Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, September 26
Ypsilanti, Mich.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2-3 , 1-0
29
vs
3
Lindenwood
1-3 , 1-0
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindenwood | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Eastern Michigan | 13 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 29 |
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Strong All-Around Effort Helps Football Down Lindenwood, 29-3
9/26/2026 5:57:00 PM | Football
Benson Prosper recorded his first career touchdown and 100-yard game in the win
Box score | Video Highlights | Photo Gallery | Postgame Press Conference
YPSILANTI (EMUEagles.com) – Benson Prosper recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game and added his first touchdown to help a strong offensive showing that was backed by stout defensive play as the Eastern Michigan University football team grabbed a 29-3 home win over Lindenwood University inside 'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Sept. 26. The Eagles, who halted a three-game losing streak, moved to 2-3 on the year while the Lions fell to 1-3.
How It Happened
The Eagles got off to a similar start to their game at Wisconsin one week prior as Eastern kept the Lions off the scoreboard on their first possession before cashing in on a score of their own as Amareon Blue (Dallas, N.C./C.E. Jordan) capped an 8-play, 64-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run on the Eagles' first drive for a 6-0 lead. After forcing another Lindenwood punt, Eastern added to its lead as Noah Kim (Centreville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina) found Prosper (Hollywood, Fla./Champagnat Catholic/Highland CC/Hutchinson CC) for a 24-yard touchdown pass over the top of the defense with 3:53 to play in the stanza, marking his first career touchdown grab. The Eagles, who held their third consecutive visiting opponent scoreless in the first quarter, took a 13-0 lead into the second quarter.
Eastern added to its lead early in the second quarter as Rudy Kessinger (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) connected on a career-long 51-yard field goal to make it 16-0. The kick bettered his career-long of 50 he kicked on the road against Kentucky, Sept. 13, 2025. His kick also marked the 20th field goal of his career, which ranked him No. 10 on the program's all-time list. Kessinger was true from 42-yards late in the stanza to extend the Eastern Michigan lead to 19-0 heading into halftime.
After halftime, the Eagles drove the field on their first possession, but Kessinger's 44-yard field goal attempt was no good after it hit the left upright. He came back on the next drive, however, and connected on a 28-yard attempt to extend the Eagles' lead to 22-3 with 1:23 to play in the third. In the fourth, Eastern added the final points of the game as Kim connected with Harold Mack Jr. (Fort Wayne, Ind./Wayne) on a 19-yard pass for a touchdown as the 10-play, 67-yard drive cemented the 29-3 victory for the hosts.
Game Notes
» Benson Prosper had a career day for the Eagles as he finished the game with 109 yards on 10 grabs with one touchdown while adding one carry for three yards. His 10 receptions and 109 yards surpassed his previous best of seven catches for 81 yards, which he recorded in the season opener against Sacramento State. Prosper, who recorded his first career touchdown for the Eagles on a 24-yard pass play from Noah Kim, posted the 148th instance of 100+ yards receiving by an EMU player and the first since running back Dontae McMillan pulled down 126 yards against Western Michigan (Nov. 25, 2025) in last year's season finale. Prosper's yardage, which tied for 107th on the program's single-game ledger, made him the first wide receiver with 100+ yards in a game since Jamarien Wheeler recorded 131 at Ball State (Nov. 15, 2025).
» Harold Mack, Jr., returned to the lineup and posted six receptions for a season-high 80 yards and one score after pulling in a 19-yard strike from Noah Kim in the fourth quarter. Mack Jr., who previously had a high of seven grabs in the game with San Jose State, surpassed the 72 yards he recorded in the same game with the Spartans.
» Amareon Blue put the Eagles on the scoreboard first as he plowed his way in from two-yards out on the Eagles' first possession. The score was the second of Blue's career, and he finished with 14 carries for 58 yards and one score.
» Noah Kim collected 257 yards on 23-of-38 passing with two touchdowns, equaling his season-high for passing scores after throwing two against Sacramento State in the opener. Kim, who had a season-high of 279 yards against the Hornets, led Eastern to a season-high six scoring drives in the game with the Eagles scoring three touchdowns and kicking three field goals.
» Rudy Kessinger connected on a 51-yard field goal in the second quarter for the longest make of his career, surpassing the 50-yard field goal he made at Kentucky, Sept. 13, 2025. With the make, Kessinger recorded the 20th field goal of his career, which placed him 10th on the program's all-time ledger. He added kicks of 42 and 28 yards later in the game to bring his career total to 23, which moved him into sole possession of No. 10 on the career list, with both Joe Carithers (2008-09) and Paulie Fricano (2016-17) sharing the No. 9 spot with 34.
