Football - The Eastern Echo

Western Michigan completes perfect season, wins MAC Championship

By Evan Hensley · Monday, Dec. 5, 2016

The Western Michigan football team rowed its way to a 13-0 perfect season with a 29-23 win over Ohio University in the Mid-American Conference Championship at Ford Field on Friday night. The Broncos held off a late comeback attempt as junior Robert Spillane sealed the game with an interception with 51 seconds to go in the game.

Sergio Bailey steals the ball from a defender.

Eight Eagles listed to All-Mid-American Conference teams

By Evan Hensley · Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016

Eight Eastern Michigan football players have been chosen to be on three different All-MAC teams for their performances in the 2016 regular season. This marks the most EMU football players listed on a team since the 1996 season. The teams are organized to list the top 3 lineups of players in the Mid-American Conference.

Eastern Michigan receiver Sergio Bailey II jumps high for the catch during the Eagles' 27-24 win over Wyoming in Ypsilanti, 23 Sept.

Football team invited to go to the Bahamas for its first bowl game since 1987

By Evan Hensley · Friday, Dec. 2, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team will be playing the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl in Nassau, Bahamas on December 23 in its first bowl appearance since the 1987 season as the team will face Old Dominion University. The last time Eastern Michigan competed in a bowl game they were known as the Huron’s, when it defeated San Jose State in the California Bowl.

Game winning drive helps Eagles defeat Central Michigan on senior day, 26-21

By Evan Hensley · Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016

A late touchdown from Brogan Roback leads to a win on senior day for the Eastern Michigan football team on Tuesday against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Rynearson Stadium. The Eagles (7-5, 4-4) picked up their seventh win of the season over their in-state rival Central Michigan (6-6, 3-4) to win the most games in a season since the 1989 season. Redshirt junior Brogan Roback led the Eagles down the field for a game winning drive with 2:34 to go in the game. Roback then threw a touchdown pass which junior Sergio Bailey caught over an opposing defender. “They (players) have set out a goal to go to and win a bowl game. We talked about how being bowl eligible wasn’t a guarantee. We just wanted to finish,” said third year coach Chris Creighton

Eagles blow 21 point lead in heartbreaking overtime loss to NIU

By Evan Hensley · Friday, Nov. 18, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team blew a 21-0 halftime lead in an overtime loss to Northern Illinois at Rynearson Stadium on Wednesday night, 31-24. A week after Eastern Michigan (6-5, 3-4) came back down 21 points to Ball State (4-7, 4-3), the Eagles gave up there 21-0 halftime lead as the Huskies put up a 24 point second-half to send the game into overtime. The Huskies marched right down the field for a touchdown in overtime and the Eagles responded with four straight runs as they fell one yard short of a first down to fall to Northern Illinois, 31-24. “this year one of the things we’ve been able to do is to fight back when we are down,” said coach Chris Creighton. “But one situation we haven’t been in is to be up and for things to be seemingly going well.”

Eagles Eye: 11/14

By Evan Hensley · Monday, Nov. 14, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team came beck from a 21 point deficit to become bowl eligible for the first time in 20 years on Election Night at Ball State.

EMU comes back from 21 down to become bowl eligible, 48-41

By Evan Hensley · Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team had to come back from being down 21 points to defeat the Ball State Cardinals in Muncie, Indiana on election night on its way to becoming bowl eligible in a 48-41 victory. The comeback was tied for the largest in school history as the Eagles had to overcome an early 21-0 deficit in the first quarter after a pair of turnovers led to Ball State touchdowns. The Eagles are not bowl eligible for the first time since 1995 as this is the first midweek Mid-American Conference game for the year for the Eagles.

Football announces future non-conference schedule

By Evan Hensley · Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016

The Eastern Michigan athletic department has announced its future non-conference football games through 2020. EMU football has set its future games out of conference against schools that include Charlotte, Rutgers, Kentucky, Army, Monmouth, Purdue, San Diego State, Coastal Carolina, Illinois and Missouri.

Eagles struggle against Miami in 28-15 loss

By Evan Hensley · Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team struggled to run the ball as it failed to reach bowl eligibility for the second week in a row in a 28-15 loss to the Miami Redhawks. Bowl eligibility will have to wait another week as the Eagles ran the ball for as a team for 33 yards compared to Miami’s 230. The Eagles also surrendered five sacks to the Redhawks as the offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback.

