEP: Eastern Michigan defeated both of its in-state rivals, Western Michigan and Central Michigan, during the 2022 campaign. Despite retaining ownership of the Michigan MAC Trophy in 2012, 2022 marks the first EMU sweep of its rivals since the 2011 campaign. Including this season, Eastern Michigan has swept its Mitten State rivals just three times since 2000, with the other two occurrences coming in 2004 and 2007, respectively.

TAKE A BOW, SIDY SOW: Senior offensive lineman Sidy Sow is one of just two active players in the Mid-American Conference to be named to an All-MAC team in three seasons. The other is Buffalo linebacker James Patterson. Additionally, Sow joins Kent State wide receiver Dante Cephas as the only players in the league to receive First Team All-MAC honors in both 2021 and 2022.
   The all-time leader in Eastern Michigan history in games played (56) and games started (54), he will go down as one of the best offensive linemen to don the green and white. On the field for 876 snaps in 2022, Sow helped the Eagles lead the MAC in red zone offense (95.6%) and third down percentage (45.1), while finishing second in team passing efficiency (136.1). All told, the Bromont, Quebec, native directly allowed just two sacks this season and only six in his distinguished career.

FIVE STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD: EMU has been outstanding when playing on the road this season. The Green and White finished the 2022 regular-season campaign 5-1 away from Rynearson Stadium, including a five-game win streak in road contests. Additionally, Eastern's five-consecutive road wins are a program record. EMU's 1925, 1927, 1954, and 1955 teams each won four straight road games.
   Eastern has not played five consecutive road games without a loss since it did so between Oct. 15, 1988-Sept. 30, 1989, when it went 4-0-2 during six road contests within that stretch.

FIRST TIMERS CLUB: Neither EMU or SJSU have participated in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl before this season. With EMU's appearance, only Ball State has yet to travel to Boise for the postseason. Meanwhile, just Hawaii, New Mexico, and UNLV have not been selected from the Mountain West.

WHO NEEDS GREEN GRASS? EMU will become the only school in the FBS to have played on all three non-green playing surfaces. EMU's Rynearson Stadium features a gray artificial surface, while the team opened the 2019 season on the teal "surf turf" of Coastal Carolina's Brooks Stadium. Boise State is the only other FBS school to feature a non-traditional playing surface, as Albertsons Stadium features a blue rug. Neither EMU nor CCU have previously played BSU on the gridiron.

ABOUT THE POTATO BOWL: The nation's northern-most bowl game, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is one of 17 owned and operated bowl games by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. EMU becomes the 11th different MAC team to play in Boise.
   One of 13 bowl games played in an active college football stadium, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is also one of nine bowl games played in an on-campus stadium, joining Arizona, Coastal Carolina, FAU, Navy, New Mexico, SMU, South Alabama, and TCU. Four other bowl games are played in college stadiums, but at off-campus sites. UAB (Protective Stadium), USF (Raymond James Stadium), Memphis (Liberty Bowl), and UCLA (Rose Bowl) also host bowl games.

LAST TIME WE MET: Head Coach Jim Harkema's Hurons were 17-point underdogs heading into the battle with the high-scoring Spartans of San Jose in the 1987 California Bowl, Dec. 12. While most people agreed with that pre-game prediction of an easy San Jose State win, the EMU team and its faithful fans knew that the Green and White would be prepared to pull off the major upset.
   Eastern, trailing 27-23 with just 3:59 left in the game, senior quarterback Ron Adams threw a long, arching pass to senior wide receiver Craig Ostrander for a 32-yard touchdown and Tim Henneghan added the PAT kick to give Eastern the 30-27 lead. That would be the last score of the game as the Hurons' defense held on for one of the most memorable wins in school history.

GO WEST THEY SAID: For the first time in 51 years, EMU will play a contest in the state of Idaho when it battles San Jose State, Dec. 20. The last time Eastern ventured into the Gem State was the 1971 season at Idaho State University, Oct. 2. Eastern escaped with a 23-22 triumph. Eastern is 1-1 all-time against ISU and 0-1 versus Idaho.

