Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, September 26
Rynearson Stadium
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
1-3 , 0-1
36
vs
58
Army West Point
1-3
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Army
15
14
7
22
58
Eastern Michigan
3
14
13
6
36
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Eagles Downed, 58-36, in High Scoring Affair with Army West Point
9/26/2015 9:50:00 PM | Football
Senior Darius Jackson scored two touchdowns while leading the Eagles' offense
Postgame Press Conference.
Photo Gallery.
Game Hightlights.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team took an early break from Mid-American Conference play, Saturday, Sept. 26, hosting Army West Point in its inaugural "Washtenaw 100" game at The Factory at Rynearson Stadium. The Black Knights' (1-3) early lead proved to be too much to overcome for the Eagles (1-3; 0-1 MAC) as they fell, 58-36. Redshirt sophomore Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio-Toledo St. John's Jesuit) and senior Darius Jackson (Sparta, Ill.-Sparta) led the Eagles offense while senior Great Ibe (Philadelphia, Pa.-Meade) and redshirt junior Mike Brown (Sandusky, Ohio-Sandusky) paced the defense.
Roback finished 28-of-40 with 291 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Jackson led the charge on the ground, totaling 141 yards on 16 carries while adding two touchdowns. It marked the fourth consecutive game Jackson has registered at least two touchdowns, marking the first time since the 1998 season that an EMU player has accomplished the feat.
Defensively, Ibe totaled a team-best 13 tackles, seven solo and six assisted, highlighted by 1.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Brown joined Ibe as the only other Eagle to total double-digit tackles, adding 11, three solo and eight assisted.
Devon Russell (Elkton, Md.-Eastern Christian) opened the game with a 29-yard kickoff return but a three-and-out by the Eagles turned possession over to the Black Knights.
Dropping back on first down, Ahmad Bradshaw looked to pass but the Eagles' defense had another plan in mind. Breaking through the Army offensive line, Ibe and redshirt junior Anthony Zappone (Westlake, Ohio-Westlake) combined for a 3-yard sack of the Black Knights' quarterback. Following an 11-yard pitch, the Eagles' defense swallowed up the attempted rush near the line of scrimmage but the stout defensive effort was negated after an offside call went against the Green and White. The Eagles' penalty turned third down and seven into third and two, and Army took full advantage. Taking the handoff, Joe Walker charged through a hole near the Army sideline before cutting back towards the middle of the field for a 63-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion lifted Army to an 8-0 lead with 11:36 to play in the opening quarter.
Struggling to build momentum offensively, the Eagles were forced to punt on their second drive of the game. Fortunately for the Green and White, a 49-yard punt by redshirt sophomore Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill.-O'Fallon) pinned the Black Knights inside their own 20-yard line. Back-to-back carries gave Army third and short but junior Anthony Brown disrupted the attempted handoff, forcing a fumble. Mike Brown's forced fumble was recovered by Zappone at the Army 21-yard line.
Capitalizing on the turnover, the Eagles sent senior Dylan Mulder (Saline, Mich.-Saline) out for a 38-yard field goal on fourth down. Mulder's kick curled, catching the left upright before bouncing back into the end zone but a false start on the Eagles forced a replay of the down. Pushed back to the Army 43-yard line after the flag, Mulder drilled the field goal to put the Eagles on the board. The field goal marked Mulder's second longest of the season and cut EMU's deficit to five, 8-3.
Army responded on their ensuing drive, riding the triple option to three first downs as they moved down field. Redshirt sophomore Luke Maclean (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc) denied the rush on Army's second down from the red zone but Bradshaw found Edgar Poe at the goal line on the next play, extending Army's lead to 15-3.
Jackson closed out the first quarter with a 10-yard run, giving EMU a first down. Feeding the hot-handed Jackson, the Sparta, Ill. product broke away for a 53-yard run. Jackson's scamper put the Eagles at the Army 2-yard line with first and goal. The Eagles' promising drive came to an abrupt halt on the next play as Jackson fumbled at the goal line. Army pounced on a bouncing ball in the end zone, recovering the fumble, to take over possession.
Like the Eagles, Army capitalized on the turnover as Aaron Kemper sliced through the Eagles' defense for a 58-yard touchdown run, moving the Black Knights' lead to 22-3 with 11:54 left on the clock in the second quarter.
After relying on the run game on their previous drive, the Eagles looked to Roback to lead the comeback effort. Staring out 1-of-5 passing, the Maumee, Ohio native completed 6-of-6 passes to lead the Eagles down field. After Army bottled up Jackson at the line of scrimmage, Roback completed a 23-yard pass to senior Kris Strange (Pickerington, Ohio-Central). Running a corner route, Strange pulled in the pass and stepped over the goal line for Eastern Michigan's first touchdown of the game. Roback's touchdown pass to Strange marked the first passing touchdown against Army this season and pulled EMU within two scores, 22-10.
