Eastern Closes Out Non-Conference Play Saturday at Jax State

Football at Jacksonville State
Date	Saturday, Sept. 23 \| 5 p.m. ET
Venue	Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium (24,000) \| Jacksonville, Ala.
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

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road Saturday, Sept, 23, when it travels to the Gem of the Hills for a meeting with Jacksonville State University. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CT (5 p.m. ET) from Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium.
   EMU (2-1, 0-0 MAC) used a late score and stout defense to outlast the UMass, 19-17, last weekend at Rynearson Stadium, Sept. 16. Quarterback Austin Smith connected with wideout Hamze El-Zayat for a 50-yard catch-and-run with 1:20 remaining to propel EMU to the come-from-behind victory. Meanwhile, JSU (2-1, 1-0 CUSA) will be playing for the first time in 14 days after falling on the road at Coastal Carolina, 30-16, Sept. 9.
   The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+. 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.

QUICK HITTERS
» Following the UMass contest, Bennett Walker was named MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week while Mitchell Tomasek earned the Special Teams Player of the Week honor. It marked the first time Walker has earned the accolade, while Tomasek garnered the award for the sixth time in his career.
» The Eagles rank among the top 25 nationally in several categories, including sitting 25th in passes intercepted with four. Eastern ranks fourth in kickoff returns (36.3 yards per return), 11th in blocked kicks (one), 14th in fourth-down conversion defense (22.2 percent), 23rd in punt returns (15.3 yards per return), 22nd in turnover margin (1.00), and 25th in turnovers gained (six).
Eastern's defense had a nose for the football against UMass, Sept. 16, as EMU tallied four turnovers. The last time EMU forced four turnovers in a game came Nov. 19, 2019, at Northern Illinois, when EMU forced three interceptions and recovered a fumble in a 45-17 win.
» EMU is accustomed to close games since 2016, as 49 of the team's last 85 games (57.6%) have been decided by eight-or-less points, including the 19-17 win over UMass, Sept. 16. Furthermore, 33 of those contests have come in MAC play.
» EMU has played in Alabama twice: the 2021 LendingTree Bowl in Mobile and the 2018 Camellia Bowl in Montgomery.
» EMU next returns home Saturday, Oct. 7, to face Ball State at 3:30 p.m. It marks the 102nd Homecoming for Eastern Michigan University, and the 95th time EMU will play a football game on Homecoming weekend. Homecoming began in 1920 and was originally known as Gala Days on campus before transitioning to the term homecoming in 1923. EMU is 47-45-2 all-time on Homecoming, after defeating UMass, 20-13, last year. For more information, visit EMUEagles.com or call the EMU Ticket Office at 734.487.3669.

EVANS APPROACHING PATTON FOR TOUCHDOWN MARK
With his next trip to the end zone, Samson Evans will tie former Huron great Gary Patton (1984-87) for the most career touchdowns scored in EMU history. Patton holds the record with 31career TDs (26 rush, 5 receiving), while Evans has found pay-dirt 30 times via the ground. Evans, who already holds the EMU career mark for rushing scores, has also tossed four touchdown passes that are not figured into that number.    Quarterback Brogan Roback (2013-17) holds the program record for total touchdowns responsible for with 62.
   Evans is fourth in the FBS in active career rushing touchdowns scored. Michigan running back Blake Corum (37), Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader (34,) and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix (32) are the only players with more.

STRONG START FOR DEFENSE
Through three games, the Eastern defense has allowed just 65 points for an average of 21.7 points per contest. It marks just the 12th time since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1976 season that EMU has limited its first three foes to under 70 points. The last time EMU accomplished the feat came in 2017 with 47 points allowed across the opening trio of games that included a 24-7 home win over Charlotte (Sept. 1), a 16-13 road win at Rutgers (Sept. 9), and a 27-20 double-overtime setback to Ohio (Sept. 23). During the MAC era, the fewest points allowed in EMU's first three games of the year is 17, which came in 1977 in a 25-2 win at Northern Illinois (Sept. 3), a 9-3 loss at Central Michigan (Sept. 10), and 16-6 home win over Bowling Green (Sept. 17).

NATIONALLY KNOWN
According to the NCAA statistics, the Eagles rank among the top 25 nationally in several categories, including sitting 25th in passes intercepted with four. Eastern ranks fourth in kickoff returns (36.3 yards per return), 11th in blocked kicks (one), 14th in fourth-down conversion defense (22.2 percent), 23rd in punt returns (15.3 yards per return), 22nd in turnover margin (1.00), and 25th in turnovers gained (six). Additionally, the Eagles rank in the top three in all of those categories among MAC teams.

