Eastern Michigan Athletics
Snyder, Gómez Named MAC Players of the Week
10/21/2024 11:00:00 AM | Football
Duo played instrumental roles in helping EMU erase 18-point deficit in Homecoming win over CMU
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Mid-American Conference announced its weekly football awards, Oct. 21, with two members of the Eastern Michigan University program earning recognition as Cole Snyder was named MAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Jesús Gómez was tabbed the MAC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week. Both players played pivotal roles in the Eagles erasing an 18-point fourth quarter deficit to hand Central Michigan University a 38-34 loss in Ypsilanti on Homecoming.
Snyder (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern/Rutgers/Buffalo) guided the Eagles back from an 18-point deficit with 13:26 remaining in the fourth quarter as he accumulated 110 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the quarter while adding 12 yards and the game-winning rushing touchdown to see Eastern to a 38-34 win over rival Central Michigan. Snyder threw scoring passes of 49 and 30 yards to Terry Lockett Jr. (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha Academy/Michigan State) before pushing the ball over the pile from one yard out for the winning score as Eastern came back from its biggest deficit since 2000. Snyder finished the game with 300 yards passing to mark his first 300-yard game with the Eagles and his first since Sept. 9, 2022, when he accumulated 300 yards for the University at Buffalo against College of the Holy Cross. It also was the first 300+ yard game for an Eastern quarterback since Nov. 16, 2022, when Taylor Powell went for 315 at Kent State University. All told, Snyder hit five different receivers for the seventh time this season with two players having career days, including Markus Allen (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont/Wisconsin/Butler CC) and Lockett Jr., who posted their first career 100-yard receiving games with 140 and 100 yards, respectively. The duo accounted for all three touchdown receptions in the game.
Gómez (Puebla, Mexico/Prepa Tec Puebla) had another perfect day kicking as the lefty went 3-for-3 in field goal attempts and 3-for-3 in PATs against Central Michigan to collect 12 points. The MAC leader with 66 points and 15 made field goals, Gómez is averaging 9.4 points per game and 2.14 made field goals per game. On a national level, he ranks second in the FBS in field goals made per game and total field goals made while sitting 17th in total points and 21st in points per game. For the season, Gomez' 15 field goals in 2024 are a career best, surpassing the 13 he kicked in 2022, while his three makes against the Chippewas marked the fourth time this year and fifth time in his career he made three field goals in the same game. He is now nine field goals and 11 PATs from 50 and 100 makes in a career, respectively.
Since the start of the season, the Eagles have collected seven weekly awards from the MAC, including two defensive and three special teams. James Djonkam (Springfield, Va./West Springfield/Independence CC/Arizona State) earned a share of the MAC Defensive Player of the Week accolade, Sept. 2, for the first award of the year for Eastern before Jesús Gómez (Puebla, Mexico/Prepa Tec Puebla) earned the MAC Special Teams Player of the Week accolade in three consecutive weeks, including Sept. 9, Sept. 16, and Sept. 23. Luke Murphy (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington/Kent State) earned the defensive award Sept. 30 before Snyder and Gómez were honored this week.
Eastern is back in action this week at the University of Akron for a 3:30 p.m. kick in Akron, Ohio, Oct. 26. The game, which will be streamed live on ESPN+, will be EMU's first change to clinch bowl eligibility as the Eagles currently sport a 5-2 overall record (2-1 MAC). Fans can also tune in to listen to the game on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity App with Tom Helmer, Rob Rubick, and Greg Steiner calling the action from InfoCision Stadium.