On the heels of back-to-back stops by the Eagles' defense a well-executed fake punt by Army continued their drive. Standing at the EMU 23-yard line, Army ran the ball on four consecutive downs, punching it in from five-yards out on the final carry.
Trailing 29-10 with 3:27 left in the half, the Green and White fed Jackson on the ground while Roback completed screen passes to senior Dustin Creel (Industry, Pa.-Western Beaver), redshirt freshman Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams), and junior Cody Tuttle (Newbury Park, Calif.-Westlake-Moorpark), to move the ball into Army territory. Facing fourth and two after the Black Knights tackled Jackson for a loss and timeouts by each team, a quarterback keeper by Roback for 7 yards gave EMU a first down from the Army 15-yard line. On the ensuing first down, Roback handed off to Jackson who sliced his way through the Army defense for a 15-yard touchdown. Jackson's touchdown run came with 34 seconds left in the half, allowing the Eagles to head into halftime trailing 29-17.
While the Eagles went into the break with momentum that did not stop Army from coming out strong in the second half. The Black Knights drove down field quickly, but a leaping interception by sophomore Jason Beck (Indianapolis, Ind.-Arsenal Technical) in the end zone, left the Army with an empty possession.
Taking over at their own 20-yard line after the touchback, Roback's pass intended for Creel was picked off by Army, giving the Black Knights the ball right back.
The Black Knights cashed in on the EMU turnover, after backup quarterback A.J. Schurr completed a 49-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Bell.
Beginning their drive from their own 25-yard line, runs by Jackson and Vann moved the chains for the Eagles. Breaking from the run game, Roback dropped back in the pocket on first down just across midfield. With time in the pocket, Roback threw across his body to freshman Eddie Daugherty (Mentor, Ohio-Mentor) for a 45-yard touchdown.
Electing to run the kickoff out of the end zone, the Eagles' special team swarmed the Army return man at the 18-yard line. On the next play, Ibe forced a fumble on the handoff that was scooped up by senior Ray Tillman (Auburn Hills, Mich.-Avondale).
Wasting little time taking advantage of the extra possession, the Eagles handed off to Jackson on first down. With the offensive line winning the battle in the trenches, Jackson cut through a hole before bolting his way 27-yards untouched for his second touchdown of the game with 4:13 to play in the second quarter.
After the Eagles scored two unanswered touchdowns to pull within a touchdown, 36-30, Army responded with a 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Converting the two-point conversion, Army pushed their lead to 44-30.
The EMU offense sputtered on the next possession, moving just 18 yards before punting away to the Black Knights. Starting from their own 20-yard line with 12:14 to play, Army chomped away on the game clock, moving 86 yards over nearly nine minutes before Schurr ran into the end zone on the quarterback keeper. Schurr's touchdown returned the ball to the Eagles with 3:21 left on the clock and a 21-point deficit on the scoreboard.
Despite outscoring Army 13-7 in the third quarter to pull within six, the Eagles' offense was held scoreless for most of the fourth quarter. Vann's touchdown run as time expired, ended the game 58-36 in favor of Army.
Donning red, white, and blue jerseys as part of the "Washtenaw 100" game, the Eagles honored the men and women who serve our country in Saturday night's game. The special uniforms were auctioned off following the game, with proceeds benefiting Washtenaw 100, a 40-year old organization of area business and government leaders whose mission is to support the families of active police officers and fire fighters who serve within Washtenaw County.
Hitting the road for just the second time this season, the Eagles make the trek south to Baton Rouge, La. for a non-conference bout with No. 8 Louisiana State University. The tilt marks EMU's first game against a "power five" team this season. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and will be aired on ESPNU.
Photo Gallery.
Game Hightlights.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team took an early break from Mid-American Conference play, Saturday, Sept. 26, hosting Army West Point in its inaugural "Washtenaw 100" game at The Factory at Rynearson Stadium. The Black Knights' (1-3) early lead proved to be too much to overcome for the Eagles (1-3; 0-1 MAC) as they fell, 58-36. Redshirt sophomore Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio-Toledo St. John's Jesuit) and senior Darius Jackson (Sparta, Ill.-Sparta) led the Eagles offense while senior Great Ibe (Philadelphia, Pa.-Meade) and redshirt junior Mike Brown (Sandusky, Ohio-Sandusky) paced the defense.
Roback finished 28-of-40 with 291 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Jackson led the charge on the ground, totaling 141 yards on 16 carries while adding two touchdowns. It marked the fourth consecutive game Jackson has registered at least two touchdowns, marking the first time since the 1998 season that an EMU player has accomplished the feat.
Defensively, Ibe totaled a team-best 13 tackles, seven solo and six assisted, highlighted by 1.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Brown joined Ibe as the only other Eagle to total double-digit tackles, adding 11, three solo and eight assisted.