EMU falls to no. 20 Western Michigan in a 45-31 shootout

By Evan Hensley · Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team gave its in-state rival, Western Michigan Broncos a run for its money at Kalamazoo on Saturday in the 45-31 loss. The Eagles (5-3, 2-2) held a 17-14 lead in the second quarter to give the Broncos (8-0, 4-0) its first home deficit of the season. 561 total yards by the Western Michigan offense allowed the Broncos to pull away from Eastern Michigan.

Eagles Eye: 10/16

By Evan Hensley · Monday, Oct. 17, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team won its third road game in a row against the Ohio Bobcats in a 27-20 game on Oct.

Roback leads EMU to 27-20 road win.

By Evan Hensley · Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016

The Eastern Michigan football team pulled away in the fourth quarter, as it defeated the Ohio Bobcats 27-20 in Athens, Ohio on Saturday. After a slow start for both teams, the Eagles (5-2,2-1) put up 24 second-half points to pull off the 27-20 victory over the Bobcats (4-3,2-1). The Eagles were led by a career best performance from redshirt junior Brogan Roback who set a career high in passing yards as he threw for 347. This was the Eagles first win in Athens since 1994.

Eastern Michigan defensive lineman Pat O'Connor hits the arm of Mississippi Valley State quarterback Austin Bray, ruining a pass, during the Eagles' 61-14 win over the Delta Devils in Ypsilanti, 2 Sept.

Which Eagles could become potential NFL draft picks?

By Dereka Bennett · Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016

Back in April, Eastern Michigan had its former running back, Darius Jackson, drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. This was the first drafted player from Eastern Michigan since 2009. But the question is: who could possibly be the next potential football player to be drafted into the NFL?

Eagles fall at homecoming to the Rockets, 35-20

By Evan Hensley · Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016

Eastern Michigan struggled to find a rhythm as they fell to Toledo, 35-20 at Rynearson Stadium on Saturday. Students came out to see the Eastern Michigan football team play during Homecoming week and they had the tenth largest turnout in Rynearson Stadium history as 21,412 tickets were sold. The Eagles were not able to pull of the win for their fans as they struggled to get back in the game after going down 28-13.

Eagles roll to 28-25 win

By Evan Hensley · Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016

Eastern Michigan (4-1) defeated Bowling Green (1-4) on Saturday, as they pick up their first Mid-American Conference win of the year. The Eagles were led by a strong running game and a great performance by the defense as they picked off Quarterback James Morgan and only surrendered 25 points. The defense had a dominant first three quarters as they only surrendered 10 points.

Preview: football v. the Bowling Green Falcons

By Candis Caldwell · Friday, Sept. 30, 2016

This Saturday, the Eagles will travel down to Ohio to face the Bowling Green Falcons for the opening of the MAC Slate. Bowling Green holds a season record of 1-3 after harsh loss to the University of Memphis (77-3) on Sept. 24.

Why I stand with Colin Kaepernick

By Hudson Villeneuve · Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016

For a country that enslaved a race of people for centuries, took away their rights for another 100 years, and continues to heavily incarcerate people with melanin in their skin, I understand why an African-American would not want to stand for the national anthem. Colin Kaepernick shocked the world by taking a knee.

Eagles win despite turnovers

By Evan Hensley · Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016

Despite a four interception game by redshirt junior quarterback Todd Porter, Eastern Michigan was able to start their season with a 3-1 record, the best start since 1995. The Eagles were led by the defense that allowed only 10 points over the course of the game while also posting a total of seven tackles-for-loss.

Three athletes named to MAC athletes of the week.

By Evan Hensley · Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016

Paul Fricano, Jordann McDermitt and Hylnur Anderesson were all named athletes of the week in their respective sports for their performances over the weekend.

EMU picks up second win of the season in Charlotte

By Evan Hensley · Monday, Sept. 19, 2016

Eastern Michigan (2-1) football faced off against University of North Carolina Charlotte (1-2) and dominated through the passing game and on defense in a 37-19 win in Charlotte. The Eagles traveled down to Charlotte, North Carolina to face off against the 49ers in a non-conference battle.