Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, September 16
Ypsilanti, Mich.
2 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2-1 , 0-0
19
vs
17
Massachusetts
1-3 , 0-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Massachusetts
0
3
7
7
17
Eastern Mich.
3
7
0
9
19
Photo by: Jonathan Knight
EMU Fends Off Minutemen, 19-17, With Late Score and Stout Defense
9/16/2023 5:31:00 PM | Football
El-Zayat grabs game-winning score; Walker picks two passes in the win
Recap Video | Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Press Conference | Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University put together a five-play, 77-yard drive, culminating in a 50-yard touchdown reception from Austin Smith (Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove) to Hamze El-Zayat (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson/Fordham) with 1:20 left in the ballgame to give the Eagles a 19-17 win over the University of Massachusetts Minutemen Saturday, Sept. 16, at 'The Factory' inside Rynearson Stadium. The triumph, the Eagles' seventh-consecutive at home against non-conference opponents, improved Eastern Michigan's record to 2-1 on the season while the Minutemen fell to 1-3.
Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge/Iowa) paced the Eagles rushing attack by accumulating 89 yards over the course of the game, averaging 11.1 yards per carry, a career-high clip for the graduate student. Jaylon Jackson (Burleson, Tex./Centennial/Lamar) also added 83 yards and one touchdown on the ground, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Bennett Walker (San Diego, Calif./Patrick Henry/San Diego Mesa) showed out for the Eastern Michigan defense, collecting two interceptions, the first for an EMU player since 2019. Quentavius Scandrett (Hampton, Ga./Lovejoy) added one interception and Chase Kline (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon/Michigan State) had 11 tackles, 3.0 TFLs including 2.0 sacks, and one forced fumble in the win.
The Eagles won the turnover battle in Saturday's game, forcing four turnovers for the first time since the 2019 season, turning those takeaways into 10 points. Eastern put together a stellar showing on the ground, logging 214 rushing yards while averaging 8.2 yards per carry and out-rushing UMass by 90 yards, all of which are season-highs. Defensively, Eastern Michigan stood firm against the UMass rushing attack, holding the Minutemen to 124 yards on the ground. The Eagles' defense disrupted the UMass passing attack on the way to recording three interceptions and breaking up seven Minutemen passes.
How It Happened
Eastern Michigan grabbed a 3-0 lead over UMass after scoring the game's first points with 2:31 left in the first quarter. The Eagles then extended the lead to 10-0 with another score by Jackson.
UMass temporarily took control of the lead, building a 17-13 advantage late in the game before the Eagles scored again with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Smith to El-Zayat, putting EMU back in front, 19-17. After a last-minute attack in their final drive of the game, the Minutemen would hand the Eagles back possession for the EMU offense to assume victory formation, taking consecutive knees to run out the clock, resulting in a 19-17 Eastern Michigan win.
Game Notes
» Justin Jefferson (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice) picked up the fumble Sparacio forced in the first quarter. Jefferson has collected a turnover for Eastern Michigan in each of the last two games, becoming the first Eagle to do so this season and the first since Joshua Scott (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley/City College of San Francisco) did so in consecutive games on Nov. 25, 2022 and Dec. 22, 2022 against Central Michigan University and San Jose State University, respectively. Moreover, with his fumble recovery, Jefferson sits atop the Mid-American Conference leaderboards in recovered fumbles with two.
» Scandrett had an interception at the 5:40 mark in the first quarter. The interception was his second career pick and his first of the 2023 season. He tallied his lone interception of the 2022 campaign, Oct. 22, at Ball State.
» In addition to Scandrett's interception, Walker also recorded a pick for Eastern. It is the second consecutive game in which the defensive back has recorded an interception. Also, the Eagles had multiple interceptions as a team in a single game four times in 2022, it most recently accomplished the feat last season in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, when the Eagles snagged three interceptions throughout the contest en route to a 41-27 victory over the San Jose State University Spartans.
