Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, October 4
Buffalo, N.Y.
3:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Buffalo
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Football Set to Face Buffalo on the Road Saturday
9/29/2025 4:22:00 PM | Football
Game 6 • Oct. 4, 2024 • 3:30 p.m. ET • Ypsilanti, Mich. • UB Stadium (29,013)
| Football at Buffalo | |
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 4 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Venue | UB Stadium | Buffalo, N.Y. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) | Media Guide (PDF) | Press Conference Video |
| Watch | Stats | ESPN+ | Media Stats |
| Listen | WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) | The Varsity Network App | SiriusXM | Eastern Insider Podcast |
| Follow Us On X | @EMUFB | @EMUAthletics |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team returns to the road this week as the Eagles will venture to UB Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y., for a Mid-American Conference meeting with the University at Buffalo Saturday, Oct. 4. The game between the Eagles (1-4, 0-1 MAC) and Bulls (2-3, 1-0 MAC) is slated to kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+. The game can be heard live on WEMU (89.1 FM), The Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM with Tom Helmer (play-by-play), Rob Rubick (analyst), and Elena Davis (sideline) on the radio call.
SO, WE MEET AGAIN
Chris Creighton and Pete Lembo will meet for the sixth time as MAC head coaches, with Lembo holding a 4-1 edge in the series. Previously the leader at Ball State from 2012-16, Lembo's lone blemish was a 48-41 setback to EMU on election night in 2016 as EMU clinched its first postseason appearance in 29 years. In the previous five contests, the teams averaged a combined 67 points per game, with the average margin of victory for the winning team at 13 points.
TO THE LINE AND MORE
Dontae McMillan is good at shedding contact and getting past the line of scrimmage, with just nine yards lost through the first five games played. On 62 carries, he has been stopped behind the line just four times and at the LOS on two occasions. All told, he ranks 15th in the FBS with 294 yards gained after contact and has forced 27 missed tackles.
PROTECT THE BALL
Ball security has been a strength for Eastern through five games. The Eagles have committed only three turnovers, tying the 2025 squad for the second-fewest through the opening stretch of the season and trailing only the one committed by the 2024 team. Overall, Eastern ranks 18th nationally and tied with Northern Illinois in the MAC for fewest turnovers while also standing as one of 18 teams in the FBS that have yet to lose a fumble in 2025.
GOING GREEN IN THE RED ZONE
Eastern is one of 13 FBS teams and the only squad in the MAC with a perfect red-zone record this season, scoring on all 17 trips in 2025. Among the 13 teams on the list, EMU, which is tied for the third-most appearances among the 13 perfect teams, ranks tied for fifth with 10 total touchdowns and seven rushing scores. The Eagles lead the group with seven field goals. Overall, Eastern is the only MAC team in the top 60 nationally in red zone efficiency, with Ohio topping the remaining teams at 88.2 percent (15-of-17), which ranks 61st nationally.
KNOW THE FOE: BUFFALO
Buffalo enters the game with a 2-3 record and a 1-0 MAC record. The Bulls have dropped their last two contests, which included a 20-17 home game with UConn (Set 27) after a 21-17 setback to Troy (Sept. 20). The last UB win came Sept. 13 in its MAC opener, a 31-28 decision at Kent State. The Bulls are averaging 24.0 points per game, which ties EMU for third-highest in the MAC, while also ranking second by allowing 19.6 points per contest.
ALL-TIME VERSUS THE BULLS
The Eagles and Bulls are meeting for the 13th time, with Eastern leading the series, 7-5, including a 3-2 record when playing inside UB Stadium. The two teams have alternated wins in each of the last three meetings, including the Bulls' 37-20 victory in Ypsilanti on Nov. 20, 2024. The road team has won six of the 12 games played, including the last four meetings that included a 24-11 win for Eastern, Nov. 21, 2023, in Buffalo.
