Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
2-2 , 0-1
Buffalo
1-3 , 1-0
Football Fights, Ultimately Falls to Buffalo
9/24/2022 4:38:00 PM | Football
First-year Eagle Jaylon Jackson delivered the program's most electric return since 2013
Postgame Press Conference
Highlight Video
Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University football team fell in its Mid-American Conference opener, 50-31, to the University at Buffalo inside "The Factory" at Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Sept. 24.
Sophomore Austin Smith (Ellewood, Ga.-Cedar Grove) paced EMU's (2-2, 0-1 MAC) rushing attack, accumulating 74 yards and one touchdown, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Senior Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge-Iowa) also added 52 yards on the ground for the Eagles.
Smith's most prolific target in the ballgame was junior Tanner Knue (Mason, Ohio-Mason), who caught three passes for 106 yards and one score. Graduate student Hassan Beydoun (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn) got in on the action in the passing game as well, hauling in four passes for 50 yards.
Junior T.J. Peavy (Fayetteville, Ga.-Sandy Creek-Air Force) led the Eastern Michigan defensive effort, totaling five tackles, 1.5 TFL, and one sack. Junior Chase Kline (Chardon, Ohio-Chardon-Michigan State) added a career-high 14 tackles for the EMU defense.
Eastern Michigan responded to a 7-0 lead from Buffalo with a score to tie it up at 7-7 with 12:57 left in the first quarter, thanks to a 89-yard kickoff return touchdown by junior Jaylon Jackson (Burleson, Texas-Centennial-Lamar). Buffalo reclaimed the lead at 13-7, after a blocked PAT from junior Sterling Miles (West Bloomfield, Mich.-West Bloomfield-Cincinnati). EMU scored again on a 10-yard touchdown reception from Knue to jump back in front 14-13.
The Bulls fought back to take a 20-14 lead before Eastern put a field goal on the board to narrow the gap with 8:18 remaining in the second quarter and make it a 20-17 game. Buffalo scored to extend its lead to 27-17 before the Green and White scored again to close the gap to 27-24.
After Buffalo increased its lead to 30-24, Eastern Michigan used a one-yard touchdown from junior Darius Boone Jr. (Tulsa, Okla.-Union) to retake the lead at 31-30 with 10:38 left in the third quarter. Eastern Michigan didn't score again, while the Bulls tacked on 20 more points to finish off the scoring.
» J. Jackson opened up the scoring for Eastern, returning a kickoff for an 89-yard touchdown with 12:57 left in the first quarter. Jackson's returned touchdown was the first for the Eagles since Tyler Allen returned a kickoff for a 90-yard score against Ohio University, Oct. 19, 2013. The return is the third longest in the history of Rynearson Stadium and tied for the 11th longest kickoff return in EMU's history. Former Eagle Lincoln Dupree recorded a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Northern Illinois University, Nov. 22, 1999, the longest kick return in program history.
» A. Smith made his first collegiate start for the Eagles. The quarterback recorded the first rushing touchdown of his career, the score was just the second quarterback keeper score this season, the first since Taylor Powell (Fayetteville, Ark.-Fayetteville-Missouri-Troy) ran one in for five yards vs. Eastern Kentucky, Sept. 2.
» Miles blocked the first extra point of his career and 19th blocked kick of the Chris Creighton era (2014-Pres.), midway through the first quarter. It also is the first blocked kick for EMU since former Eagle Carter Stagner blocked a kick vs. Western Michigan University, Nov. 16, 2021. The disruption was the second blocked PAT in the Creighton era, with the first coming Oct. 6, 2018, against Western Michigan. The Eagles have blocked at least one kick in eight of Creighton's nine seasons at the helm.
» Knue recorded his fourth touchdown of the season with 1:43 left in the first quarter. His four TDs in 2022 currently puts him in the MAC lead for receiving scores and his 291 receiving yards currently puts him at third in the league. Knue's 67-yard catch is the longest offensive play for the Eagles this season and the longest reception since Bryson Cannon hauled in a 79-yard bomb from Preston Hutchinson, Nov. 27, 2020, at home against Central Michigan University. He is also the Eagles' first 100-yard receiver, with 106 yards, since he tallied 127 yards in "The Factory" against Ohio University, Nov. 9, 2021.
» The 100-yard performance is Knue's third career 100-yard receiving contest. The wideout has posted a 100-yard performance in three consecutive seasons (2021 & 2020) with his last such occurrence coming when Knue tabbed career-highs in receptions (11) and receiving yards (127) vs. Ohio, Nov. 9, 2021.
