EMU Aims to Stay Undefeated in MAC Play at Akron

Football at Akron
Date	Saturday, Oct. 10 \| 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue	InfoCision Stadium \| 30,000 \| Akron, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video
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Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| SiriusXM
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AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- Coming off a dominant road victory to remain perfect in league play, the Eastern Michigan University football team heads to InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio, this week as the Eagles will try to move to 3-0 in Mid-American Conference play for the first time since 1995 when they take on the University of Akron, Oct. 10. The Eagles (3-3, 2-0 MAC), who handed UMass its first loss of the season, 38-14, in Amherst, Mass., will look to maintain its control of the top of the standings when they visit the Zips (1-4, 0-1 MAC), who fell on the road at Central Michigan, 41-17, last week.

TUNE IN
The Mid-American Conference clash between EMU and Akron 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.

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 3-3 this year following their win over Massachusetts (Oct. 3), 38-14, the Eagles hold a record of 502-640-47 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).

GOING FOR 3(-0)
With a pair of wins in league play, Eastern will look to open MAC play with a 3-0 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).

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. Only Syracuse faces a longer comparable stretch nationally, 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).

DE JA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
The last two times the Eagles played the Minutemen, the game was held in Amherst with Eastern claiming a victory each time. In those two games (2024 and 2026), the Eagles had a total of 15 offensive drives combined -- the same total the Eagles had against San Jose in their game at home Sept. 4. Despite the small number of chances, Eastern was able to cash in as the offense scored on 73.3 percent of those drives with eight touchdowns (53.4 percent) and three field goals (20.0) Of the four plays Eastern didn't score, three resulted in punts and one was a turnover on downs.

FEW CHANCES, MANY SCORES
Eastern scored five touchdowns and added on field goal (six scores) on its seven possessions at UMass (Oct. 3), marking the fewest number of offensive drives the Eagles have had since the 2017 season. That year, Eastern was limited to seven drives on the road at Army, a 28-27 loss, Oct. 14, in West Point, N.Y. Both games saw the Eagles post at least four scores as Eastern tallied four touchdowns against Army and five against the Minutemen while adding one field goal.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Through six games, Eastern has as many drives that have lasted less than one minute (eight) as it does drives that have consumed over five minutes of play after adding three lengthy drives at UMass, the most in a single game this year. The Eagles scored touchdowns on drives of 7:16 and 7:09 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: AKRON
The Zips enter the contest with a 1-4 record and stand 0-1 in league play after dropping a 41-17 decision at Central Michigan over the weekend. Akron, who like Eastern has played two 'Power 4' opponents in 2026 (lost 38-16 at Wake Forest of the ACC and 41-7 at Minnesota of the Big Ten), is 1-1 at home this year with a 45-10 win over Robert Morris and a 38-10 loss to visiting UNLV. Offensively, the Zips have seen Brayden Roggow take snaps under center in all five games with the signal caller collecting 605 yards on 53-of-95 passing with three touchdowns and five interceptions while Cibastian Broughton has tallied 380 yards on 53-of-66 passing with four scores in three games. Jordan Gant leads the ground game with 293 yards and three touchdowns while Marcel Williams has been the top pass catcher with 20 grabs for 201 yards. Defensively, Donelius Johnson leads the team with 41 tackles while Cyrus Durham and Omari Abor have recorded the teams two sacks.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE ZIPS
Eastern Michigan trails, 16-20-0, in its series with Akron following the Zips' 25-21 win at home, Oct. 26, 2024, a decision that snapped a four-game winning streak for the Eagles. Eastern, who is 5-13-0 when playing the Zips on the road, last won in Akron Nov. 8, 2022, 34-28, to mark back-to-back wins in the Rubber City for the first time in program history while snapping a two-game skid in the series at the time. In the last 10 meetings overall, the Eagles stand 5-5-0 with a 4-1-0 mark in the last five.

LAST TIME: AT AKRON
After falling behind, 18-0, at halftime, Eastern scored the next 21 points to take a 21-18 lead with 7:41 to play, but an Akron touchdown with 3:59 was the difference as the host Zips won the game, 25-21, Oct. 26, 2024, in Akron, Ohio. Cole Snyder was 29-of-48 passing for 354 yards and two scores as Terry Lockett, Jr., and Oran Singleton each nearly reached the century mark with 98 and 97 yards receiving, respectively, while tight end Jere Getzinger pulled in both touchdowns on his only two catches of the day. Delbert Mimms III led the ground game with 58 yards rushing and one score.