» Eastern Michigan saw its first touchdown of the contest come in the second quarter as Jackson broke free with a rush of 55 yards. It is the longest play from scrimmage for Eastern Michigan in the young season. The previous longest was a 29 yard pass to tight end Blake Daniels (Macomb, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North/Davenport) in EMU's previous outing against the Golden Gophers, Sept. 8. The grab by El-Zayat measuring 50 yards ranks second.
» Evans gashed up the UMass defense, averaging 11.1 yards-per-carry, marking a new career-high. Before EMU's win over the Minutemen, Evans' career-best YPC was 7.6, coming last season in Eastern's 'Power Five' win over the Sun Devils of Arizona State University, Sept. 17. Evans also clocked the longest rush of his collegiate career as he trotted 61 yards up the gray turf of Rynearson Stadium in the second quarter.
» With Kline and Sparacio's double-digit tackling performance, the Eagles have notched themselves a double-digit tackler in three straight games to open the 2023 season. The last time EMU had a double-digit tackler in three straight games came Nov. 9-26, 2021, when former Eagle Terry Myrick reached the mark against Ohio, Nov. 9, and Central Michigan, Nov.26, with one-time EMU linebacker Tariq Speights doing so in the middle game versus Western Michigan University, Nov. 16.
» Kline and Sparacio picked up right where they left off from last week's contest at Minnesota, Sept. 8. The hard-hitting duo again totaled double-digit tackles each for the second straight game. Kline concluded Saturday's contest with 11 while Sparacio racked up 14.
» Smith scrambled 41 yards for an Eastern first down in the third quarter. The 41 yarder marks the longest career rush for the junior signal caller. Prior to Saturday, Smith's longest rush was 29 yards, coming last season against the University at Buffalo, Sept. 24. Jesús Gómez (Puebla, México./Prepa Tec Puebla) attempted and made two field goals for Eastern Michigan, including a 45 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a 13-10 lead at the time. The field goal was a season-long, breaking a previous season-best mark of 37 yards at Minnesota, Sept. 9 and the fourth time in his collegiate career where he has made a field goal of 45 or more yards.
» Grabbing his second interception of the day in the middling stages of the final frame, Walker notched his third of the season, and now sits alone at the top of the conference standings with three interceptions in three games this season.
» Smith recorded 157 yards from scrimmage in the win over UMass. The Georgia native has recorded 150 or more yards this season in both of Eastern Michigan's wins. In addition, he recorded his season long pass with just over a minute to go in the fourth quarter when he found El-Zayat for the go-ahead touchdown.
» Eastern Michigan saw the offense come alive late, with El-Zayat catching a touchdown pass for 50 yards. The touchdown is the Dearborn native's first from scrimmage of his Eastern Michigan career. He finished the game with 62 receiving yards, a season-high.
» As a team, Eastern Michigan rushed for a total of 214 yards in the win against the Minutemen. The total is the most rushing yards Eastern Michigan has rushed for this season. The Eagles only rushed for that total or more just twice last season, including 217 yards against the 20-13 win the last time the Eagles and Minutemen met on the gridiron, Oct. 1, 2022.
Historical Notes
» With the win, Eastern Michigan has rattled off seven straight non-conference home victories. The last time the Eagles dropped a home non-conference contest came in the 2018 season when it fell to Army, Oct. 27.
» The contest against the Minutemen marked just the fifth time Eastern Michigan played a non-conference opponent in three consecutive seasons. EMU last played a non-conference school three straight years when they played Old Dominion in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
» With the victory, the Eagles have now beaten UMass three seasons in a row, dating back to 2021. The last time the Eagles beat a non-conference opponent in three consecutive seasons was when they beat Youngstown State five straight years from 1985-89.
» Jefferson and Walker each recorded a forced turnover for the Eagles defense against the Minutemen. After each of the two Eagles forced a turnover in EMU's most recent battle against the University of Minnesota, Sept. 8, the duo became the first two players in EMU football history to each notch a turnover in consecutive outings since former Eagles Vince Calhoun and Kevin McGill each recorded an interception versus Central Michigan, Nov. 3, 2018, and the University of Akron, Nov. 10.
