EMU and MSU Set to Clash in East Lansing

Football at Michigan State \| Road Opener
Date	Saturday, Sept. 12 \| 3:30 p.m.
Venue	Spartan Stadium \| 74,866 \| East Lansing, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video
Watch \| Stats	Big Ten Network \| BTN Channel Finder \| Live Stats
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| SiriusXM
Follow Us On X	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Purchase Your Tickets HERE!

EAST LANSING, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team hits the road for the first time in 2026 this weekend but won't have to travel far as the Eagles will venture north to East Lansing, Mich., for a clash with the Spartans of Michigan State University Saturday, Sept. 12, inside Spartan Stadium at 3:30 p.m. The Eagles (1-1, 1-0 MAC) will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season after dropping a 27-21 home decision to San Jose State (Sept. 4) while the Spartans will try to move to 2-0 following their 30-20 home win over Toledo (Sept. 4)

TUNE IN
The intrastate match-up between Eastern Michigan and Michigan State will be aired live on the Big Ten Network with Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Dannie Rogers (sideline) on the call. 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 1-1 this year, the Eagles hold a record of 500-638-47 all-time with their victory over the Hornets making them the 111th different FBS program to reach the 500-win milestone. The next two teams on the list chasing 500 include Houston (487) and fellow MAC member Ball State (483).

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 except for 1944 (World War II).

LIFTING THE LID • ROAD OPENERS
EMU is 38-116-8 all-time in its first road game of the year and is coming off a 52-27 loss at Texas State (Aug. 30, 2025) in last year's road opener. The Eagles, who last won their first road game of the year in a 28-14 decision at UMass (Aug. 31) in 2024, is playing a Michigan school in its first non-conference road game of the year for the first time since Sept. 17, 2011, a 31-3 loss at Michigan.

LIFTING THE LID • POWER TEAMS
The game at Michigan State will mark the 26th time in program history Eastern Michigan's first road game of the year comes against a team in the current 'Power 4' conferences with the most recent coming in 2023 in the Eagles' 25-6 setback at Minnesota (Sept. 9). Eastern, who is 2-23-0 in those games with wins at Rutgers (2017) and Purdue (2018), has played a Big Ten opponent in 16 of those 25 games, including the last four (Rutgers 2017, Purdue 2018, Wisconsin 2021, and Minnesota 2023). The first instance game in 1896 in an 18-0 loss down the street in Ann Arbor to Michigan.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK-TO...
The early portion of the 2026 Eastern Michigan schedule features several back-to-backs of various interest.
• Weeks 0-1: After having never hosted a team from California, EMU's first two games of the year come at home against Sacramento State and San Jose State.
• Weeks 1-2: EMU plays back-to-back games against Spartans as it welcomed San Jose State (Sept. 4) before traveling to play Michigan State (Sept. 12).
• Weeks 2-3: EMU will play its first two road games in back-to-back weeks with both games coming against Big Ten foes, including MSU and Wisconsin.
• Weeks 10-11: Eastern will play both Michigan MAC schools in back-to-back weeks as the Eagles play host to Central Michigan, Nov. 4, in Motor City MACtion in Detroit before traveling to face Western Michigan, Nov. 17, in Kalamazoo.

MITTEN MEETINGS
The game with Michigan State marks the first of three the Eagles will play against teams from the Mitten State in 2026 and the only non-conference game with tilts against both Central Michigan (Nov. 4) and Western Michigan (Nov. 17) remaining. The game with the Spartans marks the first non-conference game against a fellow Michigan school for Eastern since the 2014 season, which also came on the road at MSU, a 73-14 loss to the No. 11 team in the nation at the time. Historically, Eastern Michigan has played 42 groups from the state, including high schools, military teams, and college/university programs and holds an all-time mark of 203-238-26 in those 467 games. When counting only two and four-year collegiate institutions, EMU is 167-216-20 against those 23 institutions all-time.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS UNDER CREIGHTON
Since the start of the 1976 season, Eastern Michigan has won 56 games in non-conference play with 44.6 percent of those victories (25 wins) coming in the past 12 seasons under Chris Creighton, an average of two non-conference wins per season. In that same span, 14 of those wins have come on the road with a Creighton-led squad capturing nine wins (64.3 percent), including wins at Big Ten opponents Rutgers (16-13, Sept. 9, 2017), Purdue (20-19, Sept. 8, 2018), and Illinois (34-31, Sept. 14, 2019), while adding a 30-21 win at Arizona State (Sept. 17, 2022), a then-member of the Pac-12 (currently Big 12).

