Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, October 8
Rynearson Stadium
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4-2 , 1-1
20
vs
35
Toledo
4-1 , 1-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Toledo
0
7
14
14
35
Eastern Michigan
0
3
10
7
20
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Eagles Fall in Tough Home Battle Against Toledo
10/8/2016 7:09:00 PM | Football
The Green and White kept it close for a majority of the game, but Toledo pulled away in the fourth quarter
Postgame Press Conference Video.
Game Highlights.
Photo Gallery.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In front of the 10th largest crowd in Rynearson Stadium history, the Eastern Michigan University football team fell in a tough conference battle against the University of Toledo, Oct. 8, by a final tally of 35-20 on the 96th Homecoming. The Eagles (4-2, 1-1 MAC) kept it close throughout the majority of the game, but the Rockets (4-1, 1-0 MAC) sealed the victory in the final quarter of play by possessing the ball for more than 12 minutes.
As a team, Eastern got most of their offensive production through the passing game, finishing with 255 yards and one touchdown through the air. In total, EMU notched 317 yards on offense with an average of 5.5 yards per play. The Green and White were also solid in the red zone, scoring on all three of their trips.
On the offensive side of the ball, redshirt junior Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio – Toledo St. John's Jesuit) led the EMU attack, throwing for 255 yards and one touchdown. Three different receivers posted at least four receptions on the day, with junior Sergio Bailey II (La Mesa, Calif. – Olympian (Grossmont College)) leading the way with five catches for a career-best 89 yards. Sophomore Eddie Daugherty (Mentor, Ohio – Mentor) had a nice game as well, catching four passes for a season-high 74 yards. Finally, junior Antoine Porter (San Francisco, Calif. – Mission (City College of San Francisco)) posted 50 receiving yards, as well as one touchdown. Redshirt freshman Breck Turner (Norwalk, Ohio – Norwalk) paced the squad on the ground, picking up his third rushing touchdown of the year.
Redshirt senior Ike Spearman (Saint John, Ind. – Lake Central) and redshirt sophomore Kyle Rachwal (Lapeer, Mich. – Lapeer East) led the EMU on defense, tallying 11 total tackles apiece. Sophomore Kwanii Figueroa (Fair Lawn, N.J. – Paramus Catholic) had a solid game as well, notching a sack in the first quarter. It was just the third sack allowed by the Rockets this season. Finally, freshman Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio – Middletown) notched eight tackles and a pass breakup, with five of the stops and the breakup coming in the first drive of the game.
The Eagles won the coin toss to start the game, and elected to defer to the second half. Toledo began the game on the ground, picking up a pair of first downs and getting to midfield within the first few minutes of play. The trend continued, as the Rockets approached the red zone around the 10-minute mark. On a third-and-five, Toledo rifled a pass towards the end zone, which was broken up by Calhoun. Electing to go for it on fourth, Calhoun came up with a big stop near the marker to give the ball to the Green and White.
Eastern began their drive at the 15, but were unable to get anything going. Forced to punt, redshirt junior Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill. – O'Fallon) pinned Toledo within their own 30. After a penalty, the Rockets quickly passed midfield. Redshirt freshman Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas – Colleyville Heritage) came up with a big play to force a loss of three yards, making in 3rd-and-14, after which Figueroa picked up a sack to bring up fourth down. After a touchback, the Eagles got the ball back for their second drive with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
Roback notched his first completion of the game to begin the drive, with redshirt freshman Nigel Kilby (Fort Wayne, Ind. – Northrop) picking up 14 over the middle. A few plays later, Roback fired another pass to A. Porter for a gain of 15. Unfortunately, the drive stalled at midfield, and Barnes was forced to punt again. The first quarter ended shortly after with both teams even at zero apiece.
The second quarter began with Toledo using the ground game yet again. The Eagles held strong, forcing a third-and-eight at midfield. A false start on the Rockets made it 3rd-and-13, and Toledo was unable to pick up the first down shortly after. After a touchback, the Eagles had another opportunity on offense. Unfortunately, they were unable to muster anything, going three-and-out.
A penalty against the Eagles on the punt gave Toledo solid field position to begin their drive, as they started at the EMU 46. The Rockets picked up consecutive first downs, getting to the 17 with 8:30 left in the half. On the next play, Toledo found the end zone on a long pass to go ahead 7-0 after the PAT.
After a penalty on the kickoff, Eastern began at their own nine. A nice sweep for Bailey II gave EMU some breathing room, moving the ball to the 22. On third down, Roback threw a pass towards the sideline, but the receiver was unable to get his feet down in-bounds. Eastern then punted the ball away with 5:35 left to play in the half.