WHO'S BALL?
A question Chris Creighton and his staff regularly ask the team is simply, "Who's Ball?" A call to the players and the team's desire to win the turnover battle, the Eagles currently rank 22nd nationally and first in the MAC in turnover margin. Through three games, Eastern has recovered two fumbles and intercepted four passes for a turnover gain of six. With three turnovers of their own, the Eagles have a 3.0 margin and are averaging 1.0 more takeaways per game than their opponent in 2023.

THEY'RE A HANDFUL
The Eagles have sharpened their talons as they are cutting deep into their opponent's offensive lines in the 2023 campaign. EMU has eight sacks in its first three games, the third-highest mark in the conference (Toledo, 12, and Western Michigan, 9). Through three games last season, the Eagles tallied just one sack, which came in its opening game against Eastern Kentucky, Sept. 2, 2022.

JEFFERSON JARS IT LOOSE!
Justin Jefferson picked up the fumble Joe Sparacio forced in the first quarter versus UMass, Sept. 16. 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 did so in consecutive games on Nov. 25, 2022 and Dec. 22, 2022 against Central Michigan and San Jose State, respectively. Moreover, with his fumble recovery against UMass, Jefferson sits atop the MAC in recovered fumbles with two and ranks second nationally.

THEY CREATED HOW MANY TURNOVERS?
Eastern's defense had a nose for the football against UMass, Sept. 16, as EMU tallied four turnovers. The last time EMU forced four turnovers in a game came Nov. 19, 2019, at Northern Illinois, when EMU forced three interceptions and recovered a fumble, in a 45-17 win.

EASTERN MICHIGAN ~~EAGLES~~ BALL HAWKS:
Eastern Michigan has intercepted four passes through the opening three games of the season, the third-most under Chris Creighton behind the five pulled in by the 2019 and 2017 squads. In 2019, the Eagles grabbed four in the opener before adding its fifth in the third game of the year while the 2017 team posted three in the opener and two in the following game for its five. Including the four recorded in 2023, EMU's defense has snagged 24 passes in the opening three games under Creighton and have at least one in the opening three games in all but one season (2015).

BIG BAD BENNETT
Bennett Walker made a splash on defense at Minnesota, Sept. 9, as the junior college transfer collected his first interception of the season and his first with the Eagles. One week later, in the home game with UMass, Sept. 16, Walker announced himself loudly as he pulled down two interceptions to give him three on the young season. Walker is the first Eagle to record two or more picks in the same game since Brody Hoying snagged a pair of Northern Illinois passes in DeKalb, Ill, Nov. 19, 2019.
   For his efforts, he was selected the MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18.

MOVING UP THE LIST
Through three games, Bennett Walker has recorded three interceptions, which ties for the national lead for both number of picks and interceptions per game average (1.0). Walker is one of six players with a trio of interceptions on the year in the FBS and is one of only two non-seniors on the chart, joining sophomore Jeremiah Cooper of Iowa State. With his two thefts against UMass, Sept. 16, he became one of 18 individuals to record multiple picks in a single game in the FBS this year and one of six to do so last weekend.

DEFENSIVE DUO
Justin Jefferson and Bennett Walker each recorded a forced turnover for the Eagles' defense against the Minutemen, Sept. 16, with Jefferson forcing a fumble and Walker coming away with two interceptions. After each of the two Eagles forced a turnover in EMU's most recent battle against 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 Akron, Nov. 10, 2018.

GETTING HOME
Mikah Coleman has been a beast up front for the Eagles as the 6-foot-5 senior has collected 3.0 sacks on the year, including 1.0 in each of the first three games played. With one each against Howard (Sept. 1), Minnesota (Sept. 9), and UMass (Sept. 16), Coleman has not only surged into the MAC lead for sacks, but also has joined rarefied air and he is just the third Eagle under Chris Creighton to record 1.0 sacks or more in three consecutive games. The other two to do so came last year with Jose Ramirez bagging 1.0 against UMass (Oct. 1), 4.0 at Western Michigan (Oct. 8), and 2.0 against Northern Illinois (Oct. 15) while Grant Trueman closed the season with three in a row, including 1.0 sacks each against Kent State (Nov. 16), Central Michigan (Nov. 25), and San Jose State (Dec. 20) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

HOT ON THE CHASE
Chase Kline put together a monster stat line against UMass, Sept. 16, as the senior linebacker recorded 11 tackles, including nine solo, to go along with 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble, and two quarterback hurries. Entering the game and including the 2022 EMU season and his time at Michigan State (2019-21), Kline had recorded 4.0 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two hurries in his career. The 2.0 sacks mark the first multiple sack day of his career while his two hurries tie for a single-game high with the two he tallied at Western Michigan, Oct. 28, 2022.

