EMU Hosts Toledo for Homecoming Game

Football vs. Toledo \| HOMECOMING 2026
Date	Saturday, Oct. 17 \| 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue	'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium \| 30,200 \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video
Watch \| Stats	ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| SiriusXM
Homecoming	Information Page \| University Schedule Page
Follow Us On X	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Purchase Your Tickets HERE!

YPSILANTI (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team will look to extend its winning streak to four while capturing a Homecoming victory for the sixth consecutive year this weekend as the Eagles are set to play host to the University of Toledo Saturday, Oct. 17, inside 'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti. The Eagles (4-3, 3-0 MAC), who escaped Akron with a 25-23 win to remain perfect in the Mid-American Conference, will take on the Rockets (4-2, 1-1 MAC), who are coming off a 23-8 home loss to Buffalo last week.

TUNE IN
The Mid-American Conference clash between EMU and Toledo will be aired live on ESPN+ . The Voice of the Eagles, Tom Helmer, is back on the air with play-by-play calls on WEMU (89.1 FM) with Rob Rubick joining him in the booth to break down all the action that can be heard live on WEMU.org, The Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM.

HOMECOMING
Eastern holds an all-time record of 50-45-2 on Homecoming (24-31-1 since Rynearson Stadium opened in 1969), which was first called 'Gala Days' in 1920 before changing to the more recognized name in 1923. The Eagles, who outlasted Louisiana 34-31 last year, have won five consecutive Homecoming games, including defeating Central Michigan (2024), Ball State (2023), UMass (2022), and Miami (2021).

MORE ON HOMECOMING
Eastern is 6-5 in Homecoming games under Head Coach Chris Creighton and has won its last five (2021-25), defeating Miami, UMass, Ball State, Central Michigan and Louisiana. A win Saturday would extend the streak to six, giving EMU sole possession of the second-longest Homecoming winning streak in program history. The Eagles' record is seven straight wins, set from 1952-58, while five-game streaks also occurred from 1926-30 and 1964-68.

ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES
From crafts and shows to a parade and bonfire, Homecoming Week 2026 has plenty of activities planned around campus all week heading into the game with Toledo Saturday afternoon. Festivities kick off Monday, Oct. 12, with arts and crafts around the Student Center and will head into Ignite EMU Pride on Friday, Oct. 16, with a Homecoming parade starting at 6:15 p.m. followed by a bonfire from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Intramural Fields. For more information and a full schedule of events for Homecoming Week 2026, visit emich.edu/homecoming.

TOOTING THEIR OWN HORNS
More than 900 students representing 30 schools and performance groups will visit Rynearson Stadium for EMU Band Day. Participants include Adrian Jr. Majorettes, Allen Park, Birch Run, Clifford Smart, Crestwood, Dearborn Edsel Ford, Dicken Elementary, Flat Rock, Flint Powers Catholic, Garden City, Grosse Pointe North, Holt, Ida, Jefferson, Livonia Franklin, Lumen Christi Catholic, Milan, New Boston-Huron, Ovid-Elsie, Saline, Saline Twirllettes, South Lake, Star International Academy, Summit Academy North, Walled Lake Northern, West Bloomfield, Whiteford, Whitmore Lake, Wolfepack Twirlers and Ypsilanti Community. The event celebrates school music programs and brings hundreds of student performers to campus for a day of music and homecoming spirit.

2016 FOOTBALL TEAM REUNION
Eastern Michigan will honor its 2016 football team during Saturday's Homecoming game against Toledo, celebrating the 10th anniversary of a season that changed the direction of the program. After a 3-21 record in Head Coach Chris Creighton's first two seasons, the Eagles went 7-5 in the regular season, earned their first bowl invitation in 29 years and secured their first winning record since 1995. The seven victories were EMU's most since 1989. At a time when the future of the program faced outside scrutiny, the team's breakthrough helped change the national conversation about Eastern Michigan football and established a new foundation for future success. The Eagles capped the season in the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl against Old Dominion, marking a defining milestone in the program's history.

JASMINE JONES RECOGNITION
Eastern Michigan will honor former track and field standout Jasmine Jones during Saturday's Homecoming game against Toledo, celebrating her bronze medal in the two-woman bobsleigh for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Jones made history as Eastern's first Winter Olympian and became the university's ninth student-athlete to earn an Olympic medal. Her achievement marks EMU's return to the Olympic podium for Team USA for the first time since Earl Jones won bronze in the 800 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

THE YPSI 500
Eastern Michigan secured its 500th all-time victory with its 28-17 win over visiting Sacramento State, Aug. 29, inside Rynearson Stadium for both team's season and Mid-American Conference opener. Standing 4-3 this year following their win over Akron (Oct. 10), 25-23, the Eagles hold a record of 503-640-47 all-time with their victory over the Hornets making them the 111th different FBS program to reach the 500-win milestone.