During the punt, a Toledo penalty moved the Rockets back to the 34, but they promptly moved to midfield on a 16-yard rush. The EMU defense then came up clutch again, knocking down the Toledo running back in the back field for a loss of two on third down. Toledo elected to punt the ball away, and the Eagles fair caught the ball at the 12. Once again, the offense was unable to get moving, as another three-and-out forced EMU to punt. Fortunately for the Eagles, Barnes boomed a long punt, and the Rockets would begin their drive from the 20.
The defense got off to a good start on the drive, as senior DaQuan Pace (Detroit, Mich. – Cass Tech) forced a three-yard loss on a screen pass. After nearly notching a pick on third down, the Green and White forced a three-and-out for the Rockets. Punting with 49 seconds remaining in the half, the Eagles would have one final opportunity to put some points on the board before heading to the locker room.
The EMU drive began with a bang, as Roback floated a long pass to Bailey II, who came down with it and was within inches of breaking away for a touchdown. Despite being tackled by his shoestrings, Bailey II got the Eagles into the red zone. The Green and White followed up with three consecutive shots to the end zone, narrowly missing on all three. Eastern then brought out the field goal unit, and redshirt freshman Paul Fricano (Rochester, N.Y. – Churchville-Chili) converted the 34-yarder to make the score 7-3 with eight ticks left in the half. Toledo would elect to kneel out the half, and the two squads went to their locker rooms with score at 7-3 in favor of the Rockets.
Eastern received the ball to begin the second half, with their drive kicking off at the 22. The Eagles promptly picked up a first down after a pair of solid rushes from redshirt sophomore Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich. – Clarkston), after which Turner broke through for a gain of 18 on a screen pass. Turner kept the momentum going, using his vision to spot a gap in the line and gain five yards to pick up another first. The drive continued, as Roback completed a short pass to A. Porter for another fresh set of downs. The Eagles eventually stalled at the Toledo 26, and brought out the field goal unit. Fricano nailed the 44-yard field goal, which was his second of the game, and Eastern trailed Toledo by just one, 7-6, with 10:11 remaining in the third quarter.
The Rockets quickly got on the scoreboard on the ensuing drive, as a receiver snuck behind the defensive backs and found the end zone on a 63-yard pass. Toledo jumped to a 14-6 lead with 9:16 left in the quarter. On the kickoff, both returners bumped into one another while attempting to catch the kick, and the ball fell to the ground with Toledo recovering it at the EMU 16. The Rockets found the end zone again three plays later, notching their second touchdown within the previous minute. After the PAT, Toledo built their lead to 21-6.
The Eagles began their drive from the 28, and Daugherty found an open area in the defensive backfield to pick up 22 and get to midfield. From there, Turner rushed for five, after which a facemask penalty on Toledo brought the Eagles to the Rockets 25. Bailey then caught a tough ball in traffic to bring EMU to the three. Eastern then notched their first touchdown of the day on an outside rush from Turner. After the PAT from Fricano, Eastern cut the Toledo lead to 21-13 with 6:01 to go in the third quarter.
Eastern's defense came out strong again on the next Toledo drive, forcing a quick three-and-out after the Rockets' third down pass fell short. After the punt, the Eagles got the ball back at the 31. A personal foul penalty on the Green and White forced EMU to begin with a 1st-and-24. A pair of short passes made the third down distance manageable, but pressure on third down forced Roback's pass short. Barnes then came on and boomed a long punt, but Toledo had a nice return and brought it back to the EMU 38.
Fortunately for EMU, a personal foul penalty on the return negated the big yardage, and Toledo began their drive from their own 14. After picking up a first down, Eastern made it third-and-six following a failed long pass. From there, a false start penalty brought the ball back even further. However, Toledo managed to convert on a 13-yard pass. The third quarter then concluded, with the Rockets still ahead, 21-13.
The Rockets picked back up with another first down, as the receiver barely crossed the plane to pick up a fresh set of downs. A Toledo receiver then found a gap in the defense, picking up 23 and bringing the Rockets to the EMU 28. After rushing for another first down, redshirt senior Pat O'Connor (Chicago, Ill. – Saint Rita) nabbed a tackle behind the line for a loss of one. However, Toledo responded with a touchdown pass two plays later, increasing their lead to 28-13 with 10:52 remaining.
Eastern began their drive with a sweep from Bailey II, who turned on the jets and picked up a first down after a gain of 10. Bailey II was featured in the next play as well, notching eight on a curl route. Daugherty then caught a nice pass for 17, fighting for every yard and refusing to go down. The drive continued with Roback sitting patiently in the pocket and finding Daugherty again for 18. Daugherty continued finding success on the next play, coming down with a tough catch on a corner route to pick up another 17 yards and bring EMU to the five. The drive was then capped off by Roback finding A. Porter in the end zone for an EMU touchdown. With 8:43 remaining in the game, Eastern trailed by eight, 28-20.
