Eastern Michigan Athletics
NIU's Second Half Comeback Spurns EMU in Overtime
11/17/2016 12:53:00 AM | Football
The game marks the first overtime contest for EMU since 2013
Postgame Video.
Game Highlights.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team dropped an overtime contest to Northern Illinois University, Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Rynearson Stadium. The Eagles (6-5, 3-4 MAC) raced to a 21-0 lead, but the Huskies (4-7, 4-3 MAC) came back in the second half to ultimately secure the overtime victory, 31-24.
Eastern Michigan's rushing attack proved to be very strong throughout the game, as the squad totaled 291 yards rushing on 56 attempts, good for 5.2 yards per carry. Redshirt sophomore Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich. – Clarkston) had a fantastic game, rushing for a career-best 171 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt junior quarterback Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio – Toledo St. John's Jesuit) surpassed the 5,000 career passing yards milestone, throwing for 184 yards and one touchdown on the day. Eriksen was the top receiver on the day as well with 48 yards, while junior Sergio Bailey II (La Mesa, Calif. – Olympian (Grossmont College)) had 40 yards and one touchdown. Redshirt freshman Paul Fricano (Rochester, N.Y. – Churchville-Chili) finished the day with one field goal, in addition to three PAT's. With those three point after attempts, Fricano tied the EMU record for successful PATs in a single season with 38.
The defensive side of the ball saw redshirt sophomore Kyle Rachwal (Lapeer, Mich. – Lapeer East) lead the way with 11 tackles, in addition to pulling down the second interception of his career. Fellow redshirt sophomore Jeremiah Harris (Lambertville, Mich. – Bedford Senior) also had a solid game, blocking a field goal for the second time in his career. Finally, freshman Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio – Middletown) stuffed the stat sheet with 10 total tackles, including one for loss, while breaking up a pass.
Eastern began the game on offense, picking up two first downs after a clutch third-down catch on the sideline from Bailey for 20 yards. Roback continued his strong start to the game, finding Eriksen for a gain of 20 out of the backfield. On the very next play, Eriksen found a hole in the line and burst through for a 27-yard touchdown. After the PAT, Eastern opened a quick 7-0 lead with 12:26 remaining in the first quarter.
NIU had a solid kick return to the EMU 48, but quickly went three-and-out after a strong series from the Eagle defense. The Huskies then looked like they were going to go for it on fourth down, but punted it away for just 14 yards. Eastern took over at their own 29, notching a quick first down on a screen pass to redshirt freshman Isaac Holder (Tampa, Fla. – Sickles). The Green and White couldn't muster anything on the next three plays, however, and redshirt junior Austin Barnes (Fairview Heights, Ill. – O'Fallon) boomed a 48-yard punt to pin the Huskies at their own 12.
Although the Eagles got NIU into back-to-back third down situations, the Huskies were able to convert on both occasions, and moved across midfield. A penalty against the Green and White gave Northern 15 yards, moving them to the 19. After a loss of five and an incomplete pass, the EMU defense held the Huskies to just a gain of five, bringing up fourth down. NIU elected to attempt a 36-yard field goal, but it was blocked by Harris.
Eastern kept the momentum rolling, nabbing a first down after some shifty running from Eriksen. EMU rode the hot hand on the next play, and Eriksen delivered with a 29-yard rush to push the Eagles to the NIU 40-yard line. Despite being set back five yards by a penalty, sophomore Eddie Daugherty (Mentor, Ohio – Mentor) picked up 11 on the next play to bring up second down and short. The Eagles elected to rush on third down, which proved to be a good decision, as Eriksen rumbled his way for nine yards. After picking up another fresh set of downs, Roback found Bailey in the end zone for the squad's second touchdown of the day. With 1:56 remaining in the first quarter, Eastern held a 14-0 lead over the Huskies.
The defense continued to control the Huskie offense, as NIU went three-and-out once again, with redshirt freshman Clay Holford (Carrollton, Texas – Hebron) notching a big tackle-for-loss to kick off the drive. After the punt, EMU got the ball back yet again at their own 17. Roback kicked off the drive with a quarterback keeper, finding a seam to pick up 19. The first quarter then came to an end with the Eagles remaining ahead, 14-0.
The first play of the second quarter saw junior Antonie Porter (San Francisco, Calif. – Mission (City College of San Francisco)) make a reception before breaking a tackle and picking up 10 yards down the sideline for a first down. Facing second and long, Roback stood strong in the pocket and fired a bullet to redshirt junior Dan Buschman (Brighton, Mich. – Brighton) for a gain of 25, putting EMU back across midfield once again. Roback and Eriksen then combined to rush for 14 yards, but Roback's next pass went off of the receiver's hands and was intercepted by NIU at the 21.
The Huskies were able to pick up a pair of first downs to approach midfield, but then faced third down at the EMU 48. Freshman Kevin McGill (Waldorf, Md. – Westlake) then notched a nice pass breakup on the next play to prevent the Huskies from gaining any more ground. After the punt, Eastern's offense retook the field at the 21. On the second play of the drive, Roback was flushed from the pocket and found Daugherty for a gain of 24, moving the chains to the 45. Facing third down, Roback was pressured in the pocket, escaping down the sideline for a gain of 15 and a fresh set of downs. Eastern was then unable to move the ball any further, and Fricano came on to attempt a 40-yard field goal. His kick went wide, and the Eagles came up empty on the drive.
Three consecutive rushes gave NIU a first down at their own 39, but they then faced third down. Electing to throw, the NIU pass went off the receiver's hands, and Rachwal snatched it out of the air for an interception, giving the Eagles excellent field position at the NIU 33 with 3:48 left in the half. After a pass to the end zone fell incomplete, Roback kept it himself on the ground for a gain of four, which was followed by a NIU penalty for 15 more. The offense continued moving down the field, and notched a first down at the five to bring up first-and-goal. Three plays later, Eriksen bulldozed his way into the endzone for his second touchdown of the day. A successful PAT made the score 21-0 with the Eagles on top, and just 1:12 remained in the first half. The Huskies decided to keep the ball on the ground for their drive, letting the clock run. At the half, EMU held a commanding 21-0 lead over Northern Illinois.
