EMU Football Opens 2023 Campaign Friday with Howard

Football vs. Howard
Date	Friday, Sept. 1 \| 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Rynearson Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| Eastern Insider Podcast
Twitter	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Fan Information	Purchase Tickets \| Gameday Guide \| Season Yearbook

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – It's time to clock in, because college football is back in Ypsilanti! The 2023 Eastern Michigan University football season is set to begin Friday, Sept. 1, when EMU welcomes Howard University to town for a 6:30 p.m. matchup inside The Factory at Rynearson Stadium.
   The contest will be broadcast on ESPN3, where Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (analyst) will have the call. WEMU 89.1 FM and the Varsity Network will also carry the action as Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call, along with pregame and halftime contributions from Greg Steiner.

EASTERN FEST NIGHT: Eastern Athletics is excited to announce a corresponding theme for all six home games in the 2023 season. On Sept. 1 against the Howard Bison, Eastern Fest will celebrate the best that the Eastern Michigan University extended community has to offer. Featuring fun-filled festival and fair activities for the family and students, engaging attractions from EMU campus partners, and showcasing the best of the surrounding counties that will serve to kick off the season in the most exciting way possible.

ALL-TIME VERSUS HOWARD: The Green and White head into the opening game of the 2023 slate against the Howard Bison, whom they hold a perfect 3-0 record against. All three games were played in Ypsilanti at Rynearson Stadium, and the Eagles have outscored the Bison to a tune of 113-48.

ALL-TIME RECORD IN SEASON OPENERS: Friday, Sept. 1 will mark the 132nd season of EMU football. In its previous 131 opening games, Eastern has mustered a record of 62-61-8. The team has gone on season-opening win streaks of five games or better on four different occasions, most recently between the years of 1985-89 when it hit the mark under Jim Harkema. Chris Creighton's teams won four straight between 2016-19.
    Perhaps the most interesting portion of the record is the eight ties, the last of which came via a 14-all stalemate with North Dakota State to open the 1970 season. EMU opened three consecutive seasons with a tie between the years of 1939-41. Most recently, Eastern topped Eastern Kentucky in the 2022 home opener, 42-34 behind three passing touchdowns from former EMU signal caller Taylor Powell and a pair of rushing TDs by Samson Evans.

FLYING HIGH OVER THE FCS: Eastern holds a 72-55-10 (56.2%) record when playing Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams in regular season matchups. EMU is 5-0 all-time against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

ALL-TIME RECORD IN HOME OPENERS: EMU's game against Howard, Sept. 1 will mark the 55th season for the team inside Rynearson Stadium. EMU has played well in home lid-lifters in its previous 54 attempts, where it has compiled a 31-23 record. Eastern's best streak saw it win six between 1985-90.

132 YEARS OF FOOTBALL: This is the 132nd year for the EMU football team. The first year of intercollegiate football in Ypsilanti was 1891, when the team, then known as the Michigan Normal College Normalites, posted an 0-2 record. EMU has fielded a team every year since 1891 with one exception, when the 1944 season was canceled because of World War II.

LUCK OF THE DRAW: Friday's game will mark the eighth time in 10 years under Head Coach Chris Creighton that his team has opened its season in Ypsilanti. Starting the year in front of a home crowd has worked well for the Eagles in that span, as the team is 6-1 in season-debuting home games since 2014.
   Overall, Creighton-led EMU teams are 7-2 in its season openers, with the two losses coming to Old Dominion in 2015 and Kent State in 2020. Those two contests were lost by a combined eight points.

NON-CON FUN: EMU has recorded a non-conference victory in every eligible campaign (Mid-American Conference only schedule in 2020) since the 2011 campaign. That is the longest streak for the program since the statistic began being tracked in 1976. The previous best was a five-year stretch between 1985-89. Additionally, Chris Creighton's teams have won 20 of the 51 total non-conference triumphs for the program since 1976, good for 39 percent of that total accumulation.

QUITE THE NON-CONFERENCE NUMBERS: Following its Dec. 20 victory over San Jose State, Eastern Michigan won four non-conference games last season. It is the third year in a row that the Green and White tallied at least three non-conference wins and is the fourth in the Chris Creighton era (2016, 2019, 2021, 2022). Since 1976, there are only two other seasons in which EMU has three or more non-conference victories (1977, 1987).
   EMU has won eight consecutive non-conference home games dating back to the 2016 season.