» Eastern scored a touchdown on its first offensive drive of the game for the second consecutive game as Amareon Blue punched it in from two yards out to stake EMU to a 6-0 lead. The back-to-back games (touchdown at Wisconsin, Sept. 19) came after being held scoreless in the first quarter the opening three games of the season.
» The defense stood tall in the first quarter once again as Eastern blanked Lindenwood in the opening stanza to mark its third consecutive home game it has shoutout 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 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 in first half of a game came Sept. 21, 2024, at home in a 36-0 victory over visiting St. Francis (Pa.).
» The game with Lindenwood marked the first time all season the Eagles did not record a takeaway after posting six total in the first four games of the year.
» Zach Mowchan (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York), who entered the game as the FBS leader in total tackles, led the team in the same category against Lindenwood as he posted a team-high seven tackles and 0.5 TFLs. Mowchan was one of 12 different Eagles that recorded at least 0.5 TFLs in the game with Bryce Llewellyn (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral/Charleston Southern), Elgin McDuffey (Jackson, Miss./Callaway/East Central C.C.), Peyton Christian (Kilgore, Texas/Kilgore/Lamar), and Warren-Stevens Tayou (Inglewood, Calif./Lawndale/Northern Arizona/West Georgia) each recorded one full TFL.
» As a unit, the defense recorded season-high totals in both sacks (4.0) and TFLs (8.0), surpassing the 2.0 sacks and 7.0 TFLS recorded at Michigan State, Sept. 12. The 4.0 sacks are the most the defense has recorded in one game since also posting 4.0 at Ball State (Nov. 15) last year and the most in a home game since recording 4.0 against Central Michigan (Oct. 19, 2024).
» Four Eagles recorded parts of their first career sacks in the game with Elgin McDuffey, who recorded six total tackles for third consecutive game, posting his first full collegiate sack while Donmiel Rogers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods), Noah Patterson (South Point, Ohio/Ironton), and Mark Debiak (Kansas City, Kan./Gardner Edgerton/Butler CC) each earned 0.5 sacks. Warren-Stevens Tayou, who recorded his first sack with the Eagles, last dropped a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage Sept. 7, 2024, at Abilene Christian while playing for West Georgia.
» Richardo Wourman (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson/Wayne State) earned his first start at the NCAA DI level after starting eight times over the previous two seasons for Wayne State, an NCAA DII program in Detroit. On defense, Davion Williams (Frostproof, Fla./Frostproof/Charleston Southern) earned his first career start with the Eagles and his first with an FBS program after earning 18 total starts with FCS Charleston Southern during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
Historical Notes
» With the victory, Eastern snapped a three-game slide and moved to 2-3 in 2026 while Lindenwood fell to 1-3 following its third consecutive loss.
» The Eagles won the first meeting in the series with the Lions and improved to 18-16-1 all-time against the current membership of the Ohio Valley Conference, a league that includes both Eastern Illinois (10-5-0) and Western Illinois (5-11-1), who Eastern Michigan shared the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with from 1951-61.
» Lindenwood is the second team this season (Sacramento State) that Eastern has played for the first time in program history and now stands 13-11 in those contests with new additions to the series histories. Additionally, the Eagles are 13-9 when facing a new team in a regular-season game.
» Eastern has now won 57 non-conference games since joining the MAC in 1976 with 26 of those wins (45.6 percent) coming under Chris Creighton.
» The victory marked the 63rd for the Eagles under Chris Creighton, which gave him sole possession of 11th on the list of all-time wins by Mid-American Conference coaches. He is one win away from the top 10 where Bill Mallory (Miami, 1969-73, and Northern Illinois, 1980-83) holds the spot with 64 victories.
Up Next
Eastern, with its non-conference slate behind it, will return to action Saturday, Oct. 3, for its first Mid-American Conference road contest of 2026 as the Eagles will venture to Amherst, Mass., to take on the University of Massachusetts. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM), the Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM radio.
YPSILANTI (EMUEagles.com) – Benson Prosper recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game and added his first touchdown to help a strong offensive showing that was backed by stout defensive play as the Eastern Michigan University football team grabbed a 29-3 home win over Lindenwood University inside 'The Factory' at Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Sept. 26. The Eagles, who halted a three-game losing streak, moved to 2-3 on the year while the Lions fell to 1-3.