GOING LIVE ON YEAR 135
The 2026 season marks the 135th varsity campaign for Eastern Michigan and its 51st as a member of the Mid-American Conference. EMU, then known as Michigan State Normal School, played its first game, Oct. 21, 1891, and has played at least two games every calendar year since then with the exception of 1944 (World War II).

EMU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Eastern Michigan leads the MAC and ranks 18th nationally with 138 first downs. The Eagles rank 17th nationally and second in the MAC in fewest penalties per game (4.71), and 21st nationally in fewest penalty yards per game (43.43). EMU also ranks 27th nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage (66.7%) and 30th in sacks allowed (1.14 per game). Individually, quarterback Noah Kim ranks 15th nationally and leads the MAC with 21.86 completions per game. He also ranks 20th nationally in passing yards (1,464) and 45th in passing touchdowns (nine), placing second in the MAC in both categories. Defensive back Caleb Dobbs ranks 11th nationally and leads the MAC with 1.29 passes defended per game.

CONNECT FOUR
With a trio of wins in league play, Eastern will look to open MAC play with a 4-0 record for the first time since 1995 when the team captured wins in its first four conference games. That season, Eastern posted wins of 49-29 at Akron (Sept. 2), 31-20 on Homecoming against Ohio (Sept. 23), 34-24 over visiting Central Michigan (Oct. 7), and 40-35 at Ball State (Oct. 21).

ROAD WARRIORS
Eastern Michigan has played four of its last five games on the road, with trips to Michigan State, Wisconsin, UMass, and Akron surrounding a home game against Lindenwood. The last time the Eagles played four road games in a five-game span was to open the 2019 season, when EMU traveled to Coastal Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois and Central Michigan, with a home game against Central Connecticut State in between. EMU is not alone in facing the scheduling stretch in 2026, as Navy, Western Kentucky and Syracuse also have four road games in a five-game span on their schedules.

PUTTING IN THE WORK
Eastern Michigan has been grinding from the moment the 2026 season began, opening in Week 0 against Sacramento State and now pushing through seven straight weeks of football without a bye. EMU and USC are the only FBS teams carrying such a stretch, with the Trojans getting their first break Oct. 17 while the Eagles keep playing until their Nov. 14 bye, following the Nov. 4 Central Michigan game at Ford Field. The grind gets even tougher when measured by time at home. EMU will go 38 days between true home games in Ypsilanti, from Oct. 17 against Toledo to Nov. 24 against Kent State. Nationally, only Syracuse faces a comparable stretch, with 35 days between home games from Sept. 12 through Oct. 17.

EFFICIENT DRIVING
For the second consecutive game, the Eastern offense was limited to eight or fewer drives as the Eagles saw seven possessions against UMass after eight attempts against Lindenwood and came away with wins in both. After having only eight drives at Michigan State (Sept. 12) that resulted in one touchdown, one turnover and six punts (.125 efficiency), the Eagles flipped the script against the Lions (Sept. 26) as they scored on six possessions (three touchdowns and three field goals) while missing one field goal attempt and punting once (.750 with .375 touchdown scoring). Eastern stepped it up once again last week against the Minutemen as the Eagles again scored six times (.857), but upped their totals to five touchdowns and one field goal (.714 touchdown rate).

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Through seven games, Eastern has now recorded more drives over five minutes (10) than under one minute (eight) after its opening two possessions at Akron lasted 5:34 (field goal) and 7:03 (touchdown). Prior to playing the Zips, the Eagles scored touchdowns on drives of 7:16 and 7:09 at UMass before adding a field goal after a drive of 8:10 as all three came in under the longest of the season, EMU's 9:01 field goal march at Wisconsin. Conversely, the Eagles had just one drive of 59 seconds or fewer at UMass after scoring a touchdown on a 2-play, 10-second possession following an interception return.

