Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
5-6 , 2-5
Buffalo
7-4 , 5-2
Eastern Falls to Buffalo, 37-20, on Senior Night
11/20/2024 10:22:00 PM | Football
Djonkam posts FBS-leading 22 tackles; Allen and Lockett Jr. both go over 100 yards
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – James Djonkam posted 22 tackles, including eight solo, while Cole Snyder threw for 351 yards with Markus Allen (187) and Terry Lockett Jr. (122) each recorded 100+ yards receiving as the Eastern Michigan University football team fell, 37-20, Nov. 20, in a home #MACtion contest with the University at Buffalo. The Eagles (5-6, 2-5 Mid-American Conference) honored 12 seniors ahead of the mid-week matchup with the Bulls (7-4, 5-2 MAC) in the final home game of the 2024 season.
How It Happened
Buffalo scored first with a 90-yard touchdown throw and added the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead through the first quarter of play. The Bulls would add a safety before scoring another touchdown in the second quarter while keeping the Eagles off the board for a 17-0 deficit at halftime. At the break, Djonkam (Springfield, Va./West Springfield/Independence CC/Arizona State) had already accumulated 13 tackles, which tied his career high set in the season-opening win at the University of Massachusetts, Aug. 31.
In the third quarter, the Eagles forced a three-and-out and then scored on a 9-play, 90-yard drive as Snyder (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwest/Rutgers/Buffalo) hit Lockett Jr. (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha Academy/Michigan State) for a 38-yard score to make it 17-7. But UB answered with a 1-yard rushing score of its own to build a 23-7 lead late in the third. In the waning moments of the quarter, Snyder found Lockett Jr. for his second score of the game, but a missed two-point attempt made it 23-13 in favor of the guests.
The fourth quarter started with the Eagles once again scoring, this time with Snyder finding Allen (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont/Wisconsin/Butler CC) on a 78-yard pass play to cut the deficit to three points (23-20). The Bulls answered 11 seconds later with a 75-yard touchdown reception before a 60-yard pick-six sealed the Eagles' fate, 37-20.
Game Notes
» James Djonkam had a career day on defense as the senior tallied 22 tackles, including eight solo stops, while adding 2.0 tackles-for-loss and one quarterback hurry. Djonkam, who entered the game with a career-best of 13 tackles he recorded at UMass, Aug. 31, tied his career high with 13 stops in the first half before finishing the game with 22. Those 22 stops are the most in a single game this season in the FBS, surpassing the 20 recorded by both Isaac Smith (Mississippi State) and Colin Ramos (Navy).
» Justin Jefferson (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice) and Jefferson Adam (Ypsilanti, Mich./Washtenaw International/Hocking C.C./Iowa State) each recorded 1.0 sacks in the game as the duo moved higher on the team leaderboard. Jefferson sits second on the list with 4.0 while Adam has 3.5. Peyton Price (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson) leads the team with 4.5 sacks while Jefferson's total is a career-high after posting 3.5 last year.
» Cole Snyder led the Eastern Michigan offense with 351 yards and three touchdown passes against his Alma mater. The 351 yards are the second-most he has thrown in a single game this season, missing his best by three yards (354 yards at Akron, Oct. 27) and marks his third game of 300+ yards passing this season after having just one in his career ahead of this season. Additionally, the three touchdown passes he threw tied a season-high (3 vs. Central Michigan, Oct. 19) and marked the seventh time in his career he has thrown for three-or-more touchdowns in a game, surpassed only by the four he threw for Buffalo against Liberty, Sept. 16, 2023.
» Markus Allen had a big game for the Eagles tallying 187 receiving yards on nine receptions. His 187 yards are a season-high and mark the second time he has posted 100+ receiving yards this season. The yardage, which ranks as the fourth-most by a player in the MAC and 23rd-most by a player nationally this season, stands as the 13th-highest total in a single game in program history and the most since Hassan Beydoun recorded 197 yards at Toledo, Nov. 2, 2021.
» Terry Lockett Jr. also went over the century mark for receiving yards as he collected career-high 122 yards with two touchdowns on eight receptions. The 122 yards surpass his previous high he set against Central Michigan, Oct. 19 where he totaled exactly 100 yards. Lockett Jr. leads the team with five touchdowns through the air and is the only player to have multiple games with multiple receiving touchdowns in 2024.
» Ahead of the season, the last time the Eagles had a pair of receivers pull in 100+ yards in the same game came Nov. 29, 2019, when Arthur Jackson and Line Latu collected 129 yards and 108 yards, respectively, at home against Kent State. Markus Allen (187 yards) and Terry Lockett Jr. (122) accomplished the feat against Buffalo, marking the second time they have done so in 2024. The first came Oct. 19, 2024, when Allen finished with 140 yards and Lockett Jr. with 100 against Central Michigan.
