Welcome to the 200 win club, Chris Creighton.
Becoming just the 38th coach in Football Bowl Subdivision history to reach the milestone, the 56-year-old is the fourth active coach to hit the mark. His team achieved the feat for him in emphatic fashion as Eastern Michigan University dominated Ball State University to score their first road win of the year, 24-9.
“If I’m being totally honest, I don’t want it to be a big deal, but it is a big deal because it makes me think of all the people that I’ve been on this journey with. So that does make me emotional,” Creighton said, reflecting on his historic achievement.
“This game, more than any other, you can’t do anything by yourself. You just can’t. That part of it gets me super, super thankful of all the people — coaches, players, administration — that have allowed me to be a head of these programs. I’m thankful,” he added.
The Eagles went into Scheumann Stadium having not won a road game all season, facing off against a Cardinals team that was unbeaten at home in 2025.
However, from Eastern Michigan’s methodical opening drive of the game — a nine-play, 58-yard march down the field in four minutes and 13 seconds capped off by a rushing touchdown from quarterback Noah Kim — it was clear that things would be different on this Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles defense proceeded to intercept Ball State quarterback Kiael Kelly deep in the red zone on the ensuing possession courtesy of Joshua Scott, denying the Cardinals an early opportunity to respond and setting the tone for the remainder of the contest.
Eastern Michigan held Ball State out of the end zone for all four quarters, the first time its defensive unit has done so to an opponent all season, limiting the home team to just 62 yards passing and the aforementioned interception forced.
“Misery likes company — and so, Ball State, what are they, [4-5] right? We want them at home right with us,” Barry Manning, an Eagles starting linebacker, said during the team’s pre-game press conference.
“We want [Ball State] at home for Christmas too,” he added.
Manning, who wore the defense’s sacred No. 0 this week doled out to the previous game’s most impressive defensive player, delivered on his pre-game wishes for the opposing team. Contributing six tackles, a sack, and two tackles for loss, the senior headlined the Eagles’ defensive efforts along with defensive back Bryce Llewellyn in his homecoming to the state of Indiana, who added six tackles and a tackle for loss of his own to the stat sheet.
Offensively, the green and white saw a new player step up and produce a big game — Jamarien Wheeler, who posted six catches for 131 yards and a 43-yard touchdown scored in the second quarter.
Wheeler, who had just 11 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown this season prior to his outing against Ball State, proved crucial for the Eagles’ passing attack as the Cardinals were able to hold red-hot Nick Devereaux to just one catch for 15 yards on the day.
It was a mixed bag overall through the air for Kim, as the graduate transfer threw for 229 yards and a touchdown but also tossed two interceptions — tied for his season high. Ultimately, those turnovers did not matter as Kim’s rushing touchdown was his sixth of the season, a mark that leads the team.
Eastern Michigan’s two-pronged rushing attack shone once more against Ball State, with Dontae McMillan racking up 80 yards on 21 carries, while Tavierre Dunlap tallied eight rushes for 51 yards and a 36-yard rushing touchdown to cap off the team’s dominant performance at the start of the fourth quarter.
With the win, Eastern Michigan improves to 4-7 on the season and 3-4 in Mid-American Conference play, while Ball State drops to 4-6, falling to 3-3 in conference action.
Next time out, the Eagles wrap up the 2025 campaign with some mid-week MACtion on Senior Night, returning home to face Western Michigan University on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Viewers can catch all of the action live on ESPN2 or listen on WEMU 89.1 FM.
