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 YPSILANTI, Mich. -- (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team had to wait 17 hours to finally get on the field to play its 2011 home opener, but in the end, the wait was worth it as the Eagles posted a 41-9 win over a visiting Howard University Sunday, Sept. 4, in Rynearson Stadium.
Eastern and season-opening opponent Howard University both went through pre-game warmups on Saturday before a series of lightning strikes forced both teams into their respective locker rooms just after 6 p.m.
The teams did not return to the field Saturday as the storm, with lightning and rain present, swept through the area for most of the evening, forcing the postponement of the game until Sunday at noon.
Despite the long wait to get back on the field, the Eagles responded with a strong effort on both sides of the ball to post the 32-point win.
Among the Eagle standouts was senior tailback Dominique Sherrer, who came up with an electrifying 77-yard run from scrimmage to give the Eagles a comfortable 34-9 lead with 14:05 left in the third quarter.
That Sherrer run, the first touchdown of his career, was the second longest for an EMU player in Rynearson Stadium-history and tied for the fifth-best single-rush effort in the EMU rushing record book.
Sherrer finished the game with 120 yards rushing, his first 100-yard game for the Eagles. Sophomore tailback Javonti Greene also rushed for 120 yards, with both backs carrying the ball 14 times each.
Junior quarterback Alex Gillett completed 12-of-21 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Gillett also rushed 13 times for 76 yards, including one touchdown run of 14 yards.
Sophomore place-kicker Kody Fulkerson booted field goals of 31 and 45, along with four PAT kicks.
Howard was led in rushing by Terrence LeFall with 53 yards gained on eight carries. Bison quarterback Greg McGhee completed 15-of-27 passes for 105 yards.
The visitors came up with the game's first score when defensive back Julien David picked off a Gillett pass and rambled 29 yards for a touchdown at the 10:54 mark of the first quarter. The two-point conversion rush attempt by Lanny Kelly failed, giving the Bison a 6-0 lead.
After Eastern's Fulkerson hit a 45-yard field goal to cut the lead to three at the 7:43 mark of the first quarter, Howard came right back to go up 9-3 at the 2:23 mark of the first quarter on a 39-yard field goal by Munoz.
The Eagles then roared back to score 38 unanswered points to finish the game.
Fulkerson's second field goal of the game, a 31-yarder at the 14:56 mark of the second stanza cut the deficit to 9-6, and junior tight end Garrett Hoskins gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, hauling in a 25-yard pass from Gillett with 11:31 left in the second quarter. Fulkerson added the PAT kick for a 13-9 EMU advantage.
Greene scored from one yard out with 1:31 left in the first half, followed by a 14-yard touchdown scamper by Gillett with just 56 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Green and White continued to roll after intermission. Sherrer gave the Eagles a commanding 34-9 lead with 14:05 left in the third quarter when he broke through the right-side of the line for the 77-yard run.
Redshirt sophomore tailback Joe Fleming turned in the first touchdown of his career on a nine-yard pass from Gillett to close out the scoring with 3:16 left in the game.
The Eagles will be home next weekend when they host Alabama State at 1 p.m.
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