» Terry Lockett Jr. hauled in his team-leading fourth and fifth touchdown receptions of the season. The game marked his second multi-touchdown performance of his career, with the first coming earlier this season in a 38-34 homecoming win over Central Michigan, Oct. 19. Lockett's outing went down as the fourth time an EMU receiver has hauled-in two touchdowns in one game. The other two occurrences belong to Max Reese (Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) against Jacksonville State, Sept. 14, and Jere Getzinger (West Branch, Mich./Ogemaw Heights) at Akron, Oct. 27.
» Mitchell Tomasek (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) punted five times for 212 yards and two kicks over 50 yards in the game. Tomasek brought his career total to 7,086 yards to become only the ninth EMU punter to accumulate 7,000+ yards in a career. Currently ranked ninth in program history, he trails George Bailey (1967-70), who is eighth all-time with 7,591 yards.
» Entering the game, Joey Mattord (Hartland, Mich./Hartland) had returned two kickoffs all season, accumulating 29 yards with a long of 20. Against the Bulls, Mattord returned two kicks for 53 total yards, including a career-long 27-yard return in the second quarter. Mattord added 18 rushing yards on three carries and 23 receiving yards on a pair of catches for 94 all-purpose yards.
» Eastern Michigan as a team led the Bulls in terms of offense with 445 yards in contrast to Buffalo's 396 yards. The game is the eighth time EMU has more total yards in a game than its opponent. The Eagles have a 5-3 record in these games.
Historical Notes
» With the loss, the Eagles fell to 5-6 overall and 2-5 in MAC play while the Bulls improved to 7-5 overall and 5-2 in league action.
» Eastern fell to 7-5-0 all-time against Buffalo and 4-3-0 when playing host to the Bulls in Ypsilanti. The loss also is the third in a row when playing at home after winning the first four meetings at Rynearson Stadium.
» Despite their 5-6 record, the Eagles can still reach bowl eligibility with a win in their final regular season game, Nov. 30, at Western Michigan, a game in which both teams will be 5-6 with the winner earning a spot in bowl season while also winning the Michigan MAC Trophy.
» Prior to the game, the program honored 12 seniors as part of Senior Night festivities. The seniors honored included Blake Bustard (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores/Wayne State), David Carter Jr. (Ecorse, Mich./River Rouge), Blake Daniels (Macomb, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North/Davenport), James Djonkam, Justin Jefferson, Trey Laing (Tallahassee, Fla./Godby/Southern/Indiana), Delbert Mimms III (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis/NC State), Peyton Price, Dylan Shelton (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln Way East/UIndy), Cole Snyder, and Joey Zelinsky (Cressona, Pa./Blue Mountain/Hudson Valley CC).
Up Next
Eastern wraps up the regular season with a Saturday, Nov. 30, winner-take-all contest at in-state rival Western Michigan University with the winner of the game claiming the Michigan MAC Trophy and earning bowl eligibility as both enter with 5-6 records. The game is set to kick off at 1:30 p.m. in Kalamazoo, Mich., and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Eastern, who last finished their regular season on the road at WMU in 2000, is set to break from recent tradition as the Eagles will not play on "Black Friday" for the first time since the 2002 campaign.
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Team Stats
BUF 8, EMU 0
BUF - Jenkins,JJ 90 yd pass from Ogbonna,C.J. (Schnackenberg,Andrew rush) 1 plays, 90 yards, TOP 00:13
BUF 10, EMU 0
BUF - Crawford,Dion 0 yd safety
BUF 17, EMU 0
BUF - Snow,Victor 7 yd pass from Ogbonna,C.J. (Bellenfant,Upton kick) 15 plays, 80 yards, TOP 07:10
BUF 17, EMU 7
EMU - Lockett,Terry 38 yd pass from Snyder,Cole (Gomez,Jesus kick) 9 plays, 90 yards, TOP 03:17
BUF 23, EMU 7
BUF - Henderson,Al-Jay 1 yd run (), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:37
BUF 23, EMU 13
EMU - Lockett,Terry 13 yd pass from Snyder,Cole () 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:22
BUF 23, EMU 20
EMU - Allen,Markus 78 yd pass from Snyder,Cole (Gomez,Jesus kick) 2 plays, 90 yards, TOP 00:33
BUF 30, EMU 20
BUF - Henderson,Al-Jay 75 yd pass from Ogbonna,C.J. (Bellenfant,Upton kick) 1 plays, 75 yards, TOP 00:11
BUF 37, EMU 20
BUF - Dolac,Shaun 60 yd interception (Bellenfant,Upton kick)