How It Happened
The Eagles got off to a similar start to their game at Wisconsin one week prior as Eastern kept the Lions off the scoreboard on their first possession before cashing in on a score of their own as Amareon Blue (Dallas, N.C./C.E. Jordan) capped an 8-play, 64-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run on the Eagles' first drive for a 6-0 lead. After forcing another Lindenwood punt, Eastern added to its lead as Noah Kim (Centreville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina) found Prosper (Hollywood, Fla./Champagnat Catholic/Highland CC/Hutchinson CC) for a 24-yard touchdown pass over the top of the defense with 3:53 to play in the stanza, marking his first career touchdown grab. The Eagles, who held their third consecutive visiting opponent scoreless in the first quarter, took a 13-0 lead into the second quarter.
Eastern added to its lead early in the second quarter as Rudy Kessinger (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) connected on a career-long 51-yard field goal to make it 16-0. The kick bettered his career-long of 50 he kicked on the road against Kentucky, Sept. 13, 2025. His kick also marked the 20th field goal of his career, which ranked him No. 10 on the program's all-time list. Kessinger was true from 42-yards late in the stanza to extend the Eastern Michigan lead to 19-0 heading into halftime.
After halftime, the Eagles drove the field on their first possession, but Kessinger's 44-yard field goal attempt was no good after it hit the left upright. He came back on the next drive, however, and connected on a 28-yard attempt to extend the Eagles' lead to 22-3 with 1:23 to play in the third. In the fourth, Eastern added the final points of the game as Kim connected with Harold Mack Jr. (Fort Wayne, Ind./Wayne) on a 19-yard pass for a touchdown as the 10-play, 67-yard drive cemented the 29-3 victory for the hosts.
Game Notes
» Benson Prosper had a career day for the Eagles as he finished the game with 109 yards on 10 grabs with one touchdown while adding one carry for three yards. His 10 receptions and 109 yards surpassed his previous best of seven catches for 81 yards, which he recorded in the season opener against Sacramento State. Prosper, who recorded his first career touchdown for the Eagles on a 24-yard pass play from Noah Kim, posted the 148th instance of 100+ yards receiving by an EMU player and the first since running back Dontae McMillan pulled down 126 yards against Western Michigan (Nov. 25, 2025) in last year's season finale. Prosper's yardage, which tied for 107th on the program's single-game ledger, made him the first wide receiver with 100+ yards in a game since Jamarien Wheeler recorded 131 at Ball State (Nov. 15, 2025).
» Harold Mack, Jr., returned to the lineup and posted six receptions for a season-high 80 yards and one score after pulling in a 19-yard strike from Noah Kim in the fourth quarter. Mack Jr., who previously had a high of seven grabs in the game with San Jose State, surpassed the 72 yards he recorded in the same game with the Spartans.
» Amareon Blue put the Eagles on the scoreboard first as he plowed his way in from two-yards out on the Eagles' first possession. The score was the second of Blue's career, and he finished with 14 carries for 58 yards and one score.
» Noah Kim collected 257 yards on 23-of-38 passing with two touchdowns, equaling his season-high for passing scores after throwing two against Sacramento State in the opener. Kim, who had a season-high of 279 yards against the Hornets, led Eastern to a season-high six scoring drives in the game with the Eagles scoring three touchdowns and kicking three field goals.
» Rudy Kessinger connected on a 51-yard field goal in the second quarter for the longest make of his career, surpassing the 50-yard field goal he made at Kentucky, Sept. 13, 2025. With the make, Kessinger recorded the 20th field goal of his career, which placed him 10th on the program's all-time ledger. He added kicks of 42 and 28 yards later in the game to bring his career total to 23, which moved him into sole possession of No. 10 on the career list, with both Joe Carithers (2008-09) and Paulie Fricano (2016-17) sharing the No. 9 spot with 34.
» Eastern scored a touchdown on its first offensive drive of the game for the second consecutive game as Amareon Blue punched it in from two yards out to stake EMU to a 6-0 lead. The back-to-back games (touchdown at Wisconsin, Sept. 19) came after being held scoreless in the first quarter the opening three games of the season.
» The defense stood tall in the first quarter once again as Eastern blanked Lindenwood in the opening stanza to mark its third consecutive home game it has shoutout 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 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 in first half of a game came Sept. 21, 2024, at home in a 36-0 victory over visiting St. Francis (Pa.).
» The game with Lindenwood marked the first time all season the Eagles did not record a takeaway after posting six total in the first four games of the year.
