Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, November 8
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
8 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
3-7 , 1-5
30
at
42
Central Michigan
6-4 , 4-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Eastern Michigan
7
10
0
13
30
Central Michigan
14
14
7
7
42
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Andrew Mascharka
Turnovers Too Much to Overcome in Loss at CMU
11/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
Five CMU interceptions proved to be the difference, including one to seal the game
Photo Gallery.
Postgame Audio.
Game Highlights
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team battled until the end, but ultimately came up short in a crushing 42-30 defeat to Central Michigan University Wednesday night, Nov. 8, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Five CMU (6-4, 4-2 MAC) interceptions proved to be the difference, including one to seal the game with Eastern (3-7, 1-5 MAC) down five points with one minute to play.
As a team, EMU was only out-gained by four yards, 332-328, including out-passing, 204-155, while also picking up 22 first downs to CMU's 12. In the end, the five turnovers to EMU's one proved to be too much to overcome, even after holding the Chippewas to only one first down and 32 total yards in the second half. The EMU defense forced six three-and-outs against CMU following the break, while the offense cranked out 209 yards to nearly complete the comeback effort.
Redshirt senior Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio-Toledo St John's Jesuit) had a pair of touchdown passes on the day to get to 54 for his career, and surpass E-Club Hall of Famer Charlie Batch for the all-time school record. Total for the game, Roback finished 23-of-39 for 204 yards.
Roback's historic touchdown passes were completed to redshirt senior Johnnie Niupalau (San Mateo, Calif.-San Mateo (College of San Mateo)) to tie, and then to sophomore Mathew Sexton (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton) to break it. Sexton ended the day as EMU's leading receiver, with four catches for 51 yards. On the ground, juniors Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams) and Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) both had productive days, finishing with 14 carries each. Eriksen finished with 52, while Vann had a team-high 71 and a score.
Defensively, sophomore Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas-Colleyville Heritage) was a man possessed, finishing with a career-high three sacks, including one that was a strip sack returned for a touchdown. He now has 9.5 for his young EMU career. Senior Jason Beck (Indianapolis, Ind.-Arsenal Technical) and sophomore Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater) finished as the co-leading tacklers with eight each, while junior Jeremiah Harris (Temperance, Mich.-Bedford Senior) chipped in the 11th sack of his career to go along with six stops.
The game could not have started any better for the Eagles, as from the first play from scrimmage, Crosby came around the edge for a strip sack, and then scooped up the loose ball, and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown. It was the second time EMU has forced a strip sack on the first play of a game this season, doing so against Kentucky, Sept. 30. It was also the first fumble returned for a score for EMU since 2013.
CMU got a couple of first downs coming back after the miscue, but another Crosby sack halted the drive, forcing a punt for EMU's first offensive possession of the game. Eastern's first play from scrimmage was a turnover as well, as CMU picked off the pass to set themselves up at Eastern's 11. The defense for EMU remained stout, forcing a fourth and one from the six. On fourth down, the line got an excellent push, stopping the Chippewa back for no gain, and turning the ball over on downs.
Following a three-and-out from Eastern, CMU struck back with a touchdown five plays later. A 43-yard strike got them into the red zone, and two plays later, a four-yard TD pass tied the game at seven with 4:45 left in the first quarter.
After another three-and-out from the Eagles, Central got another chunk play, but this time it went for points. A 79-yard run, the longest offensive play given up by EMU's defense this season, gave CMU their second touchdown in just over a minute, and a 14-7 lead.
The Eagles got their first bit of offensive momentum on their third drive, which spanned from the first quarter into the second. Vann got things started with four rushes for 20 yards to get near midfield. An 11-yard pass to junior Blake Banham (St. Paul, Minn.-Cretin-Derham Hall) ended the quarter with Eastern in CMU territory for the first time.
Back-to-back incomplete passes put Eastern into a third down, but Roback found senior Jaron Johnson (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Rancho Verde (Mt. San Jacinto College)) for 11 yards to move the chains. A 10-yard rush from Eriksen gave EMU their third first down of the drive, but from there the drive stalled after two incompletions in the end zone, forcing a field goal. Sophomore Paulie Fricano (Rochester, N.Y.-Churchville Chili) was good from 38 yards to make it 14-10 early in the second.
CMU's offense kept ticking on the ensuing drive, as they scored their third consecutive touchdown, this time on a nine-play, 73-yard drive to extend their lead to 21-10 with nine minutes until the half. The Chippewas notched their second INT on the following Eagle drive, taking over at Eastern's 47. Seven plays later, CMU had their fourth straight score to give them an 18-point lead, 28-10.
