Eastern Michigan Athletics
Kline Grabs MAC Defensive Player of the Week Honor
11/20/2023 11:00:00 AM | Football
Linebacker earned his second weekly accolade after recording a nation-leading 23 tackles vs. Akron
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Chase Kline (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon/Michigan State) has been named the Mid-American Conference West Division Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced today, Nov. 20. Kline, who posted a Football Bowl Subdivision-leading 23 tackles at home against the University of Akron, Nov. 14, adds to his honors for the 2023 season after being named the MAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week, Nov. 1.
Kline recorded a career-high and FBS-leading 23 tackles against Akron, Nov. 14, moving him past Jason Henderson (Old Dominion), who recorded 22 against Coastal Carolina, Nov. 4, for the single-game lead. With those tackles, Kline is the first player to record 23+ tackles in a single game since A.J. Hauley (New Mexico) recorded 24 last year (Oct. 22) against Fresno State. By recording 21 against Western Michigan, Oct. 28, which ranks as the fourth-most in a single game this year, Kline is in rare company as one of only five players to record 20+ tackles in multiple games in the same season and the first since Henderson did so twice last year.
The honor for Kline is the third defensive accolade this season for the Eagles as he joins Alex Merritt (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) and Bennett Walker (San Diego, Calif./Patrick Henry/San Diego Mesa) on the list after Walker was tabbed for the accolade Sept. 18 and Merritt was tabbed Oct. 19. Additionally, Mitchell Tomasek (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) has earned MAC Special Teams Player of the Week both Sept. 18 and Sept. 25 while Hamze El-Zayat (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson/Fordham) took home the special teams honor Sept. 4. Academically, Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge/Iowa) was named the MAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week, Oct. 10 and Nov. 15, while Kline was tabbed for the academic award Nov. 1.
Kline and the Eagles return to action Tuesday, Nov. 21, with a crucial road game at the University at Buffalo with a win making Eastern bowl eligible. The game, which is set for a 7:30 p.m. kick from UB Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y., will broadcast live to a national audience on ESPN2. As always, fans can tune in to WEMU (89.1 FM) and the Varsity Network app with Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick on the call.