KNOW THE FOE: MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans head into Week 2 with a 1-0 record after defeating visiting Toledo, 30-20, in their season opener, Sept. 4, in East Lansing. QB Alessio Milivojevic was 26-of-34 for 247 yards and one touchdown through the air while Rodney Bullard, Jr., caught seven passes for 90 yards and one score. Cam Edwards led the ground game with 27 carries for 98 yards and one touchdown while kicker Liam Boyd converted five field goals in the win.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE SPARTANS
Eastern Michigan is 0-10-0 all-time against Michigan State with a 0-8-0 record when playing in East Lansing, which has hosted the last seven meetings in the series. The then-No. 11 Spartans won, 73-14, Sept. 20, 2014, in the last meeting of a series that began in 1898 with MSU scoring an 11-6 victory in Ypsilanti in a Michigan Intercollegiate Conference game between the two teams.

ALL-TIME VERSUS THE BIG TEN
Including the four new additions to the league in 2024, Eastern Michigan holds a 3-41-0 all-time record against the current Big Ten with the 10 games played against both Michigan and Michigan State standing as the most-played series. To date, the Eagles have played 13 of the current 18 teams in the league, including Illinois (1-0), Indiana (0-1), Maryland (0-4), Michigan (0-10), MSU (0-10), Minnesota (0-1), Northwestern (0-3), Ohio State (0-1), Penn State (0-3), Purdue (1-2), Rutgers (1-1), Washington (0-1), and Wisconsin (0-4), who Eastern plays next weekend.

B1G STREAK
EMU owns a unique run of recent success against the Big Ten, winning three consecutive road games against the conference from 2017-19. The Eagles opened the streak with a 16-13 victory at Rutgers in 2017, their first-ever win over a Big Ten opponent after 38 consecutive losses. Jeremiah Harris sealed the win with a sack with five seconds remaining. EMU followed with a 20-19 win at Purdue in 2018, overcoming a 19-17 deficit with a late scoring drive capped by Chad Ryland's game-winning field goal. The following season, Ryland delivered again, hitting a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Eagles a 34-31 victory at Illinois. EMU rallied from behind in the final minutes, with Mike Glass III leading an 84-yard drive in 1:44 to set up the winning kick. The three-game run marked three consecutive seasons with a Big Ten road victory, and EMU became one of only three MAC programs to win three straight against Big Ten opponents during the conference's 2006-24 stretch of Big Ten victories.

LAST MEETING WITH MICHIGAN STATE
The Eagles and Spartans last met Sept. 20, 2014, in East Lansing with No. 11 MSU grabbing a 73-14 decision on its home field. Michigan State raced out to a 28-0 lead after the first quarter and took a 49-0 lead into halftime. Trailing 56-0 in the third, Tyler Allen hauled in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Rob Bolden to put the visitors on the board before Bolden connected with Tyreese Russell for a 9-yard score in the fourth for EMU's final points in the game.

TIES BETWEEN EMU AND MSU
Pat Fitzgerald is 3-0 as a head coach against EMU during his 17-year tenure at Northwestern (2006-22), earning wins over the Eagles in 2006 (14-6), 2007 (26-14) and 2009 (27-24). Two of the three victories came by one score, including a three-point win in the most recent meeting. Additionally, MSU's Director of Football Operations Alex Knisely held the position of video coordinator for Chris Creighton during the 2015 season at EMU.

Meanwhile, four EMU players previously suited up for Michigan State. Quarterback Noah Kim started the first five games of the 2023 season and finished with 1,090 passing yards and six touchdowns. Defensive back Caleb Coley played in 10 games over three seasons, making two starts and earning Academic All-Big Ten honors twice. Long snapper Reeves Taylor joined the Spartans in 2024 and redshirted without seeing game action. Offensive lineman Cole Dellinger spent three seasons at Michigan State and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2024 and 2025.