VERSUS THE MOUNTAIN WEST: EMU has met five current members of the Mountain West Conference in its history, holding a 3-2-1 record. Eastern's first tangled with Fresno State for the 1990 season opener, falling 41-10, Sept. 1. The then-Hurons upset heavily-favored San Jose State, 30-27, in the 1987 California Bowl. EMU swept a home-and-home series against Wyoming. EMU cruised to a 48-29 victory in Laramie, Wyo., Sept. 12, 2015, and followed it up with a 27-24 decision the following year inside "The Factory", Sept. 23, 2016. Most recently, the Eagles dropped an overtime affair at San Diego State, 23-20, Sept. 22, at SDCCU Stadium.

WE'LL SEE YOU SOON!: The Dec. 20 meeting in Boise will not be the final time the two sides meet on the gridiron, as the schools previously agreed to a home-and-home series. The Spartans will play in Ypsilanti, Sept. 5, 2026, while the Eagles will travel to San Jose, Sept. 1, 2029.

FAMILIAR FOES: Even though the teams are meeting on the gridiron for the first time since 1987, there are some ties between EMU and SJSU. San Jose State's Director of Athletics, Jeff Konya, previously served as the athletic director at nearby Oakland University from 2014-18. Deputy AD Scott MacDonald also worked at Oakland and played collegiate baseball at Henry Ford Community College (1994-96). Meanwhile, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications Sky Kerstein was a sports producer and multimedia journalist for four years working for Detroit's WJBK-TV (Fox 2).

THAT'S A GOOD POINT: Senior running back Samson Evans scored 78 points in 2022 which ties for 10th all-time in single-season scoring at EMU. He was edged by sophomore placekicker Jesus Gomez, who chipped in 82 points in his first campaign as the team's primary field goal and extra point specialist to finish eighth on the list. This season marks just the second in program history in which two players finished within the program's top-10 in the category in the same season. The other was just last season, when Evans (78 points) and former Eagle Chad Ryland (program-record 104 points) did it.
   Evans now has 162 points in his career, the 11th most of any player in program history. He is on pace to exceed 250 career points, which would place him comfortably in the program's top three all-time (Ryland- 309, Andrew Wellock - 299, Justin Ventura - 239). If he is able to crack the top-3, he would be the only non-specialist to do so.

EVANS MOVES UP: Senior running back Samson Evans continued to climb up the EMU record books when he rushed for a touchdown against Central Michigan, Nov. 25. Evans now has 27 total scores in his career, which ties for third-most in program history, alongside Eric Deslauriers (2003-06). Evans would move into the No. 1 spot with 32 touchdowns. Eastern legend Gary Patton (1984-87) currently holds the top spot with 31. Additionally, Evans is now first all-time in EMU career rushing touchdowns. He surpassed Patton and Anthony Sherrell (2002-05) on that list.

POWELL'S PASSING: Senior quarterback Taylor Powell was impressive in terms of accuracy this season. He finished the 2022 regular season campaign with a 65.3 percent rate of completion (156-of-239). That number ranks third in the MAC this season, and goes as the third-best single-season completion percentage in EMU's history.

RED HOT IN THE RED ZONE: Red zone scoring continues to be a highlight for the Eastern Michigan offense. The Green and White were 3-of-3 in its chances inside CMU's 20-yard line, Nov. 25, elevating its season total to 43-of-45 (96%). That number ranks third in the nation.

JOSE STAYS RED HOT: Already one of the most dominant pass rushers in college football, senior defensive end Jose Ramirez was outstanding in EMU's game against CMU, Nov. 25. He finished with a team-high 3.0 sacks and three QB hurries. Ramirez has 20.5 sacks in his career, which is second all-time in program history. Additionally, the 3.0 TFLs Ramirez recorded against Central Michigan moved him up to 34.0 TFLs in his career, moving him to No. 5 all-time at EMU. He currently ranks first in the nation with 1.09 sacks per game this season.