EVANS MOVES UP: Senior running back Samson Evans' score in the second quarter of the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl was historical in numerous aspects. His second rushing touchdown of the game tied the Eastern Michigan postseason record. Prior to the score, no EMU player had rushed for multiple scores in a postseason bowl since Bob Foster scored a pair in the 1987 California Bowl. Additionally, the score was the 29th of Evans' career, moving him into second place on the all-time total touchdowns list at Eastern. He sits just two behind Gary Patton (1984-87) for the all-time record.

RED HOT IN THE RED ZONE: Red zone scoring was a highlight for the Eastern Michigan offense in 2022. The Green and White were 46-of-49 (94%). That number ranked fourth in the nation.

SPLITTING THE UPRIGHTS: EMU kickers have made their last 112 point-after touchdown attempts. The last time EMU missed an extra point was at Kent State, Nov. 4, 2020. Last season, Jesus Gomez is a perfect 47-for-47 after Chad Ryland made 65 consecutive PATs.

GOOD STUFF, GOMEZ: Junior 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 tied the school's all-time mark with 47 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 14 field goals rank ninth all-time for a single season, and 11th in a career.

BIG KICK MITCH: Not to be outdone by Jesus Gomez, junior punter Mitchell Tomasek made his mark on the EMU record books in his first season as the team's punter. Tomasek's 43.9 yards per punt average is the third-best in a single season average, while his career average is currently second all-time.

WE SEE YOU, MR. MCCARTY: Senior defensive back Josh McCarty made a noticeable impact on the Eagles' special teams efforts last season. A finalist for the National Special Teams Player of the Year Award, McCarty currently had 10 special teams tackles in 2022 with a Pro Football Focus grade of 80.9. That number is third most of any player in the country.
   Overall, McCarty had 12 total tackles, including eight solo stops, in his 13 games last season, his first action with the Green and White after converting positions from running back.

GREAT SCOTT: Senior defensive back Joshua Scott finished the bowl game against San Jose State with four pass break ups. That mark tied for the second most in a single game in EMU history (record kept since 1998). The record, five, was recorded by Andrae Brooks, against Southeast Missouri State University, Sept. 1, 2001. Four pass break ups had only occurred once prior to the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

YOUTHFUL PLAYCALLER: Mike Piatkowski is in his first official season as EMU's offensive coordinator. Piatkowski took over the role late in the 2022 campaign when Head Coach Chris Creighton handed off the play calling responsibility. Last season, Eastern finished top five in the MAC in passing touchdowns (23), yards per reception (7.4), and completion percentage (62.4%), as well as having the second most efficient offense in the conference, boasting a 138.2 efficiency rating.
   Green and White QBs also thrived individually under the tutelage of Piatkowski. Taylor Powell was the starter, and threw for 2,111-yards, with a 16-8 touchdown to interception ratio. Powell also completed 64.68 percent of his passes, and had a 144.28 QB rating on the season. Additionally, Powell took home the Manning Award as a "Star of the Week" (Nov. 21) as well as being named a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree. Backing up Powell, Austin Smith had a breakout year for the Eagles. The Ellenwood, Ga., native saw action in nine games, completing 57.63 percent of his passes and throwing six touchdowns. He averaged 86-yards per game and posted a QB rating of 122.73.

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).

HOT ON OPENING DRIVES: Eastern Michigan's offense was effective on its opening drives during the 2022 regular season. The Green and White had six opening-drive scores last season. EMU had four touchdowns and two field goals in those game-opening scoring drives. The Green and White were 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.

NO STRANGER TO CLOSE GAMES: EMU is accustomed to close games since 2016, as 48 of the team's last 83 games (58%) have been decided by eight-or-less points. Furthermore, 33 of those contests have come in MAC play. Eastern played six one possession games in 2022, only Ball State (8) and Northern Illinois (7) played in a tighter window.

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 79 (58%) contests decided by eight points or less. Eight games have been decided in overtime with 19 coming down to the final play.