Toledo then had trouble handling the kickoff, and Eastern tackled the returner at the 17. The Rockets responded by promptly picking up a first down after a 12-yard pass, after which they nabbed another on an 11-yard pass. Pace then put a stop to the Toledo momentum, dropping the Rockets receiver for a loss of one. However, Toledo's running back then bulldozed his way for a gain of 12 for a fresh set of downs. The defense then forced a third-and-three, but the Rockets converted for another first on a short pass. The long Toledo drive continued with the Rockets rushing their way ahead to the 16. With 2:43 left in the game, the Eagles forced a third-and-six, but Toledo completed a corner pass for another touchdown. The Rockets jumped to a 35-20 lead with just 2:37 remaining in the game.
Eastern began their drive with a quick first down, as Roback scrambled for a gain of four and A. Porter caught a short pass for 14. Roback's next pass was tipped and intercepted at the Toledo 34. Toledo then began to bleed the clock, as the Rockets rushed the ball on three consecutive plays. The clock then reached zero, and Toledo walked away with a 35-20 victory over the Eagles.
The Green and White continue their 2016 season next weekend, heading south for a matchup with Ohio University. Kickoff from Peden Stadium is slated for 2 p.m., and the game can be followed on ESPN3.
Game Highlights.
Photo Gallery.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In front of the 10th largest crowd in Rynearson Stadium history, the Eastern Michigan University football team fell in a tough conference battle against the University of Toledo, Oct. 8, by a final tally of 35-20 on the 96th Homecoming. The Eagles (4-2, 1-1 MAC) kept it close throughout the majority of the game, but the Rockets (4-1, 1-0 MAC) sealed the victory in the final quarter of play by possessing the ball for more than 12 minutes.
As a team, Eastern got most of their offensive production through the passing game, finishing with 255 yards and one touchdown through the air. In total, EMU notched 317 yards on offense with an average of 5.5 yards per play. The Green and White were also solid in the red zone, scoring on all three of their trips.
On the offensive side of the ball, redshirt junior Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio – Toledo St. John's Jesuit) led the EMU attack, throwing for 255 yards and one touchdown. Three different receivers posted at least four receptions on the day, with junior Sergio Bailey II (La Mesa, Calif. – Olympian (Grossmont College)) leading the way with five catches for a career-best 89 yards. Sophomore Eddie Daugherty (Mentor, Ohio – Mentor) had a nice game as well, catching four passes for a season-high 74 yards. Finally, junior Antoine Porter (San Francisco, Calif. – Mission (City College of San Francisco)) posted 50 receiving yards, as well as one touchdown. Redshirt freshman Breck Turner (Norwalk, Ohio – Norwalk) paced the squad on the ground, picking up his third rushing touchdown of the year.
Redshirt senior Ike Spearman (Saint John, Ind. – Lake Central) and redshirt sophomore Kyle Rachwal (Lapeer, Mich. – Lapeer East) led the EMU on defense, tallying 11 total tackles apiece. Sophomore Kwanii Figueroa (Fair Lawn, N.J. – Paramus Catholic) had a solid game as well, notching a sack in the first quarter. It was just the third sack allowed by the Rockets this season. Finally, freshman Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio – Middletown) notched eight tackles and a pass breakup, with five of the stops and the breakup coming in the first drive of the game.
The Eagles won the coin toss to start the game, and elected to defer to the second half. Toledo began the game on the ground, picking up a pair of first downs and getting to midfield within the first few minutes of play. The trend continued, as the Rockets approached the red zone around the 10-minute mark. On a third-and-five, Toledo rifled a pass towards the end zone, which was broken up by Calhoun. Electing to go for it on fourth, Calhoun came up with a big stop near the marker to give the ball to the Green and White.
Eastern began their drive at the 15, but were unable to get anything going. Forced to punt, redshirt junior Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill. – O'Fallon) pinned Toledo within their own 30. After a penalty, the Rockets quickly passed midfield. Redshirt freshman Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas – Colleyville Heritage) came up with a big play to force a loss of three yards, making in 3rd-and-14, after which Figueroa picked up a sack to bring up fourth down. After a touchback, the Eagles got the ball back for their second drive with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
Roback notched his first completion of the game to begin the drive, with redshirt freshman Nigel Kilby (Fort Wayne, Ind. – Northrop) picking up 14 over the middle. A few plays later, Roback fired another pass to A. Porter for a gain of 15. Unfortunately, the drive stalled at midfield, and Barnes was forced to punt again. The first quarter ended shortly after with both teams even at zero apiece.