SPARACIO LEADS THE WAY
Joe Sparacio continues to lead the way on defense for the Eagles as his 38 total tackles, including 16 solo, lead the team and rank first in the MAC. The only player in the league averaging more than one dozen stops per game (12.7), Sparacio leads a 1-2 punch for the Eagles with Chase Kline ranking third in the league with 11.5 tackles per game.

KNUE KEEPS ROWING
Through games played through Sept. 16, 18 players in FBS have caught at least one pass in at least 25 consecutive games, a list that includes Tanner Knue, who has at least one grab in 28 consecutive games. One of two MAC players on the current list, Knue is tied for 12th on the active streak and leads the team with 15 grabs for 119 yards and one score.

LONGEST FROM SCRIMMAGE
Eastern Michigan saw its first touchdown of the contest against the Minutemen, Sept. 16, come in the second quarter by way of a Jaylon Jackson 55-yard rush. It was at the time 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 in EMU's previous road outing against the Golden Gophers, Sept. 8. The Eagles added another chunk player on their final scoring drive as Hamze El-Zayat pulled in a 50-yard strike from Austin Smith for what would be the game-winning score.

EVANS' EFFORTLESS RUNNING
Samson Evans gashed the UMass defense, Sept. 16, 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 at Arizona State, 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.

GETTING IT DONE ON THE GROUND
The Eagles amassed 214 rushing yards in its last outing. 214 yards on the ground is the fifth-highest total of any MAC team thus far. What's more, EMU's ground game against the Minutemen churned out 8.2 yards-per carry, the best output so far in the MAC in the 2023 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 one behind Gary Patton (1984-87) for the all-time record.

SLINGIN' IT LIKE SMITH
Junior quarterback Austin Smith tossed a 50-yard bomb to Hamze El-Zayat late in the fourth quarter for a touchdown, granting EMU the slight 19-17 lead with roughly two minutes to play against the Minutemen. For Smith, it registered as the second-longest passing play of his collegiate career. His previous longest passing play was 67 yards, coming in the 2022 season against Buffalo, Sept. 24.

DYNAMIC DUO
Through games played Sept. 16, only 12 kickoffs have been returned for touchdowns across the FBS with Eastern Michigan players having two of those house calls with Hamze El-Zayat and Jaylon Jackson each taking one back against Howard in the opener, Sept. 1. As it stands, EMU is the only school with multiple players with returns for scores and, with Marion Lukes of Central Michigan, the MAC is tied with the Big Ten Conference for the most kick return touchdowns in the nation this year with three total.

JACKSON OF ALL TRADES
EMU all-purpose back Jaylon Jackson proves himself versatile on the gridiron week in and week out for the Eagles. The Burleson, Tex., native has reached 100+ all-purpose yards in 8-of-15 (53%) games played donning the block E. Prior to arriving in Ypsilanti, Jackson notched just one contest where he reached 100+ all-purpose yards in his time with Lamar. This occurrence coincidentally came against Jacksonville State, where Jackson totaled 127 yards in the tilt against the Gamecocks, Nov. 13, 2021.

HAPPY RETURNS
The Eastern Michigan return game has been strong in 2023 as the Eagles currently rank fourth nationally with an average of 36.3 yards per return, including two scores. Of the teams in the top five, only EMU and UNLV have returned more than four kicks (seven each) with the Runnin' Rebels just ahead of the Eagles at 37.0 per return.

PLAYING THE LONG BALL
Mitchell Tomasek continues to be a weapon for the Eagles as he is averaging 45.4 yards per punt, the 13th-best average in the nation and just 0.2 yards off the MAC lead (Alex Bevelhimer, Miami, 45.6). Tomasek been called upon to punt 15 times in 2023 for 681 yards and recently added his fifth career 60+ yard punt with a 61-yarder against UMass, Sept. 16. The 61-yard punt ties for fourth-longest as an Eagle after hitting a 63-yarder at Ball State, Oct. 22, 2022, and a pair of 62-yarders at home over both Buffalo, Sept. 24, 2022, and Northern Illinois, Oct. 15, 2022.
   For his efforts, he was selected the MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 18.

IT'S GOOD FROM GOMEZ
Knocking two field goals through the uprights in EMU's contest against UMass, Sept. 16, Jesús Gómez registered multiple field goals made for the fifth time in his Eastern career and for the second game in a row. Gómez, who hit from 40 and 45 against the Minutemen, has connected on 18 career field goals, which is 10th-most in EMU history.

