13 years ago was the last time that an Eastern Michigan University football team had lost to a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
This was the case until Saturday night, when the Long Island University Sharks came to town and spoiled the Eagles’ home opener, defeating the green and white 28-23 in one of the most stunning upsets in college football this year.
The Sharks were 22.5 point underdogs heading into Ypsilanti off the heels of a 55-0 defeat to the University of Florida last week, and they played like a team with nothing to lose.
Dynamic playmaker Ethan Greenwood kicked the scoring off for the road team with a 65-yard touchdown run to put the Sharks up 7-0 early in the first quarter, and while the Eagles responded with a field goal, Greenwood added another rushing touchdown to his stats to put Long Island up 14-3 early in the second frame.
The redshirt junior left the game with an undisclosed injury shortly thereafter and did not return, but his impact had already been felt – posting 105 yards passing, 91 yards rushing, and his aforementioned two rushing touchdowns in his limited action.
Eastern Michigan’s offense would respond with a touchdown of their own from Noah Kim to Dontae McMillan, making it a 14-10 game at the half, but subsequently struggled to find answers on offense until midway through the fourth quarter.
Luca Stanzani filled in for Greenwood on the Sharks’ offense and played a key role in the road team’s efforts to put the game away down the stretch.
A 14-yard rushing touchdown from the quarterback following an Eagles turnover on downs deep in their own territory put LIU up 21-10, and Stanzani’s role in leading a statement 16-play, 75-yard, and nearly 10-minute touchdown drive that lasted over half of the fourth quarter was the final nail in the Eagles’ coffin.
The redshirt junior punched in a two-yard rushing touchdown to end that series and put the Sharks up 28-16 deep into the final frame. While Eastern Michigan responded quickly with a touchdown of their own, they failed to recover the ensuing onside kick.
With their 28-23 win, LIU scores their first victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in program history, improving to 1-1 on the campaign while the Eagles fall to 0-2 for the first time in over a decade.
Next week, things do not get any easier for Eastern Michigan. The team will be taking a road trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on the Southeastern Conference Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Viewers can catch all of the action live on ESPNU, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