KNOW THE FOE: TOLEDO
The Rockets enter the week with a 4-2 record overall and stand 1-1 in MAC play after dropping a 23-8 decision to visiting Buffalo last week. Set for just their third road game of the year, Toledo is 1-1 away from the Glass Bowl with a 30-20 loss at Michigan State to open the year before scoring a 39-24 win at Ball State (Oct. 3). John Alan Richter leads a high-powered offense that leads the MAC in scoring (30.8 points per game) with 1,565 yards and 13 touchdowns passing while four receivers have caught at least two touchdowns, including Adjatay Dabbs, who leads the team with four scores on 27 receptions and 402 yards. On the ground, both Connor Walendzah (67 carries) and CJ Miller (63) have shared time in the backfield with duo accounting for 386 yards and seven touchdowns and 378 yards and four scores, respectively. The Toledo defense, which tops the MAC with 13.3 points per game allowed, ranks third in sacks with 37 as nine different players have at least 0.5 sacks this year, including Andrew Zock, who has 5.0.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE ROCKETS
Toledo holds a 39-13-0 advantage in the all-time series and has won the past three meetings, including a 29-28 decision in Ypsilanti, Nov. 2, 2024, when the two teams last met. The series, which began in Toledo in 1923 and in Ypsilanti in 1924, has been played at EMU's home field 26 times with the Rockets holding an 18-8 lead. Eastern, who has dropped three consecutive games in the series, last defeated the Rockets Nov. 2, 2021, 52-49, on the road with the last home win coming Oct. 13, 2018, in a 28-26 decision. All told, offense has been the name of the game for the series as both teams have scored at least 20 points in each of the last seven games with EMU averaging 30.6 points per game in that stretch while UT has averaged 37.4 points.

RARE BREAK IN THE SERIES
Separated by approximately 50 miles, Eastern Michigan and Toledo met every season from 1977-2024, a streak of 48 consecutive seasons. The teams did not play in 2025, marking the first break in the annual series in nearly five decades.

LAST TIME: HOSTING TOLEDO
The last time Eastern and Toledo met was Nov. 2, 2024, in Ypsilanti, with the Rockets escaping 'The Factory' with a 29-28 win after the Eagles' two-point try at the end of the game was unsuccessful. Eastern held leads of 7-0 and 19-7 before Toledo stormed back for a 22-19 advantage with 9:51 to play. A Jesus Gomez 28-yard field goal tied the game for EMU with 7:08 showing before the Rockets scored on a 25-yard passing play with 1:56 remaining (29-22). With five seconds remaining in the game, Cole Snyder found Terry Lockett Jr. in the end zone as time expired for a 36-yard touchdown to bring EMU to within one, but the two-point conversion was no good.

JACOBS RETURNS TO HIS COACHING ROOTS
First-year Toledo Head Coach Mike Jacobs returns to Ypsilanti, where he began his collegiate coaching career as an EMU offensive graduate assistant in 2002. During his two seasons with the Eagles (2002-03), Jacobs coached the offensive line and long snappers under Head Coach Jeff Woodruff. EMU went 3-9 in 2002 before Jacobs' second season saw a coaching change, with Al Lavan taking over as interim head coach in November 2003. More than two decades later, Jacobs returns to EMU as Toledo's head coach after leading Mercer to consecutive FCS playoff appearances and earning SoCon Coach of the Year honors in 2024 and 2025.

HOMEcoming HISTORY
The Eagles are 2-3 against Toledo in Homecoming games, earning wins in 1989 (31-14) and 2006 (17-13). EMU will also look to snap a three-game losing streak against the Rockets. Four of the last seven meetings have been decided by three points or fewer, including a 52-49 EMU victory in 2021 and one-point losses in 2019 and 2024.

TURNOVER TROUBLE, VICTORY ANYWAY
Eastern Michigan overcame a minus-2 turnover margin to edge Akron, 25-23, Oct. 10, earning its first one-possession victory despite losing the turnover battle since a 20-13 win over Massachusetts, Oct. 1, 2022. Since 1995, EMU is 18-34 (.346) in games decided by eight points or fewer when finishing with a negative turnover margin.

TAKEAWAYS TELL THE STORY UNDER CREIGHTON
Eastern Michigan is 44-17 when winning the turnover margin under Chris Creighton since 2014, including a 14-1 mark when winning the margin by two or more. The Eagles are 21-69 when tying or losing the turnover margin during the same span after finishing the Akron game at minus-2. Since 2014, EMU is 2-28 when finishing -2 or worse in turnover margin.

STINGY STARTS
Eastern Michigan allowed its first opening-drive touchdown of the season against Akron but remains among the nation's top first-quarter defenses. The Eagles are allowing just 2.8 first-quarter points per game, ranking 22nd nationally, and have yet to surrender a first-quarter point at home.