LAST MEETING WITH BUFFALO
C.J. Ogbonna threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns, JJ Jenkins had a 90-yard touchdown reception, and Buffalo beat EMU, 37-20, in what proved to be a big-play contest at Rynearson Stadium, Nov. 20, 2024. The Eagles drew within 23-20 with 8:54 remaining when Cole Snyder threw a 78-yard touchdown to Markus Allen as part of a two-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 33 seconds. After the ensuing kickoff for a touchback, on the first play of the drive, Ogbonna threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Al-Jay Henderson to extend the lead to 30-20. Each team turned it over on downs on their next possessions before Buffalo's Shaun Dolac intercepted Jeremiah Salem and raced 60 yards to the end zone to push the lead to 37-20 with 2:59 left. It was his second interception of the game. Buffalo built an early 17-0 lead when Ogbonna threw the long score to Jenkins, and the two-point conversion made it 8-0 with 8:47 left in the first. Dion Crawford sacked Snyder in the end zone for a safety for a 10-point advantage, and Ogbonna threw a 7-yard touchdown to Viktor Snow with 2:08 before intermission. Snyder threw for 351 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions for the Eagles. Allen finished with 187 receiving yards on nine receptions, and Terry Lockett Jr. had touchdown receptions of 38 and 13 yards, both in the third quarter. He had 122 receiving yards on eight receptions.
LAST TIME IN BUFFALO
Austin Smith threw a touchdown pass and ran for another TD, Samson Evans had 127 yards rushing and a touchdown on 22 carries to help Eastern Michigan beat Buffalo, 24-11, to become bowl eligible in the regular season finale for both teams, Nov. 21, 2023. Smith was 19-of-27 passing for 141 yards and his five-yard touchdown run opened the scoring midway through the first quarter. JB Mitchell III had seven receptions for 75 yards for Eastern Michigan. Jaylon Jackson caught a 19-yard TD pass from Smith to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive and make it 14-0 with 8:58 left in the second quarter. Jesus Gomez kicked a 23-yard field goal about 4 minutes later and the Eagles went 95 yards in eight plays to take a 24-0 lead when Evans scored on a 1-yard run with seven seconds left in the half. Ron Cook Jr. got Buffalo on the scoreboard with a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Alex McNulty kicked a 40-yard field goal to cap the scoring with 6:01 left.
CLOSE CONNECTIONS: BUFFALO
EMU Assistant Coach Issac Reed spent three seasons on the staff at Buffalo. He also worked as an offensive graduate assistant for two seasons (2018-19) before earning a promotion to running backs coach in 2020. Reed made an immediate impact in the running back room as he coached two of the best backs in school history. Led by All-American running back Jaret Patterson, UB averaged a program-best 287.4 yards per game rushing and rushed for 32 touchdowns, four shy of the school record for a single season in only seven games. Patterson led the nation in rushing, averaging 178.7 yards per game. As a result of UB's successful 2020 campaign, Reed was named a finalist for the FootballScoop Coach of the Year Award. Additionally, EMU's Director of Football Operations, Neil Herman, spent the six seasons as an integral part of the Buffalo football program. Herman was promoted to the Bulls' director of football operations in 2022, which included a 2022 Camellia Bowl victory over Georgia Southern. Before his stint as the DFO, he worked three seasons with the Bulls' special teams.
EARLY DRIVES SET THE TONE
Eastern Michigan's opening-drive results over the past two seasons show mixed outcomes on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Eagles scored on four of 16 first-half drives, producing three touchdowns and one field goal, while most ended in punts or turnovers. Second-half starts showed a slight improvement, with five scoring drives in 16 opportunities, including four touchdowns, though 10 ended in punts. The most recent came against Central Michigan, Sept. 27, marking EMU's first second-half opening-drive touchdown since the 2024 season finale at Western Michigan, Nov. 30. Defensively, opponents found success on scripted series. Seven of 16 first-half drives resulted in touchdowns, with the same number coming on second-half opening possessions. EMU forced 15 combined stops across both halves, highlighted by takeaways against Toledo and Ohio and a missed field goal by LIU.
EXTENDING DRIVES: THIRD-DOWN CONTROL
Eastern Michigan leads the MAC in third-down conversions at 40.6%, ranking 67th nationally. Noah Kim, completing 70% of his passes and ranking fourth in the MAC, is 25-for-41 throwing the ball on third down, with 17 of those completions resulting in the chains moving. Even more impressive, Kim is 15-of-27 on third-and-long situations and 8-of-10 on third-and-medium.