Devon Russell (Elkton, Md.-Eastern Christian) opened the game with a 29-yard kickoff return but a three-and-out by the Eagles turned possession over to the Black Knights.
Dropping back on first down, Ahmad Bradshaw looked to pass but the Eagles' defense had another plan in mind. Breaking through the Army offensive line, Ibe and redshirt junior Anthony Zappone (Westlake, Ohio-Westlake) combined for a 3-yard sack of the Black Knights' quarterback. Following an 11-yard pitch, the Eagles' defense swallowed up the attempted rush near the line of scrimmage but the stout defensive effort was negated after an offside call went against the Green and White. The Eagles' penalty turned third down and seven into third and two, and Army took full advantage. Taking the handoff, Joe Walker charged through a hole near the Army sideline before cutting back towards the middle of the field for a 63-yard touchdown run. A two-point conversion lifted Army to an 8-0 lead with 11:36 to play in the opening quarter.
Struggling to build momentum offensively, the Eagles were forced to punt on their second drive of the game. Fortunately for the Green and White, a 49-yard punt by redshirt sophomore Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill.-O'Fallon) pinned the Black Knights inside their own 20-yard line. Back-to-back carries gave Army third and short but junior Anthony Brown disrupted the attempted handoff, forcing a fumble. Mike Brown's forced fumble was recovered by Zappone at the Army 21-yard line.
Capitalizing on the turnover, the Eagles sent senior Dylan Mulder (Saline, Mich.-Saline) out for a 38-yard field goal on fourth down. Mulder's kick curled, catching the left upright before bouncing back into the end zone but a false start on the Eagles forced a replay of the down. Pushed back to the Army 43-yard line after the flag, Mulder drilled the field goal to put the Eagles on the board. The field goal marked Mulder's second longest of the season and cut EMU's deficit to five, 8-3.
Army responded on their ensuing drive, riding the triple option to three first downs as they moved down field. Redshirt sophomore Luke Maclean (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc) denied the rush on Army's second down from the red zone but Bradshaw found Edgar Poe at the goal line on the next play, extending Army's lead to 15-3.
Jackson closed out the first quarter with a 10-yard run, giving EMU a first down. Feeding the hot-handed Jackson, the Sparta, Ill. product broke away for a 53-yard run. Jackson's scamper put the Eagles at the Army 2-yard line with first and goal. The Eagles' promising drive came to an abrupt halt on the next play as Jackson fumbled at the goal line. Army pounced on a bouncing ball in the end zone, recovering the fumble, to take over possession.
Like the Eagles, Army capitalized on the turnover as Aaron Kemper sliced through the Eagles' defense for a 58-yard touchdown run, moving the Black Knights' lead to 22-3 with 11:54 left on the clock in the second quarter.
After relying on the run game on their previous drive, the Eagles looked to Roback to lead the comeback effort. Staring out 1-of-5 passing, the Maumee, Ohio native completed 6-of-6 passes to lead the Eagles down field. After Army bottled up Jackson at the line of scrimmage, Roback completed a 23-yard pass to senior Kris Strange (Pickerington, Ohio-Central). Running a corner route, Strange pulled in the pass and stepped over the goal line for Eastern Michigan's first touchdown of the game. Roback's touchdown pass to Strange marked the first passing touchdown against Army this season and pulled EMU within two scores, 22-10.
On the heels of back-to-back stops by the Eagles' defense a well-executed fake punt by Army continued their drive. Standing at the EMU 23-yard line, Army ran the ball on four consecutive downs, punching it in from five-yards out on the final carry.
Trailing 29-10 with 3:27 left in the half, the Green and White fed Jackson on the ground while Roback completed screen passes to senior Dustin Creel (Industry, Pa.-Western Beaver), redshirt freshman Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams), and junior Cody Tuttle (Newbury Park, Calif.-Westlake-Moorpark), to move the ball into Army territory. Facing fourth and two after the Black Knights tackled Jackson for a loss and timeouts by each team, a quarterback keeper by Roback for 7 yards gave EMU a first down from the Army 15-yard line. On the ensuing first down, Roback handed off to Jackson who sliced his way through the Army defense for a 15-yard touchdown. Jackson's touchdown run came with 34 seconds left in the half, allowing the Eagles to head into halftime trailing 29-17.
While the Eagles went into the break with momentum that did not stop Army from coming out strong in the second half. The Black Knights drove down field quickly, but a leaping interception by sophomore Jason Beck (Indianapolis, Ind.-Arsenal Technical) in the end zone, left the Army with an empty possession.
Taking over at their own 20-yard line after the touchback, Roback's pass intended for Creel was picked off by Army, giving the Black Knights the ball right back.
The Black Knights cashed in on the EMU turnover, after backup quarterback A.J. Schurr completed a 49-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Bell.