CLOSE TIES WITH AKRON
Several players and members of the staff have ties to the Akron program, including Tylan Boykin, Nick Kinsey, Adam Samaha, and Ronn Hardin. Boykin and Kinsey graduated from nearby Hoban High School, whose campus is two miles from InfoCision Stadium on the UA campus where Samaha was a member of the Zips program last year before transferring to Eastern. Hardin is a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, which is 36 miles north of the Akron campus. EMU Director of Sports Performance Deonte Mack worked with the Zips' football program from Sept. 2020 through Dec. 2021 before coming to Ypsilanti. The comms departments are close as well as UA's Associate AD for Relentless Elevation Ryan Koslen is an EMU graduate and worked in the AMR office as a student with Senior Associate AD for External Greg Steiner under EMU and MAC Hall of Fame inductee Jim Streeter. Alex Ryan, Director of Athletic Media Relations, previously worked under Koslen at Cincinnati.

EAGLES AND ZIPS IN THE FBS RECORD BOOK
Eastern Michigan and Akron met for a Mid-American contest, Nov. 24, 2001, in Akron with the Eagles falling to the host Zips, 65-62, in three overtimes. The game, which went into overtime tied, 52-52, set the FBS record for the highest combined score at the end of regulation in an overtime game with 104 points, a mark that was later tied by UNLV and Wyoming, Nov. 12, 2016, a game the Rebels won in three overtimes, 69-66.

THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS
EMU converted 11-of-14 third-down opportunities against UMass, a 78.6 percent success rate that marked the best third-down conversion percentage in the Modern Statistical Era (since 1999). The Eagles surpassed the previous program high of 75.0 percent, set Nov. 2, 2017, against Ball State (9-of-12). EMU also went 11-of-15 (73.3 percent) at Arizona State, Sept. 17, 2022, and last converted 10 or more third downs Nov. 30, 2024, at Western Michigan (10-of-15). Against UMass, EMU converted 6-of-7 third-down passes for 62 yards and 5-of-7 third-down rushes for 36 yards, with each producing five first downs. EMU averaged 4.1 yards to go on third down and gained 7.0 yards per third-down play, while converting 5-of-8 third-and-short opportunities.

CAUTION: EXPLOSIVE!
Eastern Michigan produced 10 explosive plays against UMass, including four passes of 15-plus yards for 93 yards and six rushes of 10-plus yards for 86 yards. The Eagles' passing game featured completions of 27 yards to Kozy Isaac for a touchdown, 29 yards to Harold Mack Jr., 21 yards to Joey Mattord and 16 yards to Decorie Johnson. On the ground, EMU had a 25-yard touchdown run by Mattord, a 16-yard gain by Braydon Bennett, a 13-yard run by Amareon Blue, a 12-yard run by Mattord and 10-yard gains by Blue and Johnson. Bennett also broke free for what initially appeared to be a 56-yard touchdown run on third-and-1, but an EMU holding penalty during the play nullified the touchdown. The penalty resulted in Bennett being credited with a 16-yard gain, which still counted as one of EMU's six explosive rushing plays.

THIRD-QUARTER CONTROL
Eastern Michigan completely controlled the third quarter against UMass, outscoring the Minutemen 14-0 and holding a 117-36 advantage in total yards. The Eagles ran 20 plays to UMass' 13 and averaged 5.9 yards per play, more than double the Minutemen's 2.8. EMU held UMass to 15 rushing yards and 21 passing yards while producing 49 yards on the ground and 68 through the air. The Eagles moved the chains seven times compared to three for UMass and were perfect on third down, converting all four. EMU also won the time-of-possession battle 8:43 to 6:17 and forced UMass' only turnover of the quarter. The Eagles' 14-point quarter turned a 14-7 halftime lead into a 28-7 advantage entering the fourth.

KNOCKING OFF THE UNBEATEN
EMU's 38-14 win at UMass was an unusually significant result. The Minutemen entered 4-0 and had trailed for only 2:54 combined through their first four games. EMU flipped that script immediately, scoring on its opening possession and leading wire-to-wire before pulling away with 24 unanswered second-half points. More than the timing, the rarity stands out. The Ypsilanti Eleven noted before the game that EMU had not handed a MAC opponent its first loss of the season after an undefeated start of 4-0 or better since 1988, when the Eagles defeated 5-0 Ball State, 16-12. In other words, Saturday's result matched a feat EMU had not accomplished in 38 years.

