Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
5-6 , 3-4
Akron
2-9 , 1-6
Eastern Outlast Akron, 30-27, in Double Overtime Thriller
11/14/2023 10:32:00 PM | Football
Getzinger's first career touchdown grab gives Eastern a Senior Night victory
Box score (PDF) | Recap Video | Postgame Press Conference | Photo Gallery
Creighton Interview with CBSSN | Senior Day Ceremony
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Austin Smith found Jere Getzinger in the back of the end zone in double overtime to send the Eastern Michigan University football team to a 30-27 victory over the University of Akron Tuesday, Nov. 14, inside Rynearson Stadium on Senior Night. The Eagles (5-6, 3-4 Mid-American Conference) kept their hopes for bowl eligibility alive with the victory that also snapped a three-game losing skid while the Zips fell to 2-9 on the year and 1-6 in league play.
How It Happened
After a scoreless opening quarter of play, Akron took the first lead of the game, 7-0, before the Eagles came back to tie things as Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge/Iowa) cashed in from two-yards out. The Zips responded with another score with 1:49 to play in the half before Evans again scored from two-yards out with 15 ticks on the clock to make it a 14-14 game at the break.
Following intermission and a scoreless third quarter of play, Akron reclaimed the lead with a 23-yard field goal with 8:00 showing on the fourth-quarter clock before Jesús Gómez (Puebla, México/Prepa Tec Puebla) forced overtime with his 32-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Zips won the coin toss in overtime, putting the Eagles on offense first where Evans again scored, this time bouncing his way in from 11 yards before Akron responded with a two-yard passing touchdown to end the first overtime. In the second extra session, the Zips went first with the Eastern defense standing strong to force a field goal. From there, the Eagles pounded the ball to the three-yard line where Smith (Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove) found Getzinger (West Branch, Mich./Ogemaw Heights) in the back of the end zone for the tight end's first career score and the winning points EMU needed.
Game Notes
» Joe Sparacio (Naples, Fla./First Baptist Academy/Boston College) had a good game on defense to finish his career at Rynearson Stadium, recording 15 tackles in the win against Akron. The effort is the seventh time this season where he has recorded double-digit tackles in a game this year. Sparacio also had five games at home this season where recorded at least 10 tackles.
» Chase Kline (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon/Michigan State) also had a good game on defense for Eastern Michigan, ending his career at Rynearson Stadium with 19 tackles. Kline has recorded double digit tackles on eight occasions this season. Three of these occurrences took place in the 2022 season. Kline had six games in his career at Rynearson Stadium where he recorded at least 10 tackles.
» Londyn Craft (Rio Rancho, N.M./IMG Academy/Mississippi State/Kentucky) recorded a double-digit tackle effort as well. With 10 tackles, it is the first time in his career tabbing double-digit tackles and also marks an EMU career-high for the defensive back.
» Samson Evans added to his record touchdown haul as the graduate student found the end zone three times against the Zips, bringing his career total to 40, the second-most among active running backs in the nation. Evans scored from two-yards out twice in regulation before scoring from 11-yards out to give EMU an early lead in overtime. With the three scores, Evans recorded multiple touchdowns in the same game for the 12th time in his career and tied his career-high set three times prior, most recently at home against Toledo, Oct. 29, 2022.
» Samson Evans recorded 71 yards for Eastern Michigan in the win over Akron. It is the fifth time this season that Evans has recorded at least 60+ rushing yards, the Eagles now have an 11-5 record in games when he rushes for at least 60 yards.
» Eastern Michigan as a team had two touchdowns in the first half. Through 11 games this season, this occurrence marks the third time in which Eastern Michigan has had multiple touchdowns in the first half this season. He also did so Sept. 1, against Howard and Oct. 7, against Ball State.
» Quarterback Austin Smith recorded 214 yards of passing in the contest. It is the seventh game this season in which Smith has recorded 150 yards or more of passing. Eastern Michigan has a record of 4-3 in such games. He also tied a career-high with 20 completions, which he accomplished earlier this season in the game at Central Michigan, Sept. 30. The junior also did so one time last season at Ball State, Oct. 22, 2022.
» Hamze El-Zayat (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson/Fordham) recorded 92 receiving yards in the contest against the Zips. The game marks the fourth time this season in which El-Zayat has gone for more than 50 yards. In games where El-Zayat tabs 50 or more receiving yards, EMU holds a 3-1 record. Additionally, his 92 yards marks a season-high for the senior.
» Tanner Knue kept his consecutive games streak alive as he has now pulled in at least one pass in 35 games in a row. Knue, who is currently tied for eighth on the active list, finished the game with eight catches for 79 yards.
It was also Knue's third game with 70+ yards this season.