GOOD STUFF, GOMEZ: Sophomore placekicker Jesus Gomez etched his name into the EMU kicking record books numerous times in his first year as the team's primary placekicker in 2022. The Puebla, Mexico, native is second all-time with 43 extra points made in a season (Chad Ryland was first with 47 in 2021), and is already 10th all-time in the category for a career. Additionally, his 13 field goals rank 11th all-time for a single season, and 13th in a career.

BIG KICK MITCH: Not to be outdone by Jesus Gomez, sophomore punter Mitchell Tomasek made his mark on the EMU record books in his first season as the team's punter. Tomasek's 44.1 yards per punt average is the third-best in a single season average, while his career average is currently first all-time.

WE SEE YOU, MR. MCCARTY: Junior defensive back Josh McCarty has made a noticeable impact on the Eagles' special teams efforts this season. A finalist for the National Special Teams Player of the Year Award, McCarty currently has 10 special teams tackles this year with a Pro Football Focus grade of 81.3. That number is second most of any player in the country.
   Overall, McCarty has 11 total tackles, including seven solo stops, in his 12 games this season, his first action with the Green and White after converting positions from running back.

CLOSING IN NOVEMBER: EMU is 15-11 in the month of November since the beginning of 2016. In the six seasons prior, Eastern combined for a total of 15 wins across all regular-season games. Furthermore, if you exclude 2020's COVID-adjusted season when the schedule began in November, EMU's winning percentage jumps to .714 (15-7).

DIALING DR. NEATHERY: Defensive Coordinator Neal Neathery has made significant adjustments to the EMU defense over its last seven games, and the statistics show. Eastern has improved in every major statistical category, most notably in points allowed, and opponent passing yardage. Additionally, EMU was ranked 118th in total defense following Week Four, and finished ranked 55th (366.7 yards per game) after 12 weeks. A comparative chart between EMU's first four games and last eight games can be found below.

WHERE THE OFFENSE STANDS: EMU put together another strong season offensively, scoring 346 points. That total ranks sixth all-time in EMU single-season history, and is good for the third-highest regular season total in the Mid-American Conference. Additionally, EMU's 4,325 yards of total offense is good for 11th in program history. Of the top 15 single-season yardage totals in program history, seven (46%) have come under ninth-year Head Coach Chris Creighton (2014-Pres.), including three of the top four. The Eagles picked up those yards using 823 plays, the ninth-highest total in the 131-year history of the program. Meanwhile, their 253 first downs are sixth-best in program laurels.

CAN'T STOP KNUE: Senior wideout Tanner Knue was effective in EMU's regular-season finale against CMU, Nov. 25. Knue opened up the scoring for the Eagles with 10:12 remaining in the first quarter. The touchdown, his ninth of the season, was the Ohio native's third-consecutive game with a TD this season. The graduate student sits in third place tie in the MAC and 15th nationally for receiving touchdowns. It is the first stretch of Knue's career (2018-pres.) in which he has hauled in a touchdown pass in three consecutive games.

HOT ON OPENING DRIVES: Eastern Michigan's offense was effective on its opening drives during the 2022 regular season campaign. The Green and White have six opening-drive scores this season. EMU has four touchdowns and two field goals in those game-opening scoring drives. The Green and White are 4-2 in those games this season, with the lone losses coming at Louisiana, Sept. 10, and vs. Buffalo, Sept. 24. EMU defeated Arizona State, Western Michigan, Akron, and Central Michigan after opening-drive scores.

HOT OUT OF HALFTIME: The EMU defense held an opponent scoreless in the third quarter yet again when it blanked CMU for the entirety of the third frame, Nov. 25. The third-quarter shutout marks the 18th time in Eastern's last 54 contests (34%) that its opponent has failed to score in the first quarter out of the break. Eastern has emerged victorious in 11 of the 18 games in which it has held opponents scoreless in the third quarter during that stretch, with one loss coming in overtime. The third-quarter shutout marks three consecutive contests with the accomplishment for the first time this season. EMU held both Akron and Kent State without a third-quarter point, Nov. 8 and Nov. 16 respectively. Additionally, Eastern has now held an opponent scoreless in the third quarter in consecutive games for the first time in more than 10 years.

