|
 YPSILANTI, Mich. ¬ (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team combined a tenacious defense with some timely offense to record a 14-10 win over a visiting Western Michigan University team Saturday, Oct. 22, in the annual Homecoming game in Rynearson Stadium.
The win not only helped the Eagles get closer to being bowl eligible at 5-3 overall and 3-1 in MAC action, it also gave EMU possession of the Michigan MAC Trophy, which is given to the Michigan MAC university that defeats the other two schools in the same sport in the same regular season. EMU finished the rivalry series 2-0, while WMU was 1-1 and CMU 0-2.
The win also kept the Eagles in the hunt for a MAC championship with four league games remaining.
Eastern, trailing by a 10-7 count in the fourth quarter, grabbed the lead on a 50-yard dash to paydirt by sophomore Javonti Green. Kody Fulkerson added the PAT for a 14-10 EMU lead with 7:46 left.
The Eagles defense then came up with some magic of its own, stuffing a fourth-and-goal WMU attempt on the EMU one-yard line to regain possession of the ball with just 4:56 left in the fourth quarter. The offense kept the ball the rest of the way to preserve the victory.
EMU kept its ground offense rolling again Saturday with 205 yards gained on 50 rushes. The defense, meanwhile, held WMU to just 131 yards rushing on 30 carries. It also produced two key goal-line stops late in the game .
Redshirt junior Dominique Sherrer led the EMU rushing attack with 86 yards on 11 carries. Greene gained 61 yards on 13 carries, including what proved to be the game-winning score on that 50-yard run. Greene also had a 50-yard touchdown reception in the game and junior Dominique White added 30 yards rushing on six carries.
The EMU defense was led by Marlon Pollard, Willie Williams, and Bryan Pali, each recording 10 tackles apiece.
Western, now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the MAC, was led by Tevin Drake with 48 yards on 10 rushes. WMU quarterback Alex Carder completed 24-of-34 passes for 181 yards.
The Eagles had a great chance to get on the board first, moving the ball 75 yards all the way to the WMU five-yard line on their first possession of the game.
Facing a fourth-and-one situation at the EMU five, the Eagles chose to run the ball. However, a missed handoff between Gillett and White resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Western's Demetrius Pettway with 5:54 left in the first quarter.
The EMU defense followed that turnover with some impressive stops, and the offense rallied to post the game's first points at the 11:13 mark of the second quarter. Greene made a fingertip catch on a pass from Gillett and streaked 50 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Fulkerson added the PAT kick for the 7-0 lead.
That Gillett touchdown pass was his longest of the season, topping a 48-yard TD toss against Toledo (Oct. 8). It was also Greene's first career touchdown reception.
Western came out of the locker room at halftime with a scoring drive on its first offensive series. Drake raced 46 yards on a touchdown run at the 12:25 mark and John Potter added the PAT kick to knot the game at 7-7.
Potter gave the Broncos a 10-7 lead with 10:59 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 37-yard field goal.
The Eagles' offense generated a go-ahead score with under eight minutes left when Greene raced 50 yards through the WMU defense to give the home squad a 14-10 lead with 7:46 left after Fulkerson added the PAT.
Western drove to the EMU goal line door step, but the Eastern defense turned stuffed a fourth-and-goal WMU attempt on the EMU one-yard line to regain possession of the ball with just 4:56 left in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles will now have a week off with a bye on Oct. 29. EMU will return to action at Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Nov. 5, when MAC West Division rival Ball State comes to town. Game time is noon.
Western Michigan entertains Ball State this coming Saturday (2 p.m. ET)
|