WINDEX TREATMENT
Against Lindenwood (Sept. 26), the defense stood tall in the first quarter once again as Eastern blanked the Lions in the opening stanza to mark its third consecutive home game it has shutout the visiting team. Additionally, the Eagles have allowed just 10 points in the first quarter through five games, including seven points at Michigan State and three points at Wisconsin. The Eagles also held the Lions scoreless for the first half of the game and didn't allow points to Lindenwood until 6:37 remaining in the third quarter when the visitors connected on a 44-yard field goal. The last time Eastern held an opponent scoreless in first half of a game came Sept. 21, 2024, at home in a 36-0 victory over visiting St. Francis (Pa.).

BREAKING THE SEAL
Heading into the game at Wisconsin (Sept. 19), Eastern had been held scoreless in the opening quarter of its first three games. That run ended against the Badgers with a touchdown scored on the team's first offensive possession of the game. Eastern followed the same recipe against Lindenwood (Sept. 26) as the defense held the Lions off the board on their opening drive before marching down the field and scoring a touchdown, this time with Amareon Blue punching it in from two-yards out. The Eagles kept the script unchanged at UMass as the Minutemen punted on their opening drive before EMU scored on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Noah Kim to Isaac Kozy. Against Akron, the Eagles scored on their opening drive with a Rudy Kessinger 23-yard field goal, but allowed an Akron touchdown on its first possession.

STREAK WATCH
EMU is seeking its first four-game winning streak since 2022 and its first four-game regular season winning streak since the end of the 1994 campaign. In 2022, the Eagles stood 5-4 after a 27-24 loss to Toledo (Oct. 29) before rattling off three wins to cap the regular season with victories at Akron (34-28) and Kent State (31-24) and at home over Central Michigan (38-19) to earn a berth into the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where the Eagles handed San Jose State at 41-27 loss. When confined to regular-season games, the last four-game winning streak came in the final four contests of the 1994 season with Eastern posting wins at Ball State (41-10), home to Akron (42-18), at Ohio (24-13), and home to Toledo (40-37). Additionally, the Eagles also are creeping closer to their longest conference winning streak since 2018, when EMU won five consecutive MAC games from Toledo on Oct. 13 through Kent State on Nov. 23.

FINDING 400
After recording its first game of 400+ total yards of the season with 411 total yards at UMass last week (Oct. 3), the Eagles followed up with a 413-yard performance at Akron (Oct. 10), marking the first time the team has posted back-to-back 400+ yard games since the 2025 season when the Eagles recorded 461 yards at Kentucky (Sept. 13) and 409 at home against Louisiana (Sept. 20). The yardage also marked the first time since the 2024 campaign EMU has collected 400+ yards in back-to-back MAC games after recording 450 against Central Michigan (Oct. 19), 475 at Akron (Oct. 26), and 434 against Toledo (Nov. 2). The last time the Eagles reached the 400+ yardage mark in consecutive wins came in the 2022 season with 459 yards at Kent State (Nov. 16) and 437 against CMU (Nov. 25) while the 2021 season saw the last time the Eagles accomplished the feat in consecutive MAC road games after posting 455 at Bowling Green (Oct. 23) and 490 at Toledo (Nov. 2).

STAYING CLEAN
Through seven games, Eastern remains one of the more disciplined teams in the nation as the Eagles rank 17th in the FBS for fewest penalties called at 4.71 per contest while ranking 21st in penalty yards per game at 43.3.

BACK ON THE LIST
In the third quarter of the game at Akron (Oct. 10), Eli Lovett shot the gap and blocked an Akron punt with Marvell Eggleston recovering the ball to set up an Eastern field goal. The block was the 27th by Eastern under Chris Creighton and its first since Nov. 13, 2024, when the Eagles blocked a 31-yard field goal attempt by Ohio. The punt was the 11th blocked in that time and the first since Sept. 21, 2024, at home against St. Francis (Pa.)

LONG JOINS EMU TIGHT-END ELITE
Joshua Long caught nine passes for 114 yards in EMU's 25-23 win at Akron, Oct. 10, tying the program's single-game receptions record for a tight end. His 114 yards tied for fifth among FBS tight ends in 2026, matching Eli Finley of Louisiana Tech. Long became the first EMU tight end to record a 100-yard receiving game since Tyreese Russell in 2014. He also recorded EMU's second 100-yard receiving game of the season, joining Benson Prosper (109 yards vs. Lindenwood).