ONE AND ONLY: In securing a seventh win in 2022, ninth-year Head Coach Chris Creighton is officially the only coach in program history to have seven-or-more victories in four seasons at EMU. Former coaches Elton J. Rynearson (1917, 1919-20, 1925-48) and Dan Boisture (1967-73) each had three such campaigns.

PICKED UP NO. 7: EMU's win at Kent State, Nov. 16, marked seven regular-season wins for just the 15th time in the 131-year history of the program. Of Eastern's 15 seven-plus win seasons since 1891, Chris Creighton has been at the helm for four (27%). Furthermore,    EMU has now won 41 games since the 2016 season began. The program combined for just 42 wins in the 16 seasons prior (2000-15).

NO STRANGER TO CLOSE GAMES: EMU is accustomed to close games since 2016, as 48 of the team's last 82 games (59%) have been decided by eight-or-less points. Furthermore, 33 of those contests have come in MAC play. Eastern has played six one possession games in 2022, only Ball State (8) and Northern Illinois (7) played in a tighter window.

EVANS KEEPS ON EATING: Senior running back Samson Evans was impressive yet again in Eastern's 38-19 win over CMU, Nov. 25. Evans led all EMU rushers with 135 yards on 35 carries, adding a touchdown along the way. Evans finshed the regular season fifth in the Mid-American Conference with a 7.1 points per game average in 2022. He is also second in the league for total touchdowns with 13.

SERVED BY SAMSON: One of the most consistent backs in the nation, Samson Evans finished the regular season ranked 24th in the nation with 1,084 rushing yards. He is third in the MAC and 23rd in the country with a 98.5 rushing yards per game average. Additionally, Evans ranks fifth in the MAC in all-purpose yards, where he has averaged 108 per game in 2022.

SAMSON HITS 1,000: Samson Evans (1,084 yards) is the 14th EMU player to rush for a total of 1,000 yards or more in a single season, the most recent of which came in 2015, when Darius Jackson (2012-15) ran for 1,078 yards. Evans' current total is good for eighth all-time in single-season laurels at EMU.

EMU PLACES EIGHT ON THE CSC ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM: Eight EMU football student-athletes were named 2022 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honorees, the group announced Nov. 22. Each of the Eagles' honorees are now eligible for CSC Academic All-America recognition.
   The eight Eagles that garnered all-district honors include seniors Brandon Benson, Dylan Drummond, Samson Evans, Tanner Knue, and Taylor Powell and sophomores Carter Evans, Jesus Gomez, and Mitchell Tomasek. Seven players earned their first academic award from CSC while Drummond earns the accolade for the second time in his career (2021).

DYNAMIC DUO: Hassan Beydoun now has 214 receptions in his career. That number ranks 12th among all active players in the NCAA. He is also just one of 401 active FBS players with more than 2,000 yards receiving in a career. He ranks 22nd on that list with 2,323 yards to his credit. Fellow upperclassmen Dylan Drummond is not far behind in either category. He is No. 27 in active catch leaders with 180 in his career, and sits at No. 54 with 1,943 yards.

FANTASTIC FOUR: Senior wideout Hassan Beydoun has become part of an elite group at Eastern Michigan: The 2,000-yard receiving club. With 2,323 yards through the air in his career, Beydoun is just one of four players to cross into that territory. He currently ranks third all-time in program history, behind Kevin Walter (2,838 yards from 1999-02) and Eric Deslauriers (3,250 yards from 2003-06).
   If Dylan Drummond can add 57 yards to his resume before the seasons end, it will mark the first time in EMU program history that the team has two, 1,000-yard receivers on the roster at the same time.

SPLITTING THE UPRIGHTS: EMU kickers have made their last 108 point-after touchdown attempts. Coincidentally the last time EMU missed an extra point was at Kent State, Nov. 4, 2020. This season, Jesus Gomez is a perfect 43-for-43 after Chad Ryland made 65 consecutive PATs.