CONSISTENT COACHING: When Chris Creighton steps onto the "EMU gray," field Sept. 1, to lead the Eagles against the Bison of Howard University, he will officially begin his 10th year at the helm of the program. The last EMU head football coach to remain at the helm for 10 seasons was Jim Harkema, who headed the program for nine years from 1983-92.

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.

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: With the drafting of Sidy Sow and Jose Ramirez in the 2023 NFL Draft, Eastern Michigan became the only school in the MAC to have two student-athletes taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. This marks the first time Eastern has produced two NFL draft picks in the same draft since Mark Carter was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 10th round and Jim Stansik was taken by the San Diego Chargers in the 12th round of the 1976 NFL Draft.

SELECTED TO FINISH SECOND: The 2023 EMU football team is projected to finish second in the MAC West division, their highest MAC West preseason projection in program history. The Green and White's projected second place finish is the highest since 1988 when the Eagles were also slated to finish second in the conference.

FROM EAGLE TO PANTHER: One-time EMU tight end Gunnar Oakes was signed to the USFL's Michigan Panthers for the upcoming 2024 spring football season. Oakes signing with the Panthers makes him the fourth former football student-athlete to reach the professional ranks after the 2022 football season.

10 EAGLES NAMED PRESEASON ALL-MAC BY ATHLON SPORTS: 10 Eagles were tabbed preseason All-MAC players by Athlon Sports for the 2023 football season. Offensive lineman Brian Dooley, running back Samson Evans and punter Mitchell Tomasek were named to the first team, while wide receiver Tanner Knue, defensive back Kempton Shine, and kicker Jesús Gómez added second team accolades. Linebacker Joe Sparacio added third team accolades, as offensive lineman Alex Howie, linebacker Chase Kline, and kick returner Jaylon Jackson picked up fourth team honors.

10 EAGLES TABBED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE BY PHIL STEELE: Along with 10 Eagles being named to the Athlon Sports preseason All-MAC list, a different flock of 10 was also labeled preseason All-MAC by Phil Steele. Long snapper Steve Bird and kick returner Jaylon Jackson garnered the Eagles' first team selections, while offensive lineman Brian Dooley, running back Samson Evans, defensive back Kempton Shine, and punter Mitchell Tomasek added second team accolades. Kicker Jesús Gómez, linebacker Chase Kline, wide receiver Tanner Knue, and linebacker Joe Sparacio collected third team accolades.

TOMASEK NAMED TO RAY GUY AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Junior punter Mitchell Tomasek has been named to the 2023 Ray Guy Award Preseason watch list, an award that recognizes college football's top punter. The Columbus, Ohio, native took home five MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week honors in 2022, the most weekly award wins for an Eagle since Jake Julien hit that mark in 2018. Tomasek punted 49 times for an average of 44.1 yards per attempt in 2022. That figure led the MAC, and ranked 23rd in the nation. Moreover, his 44.1 yards per punt was the third-best single-season total in EMU program history. Tomasek was recognized nationally on two occasions last season by the Ray Guy Award as a "Ray's 8" selection, given to the eight best college punters in each respective week of the regular season.

GOMEZ LISTED ON LOU GROZA AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Junior kicker Jesús Gómez was listed on the 2023 Lou Groza Award Preseason watch list, an award given to the college football's top kicker in the nation. The Puebla, Mexico, native already ranks 10th in EMU career extra points and 11th in career field goals made. Gómez wasted no time entering the EMU record books in his first season as the team's primary place-kicker. Second on the team in total points (89), Gómez knocked in 14-of-17 field goal attempts (82%), a percentage which ranked second in the MAC. Additionally, he was a perfect 47-of-47 on extra point attempts during the 2022 regular season. Gómez's signature kick came against Ball State University, Oct. 22, when he drilled a program-record-tying 55-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half.