» Jesús Gómez made a 32-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. Gomez has now made at least one field goal in all but two games in the 2023 season. Furthermore, the kick marked Gomez's first boot to send the Eagles into overtime competition.
» Junior punter Mitchell Tomasek (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) had four punts in the game for Eastern Michigan, averaging 46.2 yards per punt, including a 66-yard punt in the fourth quarter that helped Eastern Michigan get out of its own territory to give Akron the ball at their own 30. The punt was his third longest of the season.
» Three individual Eagles recorded double-digit tackles against the Zips, including Chase Kline with 19, Joe Sparacio with 15, and Londyn Craft with 10. The last time it happened was Oct. 28 against Western Michigan when Sparacio tallied 22, Kline added 21, and Quentavius Scandrett (Hampton, Ga./Lovejoy) tallied 11.
» Although Bennett Walker (San Diego, Calif./Patrick Henry/San Diego Mesa) finished with just one tackle, he added a team-high two pass breakups (PBUs) in the secondary, which ties a career-high he set at home against Massachusetts, Sept. 16, with two interceptions.
» The program honored 18 student-athletes ahead of their final games inside Rynearson Stadium with Senior Night activities held prior to the opening kick. The group of seniors included Steve Bird (Phoenix, Ariz./Sandra Day O'Connor), Luke Cameron (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo/Army West Point), Craft, Brian Dooley (Bowling Green, Ohio/Toledo St. John's Jesuit), Dimitri Douglas (Saline, Mich./Saline/Michigan State), Hamze El-Zayat (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson/Fordham), Evans, Adrian Gonzalez (Leon, Mexico/Liceo Cancun), Mikey Haney (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee), Korey Hernandez (Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove/Iowa Western CC), Alex Howie (Canton, Mich./Salem), Kline, Knue, T.J. Peavy (Fayetteville, Ga./Sandy Creek/Air Force), Kempton Shine (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita), Sparacio, Dan Sundreman (Omaha, Neb./Millard South/Central Missouri), and Elijah Williams (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike).
Historical Notes
» With the victory, the Eagles improved to 16-19-0 in their all-time series with the Zips. Eastern has now won four in a row overall in the series, tying its longest winning streak over Akron since taking four in a row from 1994-97.
» Eastern improved to 11-7-0 when playing host to the Zips. The win makes it two in a row at home over Akron and gives Eastern back-to-back home wins in the series for the first time since the 1999 and 2002 wins.
» Eastern Michigan played an overtime game in the win against the Zips for the first time since Oct. 26, 2019 against Toledo on the road. Furthermore, the last time the Eagles had an overtime game at home was against Northern Illinois on Sept. 29, 2018 when they lost 26-23.
» The Eagles win in overtime over the Zips is the first time they have won an overtime game in Chris Creighton's tenure. Furthermore, it is also the first time Eastern has won an overtime game since it beat Ball State on the road, Oct 16, 2010. It is the first time the Eagles have won an overtime game at home since Sept. 28, 2002, when they beat Southern Illinois 48-45.
Up Next
The regular-season finale is on deck for the Eagles as they are slated to travel to Buffalo, N.Y., to face off with the Bulls of the University at Buffalo at UB Stadium Tuesday, Nov. 21. The contest will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on either ESPN2.
Team Stats
AKR 7, EMU 0
AKR - Bullock,Tahj 1 yd run (Wiley,Owen kick), 12 plays, 76 yards, TOP 06:18
AKR 7, EMU 7
EMU - Evans,Samson 2 yd run (Gomez,Jesus kick), 12 plays, 78 yards, TOP 06:23
AKR 14, EMU 7
AKR - Lingard,Lorenzo 7 yd run (Wiley,Owen kick), 8 plays, 77 yards, TOP 03:05
AKR 14, EMU 14
EMU - Evans,Samson 2 yd run (Gomez,Jesus kick), 9 plays, 59 yards, TOP 01:27
AKR 17, EMU 14
AKR - Wiley,Owen 23 yd field goal 16 plays, 75 yards, TOP 09:23
AKR 17, EMU 17
EMU - Gomez,Jesus 32 yd field goal 11 plays, 66 yards, TOP 02:21
AKR 17, EMU 24
EMU - Evans,Samson 11 yd run (Gomez,Jesus kick), 5 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
AKR 24, EMU 24
AKR - Newell,Jake 2 yd pass from Bullock,Tahj (Wiley,Owen kick) 6 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
AKR 27, EMU 24
AKR - Wiley,Owen 36 yd field goal 4 plays, 7 yards, TOP 00:00
AKR 27, EMU 30
EMU - Getzinger,Jere 3 yd pass from Smith,Austin () 3 plays, 25 yards, TOP 00:00