UPPER HALF
Since 2016, Eastern has posted 55 wins, which ranks as the sixth-most victories of any team in the MAC.
75 • Toledo
72 • Ohio
62 • Western Michigan
61 • Miami
57 • Buffalo
55 • Eastern Michigan
52 • Northern Illinois
51 • Central Michigan
41 • Ball State
38 • Bowling Green
31 • Kent State
27 • Akron
18 • UMass
* updated through 2025 Week 5 games
SINGLE SCORES
Since the start of the 2016 season, Eastern is tied for second nationally with 58 one-score games played, sitting behind Northern Illinois (64).
1. Northern Illinois - 64 (31-33)
2. Eastern Michigan - 59 (29-30)
3. Texas - 58 (26-32)
4. Iowa State - 57 (26-31)
5. Nebraska - 56 (16-40)
6. Kansas State - 55 (26-29)
7. North Carolina - 52 (22-30)
t8. Oklahoma State - 51 (31-20)
t8. Tulsa - 51 (23-28)
10. California - 49 (20-29)
MORE FROM McMILLAN
Through five games, Dontae McMillan has done it all for the Eagles as his 110.0 all-purpose yards per game average ranks second in the MAC and 40th nationally. McMillan, who tallied 104 yards (71 rushing and 33 receiving) at Central Michigan to mark his second consecutive game over 100 total yards, has secured much of his yardage on the ground as his 416 yards rank 18th in the FBS (2nd in the MAC) with his 6.71 yards per carry standing 21st nationally. At 83.2 yards per game, McMillan stands second in the league as well.
LEADER OF THE MAC
Noah Kim continues to find himself among the MAC leaders for quarterbacks as he has accumulated 1,168 yards on 104-of-164 passing, the highest in the league. Ranked first with 104 completions, Kim's 233.6 yards per game average is 20.7 yards per game better than the next quarterback. Overall, Kim is averaging 20.8 completions per game, which leads the MAC and stands 22nd in the FBS. On a national level, his 1,168 yards rank 29th in the FBS while his 233.6 per game average stands 51st.
THROUGH THE AIR
Noah Kim has accounted for eight touchdowns through five games, including five passing and three rushing. Without a passing score in the game at Central Michigan (Sept. 27), Kim saw his career-long four-game streak of throwing for at least one score end, a run that surpassed three-games streaks for Michigan State in 2022 games against Akron (Sept. 10), Minnesota (Sept. 24), and Ohio State (Oct. 8). All told, his five passing touchdowns in 2025 are his second-best total behind the six tallied in 2023 with the Spartans.
ONE IF BY LAND...
While Noah Kim has shown off his arm strength, he also featured his legs recently. Entering the game at Kentucky (Sept. 13), Kim had never tallied a rushing touchdown. He tallied his first ground score on a five-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter against the Wildcats and then added his second on EMU's first score of the Sept. 20 game with Louisiana, marking back-to-back rushing scores for the signal caller and the team. His 14-yard run at Central Michigan made it three consecutive games while also marking his longest rushing score.
KESSINGER KICKING IT
Rudy Kessinger continues to be a reliable weapon for the Eagles as the redshirt freshman is 10-of-13 in field goal attempts and a perfect 12-of-12 in extra-point attempts. Kessinger, who was 2-of-3 in field goal attempts at Central Michigan (Sept. 27), has connected on at least two field goals in four of the five games he has played this season and is averaging 2.0 makes per game, which ranks ninth nationally and second in the MAC. All told, he has tallied 42 points for an average of 8.4 points per game both of which rank second in the MAC while his total points place him 26th in the FBS.
KICKING CAREER
Mitchell Tomasek, the MAC leader and fifth-ranked punter in the FBS at 48.6 yards per punt, made his way into the program's all-time top five in career punting yardage as he has accumulated 8,127 yards during his time with the Eagles, which ranks fifth. The sixth punter in EMU history to surpass the 8,000 yard barrier, Tomasek moved ahead of Jay Kurtz (2010-12), who previously held the fifth position with 8,063 yards.