TOSSING IT AROUND
EMU's 43 pass attempts against San José State, Sept. 4, marked the 78th time since 1995 the Eagles have thrown the ball at least 40 times in a game. The Eagles have reached 50 attempts 16 times during that span, including a school-record 80 attempts against Central Michigan in 2008. EMU completed 65 passes in that game, also a program record. The 43 attempts against SJSU marked EMU's second game with at least 43 in the last two years, joining last year's 43-attempt performance at Kentucky.

12 YEAR STREAK SNAPPED
San José State quarterback Luke Weaver had a historic passing performance at Rynearson Stadium, throwing for 316 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans' 27-21 win over EMU. Weaver became the first opposing quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns at Rynearson Stadium since Toledo's Phillip Ely passed for 341 yards and five touchdowns in 2014. Buffalo's Joe Licata also surpassed 300 yards with three touchdowns at EMU earlier that season, giving Weaver the first such performance in the stadium since 2014.

BOOMING IT
Daniel Hull had a busy night against San José State, punting nine times for 380 yards. The total ranks 13th in EMU history for a single game since 1995 and marks the Eagles' first 380-yard punting performance since Mitchell Tomasek had 398 yards against Jacksonville State in 2023. Hull's 380 yards also put him among the 24 EMU players since 1995 to top 350 punting yards in a game. David Rysko holds the program record with 517 yards on 12 punts against Michigan State in 2002.

HOUSE CALL WHEN YOU'RE FEELING BLUE
Early in the third quarter against San José State, Amareon Blue, who entered the game with 55 career rushing yards and 77 total yards, broke free as he burst through the gap in the middle of the offensive line and raced 50 yards to the end zone on fourth down. The run marked his first career score and helped him finish with career-high totals in both rushing yards (81) and all-purpose yards (93) after he added three grabs for 12 yards.

BENNETT 2K
Braydon Bennett rushed five times against SJSU for 20 yards to bring his collegiate career total to over 2,000 yards. The seventh-year player recorded 1,954 yards in five seasons with Coastal Carolina (2020-24) before adding eight yards last year with Virginia Tech. This year, Bennett has rushed for 47 yards in two games to bring his career total to 2,009 yards.

TAKE IT AWAY, DEFENSE
The EMU defense has started the season with back-to-back games with a pair of takeaways after adding two against San José State. Against the Spartans, Juan Salas, Jr., tipped a pass that Caleb Dobbs picked off for his second career interception and his first since the game with Louisiana (Sept. 20) last year. Later in the game, Ronn Hardin and Bryce Llewellyn combined for the second turnover of the game as Hardin hit the quarterback and knocked the ball loose for a strip-sack, sending the ball rolling toward the end zone. Llewellyn beat an opposing player to the ball and fell on it in the end zone to secure the first touchdown on a fumble recovery for EMU since David Carter, Jr., scooped-and-scored on a 99-yard play against St. Francis (Pa.), Sept. 21, 2024.

AIR MARSHALL
Jason Marshall was all over the field in the defensive secondary against San José State as he was credited with a career-high two pass breakups while adding seven tackles and 0.5 TFLs. Marshall entered the game with two total breakups in his career that included a PBU against Long Island (Sept. 7) and an interception against Sacramento State in the first game of 2026.

MOW(CHAN) DOWN OPPONENTS
Zach Mowchan is off to a strong start as the linebacker has tallied 25 total tackles in 2026, including 11 solo stops, and a career-high 2.0 TFLs. Entering the year, Mowchan's single-season best in tackles was 43 in 2025 when he played nine games and added 1.5 TFLs, then a career best. His 25 stops this year are one shy of his season total from 2024 (26 in three games) while his 11 solo stops this year are just three off his career-best of 14 set last year.