EMU TEs with 100-Yard Receiving Games Since 1995*
Player • Opponent (Date) • Receptions-Yards
Garrett Hoskins • Army (10/22/12) • 7-158
Joshua Long • at Akron (10/10/26) • 9-114
Tyreese Russell • at Ball State (11/22/14) • 8-113
Garrett Hoskins • Toledo (10/13/12) • 7-103
Garrett Hoskins • at Michigan State (9/22/12) • 89-102

KESSINGER PERFECT ON FOUR
Rudy Kessinger delivered one of the most efficient kicking performances in Eastern Michigan history at Akron, Oct. 10, going 4-for-4 on field goals and adding an extra point for 13 of EMU's 25 points in the 25-23 victory. Kessinger set career highs in field goals made, surpassing his previous best of three, and tied the second-highest single-game total in program history. Since 1995, Kessinger is only the fourth EMU kicker to make at least four field goals in a game without a miss. Chad Ryland accomplished the feat twice, including a program-record five field goals against Western Michigan on Nov. 16, 2021. Ryland also went 4-for-4 at WMU on Dec. 5, 2020, while Andrew Wellock made four against Western Illinois on Sept. 4, 2003. Kessinger's performance marked the first perfect four-field-goal game by an Eagle in nearly five years.

KESSINGER CLIMBING
Rudy Kessinger scored 13 points on four field goals and one extra point at Akron (Oct. 10) to bring his career totals to 123 points on 26 field goals and 45 extra points. His 123 points have him ranked 21st all-time in program history for scoring while his 26 field goals rank him ninth and his 45 PATs rank 11th. To reach the top 20 in scoring, he will need three more points to tie for 18th with Dick Mosely (1951-54), Virgil Windom (1953-55), and Darius Jackson (2012-15), who all scored 126 points.

MOW THEM DOWN
Noah Kim finished the Akron game with 277 yards on 26-of-46 passing with one touchdown and one interception while added three rushes for one yard and one score in the win. With his statistics, Kim moved over 4,000 yards and 400 completions in his EMU career as he currently has amassed 4,254 yards passing on 412 completions with the team. Kim passed the ball round to eight different receivers with five collecting at least 24 yards.

AS A MATTORD OF FACT
Joey Mattord was the workhorse on offense for Eastern at Akron as the running back finished the game with 18 carries for 73 yards while catching three passes for 24 yards, finishing with 97 yards of total offense. Mattord entered the game with a career-high of nine rushes and 54 yards that he recorded against Lindenwood and UMass, respectively.

SACKS
The Eastern defense recorded 3.0 sacks at Akron (Oct. 10) to mark the fourth multiple-sack game of the year after posting a season-high 4.0 against Lindenwood and 2.0 against both Sacramento State and Michigan State. Quincy Byas led the way with 2.0 sacks in the game while Donmiel Rogers added 1.0 for the Eagles, both of which were career-high totals.

MOW THEM DOWN
Zach Mowchan has been productive for the Eastern defense all season as he has collected 51 total tackles, which ranks tied for 23rd nationally, while posting 19 solo stops and 2.5 TFLs to go along with four pass breakups. His total tackles have already surpassed his single-season career-best from last year while his solo stops are six more than his career-high 13 from 2025. Additionally, his 2.5 TFLs are 0.5 over his total from his previous four seasons with the Eagles as he entered the year with 2.0.

DOBBS THE DISRUPTOR
Caleb Dobbs has put his hands on eight passes through six games in 2026 with two interceptions and six breakups after recording one of each in the win at UMass (Oct. 3). His 1.33 pass breakups per game rank him 11th in the NCAA while also leading the MAC. In his two seasons with the program, Dobbs has appeared in 17 games and recorded 11 pass breakups, including three picks.

ADDED TO THE LIST • STARTERS
In the past five games, nine players have earned their first career starts with seven coming on offense and two on defense. In the Akron game (Oct. 10), Antonio Floyd earned his first career start at wide receiver while Braydon Bennett earned his first state with Eastern Michigan after having started 22 times previously for Coastal Carolina. Kozy Isaac got the starting call at wide receiver against UMass (Oct. 3). Prior to Isaac, two players earned their first starts against Lindenwood as Richardo Wournman earned a start on the offensive line while Davion Williams was on the field for the defense. In the game at Wisconsin (Sept. 19), Dalin Wilkins lined up at wide receiver on the team's first offensive possession while Elgin McDuffey earned his first start at linebacker. One week earlier at Michigan State (Sept. 12), the right side of the offensive line featured a pair of Eagles that made their first career starts as Dennis Strey, Jr., took over at right guard and first-year player Samuel Adjin lined up at right tackle.

