Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics
FINAL SCORE: EMU 25, UA 23
That’s three wins in a row for Eastern Michigan’s football team, and there’s a word for that.
That word: winning streak.
Three straight wins for EMU after it had three straight losses in September, and Saturday’s 25-23 win at Akron gives EMU its first 3-0 start in league play in 31 years.
It was a gutty performance by both sides. EMU’s pass defense played really well in the first half of the season, but had trouble against Akron’s offense, which scored on its first couple of possessions.
EMU’s offense moved the ball fine (413 yards, 79 plays), but struggled in the red zone. Twice, EMU kicked field goals from inside Akron’s 5-yard line, and Rudy Kessinger was asked to kick two more field goals from 33 and 47 yards away.
Kessinger made all four of his attempts, and it was his first career 4-for-4 effort.
Here’s a rundown of how Saturday’s road win happened:
SCORING SUMMARIES
3-0, EMU (1Q, 9:27) — Rudy Kessinger makes 23-yard field goal
EMU drove itself for a couple of first-down gains, then two more were aided by defensive penalties.
Fourth down and five to go from Akron’s 27, one Zip got called for a defensive pass interference, guarding Antonio Floyd on the right sideline.
Two plays later, another DPI against the Zip trying to slow down Harold Mack.
But from first- and third-and-goal, Noah Kim missed the mark on his throws, and EMU settled for a field goal from Kessinger, his fifth make of the season.
7-3, Akron (1Q, 4:15) — First TD catch for Akron’s Marcel Williams
For the first time all season, EMU allowed a score to happen on its first defensive series of the game. On an 11-play, 83-yard drive, at that.
Akron forced the issues with six straight runs to begin, and Marcel Williams (who took a hard hit from Tylan Boykin during the drive) came through with catches for 18 and 15 yards.
10-7, EMU (2Q, 12:12) — Noah Kim rush, 1 yard, on fourth and goal
From fourth and goal from the 1-yard line, Kim and tight end Joshua Long tricked a couple of Akron defenders into thinking there would be a throw into the end zone, but Kim found enough room to run and took the ball in himself.
Long brought the ball up 10 yards to the 1-yard line on a middle screen the play before Kim’s score.
14-10, Akron (2Q, 4:37) — Another TD for Williams
Fast seven points after a 5-minute drive on its opening moves.
Five plays into the drive, Williams was wide open downfield, and was an easy target for Akron’s sophomore QB.
14-13, Akron (2Q, 9:31) — EMU stood up, Kessinger sinks second putt
EMU, again, was stopped inside Akron’s 5-yard line to call upon its field goal kicker from close range.
EMU drove 88 yards over 12 plays on the drive, but the offense failed to score with a pair of incomplete throws to the back-right corner of the end zone to Dalin Wilkins, then to Benson Prosper.
17-13, Akron (3Q, 11:00) — Akron settles for 40-yard 3-pointer,
Two EMU defenders — defensive end Carter Evans and cornerback Rayquan Adkins — walked off the field with injuries on the first drive of the second half, though they’d both return to action later in the game.
Braydon Roggow and Jordan Gant both cashed in with 18-yard runs for the Akron offense, but an illegal block penalty moved the Zips back into a 2nd & 25 situation in EMU territory.
Akron gained 8, then 12 yards after the penalty, but finished things with a 40-yard field goal from Matthew Schramm.
17-16, Akron (3Q, 4:44) — Field goal #3 for Kessinger
After a turnover, EMU failed to get the touchdown it wanted to take a third-quarter lead, so it settled for three more points from its kicker.
Kessinger’s kick from 33 yards out was his third make of the day, and the second time he had three makes in a game this season.
22-17, EMU (4Q, 14:53) — Harold Mack runs in 6-yard TD grab; 2-point try no good
Finally, a close-range touchdown for EMU.
On 3rd & 1 from Akron’s 6, Mack fielded a catch behind the line of scrimmage toward the right sideline, and sprinted his way into the end zone with a lot of open space around him.
The tricky 2-point try after the touchdown would be unsuccessful. EMU faked a play from the Wildcat spot; Mattord pitched the ball back to Kim, who fired the ball into the end zone, but his pass to Wilkins was broken up.
23-22, Akron (4Q, 6:27) — Akron RB scores on 27-yard catch-and-run
Had there been no penalty against EMU’s defense, Akron would’ve punted away after a third-straight three-and-out stalling. Instead, a DPI call against Cade Dobbs gave Akron a new set of downs, a third-down connection from Roggow to Miles Burris moved the Zips ahead 24 yards, then Gant had a 14-yard run right after that.