Needing some momentum before the half, Eastern got it in the form of a commanding eight-play, 75-yard drive that was aided by a couple of CMU penalties. Getting things started, Roback completed a six-yard pass to Eriksen, and was roughed on the play, to place the ball near midfield. A short pass to Sexton, and rushes from Banham and Eriksen got another fresh set of downs in CMU territory. After two negative plays, EMU faced third and 11. A pass fell incomplete, but a holding penalty kept the drive alive.
Eastern capitalized on the penalty, as the Eagles rode the legs of Vann to score two plays later on a 22-yard rush. His third score of the season, and 11th of his career, gave Eastern a crucial touchdown right before the half. CMU went on to run out the clock, keeping it 28-17 into the break.
Central's ball hawking defense picked up right they left off to start the second half, intercepting the ball for the third time on the first play of the half to give them possession back right away. The Eagles' defense made sure CMU did not capitalize off the turnover, as a 14-yard Crosby sack highlighted a three-and-out to give the ball back to Eastern.
The Eagles' passing woes continued on the next drive, as CMU notched its fourth pick of the game on the third play, returning it to EMU's three yard line. One play later, Central punched it on to extend the lead back to 18 with just over 11 minutes left in the third.
Both teams traded possessions for the first time all night, taking four minutes off the clock and setting up Eastern at their own 20. They got some offensive life, getting down to 32, but that's where the drive stalled, and EMU turned the ball over on downs. Eastern's defense kept plugging away, forcing another three-and-out, including a sack from Harris, to keep the score stagnant at the end of three quarters.
EMU got a pair of first downs on the first drive of the fourth quarter, but CMU's defense held them in check before they could cross midfield, forcing a punt. EMU countered with a three-and-out, keeping them within striking distance with 10 and a half to play.
Starting at their own 45, a pass interference penalty moved the ball into CMU territory, and two passes later, EMU was at the CMU 29. Facing immense pressure in his face, Roback rolled out and found a wide open Niupalau in the end zone for the 29-yard score. The passing TD tied Roback with Batch for the all-time school record, and made the score 35-24 with nine and a half to go.
The defense continued to stymie the Chippewa offense, getting a fourth-straight three-and-out, and fifth of the half, to force a punt, which was shanked, giving EMU the ball at the CMU 49. They made the most of the short field, as four plays later, Roback broke the school passing TD record with an 18-yard strike to Sexton. The two-point conversion failed, keeping it 35-30 with over seven minutes still to play.
While the defense's three-and-out streak was snapped, they only gave up one, and forced a punt after three minutes to give the Eagles a chance to complete the comeback with four and a half to play. The Eagles moved the ball a little, but ultimately had to settle for a punt of their own, giving Central the ball with 1:40 to play and all three timeouts.
EMU got the job done, stopping the CMU rushing attack on three-straight runs, giving them a shot with a minute to go. On the second play, the game ended how it had gone all day, with a CMU interception, returned the other way to seal the 42-30 defeat.
EMU remains on the road next Wednesday, Nov. 15, for a weeknight game in Oxford, Ohio against Miami University. Kickoff against the RedHawks is set for 7 or 8 p.m.
Postgame Audio.
Game Highlights
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team battled until the end, but ultimately came up short in a crushing 42-30 defeat to Central Michigan University Wednesday night, Nov. 8, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Five CMU (6-4, 4-2 MAC) interceptions proved to be the difference, including one to seal the game with Eastern (3-7, 1-5 MAC) down five points with one minute to play.
As a team, EMU was only out-gained by four yards, 332-328, including out-passing, 204-155, while also picking up 22 first downs to CMU's 12. In the end, the five turnovers to EMU's one proved to be too much to overcome, even after holding the Chippewas to only one first down and 32 total yards in the second half. The EMU defense forced six three-and-outs against CMU following the break, while the offense cranked out 209 yards to nearly complete the comeback effort.
Redshirt senior Brogan Roback (Maumee, Ohio-Toledo St John's Jesuit) had a pair of touchdown passes on the day to get to 54 for his career, and surpass E-Club Hall of Famer Charlie Batch for the all-time school record. Total for the game, Roback finished 23-of-39 for 204 yards.
??MILESTONE UPDATE ??