» Eastern's defense had a nose for the football Saturday afternoon as EMU tallied four turnovers in the contest. The last time Eastern Michigan forced four or more turnovers in a single game came Nov. 19, 2019 at Northern Illinois, EMU forced three interceptions and recovered a fumble, resulting in a 45-17 thumping of the Huskies.
» With Gómez' point-after-attempt sailing through the uprights of Rynearson Stadium in the second quarter, EMU kickers have made their previous 117 straight PAT attempts. The streak came to an end, however, in the fourth quarter when Gómez hit the left upright. Prior to that miss, the last time Eastern missed an extra point came Nov. 4, 2020 against Kent State University.
» Smith tossed a 50 yard bomb to El-Zayat late in the fourth quarter for a touchdown, granting EMU the slight 19-17 lead with roughly two minutes to play. For Smith, it registered as the second-longest passing play of his collegiate career. The Ellenwood, Ga., native's longest passing play was 67 yards, coming in the 2022 season against Buffalo, Sept. 24.
» Dating back to a Nov. 25, 2022 win over Central Michigan, the Eagles have now won three straight games at home. Since Chris Creighton took over as head coach in 2014, the Eagles have won three or more consecutive games at home four times in Creighton's tenure. The only four-game home winning streak since the 10th year head coach took over occurred from Dec. 12, 2020-Oct. 9, 2021.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will hit the road in what will be the first of consecutive games played away from Rynearson Stadium against the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks in Jacksonville, Ala., Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET). The game can be listened to on WEMU 89.1 FM and the Varsity Network app.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University put together a five-play, 77-yard drive, culminating in a 50-yard touchdown reception from Austin Smith (Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove) to Hamze El-Zayat (Dearborn, Mich./Fordson/Fordham) with 1:20 left in the ballgame to give the Eagles a 19-17 win over the University of Massachusetts Minutemen Saturday, Sept. 16, at 'The Factory' inside Rynearson Stadium. The triumph, the Eagles' seventh-consecutive at home against non-conference opponents, improved Eastern Michigan's record to 2-1 on the season while the Minutemen fell to 1-3.
Samson Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge/Iowa) paced the Eagles rushing attack by accumulating 89 yards over the course of the game, averaging 11.1 yards per carry, a career-high clip for the graduate student. Jaylon Jackson (Burleson, Tex./Centennial/Lamar) also added 83 yards and one touchdown on the ground, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Bennett Walker (San Diego, Calif./Patrick Henry/San Diego Mesa) showed out for the Eastern Michigan defense, collecting two interceptions, the first for an EMU player since 2019. Quentavius Scandrett (Hampton, Ga./Lovejoy) added one interception and Chase Kline (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon/Michigan State) had 11 tackles, 3.0 TFLs including 2.0 sacks, and one forced fumble in the win.
The Eagles won the turnover battle in Saturday's game, forcing four turnovers for the first time since the 2019 season, turning those takeaways into 10 points. Eastern put together a stellar showing on the ground, logging 214 rushing yards while averaging 8.2 yards per carry and out-rushing UMass by 90 yards, all of which are season-highs. Defensively, Eastern Michigan stood firm against the UMass rushing attack, holding the Minutemen to 124 yards on the ground. The Eagles' defense disrupted the UMass passing attack on the way to recording three interceptions and breaking up seven Minutemen passes.
How It Happened
Eastern Michigan grabbed a 3-0 lead over UMass after scoring the game's first points with 2:31 left in the first quarter. The Eagles then extended the lead to 10-0 with another score by Jackson.
UMass temporarily took control of the lead, building a 17-13 advantage late in the game before the Eagles scored again with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Smith to El-Zayat, putting EMU back in front, 19-17. After a last-minute attack in their final drive of the game, the Minutemen would hand the Eagles back possession for the EMU offense to assume victory formation, taking consecutive knees to run out the clock, resulting in a 19-17 Eastern Michigan win.