Roggow connected on a short pass with his running back, Marquese Williams, who ran 27 yards untouched for a touchdown.
Akron elected to do a double-reverse pass with one of its receivers on the 2-point try after the touchdown, but the throw was way off-mark, and Akron’s lead stood at 1 again.
25-23, EMU (4Q, 1:50) — Fourth FG make from 49 yards out for Kessinger, re-takes lead
Prosper had a pair of clutch catches on the drive, the second being a 3rd & 6 ball in Akron territory.
On third down from Akron’s 21, Bennett was stuffed on a middle run out of the Wildcat formation.
EMU’s fourth-down play was successful until it wasn’t. Joey Mattord took the toss play to the left past the line to gain, but a holding call against Tanner Lemaster moved EMU back into field goal range.
Kessinger made his fourth field goal attempt of the day after the penalty, this one from 49 yards out.
KEY PLAYS, MOMENTS, TURNOVERS
DEFENSE ALLOWS OPENING-DRIVE POINTS FOR FIRST TIME
EMU’s defense proved it was a tough match for every offense it met to begin the first six games of the season, but Akron was the first to immediately break through EMU’s defense for points.
Twice in a row, actually.
Opposing offenses’ opening drives:
First three games: 9 plays, 6 yards (0.6 yards/play), 0 first downs, 3 punts
Previous three games: 14 plays, 66 yards (4.7 yards/play), 3 first downs, 2 punts, 1 turnover on downs
Saturday vs. Akron: 11 plays, 83 yards (7.5 yards/play), 5 first downs, 1 touchdown
AKRON INT BEFORE HALFTIME
Kim threw his first interception in three games late in the first half. Down by one, his third-down overthrow to Prosper was tipped by the receiver’s stretched hand and landed in the hands of a diving Akron safety.
CHOP BLOCK PENALTY LEADS TO EMU FUMBLE
On its first offensive possession of the second half, Braydon Bennett was used over and over again, on handoffs and on receptions. Four of the first six plays went his way, and he picked up a pair of first downs to get into Akron territory.
Left guard Guzzy Kayed was penalized for a chop block to move EMU way back to second- and third-and-long situations.
Kim’s second-down throw to Floyd was off-target, and Bennett took a short catch on third down and ran himself for a few yards. But Bennett was eventually met by a bunch of Akron defenders in open space, and fumbled the ball away as he was hit.
EMU BLOCKS PUNT AFTER FUMBLE
Akron’s offense did nothing after it recovered EMU’s fumble in the third quarter, and a Quincy Byas sack put its punting unit on the field as it faced a 4th & 17 situation.
Eli Lovett broke through Akron’s protection and blocked the home team’s punt, which was recovered on its 22-yard line. EMU, though, couldn’t get a touchdown after the turnover, and settled for Kessinger’s third field goal of the day.
AKRON MISSES LATE 47-YARD TRY
Tough running from Jordan Gant moved Akron into good scoring position in EMU territory on a last-minute drive, but his good work would be erased with a penalty. An illegal snap by its center moved Akron back to a 2nd & 13, and only got 11 yards after that.
Akron sent Schramm, who hadn’t made a kick from 40+ yards all season, out onto the field to try and make a 47-yarder.
Schramm’s late kick missed as the ball traveled left.
INJURIES
Ruled out, of note: WR Nick Devereaux, LB Barry Manning, DB Jaivian Norman, DB Caleb Coley, OL Richardo Wourman, OL Joshua Anderson, OL Cole Dellinger, OL Elijha Payne
Returned to action: DB Jason Marshall, OL Samuel Adjin
Questionable, played: DL Makhi Gilbert, LB Zach Mowchan, RB Amareon Blue, OL Guzzy Kayed, OL Tyler Brumfield
At offensive line, Elijha Payne missed time again after he made his first career start last week against UMass; Samuel Adjin returned to the starting lineup at right tackle. Right guard Cole Dellinger missed his fourth game.
Jason Marshall returned to action at safety and mostly played in the second half. Zach Mowchan started at his usual linebacking spot, but the playing time at his spot was mostly headed by Bryce Eliuk, who led EMU’s defense with 9 tackles; Elgin McDuffey had 8.
NEXT GAME
EMU comes back home next week for a big Homecoming game against Toledo.
The Rockets (4-2, 1-1 MAC), after it beat Ball State by 15 on the road last week, lost at home to Buffalo (3-3, 1-1 MAC) by a score of 23-8.