2024 MAC Players of the Week
Week 8 (Oct. 21)
Offense: QB Cole Snyder (EMU) / TE Blake Bosma (WMU)
Defense: LB Matt Salopek (MIA) / S Maxen Hook (TOL)
Special Teams: K Jesús Gómez (EMU) / K Tirstan Mattson (CMU)
EMU's 2024 MAC Player of the Week Honorees
Sept. 2: James Djonkam (LB) • Defense (co)
Sept. 9: Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams (co)
Sept. 16: Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams (co)
Sept. 23: Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams
Sept. 30: Luke Murphy (LB) • Defense
Oct. 21: Cole Snyder (QB) • Offense (co) & Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams (co)
Snyder (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern/Rutgers/Buffalo) guided the Eagles back from an 18-point deficit with 13:26 remaining in the fourth quarter as he accumulated 110 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the quarter while adding 12 yards and the game-winning rushing touchdown to see Eastern to a 38-34 win over rival Central Michigan. Snyder threw scoring passes of 49 and 30 yards to Terry Lockett Jr. (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha Academy/Michigan State) before pushing the ball over the pile from one yard out for the winning score as Eastern came back from its biggest deficit since 2000. Snyder finished the game with 300 yards passing to mark his first 300-yard game with the Eagles and his first since Sept. 9, 2022, when he accumulated 300 yards for the University at Buffalo against College of the Holy Cross. It also was the first 300+ yard game for an Eastern quarterback since Nov. 16, 2022, when Taylor Powell went for 315 at Kent State University. All told, Snyder hit five different receivers for the seventh time this season with two players having career days, including Markus Allen (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont/Wisconsin/Butler CC) and Lockett Jr., who posted their first career 100-yard receiving games with 140 and 100 yards, respectively. The duo accounted for all three touchdown receptions in the game.
Gómez (Puebla, Mexico/Prepa Tec Puebla) had another perfect day kicking as the lefty went 3-for-3 in field goal attempts and 3-for-3 in PATs against Central Michigan to collect 12 points. The MAC leader with 66 points and 15 made field goals, Gómez is averaging 9.4 points per game and 2.14 made field goals per game. On a national level, he ranks second in the FBS in field goals made per game and total field goals made while sitting 17th in total points and 21st in points per game. For the season, Gomez' 15 field goals in 2024 are a career best, surpassing the 13 he kicked in 2022, while his three makes against the Chippewas marked the fourth time this year and fifth time in his career he made three field goals in the same game. He is now nine field goals and 11 PATs from 50 and 100 makes in a career, respectively.
Since the start of the season, the Eagles have collected seven weekly awards from the MAC, including two defensive and three special teams. James Djonkam (Springfield, Va./West Springfield/Independence CC/Arizona State) earned a share of the MAC Defensive Player of the Week accolade, Sept. 2, for the first award of the year for Eastern before Jesús Gómez (Puebla, Mexico/Prepa Tec Puebla) earned the MAC Special Teams Player of the Week accolade in three consecutive weeks, including Sept. 9, Sept. 16, and Sept. 23. Luke Murphy (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington/Kent State) earned the defensive award Sept. 30 before Snyder and Gómez were honored this week.
Eastern is back in action this week at the University of Akron for a 3:30 p.m. kick in Akron, Ohio, Oct. 26. The game, which will be streamed live on ESPN+, will be EMU's first change to clinch bowl eligibility as the Eagles currently sport a 5-2 overall record (2-1 MAC). Fans can also tune in to listen to the game on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity App with Tom Helmer, Rob Rubick, and Greg Steiner calling the action from InfoCision Stadium.
2024 MAC Players of the Week
Week 8 (Oct. 21)
Offense: QB Cole Snyder (EMU) / TE Blake Bosma (WMU)
Defense: LB Matt Salopek (MIA) / S Maxen Hook (TOL)
Special Teams: K Jesús Gómez (EMU) / K Tirstan Mattson (CMU)
EMU's 2024 MAC Player of the Week Honorees
Sept. 2: James Djonkam (LB) • Defense (co)
Sept. 9: Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams (co)
Sept. 16: Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams (co)
Sept. 23: Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams
Sept. 30: Luke Murphy (LB) • Defense
Oct. 21: Cole Snyder (QB) • Offense (co) & Jesús Gómez (K) • Special Teams (co)
Players Mentioned
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