SINGLE SCORES
Since the start of the 2016 season, Eastern is tied for second with Iowa State and Texas nationally with 64 one-score games played, sitting behind Northern Illinois (67).
1. Northern Illinois - 67 (31-36)
t-2. Eastern Michigan - 64 (31-33)
t-2. Iowa State - 64 (29-35)
t-2. Texas - 64 (30-34)
5. Nebraska - 60 (19-41)
6. Kansas State - 59 (27-32)
7. North Carolina - 58 (24-34)
8. TCU - 57 (28-29)
t-9. Army - 56 (31-25)
t-9. California - 56 (24-32)
t-9. Iowa - 56 (30-26)
t-9. Tulsa - 56 (25-31)
updated through games played 10/10/26

HOLD ON TO YOUR RED POP
Close games have become the norm for Eastern Michigan, and the Eagles have made a habit of winning them. Saturday's 25-23 victory at Akron marked EMU's 28th game decided by three points or fewer since 2016, the ninth-most among FBS programs during that span. Yet EMU's 16-12 record in those games, a .571 winning percentage, ranks third among the 11 FBS teams with at least 28 such contests. Only Navy (.655) and Northern Illinois (.643) have posted a better winning percentage.
1. Iowa State - 33 (16-17, .485)
t-2. Stanford - 30 (16-14, .533)
t-2. TCU - 30 (15-15, .500)
t-2. Washington State - 30 (12-18, .400)
t-2. Western Kentucky - 30 (13-17, .433)
t-6. Iowa - 29 (15-14, .517)
t-6. Navy - 29 (19-10, .655)
t-6. North Carolina - 29 (15-14, .517)
t-9. Eastern Michigan - 28 (16-12, .571)
t-9. Wyoming - 28 (14-14, .500)
t-9. Northern Illinois - 28 (18-10, .643)

STARTER REPEATED
With Noah Kim earning the starting nod against Sacramento State (Aug. 29), the Eagles had the same starting quarterback in back-to-back season-opening games for the first time under Chris Creighton since Preston Hutchinson in 2020 and 2021. Kim also became just the third player to open consecutive seasons as QB1 under Creighton with Reginald Bell becoming the first in 2014 and 2015.

Game 1 Starting Quarterbacks Under Creighton
2026 - Noah Kim
2025 - Noah Kim
2024 - Cole Snyder
2023 - Austin Smith
2022 - Taylor Powell
2021 - Preston Hutchinson
2020 - Preston Hutchinson
2019 - Mike Glass
2018 - Tyler Wiegers
2017 - Brogan Roback
2016 - Todd Porter
2015 - Reginald Bell
2014 - Reginald Bell

ONE BY LAND AND TWO BY AIR
In the opener with Sacramento State (Aug. 29), Noah Kim finished the game with two passing touchdowns and added one more on the ground to mark the third time he has accomplished the feat in his career with all three coming with the Eagles in MAC games. Overall, his three such games are tied for the fourth-most among EMU quarterbacks since the start of the 1995 season with Mike Glass III (2018-19) leading the way with five and both Alex Gillett (2010-12) and Preston Hutchinson (2019-20) tied for second with four. When counting only MAC games, Kim's three games are tied for second with Andy Schmitt (2007-08), Gillett, and Brogan Roback (2015-17) while Hutchinson leads with four.

2+ pass/1+ rush TD (since 1995) – All Games
Mike Glass III (2018-19) – 5 games
Alex Gillett (2010-12) – 4 games
Preston Hutchinson (2019-20) – 4 games
Noah Kim (2025-present) – 3 games
Andy Schmitt (2007-08) – 3 games
Brogan Roback (2015-17) – 3 games

2+ pass/1+ rush TD (since 1995) – MAC Games ONLY
Preston Hutchinson (2019-20) – 4 games
Noah Kim (2025-present) – 3 games
Andy Schmitt (2007-08) – 3 games
Alex Gillett (2010-12) - 3 games
Brogan Roback (2015-17) - 3 games

ONE AND ONE
Along with his propensity to score on the ground and added multiple passing touchdowns, Noah Kim also ranks highly (since 1995) among EMU quarterbacks with at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in the same game as he recorded his seventh with one of each at Akron (Oct. 10). His seven career games with EMU are the third-highest with Mike Glass III leading the way with 10.

1+ pass/1+ rush TD (since 1995) – All Games
Mike Glass III (2018-19) – 10 games
Alex Gillett (2010-12) – 8 games
Noah Kim (2025-present) – 7 games
Andy Schmitt (2007-08) – 6 games

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 49 wins in that stretch of 20 consecutive seasons, including 33 against the Big Ten. All told, the MAC has posted wins against foes from the Big Ten (33), 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. This year, the streak was continued in Week 1 with UMass handing Rutgers a 37-21 home loss, Sept. 3.