ON THE SCHEDULE: JACKSONVILLE STATE
The Gamecocks enter the game coming off a bye week as they opened their season one week earlier than the Eagles, playing in a 'Week 0' game, Aug. 26, against UTEP, a 17-14 victory in their FBS and Conference USA debut. Moving up from the ranks of the FCS this year, JSU holds a 2-1 record (1-0 CUSA) after downing East Tennessee State, 49-3, at home, Sept. 2, before dropping a 30-16 decision at Coastal Carolina, Sept. 9. JSU is averaging 27.3 points per game and limiting its opponents to just 15.7. Additionally, the Gamecocks are churning out 210.3 yards per game on the ground with Malik Jackson leading the charge with 83 yards per contest in the backfield.

FAMILIAR FACE
The game with Jacksonville State will mark the second time the Eagles have gone up against a Rich Rodriguez-led team. The first instance came Sept. 19, 2009, when Rodriguez's No. 25-ranked Michigan Wolverines defeated Eastern, 45-17, in Ann Arbor. Rodriguez was the head coach at U-M from 2008-10.

WINNINGEST COACHES COLLIDE
When EMU and JSU face each other on the gridiron, two of the winningest coaches in FBS will square off. Chris Creighton has won 187 games in his 27 seasons as a head coach, which is seventh among active FBS head coaches, while Jax State's Rich Rodriguez ranks ninth with 174 wins.

ADD IT TO THE LIST
When the Eagles travel to Jacksonville, Ala., Saturday, it will mark the first regular season game Eastern Michigan has played in the state of Alabama in program history. EMU has played in Alabama twice before with both coming in bowl games: the 2021 LendingTree Bowl in Mobile and the 2018 Camellia Bowl in Montgomery. Overall, the game will be just the second against an Alabama institution with the first coming Sept. 10, 2011, in a 14-7 home victory over visiting Alabama State.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA
Wide receiver JB Mitchell III is the lone Alabama native on the EMU roster. The 6-foot-1 junior is a native of Alabaster, Ala., which is located south of Birmingham and 90 minutes from the Jacksonville State campus.

JACKSON KNOWS JACKSONVILLE
While the Eastern program has not played Jacksonville State, one member of the team has, as Jaylon Jackson played against the Gamecocks as a member of the Lamar University program in 2021. In the game, which was played Nov. 13, on Lamar's Beaumont, Texas, campus, Jackson carried the ball 22 times for 85 yards and one touchdown while also returning one kick for 42 yards. To this day, Jackson's 85 yards rushing against the Gamecocks is his career high, which he nearly bettered against UMass last week when ran for 83 yards on 12 carries with one score.

A FORTRESS OF FOURTH DOWN
Eastern's opponents throughout the 2023 season have been ambitious on fourth down, testing the EMU defense nine times so far, the most of any team in the MAC (Ohio is second with eight). Of those nine chances, opponents have converted on fourth down just twice for a fourth-down conversion percentage of 22.2 percent, which ranks second in the MAC and 14th nationally. The only percentage better in the MAC is Toledo at 0.0 after stopping the only attempt it has faced so far.

NO STRANGER TO CLOSE GAMES
EMU is accustomed to close games since 2016, as 49 of the team's last 85 games (57.6%) have been decided by eight-or-less points, including the 19-17 win over UMass, Sept. 16. 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.

PROTECTING 'THE FACTORY'
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.

QUITE THE NON-CONFERENCE NUMBERS
Eastern Michigan won four non-conference games last season. It was the third year in a row EMU 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). A win at Jacksonville State would mark the fifth time a Creighton-led team would post three non-conference wins and mark the fourth year in a row doing so.
   Additionally and with its 19-17 win over UMass, Sept. 16, EMU has now won seven consecutive non-conference home games dating back to the 2019 season.

NON-CONFERENCE ODDITY
For the third consecutive season, Eastern Michigan and UMass squared off in a non-conference contest. Furthermore, the two schools will also open up the 2024 season in Amherst, Mass., Aug. 31.
   EMU had not played the same out-of-league opponent in three-straight seasons since 2014-16 when it battled Old Dominion twice in the regular season and then again in the postseason. The last time it happened in the regular season was against Army in 2008-10.
   Furthermore, EMU had not defeated the same non-conference opponent in three-straight seasons since upending Youngstown State five-times from 1985-89.

ON THE HORIZON
With the non-conference schedule complete, the Eagles will turn their attention to the Mid-American Conference with a trip north to Central Michigan Saturday, Sept. 30, in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The game time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and WEMU (89.1 FM).

Eastern Closes Out Non-Conference Play Saturday at Jax State

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Players Mentioned

Mikah Coleman

Blake Daniels

Hamze El-Zayat

Samson Evans

Jaylon Jackson

Justin Jefferson

Chase Kline

Tanner Knue

JB Mitchell III

Jose Ramirez

Joshua Scott

Austin Smith

Joe Sparacio

Mitchell Tomasek

Grant Trueman

Bennett Walker

Eastern Michigan Athletics