DOOLEY NAMED TO WUERFFEL TROPHY WATCH LIST: Senior offensive lineman Brian Dooley has been named to the 2023 Wuerffel Trophy Award watch list. Named after the 1996 Heisman Trophy Award winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel. The award is given out each season to college football's top community servant. An esteemed leader both on and off the field, the two-time All-MAC selection heavily assisted in Eastern's eighth annual Victory Day activities, a day filled with fun and football for cognitive and physically impaired community members. Dooley also took time to visit many local elementary schools in the Ypsilanti, Mich., area where he read to a multitude of young students, as well as assisted in the building and refurbishment of parks and playgrounds. In his time as a student-athlete, Dooley has logged over 100 community service hours.

EVANS NAMED TO THREE DIFFERENT AWARD'S WATCH LIST: Senior running back Samson Evans was named to the watch list of three different awards (Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award) respectively. Evans' three nominations marks the first time the football program has had a student-athlete nominated for three different awards in the preseason since Kevin McGill was also named to three preseason watch lists (Bednarik Award, Thorpe Award, Nagurski Award).

JACKSON TABBED TO EARL CAMPBELL TYLER ROSE AWARD LIST: Senior running back Jaylon Jackson was named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, Jackson grabbed First Team All-Mid-American Conference accolades in 2022 after joining the program from Lamar University. The Burleson, Texas, product was one of just four MAC players to record a kick return for a touchdown last season and one of just 29 nationwide to do so. Jackson ranked 18th nationally with an average of 24.8 yards per kick return.

CREIGHTON CLIMBING: With 45 total victories as the EMU head coach, Chris Creighton sits tied for third in all-time coaching wins with Dan Boisture, who coached from 1967-73. There are just two ahead of Creighton, legendary EMU coach Elton J. Rynearson sits atop the list with 114 career wins, behind him and ahead of Creighton is Fred Trosko, who raked in 50 wins from 1952-64. With an undefeated regular season and bowl victory, Creighton could climb as high as 59 wins, landing him second all-time in program history.

THE CREIGHTON DIFFERENCE: Head Coach Chris Creighton has won over 50 percent (43-of-80) of his games since the start of the 2016 season. In the three seasons prior to his arrival in Ypsilanti, the Eagles were victorious in just 28 percent (10-of-36) of their games.

THE NOT-SO UNDERDOGS: Head Coach Chris Creighton has directed his EMU teams to four "Power Five" wins during his tenure in Ypsilanti (Rutgers – 2017, Purdue – 2018, Illinois – 2019, Arizona State - 2022). Creighton is the only active MAC coach to have multiple "Power 5" wins.

NINE IS FINE: Last season, Eastern Michigan finished with nine victories, 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 a Mid-American Conference title and California Bowl victory.

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 added another to its list of "firsts" under Head Coach Chris Creighton in 2022. With its selection to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Eastern made four consecutive bowl appearances (excluding COVID-shortened 2020 season) for the first time in program history.

MICHIGAN MAC WINNERS: Following a 2022 season sweep of its in-state rivals, Western Michigan and Central Michigan, Eastern was able to claim 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).

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.

FIVE STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD: EMU has been outstanding when playing on the road. 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 had 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.

ON THE HORIZON: Following their battle against Howard, the Eagles make the trip across Lake Michigan to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers next Saturday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m. inside Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

POUNDING THE ROCK: In the 2022 season, the Green and White buttered its bread on the ground as the Eagles led the MAC with 25 rushing touchdowns and had the fourth most rushing attempts in the conference (503).

THE BRUISING BACK IN THE MAC: Returning graduate student Samson Evans is coming off a dominant season where the 6-foot, 217-pound bruising back led the MAC with 15 rushing touchdowns. Moreover, The Crystal Lake, Ill., native, finished third in the conference in rushing yards-per game (97.2), total rushing yards (1,166), and attempts (249).

SUCCESSFUL IN SEPTEMBER: Since the 2016 season, Head Coach Chris Creighton has led Eastern to a clean 13-10 record in the month of September. From 2013-15, EMU posted a cumulative September record of 0-9.

EAGLE EYES: EMU defensive backs had a nose for the football last season, as the Green and White sat atop the conference with 13 interceptions in the 2022 campaign. Eastern's 13 picks last season ties the 2018 team for the most interceptions in a single season in the Head Coach Chris Creighton era.