» Heading into the game, the Eagles' longest play was a 44-yard pass from Powell to junior Darius Lassiter (Chandler, Ariz.-Lawrence Free State (Kan.)-Butler C.C.), Sept. 10, at the University of Louisiana. Knue's 67-yard catch and Jackson's 89-yard kick return are now the longest EMU plays of the season, and the first time the Eagles had two plays of over 40 yards in the same game this season. It also marks the fourth straight game EMU has had one play of at least 40 yards.
» Eastern Michigan's first two offensive possessions ended with touchdowns. The last time the Eagles scored touchdowns on both of their first two possessions was Sept. 25, 2021, vs. Texas State, when the Eagles defeated the Bobcats, 59-21.
» The Green and White tallied 24 points in the first half, tying for most this season with last weekend's 30-21 win at Arizona State University. Furthermore, the Eagles have scored at least two touchdowns in the first half of every game this season. Eastern Michigan has now scored 20+ points in the first half of games 26 times under Creighton, sporting a record of 20-6 in those games.
» Boone Jr. recorded his second touchdown of the season after recovering a fumble in the end zone in the third quarter. The score was the 10th of Boone's collegiate career.
» Kline smashed his career tackles record this afternoon, notching 14 over the course of the game. The Michigan State University transfer's previous career high in tackles (9) came just three weeks ago, vs. Eastern Kentucky University, Sept. 2.
» Sophomore Mitchell Tomasek (Columbus, Ohio-Worthington Kilbourne) boomed a 62-yard punt down to the Buffalo one-yard line, his longest of the season. The Eagles' last 60-yard punt came Oct. 2, 2021 at Northern Illinois, when former Eagle Jake Julien boomed a 61 yarder against the Huskies.
» EMU went a perfect four-for-four on red zone scoring chances. The Green and White are 17-for-17 in its red zone trips, remaining tied for first nationally in the category.
Historical Notes
» This afternoon's loss leaves EMU without a win over UB in the last eight calendar years. The Bulls have won three straight games over the Eagles since 2014 when the Green and White defeated Buffalo, 37-27, inside Rynearson Stadium, Oct. 11.
» Eastern Michigan now stands at 6-4 all-time against the Buffalo Bulls.
» The Eagles fall to 12-35 in Mid-American Conference season openers and 117-240-6 overall in MAC competition.
» Creighton still sits just two wins away from tying Jim Harkema (41 wins) for the fourth-best total by any head coach in program history.
» Buffalo scored the most points in program history against EMU with 50. The Bulls' previous high was set on Nov. 2, 2019, when Buffalo defeated Eastern, 43-14, at Rynearson Stadium.
» The last time the Eagles gave up 50 points in a game was in a 56-20 loss to Liberty University in the LendingTree Bowl (Dec. 18, 2021) last season.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will host the University of Massachusetts in "The Factory" at Rynearson Stadium next weekend, Saturday, Oct. 1, for its 2022 Homecoming game. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
BUFF 7, EMU 0
BUFF - Snyder,Cole 1 yd run (McNulty,Alex kick), 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:49
BUFF 7, EMU 7
EMU - JACKSON, Jaylon 89 yd kickoff return (GOMEZ, Jesus kick)
BUFF 13, EMU 7
BUFF - Williams,Quian 13 yd pass from Snyder,Cole (McNulty,Alex kickblocked) 15 plays, 75 yards, TOP 7:22
BUFF 13, EMU 14
EMU - KNUE, Tanner 10 yd pass from SMITH, Austin (GOMEZ, Jesus kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:52
BUFF 20, EMU 14
BUFF - Washington,Mike 2 yd run (McNulty,Alex kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:42
BUFF 20, EMU 17
EMU - GOMEZ, Jesus 35 yd field goal 8 plays, 50 yards, TOP 3:33
BUFF 27, EMU 17
BUFF - Washington,Mike 4 yd run (McNulty,Alex kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:48
BUFF 27, EMU 24
EMU - SMITH, Austin 1 yd run (GOMEZ, Jesus kick), 8 plays, 83 yards, TOP 3:02
BUFF 30, EMU 24
BUFF - McNulty,Alex 41 yd field goal 3 plays, -5 yards, TOP 0:13
BUFF 30, EMU 31
EMU - BOONE, Darius 1 yd run (GOMEZ, Jesus kick), 10 plays, 69 yards, TOP 4:22
BUFF 37, EMU 31
BUFF - Gassett,Jamari 65 yd pass from Snyder,Cole (McNulty,Alex kick) 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:23
BUFF 40, EMU 31
BUFF - McNulty,Alex 37 yd field goal 17 plays, 81 yards, TOP 6:32
BUFF 43, EMU 31
BUFF - McNulty,Alex 28 yd field goal 5 plays, 4 yards, TOP 2:04
BUFF 50, EMU 31
BUFF - Snyder,Cole 2 yd run (McNulty,Alex kick), 7 plays, 40 yards, TOP 3:09