FOUR YEARS RUNNING: EMU special teams continue to be a strong point for the team this season, and that is aided by sophomore punter Mitchell Tomasek. Through 12 regular-season games, he has a 44.1 yards per punt average, a number which sits atop the MAC and ranks 19th nationally. Furthermore, he has on five occasions been named West Division Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Oct. 31, Nov. 14, Nov. 28)
   This season marks the fourth consecutive season in which an Eastern Michigan punter has held that title. Former Eagle Jake Julien (2017-21) led the conference in punting average in each of the previous three seasons, respectively.

THIRD TO FIRST: Eastern Michigan has been efficient on third down this season, where it converts 45.1 percent (74-for-161) of its attempts. That number ranks first in the MAC and 29th nationally. EMU was 5-for-13 (38.4%) in its latest contest, vs. Central Michigan, Nov. 25. The Eagles have converted at 50 percent or better on third down in five contests. Last season, Eastern converted third downs at a clip of 50 percent or better just three times in 13 games.

EFFICIENT OFFENSE: Eastern Michigan's offense has scored 20+ points in 12 of its last 13 games, including a stretch of seven consecutive games dating between Dec. 18, 2021, against Liberty in the LendingTree Bowl, and Oct. 8, 2022, at Western Michigan. The best stretch of consecutive 20+-point games under Chris Creighton came between Oct. 26, 2017-Nov. 3, 2018, when the Eagles accomplished the feat in 14 straight games.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE: A common goal in Head Coach Chris Creighton's program, Eastern has won or tied (32 wins, 7 ties) the turnover battle in 39 of its last 41 victories under Creighton. The trend held in EMU's latest win, a 38-19 decision over CMU, Nov. 25. EMU won the turnover-takeaway battle, 3-0.

TURNOVERS TO PRODUCTION: Eastern's offense has been efficient when driving after a turnover this season. The Eagles have scored touchdowns directly after nine of the teams 17 turnovers, which equates to 53 percent. The offense has elected not to drive (able to take the victory formation) on two of those 17 subsequent drives. When adjusting for that number, EMU has scored touchdowns on 60 percent of its drives following a defensive takeaway.

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 45 of the last 78 (58%) contests decided by eight points or less. Eight games have been decided in overtime with 19 coming down to the final play.

400 YARDS OF FUN: The Eastern Michigan offense was firing on all cylinders against CMU, Nov. 25, going for 38 points on 437 yards of total offense. The third 400+-yard game of the season, EMU has hit that total is consecutive contests for the first time this season and for the first time since it did so in four straight games between Week 8-11 in 2021. The EMU offense has put up more than 400 yards of offense in 13 of the 31 (42%) games the team has played since Chris Creighton took over the play calling duties at the start of the 2020 campaign.

A HIGH-POWERED 300: Eastern Michigan has scored 308 points through 11 games this season. That number is good for the 11th-best output in program history, just one point away from cracking the top-10. Eastern's program-record 390 points came just one season ago, in 2021.

PROTECTING THE ROCK: Eastern Michigan protected the ball against Central, going the distance without a turnover in the game. The third game this season without a turnover, EMU did not give the ball away at all in its final two regular season tilts. It goes down as the 13th game in the Chris Creighton Era (2014-Pres.) without a turnover. After going just three games in his first four complete seasons without a turnover (8% of games) EMU has recorded nine games of the sort since (17%). Prior to the current stretch, EMU has not had consecutive games without a turnover since the 2011 season.

EMU Readies for San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 20

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Players Mentioned

Brandon Benson

Hassan Beydoun

Blake Bogan

Brian Dooley

Dylan Drummond

Carter Evans

Samson Evans

Jaylon Jackson

Jake Julien

Tanner Knue

Josh McCarty

Gunnar Oakes

Taylor Powell

Jose Ramirez

Chad Ryland

Sidy Sow

Mitchell Tomasek

Eastern Michigan Athletics