Game Notes
» Justin Jefferson (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice) picked up the fumble Sparacio forced in the first quarter. Jefferson has collected a turnover for Eastern Michigan in each of the last two games, becoming the first Eagle to do so this season and the first since Joshua Scott (Antioch, Calif./Deer Valley/City College of San Francisco) did so in consecutive games on Nov. 25, 2022 and Dec. 22, 2022 against Central Michigan University and San Jose State University, respectively. Moreover, with his fumble recovery, Jefferson sits atop the Mid-American Conference leaderboards in recovered fumbles with two.
» Scandrett had an interception at the 5:40 mark in the first quarter. The interception was his second career pick and his first of the 2023 season. He tallied his lone interception of the 2022 campaign, Oct. 22, at Ball State.
» In addition to Scandrett's interception, Walker also recorded a pick for Eastern. It is the second consecutive game in which the defensive back has recorded an interception. Also, the Eagles had multiple interceptions as a team in a single game four times in 2022, it most recently accomplished the feat last season in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, when the Eagles snagged three interceptions throughout the contest en route to a 41-27 victory over the San Jose State University Spartans.
» Eastern Michigan saw its first touchdown of the contest come in the second quarter as Jackson broke free with a rush of 55 yards. It is the longest play from scrimmage for Eastern Michigan in the young season. The previous longest was a 29 yard pass to tight end Blake Daniels (Macomb, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North/Davenport) in EMU's previous outing against the Golden Gophers, Sept. 8. The grab by El-Zayat measuring 50 yards ranks second.
» Evans gashed up the UMass defense, averaging 11.1 yards-per-carry, marking a new career-high. Before EMU's win over the Minutemen, Evans' career-best YPC was 7.6, coming last season in Eastern's 'Power Five' win over the Sun Devils of Arizona State University, Sept. 17. Evans also clocked the longest rush of his collegiate career as he trotted 61 yards up the gray turf of Rynearson Stadium in the second quarter.
» With Kline and Sparacio's double-digit tackling performance, the Eagles have notched themselves a double-digit tackler in three straight games to open the 2023 season. The last time EMU had a double-digit tackler in three straight games came Nov. 9-26, 2021, when former Eagle Terry Myrick reached the mark against Ohio, Nov. 9, and Central Michigan, Nov.26, with one-time EMU linebacker Tariq Speights doing so in the middle game versus Western Michigan University, Nov. 16.
» Kline and Sparacio picked up right where they left off from last week's contest at Minnesota, Sept. 8. The hard-hitting duo again totaled double-digit tackles each for the second straight game. Kline concluded Saturday's contest with 11 while Sparacio racked up 14.
» Smith scrambled 41 yards for an Eastern first down in the third quarter. The 41 yarder marks the longest career rush for the junior signal caller. Prior to Saturday, Smith's longest rush was 29 yards, coming last season against the University at Buffalo, Sept. 24. Jesús Gómez (Puebla, México./Prepa Tec Puebla) attempted and made two field goals for Eastern Michigan, including a 45 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a 13-10 lead at the time. The field goal was a season-long, breaking a previous season-best mark of 37 yards at Minnesota, Sept. 9 and the fourth time in his collegiate career where he has made a field goal of 45 or more yards.
» Grabbing his second interception of the day in the middling stages of the final frame, Walker notched his third of the season, and now sits alone at the top of the conference standings with three interceptions in three games this season.
» Smith recorded 157 yards from scrimmage in the win over UMass. The Georgia native has recorded 150 or more yards this season in both of Eastern Michigan's wins. In addition, he recorded his season long pass with just over a minute to go in the fourth quarter when he found El-Zayat for the go-ahead touchdown.
» Eastern Michigan saw the offense come alive late, with El-Zayat catching a touchdown pass for 50 yards. The touchdown is the Dearborn native's first from scrimmage of his Eastern Michigan career. He finished the game with 62 receiving yards, a season-high.
» As a team, Eastern Michigan rushed for a total of 214 yards in the win against the Minutemen. The total is the most rushing yards Eastern Michigan has rushed for this season. The Eagles only rushed for that total or more just twice last season, including 217 yards against the 20-13 win the last time the Eagles and Minutemen met on the gridiron, Oct. 1, 2022.