» Zach Mowchan (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York), who entered the game as the FBS leader in total tackles, led the team in the same category against Lindenwood as he posted a team-high seven tackles and 0.5 TFLs. Mowchan was one of 12 different Eagles that recorded at least 0.5 TFLs in the game with Bryce Llewellyn (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral/Charleston Southern), Elgin McDuffey (Jackson, Miss./Callaway/East Central C.C.), Peyton Christian (Kilgore, Texas/Kilgore/Lamar), and Warren-Stevens Tayou (Inglewood, Calif./Lawndale/Northern Arizona/West Georgia) each recorded one full TFL.
» As a unit, the defense recorded season-high totals in both sacks (4.0) and TFLs (8.0), surpassing the 2.0 sacks and 7.0 TFLS recorded at Michigan State, Sept. 12. The 4.0 sacks are the most the defense has recorded in one game since also posting 4.0 at Ball State (Nov. 15) last year and the most in a home game since recording 4.0 against Central Michigan (Oct. 19, 2024).
» Four Eagles recorded parts of their first career sacks in the game with Elgin McDuffey, who recorded six total tackles for third consecutive game, posting his first full collegiate sack while Donmiel Rogers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods), Noah Patterson (South Point, Ohio/Ironton), and Mark Debiak (Kansas City, Kan./Gardner Edgerton/Butler CC) each earned 0.5 sacks. Warren-Stevens Tayou, who recorded his first sack with the Eagles, last dropped a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage Sept. 7, 2024, at Abilene Christian while playing for West Georgia.
» Richardo Wourman (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson/Wayne State) earned his first start at the NCAA DI level after starting eight times over the previous two seasons for Wayne State, an NCAA DII program in Detroit. On defense, Davion Williams (Frostproof, Fla./Frostproof/Charleston Southern) earned his first career start with the Eagles and his first with an FBS program after earning 18 total starts with FCS Charleston Southern during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
Historical Notes
» With the victory, Eastern snapped a three-game slide and moved to 2-3 in 2026 while Lindenwood fell to 1-3 following its third consecutive loss.
» The Eagles won the first meeting in the series with the Lions and improved to 18-16-1 all-time against the current membership of the Ohio Valley Conference, a league that includes both Eastern Illinois (10-5-0) and Western Illinois (5-11-1), who Eastern Michigan shared the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with from 1951-61.
» Lindenwood is the second team this season (Sacramento State) that Eastern has played for the first time in program history and now stands 13-11 in those contests with new additions to the series histories. Additionally, the Eagles are 13-9 when facing a new team in a regular-season game.
» Eastern has now won 57 non-conference games since joining the MAC in 1976 with 26 of those wins (45.6 percent) coming under Chris Creighton.
» The victory marked the 63rd for the Eagles under Chris Creighton, which gave him sole possession of 11th on the list of all-time wins by Mid-American Conference coaches. He is one win away from the top 10 where Bill Mallory (Miami, 1969-73, and Northern Illinois, 1980-83) holds the spot with 64 victories.
Up Next
Eastern, with its non-conference slate behind it, will return to action Saturday, Oct. 3, for its first Mid-American Conference road contest of 2026 as the Eagles will venture to Amherst, Mass., to take on the University of Massachusetts. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and will be streamed live 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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/ FootballTeam Stats
LIN
EMU
Total Yards
191
396
Pass Yards
55
257
Rushing Yards
136
139
Penalty Yards
70
55
1st Downs
11
25
3rd Downs
2
8
4th Downs
2
1
TOP
28:12
31:28
1st Quarter
LIN 0, EMU 6
EMU - Blue,Amareon 2 yd run (), 8 plays, 64 yards, TOP 03:39
LIN 0, EMU 13
EMU - Prosper,Benson 24 yd pass from Kim,Noah (Kessinger,Rudy kick) 9 plays, 68 yards, TOP 04:26
2nd Quarter
LIN 0, EMU 16
EMU - Kessinger,Rudy 51 yd field goal 12 plays, 45 yards, TOP 05:43
LIN 0, EMU 19
EMU - Kessinger,Rudy 42 yd field goal 10 plays, 57 yards, TOP 01:31
3rd Quarter
LIN 3, EMU 19
LIN - Graham,Will 44 yd field goal 8 plays, 44 yards, TOP 04:23
LIN 3, EMU 22
EMU - Kessinger,Rudy 28 yd field goal 11 plays, 66 yards, TOP 05:07
4th Quarter
LIN 3, EMU 29
EMU - Mack,Harold 19 yd pass from Kim,Noah (Kessinger,Rudy kick) 10 plays, 67 yards, TOP 04:35
Game Leaders
CMP
23
TD
2
YDS
257
INT
0
Saturday, September 26
Saturday, September 26
Saturday, September 26
Friday, September 25