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, the second-most in the country behind Northern Illinois with 66. The Eagles are 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 second nationally with 64 one-score games played, sitting behind Northern Illinois (66).
1. Northern Illinois - 66 (31-35)
2. Eastern Michigan - 64 (31-33)
t-3. Iowa State - 62 (28-34)
t-3. Texas - 62 (29-33)
5. Nebraska - 60 (19-41)
6. Kansas State - 58 (27-31)
7. North Carolina - 57 (24-33)
8. TCU - 55 (28-27)
t-9. California - 54 (23-31)
t-9. Iowa - 54 (28-26)
t-9. Oklahoma State - 54 (31-23)
t-9. Tulsa - 54 (24-30)

ALL YOU NEED IS ONE
Eastern is 22-27 all-time in one-point contests. Of those 49 games, five have come against WMU (3-2) which ranks as the second-most behind only the six played against Central Michigan (2-4). The last time the Eagles and Broncos played to a one-point score was Nov. 16, 2021, with the Eagles pulling out a 22-21 home victory.

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 score 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 201-130 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 MAC-linked 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 62 wins during his tenure with Eastern Michigan following the 28-17 defeat of Sacramento State (Aug. 29), with 37 of those victories coming in MAC games. With his most recent win, his 62 wins with the Eagles ranks tied for 11th in MAC history while his league win total is tied for 19th on the list.

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. Gary Pinkel (Toledo/1991-00) • 73
8. Chuck Martin (Miami/2014-pres) • 72
9. Trevor J. Rees (Kent State/1951-63) • 66
10. Bill Mallory (MU/1969-73, NIU/1980-83) • 64
11. Chris Creighton (EMU/2014-pres) • 62
11. Al Molde (Western Michigan/1987-96) • 62
11. Joe Novak (NIU/1997-07) • 62

LET'S GET IT STARTED
The season opener saw seven players earn their first starts for the program with five coming on the offensive side of the ball and two on defense. Offensively, running back Amareon Blue and transfers Tyler Brumfield and Cole Dellinger all earned their first collegiate starts while Guzzy Kayed (10th) and Tyler McMillan (16th) earned their first with Eastern after transferring into the program. Defensively, transfers Rayquan Adkins and Peyton Christian each earned a starting spot with Adkins making his second career start and Christian making his 16th. One week later, Tanner Lemaster earned his first start as he the tight end got the call against San Jose State, making him the eighth Eagle to post his first career start in 2026.

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 with Donmiel Rogers earning the honor for the Week 0 game against Sacramento State. Six players return this season that has previously worn The Zero, including two-time honorees Carter Evans and Barry Manning, along with Quincy Byas, Caleb Dobbs, Makhi 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, the 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 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).

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's tour of the Big Ten Conference concludes next week when the Eagles travel to Madison, Wis., to take on the Wisconsin Badgers Saturday, Sept. 19, inside Camp Randall Stadium. The game, slated for a 12:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. CT) kick, will be streamed live on Peacock Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM), the Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM radio.

Football at Michigan State \| Road Opener
Date	Saturday, Sept. 12 \| 3:30 p.m.
Venue	Spartan Stadium \| 74,866 \| East Lansing, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF) \| Press Conference Video
Watch \| Stats	Big Ten Network \| BTN Channel Finder \| Live Stats
Listen	WEMU (89.1 WEMU-FM) \| The Varsity Network App \| SiriusXM
Follow Us On X	@EMUFB \| @EMUAthletics
Tickets	Purchase Your Tickets HERE!

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Players Mentioned

Jefferson Adam

Rayquan Adkins

Joshua Anderson

Braydon Bennett

Amareon Blue

Tyler Brumfield

Quincy Byas

Peyton Christian

Caleb Coley

Cole Dellinger

Nick Devereaux

Caleb Dobbs

Carter Evans

Nicholas Gallegos

Makhi Gilbert

Horace Glenn III

Ronn Hardin

Daniel Hull

Guzzy Kayed

Rudy Kessinger

Noah Kim

Tanner Lemaster

Bryce Llewellyn

Terry Lockett Jr.

Joshua Long

Harold Mack

Barry Manning

Jason Marshall

Tyler McMillan

Zach Mowchan

Donmiel Rogers

Juan Salas

Dennis Strey Jr.

Reeves Taylor

Mitchell Tomasek

Eastern Michigan Athletics