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
Chris Creighton reached a significant milestone with his victory at Ball State, Nov. 15, becoming the 38th FBS head coach on record to earn 200 career wins. His career mark now stands at 203-131 across 30 seasons at Wabash, Ottawa, Drake, and Eastern Michigan, supported by a .607 winning percentage. The achievement places him among the active leaders in major college football, joining K.C. Keeler, Kirk Ferentz, and Willie Fritz. He also becomes the first coach to reach 200 career wins while serving at a MAC institution, adding his name to a select group of coaches who have hit the milestone, including Brian Kelly (Central Michigan), Nick Saban (Toledo), Woody Hayes (Miami), and Don Nehlen (Bowling Green).

CREIGHTON IN THE MAC
Chris Creighton has tallied 65 wins during his tenure with Eastern Michigan following the 25-23 victory at Akron (Oct. 10), with 40 of those victories coming in MAC games. With his most recent win, his 65 wins with the Eagles ranks 10th in MAC history.

Overall Coaching Wins in MAC History
1. Frank Solich (Ohio/2005-20) • 115
2. Herb Deromedi (Central Michigan/1978-93) • 110
3. Bill Hess (Ohio/1958-77) • 108
4. Jason Candle (Toledo/2015-25) • 81
5. Bob Pruett (Marshall/1997-04) • 79
6. Doyt Perry (Bowling Green/1955-64) • 77
7. Chuck Martin (Miami/2014-pres) • 75
8. Gary Pinkel (Toledo/1991-00) • 73
9. Trevor J. Rees (Kent State/1951-63) • 66
10. Chris Creighton (EMU/2014-pres) • 65

UPPER HALF
Since 2016, Eastern has posted 61 wins, which ranks as the sixth-most victories of any team in the MAC.
84 • Toledo
82 • Ohio
74 • Western Michigan
70 • Miami
63 • Buffalo
62 • Eastern Michigan
58 • Central Michigan
45 • Ball State
42 • Bowling Green
37 • Kent State
33 • Akron
22 • UMass
1 • Sacramento State
* updated through 10/10/26

AYE, AYE CAPTAINS!
EMU will be led by five captains in the 2026. Following a vote of the current roster, the players selected included Nicholas Gallegos (OL), Makhi Gilbert (DL), Noah Kim (QB), Bryce Llewellyn (DB), and Zach Mowchan (LB).

DONNING THE DEUCE
In an Aug. 20 team meeting, Chris Creighton announced Nick Devereaux would wear 'The Deuce' for the 2026 season, an honor reserved for the team's top senior pass catcher. While players often request a certain number to wear, 'The Deuce' must be earned in remembrance of wide receiver Demarius Reed, who passed away on Oct. 18, 2013. 'The Deuce' was put back into circulation in 2017 with the blessing of Reed's family and former teammates and has been worn by Sergio Bailey II (2017), Blake Banham (2018), Mathew Sexton (2019), Thomas Odukoya (2020), Bryson Cannon (2021), Hassan Beydoun (2022), Tanner Knue (2023), Oran Singleton (2024), and Terry Lockett Jr. (2025).

ZEROING IN
Another number that cannot be requested by an Eastern player is The Zero. Most weeks, the defensive coaching staff will select an individual player that stood out in the previous week's game and the following week of practice and will announce the wearer at a team meeting on the eve of the game. This year, the honor has been earned by Donmiel Rogers (Sacramento State), Makhi Gilbert (San Jose State), Ronn Hardin (Michigan State), and Peyton Christian (Wisconsin), Rayquan Adkins (Lindenwood), Elgin McDuffey (UMass), and Caleb Dobbs (Akron), who wore the Zero for the second time in his career. Six players returned this season that have previously worn The Zero, including two-time honorees Carter Evans and Barry Manning, along with Quincy Byas, Dobbs, Gilbert, and Bryce Llewellyn.

WELCOME TO YPSILANTI
The 2026 roster features 54 newcomers to the program, including 30 first-year players and 24 transfers. The first-year players hail from nine states and two countries with players representing Florida (8), Georgia (3), Illinois, Indiana (4), Kentucky, Michigan (6), New Jersey (2), Ohio (3), and Pennsylvania with one player from Canada. Additionally, five of the 24 transfers came to Ypsilanti from 'Power 4' programs, including Illinois, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech with other NCAA Division I programs including Akron, Delaware State, Drake, Lamar, St. Francis (Pa.), and Yale.

MAKE'EM SAY 'UNC'LE
When looking at the newcomers, 11 of the 30 first-year players were born in 2008, nearly six years after eight of the team's 'elder' statesmen, including Ronn Hardin, who was born in November of 2001. Comparatively, the youngest player on the roster is Horace Glenn III, who was born in October of 2008, Hardin the 'unc' of the team by over 2,500 days (nearly six years and 11 months). Additionally, Hardin is the 15th-oldest player in the FBS.