Beginning their drive from their own 25-yard line, runs by Jackson and Vann moved the chains for the Eagles. Breaking from the run game, Roback dropped back in the pocket on first down just across midfield. With time in the pocket, Roback threw across his body to freshman Eddie Daugherty (Mentor, Ohio-Mentor) for a 45-yard touchdown.
Electing to run the kickoff out of the end zone, the Eagles' special team swarmed the Army return man at the 18-yard line. On the next play, Ibe forced a fumble on the handoff that was scooped up by senior Ray Tillman (Auburn Hills, Mich.-Avondale).
Wasting little time taking advantage of the extra possession, the Eagles handed off to Jackson on first down. With the offensive line winning the battle in the trenches, Jackson cut through a hole before bolting his way 27-yards untouched for his second touchdown of the game with 4:13 to play in the second quarter.
After the Eagles scored two unanswered touchdowns to pull within a touchdown, 36-30, Army responded with a 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Converting the two-point conversion, Army pushed their lead to 44-30.
The EMU offense sputtered on the next possession, moving just 18 yards before punting away to the Black Knights. Starting from their own 20-yard line with 12:14 to play, Army chomped away on the game clock, moving 86 yards over nearly nine minutes before Schurr ran into the end zone on the quarterback keeper. Schurr's touchdown returned the ball to the Eagles with 3:21 left on the clock and a 21-point deficit on the scoreboard.
Despite outscoring Army 13-7 in the third quarter to pull within six, the Eagles' offense was held scoreless for most of the fourth quarter. Vann's touchdown run as time expired, ended the game 58-36 in favor of Army.
Donning red, white, and blue jerseys as part of the "Washtenaw 100" game, the Eagles honored the men and women who serve our country in Saturday night's game. The special uniforms were auctioned off following the game, with proceeds benefiting Washtenaw 100, a 40-year old organization of area business and government leaders whose mission is to support the families of active police officers and fire fighters who serve within Washtenaw County.
Hitting the road for just the second time this season, the Eagles make the trek south to Baton Rouge, La. for a non-conference bout with No. 8 Louisiana State University. The tilt marks EMU's first game against a "power five" team this season. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (ET) and will be aired on ESPNU.
Team Stats
ARMY
EMU
Total Yards
654
473
Pass Yards
98
280
Rushing Yards
556
193
Penalty Yards
70
77
1st Downs
29
24
3rd Downs
10
3
4th Downs
2
2
TOP
41:18
18:42
1st Quarter
ARMY 8, EMU 0
ARMY - Walker, Joe 63 yd run (Farley, Connor pass), 3 plays, 71 yards, TOP 1:55
ARMY 8, EMU 3
EMU - MULDER, Dylan 43 yd field goal 4 plays, -5 yards, TOP 0:57
ARMY 15, EMU 3
ARMY - Poe, Edgar 10 yd pass from Bradshaw, Ahmad (Grochowski, D. kick) 13 plays, 77 yards, TOP 7:06
2nd Quarter
ARMY 22, EMU 3
ARMY - Kemper, Aaron 56 yd run (Grochowski, D. kick), 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:51
ARMY 22, EMU 10
EMU - STRANGE, Kris 23 yd pass from ROBACK, Brogan (MULDER, Dylan kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:59
ARMY 29, EMU 10
ARMY - Trainor, John 5 yd run (Grochowski, D. kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 5:28
ARMY 29, EMU 17
EMU - JACKSON, Darius 15 yd run (MULDER, Dylan kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:53
3rd Quarter
ARMY 36, EMU 17
ARMY - Schurr, A.J. 1 yd run (Grochowski, D. kick), 7 plays, 53 yards, TOP 3:53
ARMY 36, EMU 23
EMU - DAUGHERTY, E. 45 yd pass from ROBACK, Brogan (ROBACK, Brogan passfailed) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:44
ARMY 36, EMU 30
EMU - JACKSON, Darius 27 yd run (MULDER, Dylan kick), 1 plays, 27 yards, TOP 0:07
4th Quarter
ARMY 44, EMU 30
ARMY - Harris, Drue 10 yd run (Schurr, A.J. rush), 11 plays, 86 yards, TOP 4:11
ARMY 51, EMU 30
ARMY - Schurr, A.J. 8 yd run (Grochowski, D. kick), 14 plays, 86 yards, TOP 8:44
ARMY 58, EMU 30
ARMY - Harris, Drue 27 yd run (Grochowski, D. kick), 1 plays, 27 yards, TOP 0:07
ARMY 58, EMU 36
EMU - VANN, Shaq 2 yd run (), 13 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:55
Game Leaders
CMP
27
TD
2
YDS
280
INT
1
Players Mentioned
P
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DB
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DB
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DL
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WR
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WR
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RB
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DL
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PK
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WR
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DB
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TE
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LB
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