— EMU Football (@EMUFB) November 9, 2017
With a touchdown pass to Mathew Sexton, @broganroback11 has broken the EMU record for career passing TD's with 54. The record was previously held by @CharlieBatch16 #FR4REAL #EMUEagles #MACtion pic.twitter.com/l0IGOAbpWJ
Roback's historic touchdown passes were completed to redshirt senior Johnnie Niupalau (San Mateo, Calif.-San Mateo (College of San Mateo)) to tie, and then to sophomore Mathew Sexton (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton) to break it. Sexton ended the day as EMU's leading receiver, with four catches for 51 yards. On the ground, juniors Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams) and Ian Eriksen (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) both had productive days, finishing with 14 carries each. Eriksen finished with 52, while Vann had a team-high 71 and a score.
Defensively, sophomore Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas-Colleyville Heritage) was a man possessed, finishing with a career-high three sacks, including one that was a strip sack returned for a touchdown. He now has 9.5 for his young EMU career. Senior Jason Beck (Indianapolis, Ind.-Arsenal Technical) and sophomore Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater) finished as the co-leading tacklers with eight each, while junior Jeremiah Harris (Temperance, Mich.-Bedford Senior) chipped in the 11th sack of his career to go along with six stops.
The game could not have started any better for the Eagles, as from the first play from scrimmage, Crosby came around the edge for a strip sack, and then scooped up the loose ball, and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown. It was the second time EMU has forced a strip sack on the first play of a game this season, doing so against Kentucky, Sept. 30. It was also the first fumble returned for a score for EMU since 2013.
CMU got a couple of first downs coming back after the miscue, but another Crosby sack halted the drive, forcing a punt for EMU's first offensive possession of the game. Eastern's first play from scrimmage was a turnover as well, as CMU picked off the pass to set themselves up at Eastern's 11. The defense for EMU remained stout, forcing a fourth and one from the six. On fourth down, the line got an excellent push, stopping the Chippewa back for no gain, and turning the ball over on downs.
Following a three-and-out from Eastern, CMU struck back with a touchdown five plays later. A 43-yard strike got them into the red zone, and two plays later, a four-yard TD pass tied the game at seven with 4:45 left in the first quarter.
After another three-and-out from the Eagles, Central got another chunk play, but this time it went for points. A 79-yard run, the longest offensive play given up by EMU's defense this season, gave CMU their second touchdown in just over a minute, and a 14-7 lead.
The Eagles got their first bit of offensive momentum on their third drive, which spanned from the first quarter into the second. Vann got things started with four rushes for 20 yards to get near midfield. An 11-yard pass to junior Blake Banham (St. Paul, Minn.-Cretin-Derham Hall) ended the quarter with Eastern in CMU territory for the first time.
Back-to-back incomplete passes put Eastern into a third down, but Roback found senior Jaron Johnson (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Rancho Verde (Mt. San Jacinto College)) for 11 yards to move the chains. A 10-yard rush from Eriksen gave EMU their third first down of the drive, but from there the drive stalled after two incompletions in the end zone, forcing a field goal. Sophomore Paulie Fricano (Rochester, N.Y.-Churchville Chili) was good from 38 yards to make it 14-10 early in the second.
CMU's offense kept ticking on the ensuing drive, as they scored their third consecutive touchdown, this time on a nine-play, 73-yard drive to extend their lead to 21-10 with nine minutes until the half. The Chippewas notched their second INT on the following Eagle drive, taking over at Eastern's 47. Seven plays later, CMU had their fourth straight score to give them an 18-point lead, 28-10.
Needing some momentum before the half, Eastern got it in the form of a commanding eight-play, 75-yard drive that was aided by a couple of CMU penalties. Getting things started, Roback completed a six-yard pass to Eriksen, and was roughed on the play, to place the ball near midfield. A short pass to Sexton, and rushes from Banham and Eriksen got another fresh set of downs in CMU territory. After two negative plays, EMU faced third and 11. A pass fell incomplete, but a holding penalty kept the drive alive.
Eastern capitalized on the penalty, as the Eagles rode the legs of Vann to score two plays later on a 22-yard rush. His third score of the season, and 11th of his career, gave Eastern a crucial touchdown right before the half. CMU went on to run out the clock, keeping it 28-17 into the break.
Central's ball hawking defense picked up right they left off to start the second half, intercepting the ball for the third time on the first play of the half to give them possession back right away. The Eagles' defense made sure CMU did not capitalize off the turnover, as a 14-yard Crosby sack highlighted a three-and-out to give the ball back to Eastern.