STINGY STARTS
Eastern Michigan has allowed only 10 first-quarter points through six games, an average of 1.7 points per game. The Eagles have outscored opponents 27-10 in the opening quarter for a plus-17 scoring margin, setting the tone early in 2026. EMU's 1.7 first-quarter points allowed per game ranks ninth nationally, with the Eagles holding UMass scoreless in the opening quarter of their 38-14 victory.

STREAK WATCH
EMU is seeking its first three-game winning streak since 2024, when the Eagles defeated Jacksonville State, St. Francis (Pa.) and Kent State in consecutive games from Sept. 14-28. EMU's last four-game winning streak came in 2022, when the Eagles won their final three regular-season games before defeating San Jose State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. 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.

EMU IN THE NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Eastern ranks ninth nationally in fewest penalties per game at 4.33 and 15th in penalty yards per game at 39.83, with both marks leading the Mid-American Conference. Eastern also ranks 30th nationally in first downs with 113 and 38th in fourth-down conversion percentage at 62.5 percent. Quarterback Noah Kim ranks 35th nationally with 1,187 passing yards and leads the MAC with 21.17 completions per game. Amareon Blue leads Eastern with 309 rushing yards and ranks fourth in the MAC with 5.15 yards per carry. Defensively, Eastern has gained eight turnovers, tied for 19th nationally and second in the MAC. Caleb Dobbs leads the conference with 1.33 passes defended per game, ranking 11th nationally. Zach Mowchan ranks 42nd nationally and third in the MAC with 8.3 tackles per game. Punter Daniel Hull ranks 36th nationally with a 43.1-yard average.

STAYING CLEAN
Through six games, Eastern remains one of the more disciplined teams in the nation as the Eagles rank ninth in the FBS for fewest penalties called at 4.33 per contest while ranking 15th in penalty yards per game at 39.8. Eastern leads the MAC in both areas.

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.

MMMMMM... DOUGHNUTS
Enter the game at UMass, the Eastern defense was set to face a squad that was averaging 36.3 points per game, including 20.3 points in the first half of play. When the first half concluded, the Eagles held a 14-7 lead on its way to a 38-14 victory, which snapped the Minutemen's 4-0 start to the year. Prior to the Oct. 3 contest, UMass had been held scoreless in just three of 16 quarters played with the Eastern defense pitching shutouts in the first and third quarter, marking the first time in 2026 UMass had not scored in the opening stanza.

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. After taking the ball away from UMass twice while protecting the ball on offense. The Eagles are 20-69 when tying or losing the turnover margin during the same span. EMU finished with a minus-2 margin against Wisconsin after committing three turnovers while forcing one. Since 2014, EMU is 1-28 when finishing -2 or worse in turnover margin.

MOW THEM DOWN
Zach Mowchan has been productive for the Eastern defense all season as he has collected 50 total tackles, which ranks tied for second 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.

HAVE A DAY-DAY
Davion Williams entered the UMass game with six tackles on the year before posting 10 stops, all of which came in the first half, while adding a forced fumble to halt the Minutemen momentum early in the game. William's tackle total tied his best set Oct. 5, 2024, against Western Illinois when he played for Charleston Southern, while his forced fumble was the first of his career.

NOAH LEADS THE WAY
Noah Kim led the offense against UMass with 219 yards on 21-of-30 passing with two scores with nine different receivers recording at least one grab as the Eagles amassed a season-high 411 yards of total offense. Kim added 16 yards on the ground on five carries as well. With his two touchdown passes, Kim brought his EMU career total to 26, which tied him for ninth on the program's career list with Ron Adams, who recorded 26 scores from 1984-87.

LONG GOES SHORT...
Joshua Long recorded his first touchdown of the year as he pulled in a 2-yard grab in the third quarter at UMass. The tight end finished with a team-leading five grabs for 37 yards in the game as he found the end zone for the fourth time his Eastern career and the first time since the Oct. 11, 2025, game against Northern Illinois.