The Huskies began the second half with a bang, as Jordan Huff was able to elude multiple EMU defenders and rumble into the endzone from 60 yards out to put the Huskies on the board. A successful PAT made the score 21-7 with the Eagles still in front. Following the kickoff, Eastern was able to pick up a quick 15 yards after a NIU penalty on the first play of the drive. Like he had done in the first half, Eriksen nabbed another first down on back-to-back rushes. The team approached midfield, but was unable to get anything going and would then punt the ball away. Barnes' punt traveled 33 yards, and Northern would return their offense to the field at the 21.
The NIU ground attack continued, as the Huskies picked up 15 yards on two rushes for a first down. Facing third down, NIU was unable to connect on a short pass, forcing another punt. The punt took a favorable bounce for Northern, and the Eagles would begin their drive from the eight-yard line. EMU couldn't get any momentum on their drive, and would go three-and-out without picking up a first down. Putting out of his own end zone, Barnes booted a 46-yard punt, and a personal foul penalty on NIU would set the Huskies back 15 more yards, ultimately putting Northern at their own 34.
The EMU defense came out strong once again, notching a tackle-for-loss on the first play of the drive, and a near interception on the second. Third down saw NIU only move forward four yards, forcing another punt from the Huskies. Eastern began their drive at the 28, quickly converting on third down after a Roback keeper. Like Northern, EMU couldn't connect on their third down pass and would punt once again.
Northern would strike quickly once again, as the Huskies completed a short pass on second down, which turned into a 74-yard touchdown after a missed tackle. With 5:32 left in the third, EMU still held the lead, 21-14. On the ensuing drive, the Eagle offense could not find a rhythm once again, and Barnes would come on to punt. Northern kept their momentum going, however, rushing 57 yards into the endzone on their first play of the drive. However, the play was overturned, as the NIU ball carrier stepped out of bounds at the 18-yard line. The EMU defense responded well to the tough situation, holding the Huskies and forcing a fourth down field goal attempt. The attempt went through the uprights, and Eastern clung to a slim four-point lead, 21-17, with 2:36 to go in the quarter.
The Green and White got within one-yard of a first down, but were forced to punt it away once again. NIU moved the ball 13 yards in three plays, which ended the third quarter with the Eagles ahead 21-17. The final quarter opened with the Huskies moving to the EMU 27 following a 10-yard pass. On the next play, the Huskies rolled into the endzone after a 27-yard rush, giving the Huskies a 24-21 lead after the PAT.
Needing to respond on the offensive end, the Eagles came out and quickly moved 11 yards on two plays. From there, back-to-back carries by Eriksen gave Eastern another first down, moving the ball to the EMU 45. Roback then rocketed a pass down the field, which fell incomplete, but a pass interference penalty on the Huskies moved EMU across midfield to the 40. Redshirt sophomore Blake Banham (St. Paul, Minn. – Cretin-Derham Hall) then came into the game, rushing three times for 29 yards, putting EMU at the 11. A penalty against the Eagles put them in a hole, and Roback's next pass was intercepted, putting a stop to the Green and White's best drive of the second half.
Facing an early third and long, Eastern was unable to bring down the Northern QB, and he scrambled for 13 and a fresh set of downs. Following another first down, Eastern brought down the NIU ball carrier behind the line for a loss of four. The Huskies weren't able to convert on third down, and would attempt a 46-yard field goal, which hit the bottom upright, keeping the score at 24-21 in favor of Northern Illinois.
Taking over at their own 30, Eastern moved nine yards in two plays, bringing up third and short. Roback was able to sneak through the line, assisted by an offsides call against NIU, giving EMU a first down near midfield. Eriksen kept the drive moving, posting consecutive rushes of six to keep the chains moving. Banham then came in and picked up another first down as the clock continued to tick down near the 3:30 mark. The ground attack continued, as Roback kept the ball himself and ran for seven to the NIU 21. Facing third down, Roback ran the ball once again, picking up a first down at the 10 with less than two minutes to go. EMU moved the ball three yards on the next two plays, setting up a third down from the seven. Roback then attempted a fade pass, which fell incomplete, bringing up fourth down. The EMU field goal unit then came onto the field, and Fricano nailed it to tie the game at 24 with 43 seconds remaining.
A squib kick from senior Brendan Renius (Lambertville, Mich. – Bedford Senior) would give NIU the ball at the 25, and 42 ticks of the clock to work with. On the first play, the NIU QB kept the ball, rushing up the middle for 22 yards. The final play of the quarter was a long strike to the end zone, which fell short, but a penalty against NIU gave them another opportunity following the five-yard loss. NIU elected to just take a knee, bringing up overtime.
Overtime began with the Huskies on offense quickly securing a first down on a 13-yard pass. They then moved the ball eight yards on two rushes, bringing up third and short. Although EMU kept Northern out of the end zone, they did pick up enough for a first down from the one-yard line. Calhoun then came through, bringing down the runner for a loss of one. On the next play, NIU found the end zone, and the PAT made it 31-24.
Needing a touchdown to tie it up, the Green and White used the ground game to pick up eight on two rushes. Banham was then dropped for no gain, bringing up fourth and short to decide the game. Eastern was unable to punch it through, giving the Huskies the overtime victory, 31-24.
The Eagles will close out the regular season next week, Tuesday, Nov. 22, against Central Michigan at home. Kickoff from Rynearson is slated for 7 p.m.
Team Stats