JOYSTICK JAYLON JACKSON: Last season, senior running back Jaylon Jackson made headlines as an elite return specialist. The shifty 5-foot-6 back returned 22 kickoffs last season, the third most in the conference, while also placing third in kick return yards (571), yards- per return (26.0), along with owning the third longest kick return in the MAC when he ran one back 89-yards to the house to tie the game at seven a piece in the first quarter versus The University at Buffalo, Sept. 24.

A NEW DEEP THREAT IN THE D: A standout at the receiver position in 2022 for the Eagles, Dylan Drummond hauled in 33 receptions for 525-yards and three touchdowns while having the fourth most yards-per reception in the conference during the 2022 season. After receiving a training camp invite from the Detroit Lions, the one-time Eagle has caught nine passes for 87-yards, averaging nearly 10-yards-per reception.

STABILITY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME: In his 10th season in Ypsilanti, EMU Head Coach Chris Creighton is tied as the 11th-longest-tenured Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coach. While they are both in their ninth season, respectively, Creighton is technically the second-longest tenured head coach in the conference by hiring date, falling just three days short of Miami's Chuck Martin.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CHRIS CREIGHTON?: In his head coaching career, Chris Creighton has racked up the frequent flyer miles, coaching games in seven different countries. Creighton added the Bahamas to that list in 2016 when he led the Eagles to the Bahamas Bowl after it already consisted of the United States, Sweden, Austria, Panama, Tanzania, and Germany.

THE NEED TO KNOWS - EASTERN MICHIGAN TRADITIONS: Head Coach Chris Creighton has established a plethora of traditions at EMU since his tenure began prior to the start of the 2014 season.

THE WRENCH: One of the symbols of the program, EMU's eye-catching 51-pound pipe wrench can be seen on the shoulders on a player at all times during EMU's games - never touching the ground. The wrench symbolizes three distinct pillars that are emphasized within the program: 1) The blue collar nature of Eastern Michigan and the Southeast Michigan community, 2) The ability to "close the gap," between where you are, and where you want to be - symbolized by the ability to open and close the vices of the wrench, 3) The conscious choice to embrace, and even choose, adversity. Those who tackle adversity head on are better for it. The wrench symbolizes the embrace of adversity.
    In addition to its presence on the sideline, the wrench is also front and center when the team enters the field for the final time before kickoff. Each week, the team selects someone who has overcome significant adversity of their own, to carry the wrench and lead the team onto the field. From cancer survivors, to those who lost a loved one, the wrench has been carried by players, family members, and community members of all sorts since 2014.

THE WALL: Symbolizing the desire to "break through," even before the game begins, Eastern Michigan's signature entrance features the breaking of, and running through a cinder block wall, featuring "The Factory," written across.

THE HAMMERS: Used the break down "The Wall," three players each week are selected to use a sledgehammer to help lead EMU out of the tunnel. The hammers are given each week to the player on offense, defense, and special teams that recorded the hardest, legal hit in the week prior.

THE FACTORY: Paying homage to the hard-working, industrial history of Southeast Michigan, EMU has dubbed Rynearson Stadium as "The Factory," since 2014. Features in the stadium include diamond plated signage, accents, text featuring the words "Champions Built Here," and more.

THE GRAY TURF: EMU is one of just three FBS teams to play on a non-green surface. Boise State (blue), and Coastal Carolina (teal) are the other two teams. EMU's gray field turf was installed after Creighton led his team through an offseason, 6 a.m. workout in nearly six inches of snow - outdoors. There, he uttered that his new-look Eagles would "play anyone, anytime, anywhere - even on a parking lot covered in broken glass." Thus, the new turf was installed to represent a parking lot and the team's commitment to that statement.

THE EAGLE: Eastern Michigan's pregame festivities features a cross-field flight by a bald eagle during the playing of the national anthem. Eastern Michigan is the only school in the country that features a flight from an American Bald Eagle.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Steve Bird

Brian Dooley

Dylan Drummond

Samson Evans

Alex Howie

Jaylon Jackson

Chase Kline

Tanner Knue

Josh McCarty

Gunnar Oakes

Taylor Powell

Jose Ramirez

Joshua Scott

Kempton Shine

Austin Smith

Sidy Sow

Joe Sparacio

Mitchell Tomasek

Eastern Michigan Athletics