...MATTORD RUNS LONG
Joey Mattord had a career day for the Eagles as the running back carried the ball for 54 yards, including a career-long 25-yard run for a touchdown, while adding three catches for 22 yards to give him a team-high 76 all-purpose yards. His eight carries were one shy of the career-high nine he recorded one week earlier against Lindenwood while his yardage bettered the 48 yards he collected against the Lions. His 25-yard touchdown run bettered his previous best of 24 yards he set on his last touchdown carry, Aug. 30, 2025, at Texas State.

KICK IT
Rudy Kessinger accounted for eight points in the 38-14 win at UMass (Oct. 3) as the second-year kicker was a perfect 5-of-5 in point-after tries while adding a 27-yard field goal as well. Kessinger's five attempts and makes broke his career high each set in the first game of the season against Sacramento State (Aug. 29) and brought his career total to 44 made PATs, which moved him up to No. 11 on the program's list. Joe Carithers (2008-09) holds the No. 10 position after connecting on 59.

ADDED TO THE LIST • STARTERS
In the past four games, seven players have earned their first career starts with five coming on offense and two on defense after 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.

HOLD ON TO YOUR RED POP
EMU made a habit of keeping fans on edge in 2025, playing in six one-possession or overtime games, tied for fourth-most in the nation. Only Arizona State, Iowa State and San Jose State had more, with seven. Tight finishes are nothing new for the Eagles. Since 2016, Eastern has competed in 64 single-score regular-season games, tied for the second-most in the country behind Northern Illinois with 67. EMU is 31-33 in those contests, showing a consistent knack for drama and resilience in crunch time.

SINGLE SCORES
Since the start of the 2016 season, Eastern is tied for second with Iowa State 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)
4. Texas - 63 (30-33)
5. Nebraska - 60 (19-41)
t-6. Kansas State - 58 (27-31)
t-6. North Carolina - 58 (24-34)
t-8. Army - 56 (31-25)
t-8. California - 56 (24-32)
t-8. TCU - 56 (28-28)
t-8. Tulsa - 56 (25-31)
t-12. Iowa - 55 (29-26)
t-12. Oklahoma State - 55 (32-23)
updated through games played 10/3/26

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 sixth with two passing and one running against Sacramento State (Aug. 29). His six career games with EMU are tied for 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) – 6 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 201-131 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 64 wins during his tenure with Eastern Michigan following the 38-14 win at UMass (Oct. 3), with 38 of those victories coming in MAC games. With his most recent win, his 64 wins with the Eagles ranks tie for 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) • 74
8. Gary Pinkel (Toledo/1991-00) • 73
9. Trevor J. Rees (Kent State/1951-63) • 66
t-10. Chris Creighton (EMU/2014-pres) • 64
t-10. Bill Mallory (MU/1969-73, NIU/1980-83) • 64

UPPER HALF
Since 2016, Eastern has posted 61 wins, which ranks as the sixth-most victories of any team in the MAC.
84 • Toledo
81 • Ohio
73 • Western Michigan
69 • Miami
62 • Buffalo
61 • Eastern Michigan
58 • Central Michigan
45 • Ball State
41 • Bowling Green
37 • Kent State
33 • Akron
22 • UMass
1 • Sacramento State
* updated through 10/3/26

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). Six players returned this season that have previously worn The Zero, including two-time honorees Carter Evans and Barry Manning, along with Quincy Byas, Caleb 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
Eastern Michigan is back home next week, Oct. 17, as the Eagles are set to play host to the Rockets of the University of Toledo on Homecoming. The Mid-American Conference contest will be played inside 'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti and will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+. Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM), the Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM radio.

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Players Mentioned

Jefferson Adam

Samuel Adjin

Rayquan Adkins

Joshua Anderson

Braydon Bennett

Amareon Blue

Tylan Boykin

Quincy Byas

Peyton Christian

Caleb Coley

Nick Devereaux

Caleb Dobbs

Carter Evans

Nicholas Gallegos

Makhi Gilbert

Horace Glenn III

Ronn Hardin

Daniel Hull

Kozy Isaac

Decorie Johnson

Rudy Kessinger

Noah Kim

Nick Kinsey

Bryce Llewellyn

Terry Lockett Jr.

Joshua Long

Harold Mack

Barry Manning

Jason Marshall

Joey Mattord

Elgin McDuffey

Zach Mowchan

Donmiel Rogers

Juan Salas

Adam Samaha

Dennis Strey Jr.

Dalin Wilkins

Davion Williams

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