PULLING OUT THE DRIVER
Mitchell Tomasek has hit 53 of his 182 career punts for 50+ yards (29.1%), including 13 over 60 yards, while recording just 15 touchbacks. For his career, Tomasek has recorded a best of 72 yards at Jacksonville State (Sept. 23, 2023) while hitting a 70-yarder at home against Ball State (Oct. 7, 2023). He has recorded at least three punts of 62 yards or better in all three seasons he has played for the Eagles and is one away already from making four consecutive years after recording punts of 63 and 62-yards at Texas State.
ABOVE THE NORM-AN
Jayvin Norman has helped the Eagles gain solid starting positions after kickoffs as he has accumulated 295 yards on kick returns, which ranks second in the MAC and eighth in the FBS. As it stands, Norman is averaging 22.7 yards per return, which ranks 27th nationally and fourth in the MAC in his first season as the returner for the Eagles.
MAKING DEBUTS • TRANSFERS
Eastern has seen 34 players take their first snaps with the team this years with 21 transfers (20 in 2025 and one from 2024) on that list, including: Kadin Bailey, Duke Clayton, Caleb Coley, Nathan Dibert, Caleb Dobbs, Tavierre Dunlap, Makhi Gilbert, Ronn Hardin, Nick Harris, James Jointer Jr., Noah Kim, Tanner Lemaster, Joshua Long, Ja'Quel Mack, Andrew Marshall, James Monds III, Marco Patierno, Benson Prosper, Porter Rooks, Juan Salas Jr., and Warren-Stevens Tayou.
ON THE STARTING LINE
The game at Central Michigan (Sept. 27), 19 different players have earned their first starts with the Eagles, including one against the Chippewas as Tylan Boykin earned his first on defense.
Along with latest addition, the 18 other players to earn starts with Eastern this year include: Messiah Blair, Dodji Dahoue, Nick Deveraux, Caleb Dobbs, Tavierre Dunlap, Nicholas Gallegos, Makhi Gilbert, Noah Kim, Bryce Llewellyn, Joshua Long, Andrew Marshall, Jason Marshall, Sterling Miles, Benson Prosper, Donmiel Rogers, Porter Rooks, Terrance Saunders, and Owen Snively.
2025 Most First-Time Starters
19 - Eastern Michigan
14 - Navy, Louisiana Tech, Bowling Green
13 - Old Dominion, NC State
12 - Oregon, UTSA, Syracuse, Fresno State
MAKING DEBUTS • FRESHMEN
Twelve freshmen have seen their first collegiate playing time this season with redshirt freshman Javon Thomas taking the field at Kentucky. He joins the list of first-year players that also includes: Tylan Boykin, Quincy Byas, Marvell Eggelston Jr., Antonio Floyd, Reggie Gardner, Hector Gonzalez, Ray Hester, Rudy Kessinger, Harold Mack Jr., Zah'eed Pierre, and Donmiel Rogers.
WINNERS IN SEPTEMBER
Since the 2016 season, Head Coach Chris Creighton has led Eastern to a 16-16 record in the month of September. From 2013-15, EMU posted a cumulative September record of 0-9.
NO. 134 IN THE 734
Eastern Michigan is currently playing its 134th season of football with the program first playing in 1891. Tied with NC State and Iowa State for 29th on the all-time ledger in seasons played, the Eagles are third in the Mid-American Conference behind newcomer UMass (143rd season) and Miami (137th). Along with Miami, the only other team on this year's schedule that has played more is UK (135th).
THE EASTERN 500
Through games played Sept. 27, EMU holds an all-time record of 496-634-47, leaving it four wins shy of 500. The Eagles are one of four teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) that could reach 500 wins this season, including Temple (499), Rice (499), and Wake Forest (498).
FLYING THE FLAG
When a MAC team defeats a member of a "Power Four" conference, they celebrate by hoisting a black flag with the MAC logo placed above crossbones, something the Eagles have done four times since 2017 with victories over Rutgers, Purdue, Illinois, and Arizona State. Dating back to the start of the 2006 season, at least one member of the MAC has flown the flag with the conference accumulating 48 wins in that stretch of 19 consecutive seasons, including 32 against the Big Ten. All told, the MAC has posted wins against foes from the Big Ten (32), SEC (2), Big 12 (6), the former Pac-12 (2), the ACC (4), and one over Notre Dame. Overall, in the Eagles' four wins tie for the sixth-highest total in the MAC with Ball State and Western Michigan while Northern Illinois leads the way with nine, both Bowling Green and Central Michigan have six, and Ohio and Toledo have five. In 2025, the streak continued as Ohio handed visiting West Virginia (Big 12) a 17-10 decision in Athens, Sept. 6.