The Eagles' passing woes continued on the next drive, as CMU notched its fourth pick of the game on the third play, returning it to EMU's three yard line. One play later, Central punched it on to extend the lead back to 18 with just over 11 minutes left in the third.
Both teams traded possessions for the first time all night, taking four minutes off the clock and setting up Eastern at their own 20. They got some offensive life, getting down to 32, but that's where the drive stalled, and EMU turned the ball over on downs. Eastern's defense kept plugging away, forcing another three-and-out, including a sack from Harris, to keep the score stagnant at the end of three quarters.
EMU got a pair of first downs on the first drive of the fourth quarter, but CMU's defense held them in check before they could cross midfield, forcing a punt. EMU countered with a three-and-out, keeping them within striking distance with 10 and a half to play.
Starting at their own 45, a pass interference penalty moved the ball into CMU territory, and two passes later, EMU was at the CMU 29. Facing immense pressure in his face, Roback rolled out and found a wide open Niupalau in the end zone for the 29-yard score. The passing TD tied Roback with Batch for the all-time school record, and made the score 35-24 with nine and a half to go.
The defense continued to stymie the Chippewa offense, getting a fourth-straight three-and-out, and fifth of the half, to force a punt, which was shanked, giving EMU the ball at the CMU 49. They made the most of the short field, as four plays later, Roback broke the school passing TD record with an 18-yard strike to Sexton. The two-point conversion failed, keeping it 35-30 with over seven minutes still to play.
While the defense's three-and-out streak was snapped, they only gave up one, and forced a punt after three minutes to give the Eagles a chance to complete the comeback with four and a half to play. The Eagles moved the ball a little, but ultimately had to settle for a punt of their own, giving Central the ball with 1:40 to play and all three timeouts.
EMU got the job done, stopping the CMU rushing attack on three-straight runs, giving them a shot with a minute to go. On the second play, the game ended how it had gone all day, with a CMU interception, returned the other way to seal the 42-30 defeat.
EMU remains on the road next Wednesday, Nov. 15, for a weeknight game in Oxford, Ohio against Miami University. Kickoff against the RedHawks is set for 7 or 8 p.m.
Team Stats
EMU
CMU
Total Yards
328
332
Pass Yards
204
155
Rushing Yards
124
177
Penalty Yards
37
55
1st Downs
22
12
3rd Downs
5
3
4th Downs
0
0
TOP
32:15
27:45
1st Quarter
EMU 7, CMU 0
EMU - CROSBY, Maxx 14 yd fumble recovery (FRICANO, Paulie kick)
EMU 7, CMU 7
CMU - CONKLIN,Tyler 4 yd pass from MORRIS,Shane (ARMSTRONG,M. kick) 5 plays, 62 yards, TOP 1:43
EMU 7, CMU 14
CMU - WARD,Jonathan 79 yd run (ARMSTRONG,M. kick), 1 plays, 79 yards, TOP 0:13
2nd Quarter
EMU 10, CMU 14
EMU - FRICANO, Paulie 38 yd field goal 14 plays, 53 yards, TOP 5:51
EMU 10, CMU 21
CMU - WILLIS,Corey 12 yd pass from MORRIS,Shane (ARMSTRONG,M. kick) 9 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:35
EMU 10, CMU 28
CMU - WILLIS,Corey 4 yd pass from MORRIS,Shane (ARMSTRONG,M. kick) 7 plays, 47 yards, TOP 2:56
EMU 17, CMU 28
EMU - VANN, Shaq 22 yd run (FRICANO, Paulie kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:36
3rd Quarter
EMU 17, CMU 35
CMU - WARD,Jonathan 3 yd run (ARMSTRONG,M. kick), 1 plays, 3 yards, TOP 0:05
4th Quarter
EMU 24, CMU 35
EMU - NIUPALAU, J. 29 yd pass from ROBACK, Brogan (FRICANO, Paulie kick) 3 plays, 55 yards, TOP 0:55
EMU 30, CMU 35
EMU - SEXTON, Mathew 18 yd pass from ROBACK, Brogan (ROBACK, Brogan passfailed) 4 plays, 49 yards, TOP 1:14
EMU 30, CMU 42
CMU - COLEMAN,Amari 33 yd interception (ARMSTRONG,M. kick)
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
23
TD
2
YDS
204
INT
5
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
K
/ Football
DL
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
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WR
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