The second quarter began with Toledo using the ground game yet again. The Eagles held strong, forcing a third-and-eight at midfield. A false start on the Rockets made it 3rd-and-13, and Toledo was unable to pick up the first down shortly after. After a touchback, the Eagles had another opportunity on offense. Unfortunately, they were unable to muster anything, going three-and-out.
A penalty against the Eagles on the punt gave Toledo solid field position to begin their drive, as they started at the EMU 46. The Rockets picked up consecutive first downs, getting to the 17 with 8:30 left in the half. On the next play, Toledo found the end zone on a long pass to go ahead 7-0 after the PAT.
After a penalty on the kickoff, Eastern began at their own nine. A nice sweep for Bailey II gave EMU some breathing room, moving the ball to the 22. On third down, Roback threw a pass towards the sideline, but the receiver was unable to get his feet down in-bounds. Eastern then punted the ball away with 5:35 left to play in the half.
During the punt, a Toledo penalty moved the Rockets back to the 34, but they promptly moved to midfield on a 16-yard rush. The EMU defense then came up clutch again, knocking down the Toledo running back in the back field for a loss of two on third down. Toledo elected to punt the ball away, and the Eagles fair caught the ball at the 12. Once again, the offense was unable to get moving, as another three-and-out forced EMU to punt. Fortunately for the Eagles, Barnes boomed a long punt, and the Rockets would begin their drive from the 20.
The defense got off to a good start on the drive, as senior DaQuan Pace (Detroit, Mich. – Cass Tech) forced a three-yard loss on a screen pass. After nearly notching a pick on third down, the Green and White forced a three-and-out for the Rockets. Punting with 49 seconds remaining in the half, the Eagles would have one final opportunity to put some points on the board before heading to the locker room.
The EMU drive began with a bang, as Roback floated a long pass to Bailey II, who came down with it and was within inches of breaking away for a touchdown. Despite being tackled by his shoestrings, Bailey II got the Eagles into the red zone. The Green and White followed up with three consecutive shots to the end zone, narrowly missing on all three. Eastern then brought out the field goal unit, and redshirt freshman Paul Fricano (Rochester, N.Y. – Churchville-Chili) converted the 34-yarder to make the score 7-3 with eight ticks left in the half. Toledo would elect to kneel out the half, and the two squads went to their locker rooms with score at 7-3 in favor of the Rockets.
Eastern received the ball to begin the second half, with their drive kicking off at the 22. The Eagles promptly picked up a first down after a pair of solid rushes from redshirt sophomore Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich. – Clarkston), after which Turner broke through for a gain of 18 on a screen pass. Turner kept the momentum going, using his vision to spot a gap in the line and gain five yards to pick up another first. The drive continued, as Roback completed a short pass to A. Porter for another fresh set of downs. The Eagles eventually stalled at the Toledo 26, and brought out the field goal unit. Fricano nailed the 44-yard field goal, which was his second of the game, and Eastern trailed Toledo by just one, 7-6, with 10:11 remaining in the third quarter.
The Rockets quickly got on the scoreboard on the ensuing drive, as a receiver snuck behind the defensive backs and found the end zone on a 63-yard pass. Toledo jumped to a 14-6 lead with 9:16 left in the quarter. On the kickoff, both returners bumped into one another while attempting to catch the kick, and the ball fell to the ground with Toledo recovering it at the EMU 16. The Rockets found the end zone again three plays later, notching their second touchdown within the previous minute. After the PAT, Toledo built their lead to 21-6.
The Eagles began their drive from the 28, and Daugherty found an open area in the defensive backfield to pick up 22 and get to midfield. From there, Turner rushed for five, after which a facemask penalty on Toledo brought the Eagles to the Rockets 25. Bailey then caught a tough ball in traffic to bring EMU to the three. Eastern then notched their first touchdown of the day on an outside rush from Turner. After the PAT from Fricano, Eastern cut the Toledo lead to 21-13 with 6:01 to go in the third quarter.
Eastern's defense came out strong again on the next Toledo drive, forcing a quick three-and-out after the Rockets' third down pass fell short. After the punt, the Eagles got the ball back at the 31. A personal foul penalty on the Green and White forced EMU to begin with a 1st-and-24. A pair of short passes made the third down distance manageable, but pressure on third down forced Roback's pass short. Barnes then came on and boomed a long punt, but Toledo had a nice return and brought it back to the EMU 38.