BACK ON THE LANES?
The Eagles will look to return to the postseason in 2025 and claim their seventh appearance under Chris Creighton. For the 2025 season, the MAC has affiliations with four games: the former Bahamas Bowl (vs. Conference USA), the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (vs. Mountain West), the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (vs. MWC), and the GameAbove Sports Bowl (vs. Big Ten). Additionally, the MAC could send teams to two of the following: 68 Ventures Bowl (vs. Sun Belt), Boca Raton Bowl (vs. Group of Five), Camellia Bowl (vs. ACC/Sun Belt), Cure Bowl (vs. Group of Five), Frisco Bowl (vs. Group of Five), Myrtle Beach Bowl (vs. ACC/SBC), and New Mexico Bowl (vs. CUSA).
BOWL APPEARANCES
Since 2016, 12-of-13 current MAC teams have played in at least one bowl, with the Eagles appearing in six, which ranks tied for third-most with Miami while Ohio and Toledo lead the way with seven.
7 • Ohio, Toledo
6 • Eastern Michigan, Miami
5 • Buffalo, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan
4 • Central Michigan
3 • Bowling Green
2 • Ball State, Kent State
1 • Akron
0 • UMass (only bowl was 1964)
CREIGHTON CLIMBING
Head Coach Chris Creighton is entering his 12th year at the helm of the Eastern program and has accumulated 58 wins with the Eagles, the second-most in program history behind the 114 secured under Elton J. Rynearson, for whom the Eagles' home venue is named, sported 197 career wins, leaving him three away from 200. The third-longest tenured coach in program history behind Rynearson (26 years) and Fred Trosko (13) and one of just four men to lead the program for 10+ seasons, Creighton currently ranks fifth among active FBS coaches in career victories, trailing only Brian Kelly at LSU (296), K.C. Keeler at Sam Houston (273), Kirk Ferentz at Iowa (219), and Willie Fritz at Houston (214).
THEY HAVE THE TOUCH
Over the past 11 seasons (2014-24), the Eagles' 26 blocked kicks have them tied for third-most among all teams in the MAC as Eastern, Miami, and Toledo are one off the pace set by both Central Michigan and Northern Illinois, who each have 27. Over that span, Eastern has tallied at least one block in nine consecutive years (20 blocks) with Akron next with six consecutive years (8). EMU is one of three schools (CMU and Toledo) that has recorded at least one block in 10-of-11 seasons during the current span.
NO KICKING ZONE
Since taking over the program in 2014, Chris Creighton's teams have blocked 26 kicks, including at least one in each of the past nine consecutive years. In 2024, the Eagles blocked four kicks, the second-highest total for the team under Creighton behind only the six blocks tallied in 2014. Last year, Eastern blocked one punt and one point-after try at Washington (Sept. 7), blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown at home against St. Francis (Sept. 21), and blocked a 31-yard field goal attempt at Ohio (Nov. 13). The four blocks tied for the MAC lead with Northern Illinois while ranking sixth among all NCAA FBS teams. Overall, in the 11 seasons under Creighton, EMU has blocked 10 field goal attempts, 10 punts with five being returned for touchdowns, and six extra-point attempts with one returned for a two-point defensive score.
AYE, AYE CAPTAINS!
The Eagles will be led by six captains in the 2025 season. Following a vote of the current roster, the players selected Jefferson Adam, Tavierre Dunlap, Dramarian McNulty, Noah Kim, Zach Mowchan, and Mickey Rewolinski to serve as captains this season.
ON THE HORIZON
Following a two-game road swing, Eastern Michigan returns to home action inside Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Oct. 11, when Northern Illinois University, in its final season as a member of the Mid-American Conference, comes to town for a 1 p.m. contest. The game will stream live on ESPN+. Tom Helmer (play-by-play), Rob Rubick (analyst), Elena Davis (sideline), and Greg Steiner (halftime) will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM), The Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM.
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