NIU 0, EMU 7
EMU - ERIKSEN, Ian 27 yd run (FRICANO, Paul kick), 8 plays, 82 yards, TOP 2:34

NIU 0, EMU 14
EMU - BAILEY, Sergio 13 yd pass from ROBACK, Brogan (FRICANO, Paul kick) 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:00

NIU 0, EMU 21
EMU - ERIKSEN, Ian 1 yd run (FRICANO, Paul kick), 8 plays, 33 yards, TOP 2:36

NIU 7, EMU 21
NIU - HUFF, Jordan 60 yd run (HAGAN, Christia kick), 1 plays, 60 yards, TOP 0:16

NIU 14, EMU 21
NIU - TURNER, Aregero 74 yd pass from SANTACATERINA D (HAGAN, Christia kick) 2 plays, 78 yards, TOP 0:43

NIU 17, EMU 21
NIU - HAGAN, Christia 33 yd field goal 5 plays, 41 yards, TOP 1:01

NIU 24, EMU 21
NIU - HUFF, Jordan 27 yd run (HAGAN, Christia kick), 7 plays, 55 yards, TOP 2:40

NIU 24, EMU 24
EMU - FRICANO, Paul 24 yd field goal 16 plays, 63 yards, TOP 6:03

NIU 31, EMU 24
NIU - HUFF, Jordan 2 yd run (HAGAN, Christia kick), 6 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00