ADDED TO THE STAFF
Changes to the coaching roster also took place since the end of the 2025 season with five new assistant coaches in place for 2026. Joining the staff this year are Antreal Allen (cornerbacks), who coached cornerbacks at West Georgia in 2025; Erik Campbell (wide receivers), who worked with the wide receivers at Michigan in 2025; Donnell Kirkwood Jr. (running backs), who coached running backs at Washington State in 2025; Zac Sias (defensive tackles), who worked with the linebackers at Kansas the past two years; and Grant Kurzner (special teams coordinator), who worked with Michigan's special teams the past two years.

NEW CALLERS
Along with the new additions to the staff, new roles were also assigned as both Tate Omli and Kasey Teegardin were named co-defensive coordinators for 2026. Omli, who also works with the safeties, is in his fourth season with the Eagles while Teegardin, who is entering his third season in Ypsilanti, will work with the defensive ends. Offensively, Mike Piatkowski returns as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF!
The football player and staff roster was not the only change this offseason as Dr. Brendan Kelly was selected to lead Eastern Michigan as the 24th president of the University. Kelly, who began his tenure in Ypsilanti on April 1, 2026, earned both his bachelor's degree in public relations and master's degree in communication from EMU before completing his Ph.D. in political communication and rhetoric at Wayne State University. Early in his career, he served at EMU as Assistant Director of Forensics and a Lecturer in Communication and Theatre Arts, making today's return a meaningful homecoming for both him and his wife, Dr. Tressa Kelly, also a two‑time EMU alumna and longtime educator.

ON THE LIST
Eastern had 16 players named to preseason All-MAC teams by Athlon Sports and/or Phil Steele with eight Eagles earning a selection to both lists. The Eagles appearing on both ledgers included Nick Devereaux (1st team Athlon/1st team Steele), Carter Evans (1st/1st), Nicholas Gallegos (1st/2nd), Bryce Llewellyn (1st/1st), Joshua Long (1st/1st), Rudy Kessinger (2nd/2nd), Noah Kim (3rd/3rd), and Jason Marshall (4th/4th). Additionally, Athlon Sports recognized Barry Manning (2nd), Joshua Anderson (3rd), Braydon Bennett (3rd), Jefferson Adam (4th), Caleb Coley (4th), and Harold Mack Jr. (4th) while Phil Steele selected Makhi Gilbert (3rd) and Juan Salas Jr. (4th) to their lists.

WATCHING OUT
Seven Eastern players were named to preseason watch lists for various national honors ahead of the start of the season. The list included Bryce Llewellyn for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player), Dennis Strey Jr. for the All-State AFCA Good Works Team and the Allstate Wuerfful Trophy (community service), Nick Devereaux for the East-West Shrine Bowl (all-star game), Joshua Long for the John Mackey Trophy (tight end), Nicholas Gallegos for the Rimington Trophy (center), and Braydon Bennett for the Doak Walker (running back).

ON THE HORIZON
The final Saturday game of the regular season awaits Eastern Michigan on the road next week when the Eagles head to Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio, for a clash with the Bobcats of Ohio University, Oct. 24. The game's television designation and kick time will be announced later this week. Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM), the Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM radio.

Football vs. Toledo \| HOMECOMING 2026
Date	Saturday, Oct. 17 \| 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue	'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium \| 30,200 \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video
Watch \| Stats	ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| SiriusXM
Homecoming	Information Page \| University Schedule Page
Follow Us On X	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Purchase Your Tickets HERE!

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Next Event

Related News

Players Mentioned

Jefferson Adam

Samuel Adjin

Rayquan Adkins

Joshua Anderson

Braydon Bennett

Amareon Blue

Quincy Byas

Peyton Christian

Caleb Coley

Nick Devereaux

Caleb Dobbs

Marvell Eggleston

Carter Evans

Antonio Floyd

Nicholas Gallegos

Makhi Gilbert

Horace Glenn III

Ronn Hardin

Kozy Isaac

Rudy Kessinger

Noah Kim

Bryce Llewellyn

Terry Lockett Jr.

Joshua Long

Eli Lovett

Harold Mack

Barry Manning

Jason Marshall

Joey Mattord

Elgin McDuffey

CJ Miller

Zach Mowchan

Benson Prosper

Donmiel Rogers

Juan Salas

Dennis Strey Jr.

Dalin Wilkins

Davion Williams

Related Videos