Historical Notes
» With the win, Eastern Michigan has rattled off seven straight non-conference home victories. The last time the Eagles dropped a home non-conference contest came in the 2018 season when it fell to Army, Oct. 27.
» The contest against the Minutemen marked just the fifth time Eastern Michigan played a non-conference opponent in three consecutive seasons. EMU last played a non-conference school three straight years when they played Old Dominion in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
» With the victory, the Eagles have now beaten UMass three seasons in a row, dating back to 2021. The last time the Eagles beat a non-conference opponent in three consecutive seasons was when they beat Youngstown State five straight years from 1985-89.
» Jefferson and Walker each recorded a forced turnover for the Eagles defense against the Minutemen. After each of the two Eagles forced a turnover in EMU's most recent battle against the University of Minnesota, Sept. 8, the duo became the first two players in EMU football history to each notch a turnover in consecutive outings since former Eagles Vince Calhoun and Kevin McGill each recorded an interception versus Central Michigan, Nov. 3, 2018, and the University of Akron, Nov. 10.
» Eastern's defense had a nose for the football Saturday afternoon as EMU tallied four turnovers in the contest. The last time Eastern Michigan forced four or more turnovers in a single game came Nov. 19, 2019 at Northern Illinois, EMU forced three interceptions and recovered a fumble, resulting in a 45-17 thumping of the Huskies.
» With Gómez' point-after-attempt sailing through the uprights of Rynearson Stadium in the second quarter, EMU kickers have made their previous 117 straight PAT attempts. The streak came to an end, however, in the fourth quarter when Gómez hit the left upright. Prior to that miss, the last time Eastern missed an extra point came Nov. 4, 2020 against Kent State University.
» Smith tossed a 50 yard bomb to El-Zayat late in the fourth quarter for a touchdown, granting EMU the slight 19-17 lead with roughly two minutes to play. For Smith, it registered as the second-longest passing play of his collegiate career. The Ellenwood, Ga., native's longest passing play was 67 yards, coming in the 2022 season against Buffalo, Sept. 24.
» Dating back to a Nov. 25, 2022 win over Central Michigan, the Eagles have now won three straight games at home. Since Chris Creighton took over as head coach in 2014, the Eagles have won three or more consecutive games at home four times in Creighton's tenure. The only four-game home winning streak since the 10th year head coach took over occurred from Dec. 12, 2020-Oct. 9, 2021.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will hit the road in what will be the first of consecutive games played away from Rynearson Stadium against the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks in Jacksonville, Ala., Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET). The game can be listened to on WEMU 89.1 FM and the Varsity Network app.
Team Stats
MAS
EMU
Total Yards
464
371
Pass Yards
340
157
Rushing Yards
124
214
Penalty Yards
81
100
1st Downs
23
14
3rd Downs
5
3
4th Downs
1
0
TOP
32:36
27:24
1st Quarter
MAS 0, EMU 3
EMU - Gomez,Jesus 40 yd field goal 7 plays, 24 yards, TOP 03:09
2nd Quarter
MAS 0, EMU 10
EMU - Jackson,Jaylon 55 yd run (Gomez,Jesus kick), 6 plays, 96 yards, TOP 03:40
MAS 3, EMU 10
MAS - Carson,Cameron 48 yd field goal 8 plays, 53 yards, TOP 01:53
3rd Quarter
MAS 10, EMU 10
MAS - Campiotti,Gino 13 yd pass from Davis,Carlos (Carson,Cameron kick) 10 plays, 66 yards, TOP 05:32
4th Quarter
MAS 10, EMU 13
EMU - Gomez,Jesus 45 yd field goal 5 plays, 47 yards, TOP 01:39
MAS 17, EMU 13
MAS - Adams,Kay'Ron 8 yd run (Carson,Cameron kick), 4 plays, 85 yards, TOP 02:07
MAS 17, EMU 19
EMU - El-Zayat,Hamze 50 yd pass from Smith,Austin () 5 plays, 77 yards, TOP 01:17
Game Leaders
CMP
13
TD
1
YDS
157
INT
0
Players Mentioned
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WR
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RB
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RB
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LB
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LB
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DB
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LB
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