Fortunately for EMU, a personal foul penalty on the return negated the big yardage, and Toledo began their drive from their own 14. After picking up a first down, Eastern made it third-and-six following a failed long pass. From there, a false start penalty brought the ball back even further. However, Toledo managed to convert on a 13-yard pass. The third quarter then concluded, with the Rockets still ahead, 21-13.
The Rockets picked back up with another first down, as the receiver barely crossed the plane to pick up a fresh set of downs. A Toledo receiver then found a gap in the defense, picking up 23 and bringing the Rockets to the EMU 28. After rushing for another first down, redshirt senior Pat O'Connor (Chicago, Ill. – Saint Rita) nabbed a tackle behind the line for a loss of one. However, Toledo responded with a touchdown pass two plays later, increasing their lead to 28-13 with 10:52 remaining.
Eastern began their drive with a sweep from Bailey II, who turned on the jets and picked up a first down after a gain of 10. Bailey II was featured in the next play as well, notching eight on a curl route. Daugherty then caught a nice pass for 17, fighting for every yard and refusing to go down. The drive continued with Roback sitting patiently in the pocket and finding Daugherty again for 18. Daugherty continued finding success on the next play, coming down with a tough catch on a corner route to pick up another 17 yards and bring EMU to the five. The drive was then capped off by Roback finding A. Porter in the end zone for an EMU touchdown. With 8:43 remaining in the game, Eastern trailed by eight, 28-20.
Toledo then had trouble handling the kickoff, and Eastern tackled the returner at the 17. The Rockets responded by promptly picking up a first down after a 12-yard pass, after which they nabbed another on an 11-yard pass. Pace then put a stop to the Toledo momentum, dropping the Rockets receiver for a loss of one. However, Toledo's running back then bulldozed his way for a gain of 12 for a fresh set of downs. The defense then forced a third-and-three, but the Rockets converted for another first on a short pass. The long Toledo drive continued with the Rockets rushing their way ahead to the 16. With 2:43 left in the game, the Eagles forced a third-and-six, but Toledo completed a corner pass for another touchdown. The Rockets jumped to a 35-20 lead with just 2:37 remaining in the game.
Eastern began their drive with a quick first down, as Roback scrambled for a gain of four and A. Porter caught a short pass for 14. Roback's next pass was tipped and intercepted at the Toledo 34. Toledo then began to bleed the clock, as the Rockets rushed the ball on three consecutive plays. The clock then reached zero, and Toledo walked away with a 35-20 victory over the Eagles.
The Green and White continue their 2016 season next weekend, heading south for a matchup with Ohio University. Kickoff from Peden Stadium is slated for 2 p.m., and the game can be followed on ESPN3.
Team Stats
TOLEDO
EMU
Total Yards
467
317
Pass Yards
247
255
Rushing Yards
220
62
Penalty Yards
60
51
1st Downs
30
16
3rd Downs
11
2
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
37:12
22:48
2nd Quarter
TOLEDO 7, EMU 0
TOLEDO - JOHNSON,Jon'Vea 17 yd pass from WOODSIDE, Logan (VEST, Jameson kick) 5 plays, 46 yards, TOP 2:08
TOLEDO 7, EMU 3
EMU - FRICANO, Paul 34 yd field goal 5 plays, 44 yards, TOP 0:34
3rd Quarter
TOLEDO 7, EMU 6
EMU - FRICANO, Paul 44 yd field goal 13 plays, 52 yards, TOP 4:43
TOLEDO 14, EMU 6
TOLEDO - THOMPSON, Cody 63 yd pass from WOODSIDE, Logan (VEST, Jameson kick) 2 plays, 72 yards, TOP 0:51
TOLEDO 21, EMU 6
TOLEDO - HUNT, Kareem 2 yd run (VEST, Jameson kick), 3 plays, 16 yards, TOP 0:49
TOLEDO 21, EMU 13
EMU - TURNER, Breck 3 yd run (FRICANO, Paul kick), 7 plays, 72 yards, TOP 2:18
4th Quarter
TOLEDO 28, EMU 13
TOLEDO - ROBERTS, M. 15 yd pass from WOODSIDE, Logan (VEST, Jameson kick) 13 plays, 86 yards, TOP 6:09
TOLEDO 28, EMU 20
EMU - PORTER, Antoine 5 yd pass from ROBACK, Brogan (FRICANO, Paul kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:09
TOLEDO 35, EMU 20
TOLEDO - JONES, Corey 12 yd pass from WOODSIDE, Logan (VEST, Jameson kick) 14 plays, 83 yards, TOP 6:01
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
20
TD
1
YDS
255
INT
1
Players Mentioned
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DL
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TE
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