Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics
FINAL SCORE: OHIO 24, EMU 20
Heartbreaking road loss for Eastern Michigan. The chance to break the nation’s longest home winning streak was taken away in an instant.
With eight minutes left in the game and seven previous drives ended in punts, EMU and backup quarterback Brogan McCaughey absolutely needed to have its first offensive touchdown of the day, and they did just that. Eight plays and 98 yards later, EMU was in the end zone and ahead on the scoreboard again.
Tanner Lemaster got a 34-yard pickup on a 4th-and-1 catch, then Joey Mattord snuck his way out of the backfield to be open for a touchdown grab and the game’s third lead change.
Up to that point, the only touchdown EMU put on the board was on defense. Backup linebacker Aaron Kearse took the ball straight out of Ohio’s quarterback's hands as he was being sacked by Ronn Hardin, and got the team’s first defensive score since Bryce Llewellyn’s fumble recovery score against San José State.
Seven of EMU’s 10 previous drives ended in punts. One finished with an interception. The other two ended with field goal kicks, including a fire drill to end the first half.
Then, immediately, there was a fourth lead change.
Darren James-Hamilton, #4 for Ohio, took the following kickoff from Adam Samaha, on kickoff duties to replace the injured Nathan Dibert, 100 yards to the house.
Ohio was ahead by four again, and EMU’s offense needed to step up again.
EMU’s offense moved 49 yards and was in the red zone, a fine scoring position to be in, but the offense couldn’t finish the job at the end. From the 4-yard line, first-and-goal to the end of regulation: an overthrow with no open receivers, an incomplete sideline pass to Benson Prosper, a 12-yard sack, EMU’s final timeout, and an overthrow to Nick Devereaux in the back of the end zone.
The loss, coupled with Toledo’s win over Western Michigan to stay alive in the MAC title race, distances EMU from the conversation with a 3-2 record in conference play (4-5 overall).
Ohio (6-2, 4-0 MAC) is the only MAC team to not endure a loss in conference play, and extends its home winning streak to 17 games.
Details from EMU’s final Saturday contest of the regular season:
SCORING SUMMARIES
7-0, OHIO (1Q, 5:48) — OHIO TD: 78-yard TD catch-and-run by WR Dom Dorwart
After being held to an opening-series punt, Ohio got on the board quickly the second time it touched the football.
On the second play of its second drive, Nick Poulos’s play-action pass was complete to Dom Dorwart, who outran the entire EMU secondary for a long touchdown play.
The 78-yard touchdown catch is the longest play EMU’s defense allowed all year. Wisconsin scored on a 75-yard touchdown play earlier in the season, and it was the longest play EMU allowed to this point.
7-7, TIE (2Q, 12:57) — EMU TD: Aaron Kearse steals the ball, scores from 23 yards out
The play will go down as a fumble, but the ball never touched the turf (aka Frank Solich Field).
After EMU’s offense came off the field with a tip-drill interception, its defense caught a break and put the team on the scoreboard.
From 3rd & 11, Poulos stepped up in his quick-collapsing pocket, and linebacker Aaron Kearse stepped up and swiped the ball from Poulos’s hands, and he ran the football 23 yards to the end zone for his first career defensive score.
Ronn Hardin was credited with the sack on Poulos on the play.
10-7, EMU (2Q, 4:49) — EMU FG: Rudy Kessinger makes 31-yarder after Ohio turnover
EMU began the drive after Ohio’s punt returner lost the football as he was tackled, and EMU’s offense got to restart its drive from Ohio’s 32-yard line (then backed up to the 37 after a penalty on Guzzy Kayed).
Lemaster had a diving catch that was inches short of the goal line, but was reversed into an incompletion after an official review of the play.
McCaughey was sacked by a clowder of Cats on 3rd & goal, and Rudy Kessinger sank his 31-yard field goal attempt for EMU to take a slight lead.
10-10, TIE (2Q, 1:39) — OHIO FG: 49-yarder made by Will Hryszko
Ohio drove the ball into EMU territory, but moved itself backwards to settle for a long field goal.
After Zach Mowchan broke up a Poulos pass, the quarterback almost lost the football on a shotgun snap and lost 11 yards as he lost one of his eye contacts on the play. He needed to reapply a new one on the sideline after the play.
Poulos got those 11 yards back on a pass completion to Riley Neer, and Ohio sent out its field goal unit after the play.
Will Hryszko made his 49-yard attempt, and tied the game up at 10-10.
13-10, EMU (2Q, 0:00) — EMU FG: Successful fire drill field goal made before halftime
McCaughey completed passes for 10 (to Joshua Long) and 11 yards (Mattord), then Mattord rushed for 22 to get EMU’s offense in Ohio territory in a hurry.
A 16-yard pass to Benson Prosper was brought back with an ineligible receiver penalty, and EMU needed to convert on third down.
McCaughey’s pass to Devereaux was complete on 3rd & 9, but only got eight yards.
With the clock running down from nine seconds, the field goal unit was able to set up and get its snap off in time, and Kessinger made his 41-yard attempt to re-take the lead at the halftime break.
17-13, OHIO (3Q, 0:26) — OHIO TD: Poulos runs after trio of chunk passes
Eastern Michigan gave Ohio 15 yards at the beginning of the drive with a defensive pass interference penalty on Juan Salas, then Ohio’s offense did the rest of the work themselves.
Ohio had passes of 22, 17, and 19 yards to get to EMU’s 1-yard line.
Poulos rushed the ball in for a score on an option run call, and put Ohio back on top.
20-17, EMU (4Q, 3:53) — EMU TD: 98-yard drive capped by Mattord catch
Ohio punted the ball to EMU’s 2-yard line, but EMU got downfield and scored in just nine plays.
McCaughey completed an 11-yard pass to Harold Mack and Bennett had a tough 15-yard run to keep the chains moving early.
McCaughey’s 3rd & 11 pass was complete to Mattord, but was just a yard shy of gaining a first down.
EMU kept its offense on the field on 4th & 1 and dialed a PA pass that was completed short to Lemaster, but the tight end got some yards after the catch and finished with a 34-yard pickup.
On the next play, Mattord snuck out of the backfield and got open in the end zone for an easy throw and catch from McCaughey.
It was Mattord’s first career receiving touchdown, and EMU got a taste of a short-lived lead in the fourth quarter.
24-20, OHIO (4Q, 3:40) — OHIO TD: 100-yard kick return to the house.
As soon as EMU got a taste of a fourth-quarter lead, Ohio’s James-Hamilton returned the Adam Samaha kickoff for a full-field touchdown and put Ohio back ahead on the scoreboard.
KEY PLAYS, MOMENTS, TURNOVERS
BROGAN MCCAUGHEY MAKES FIRST START
Noah Kim missed his first career game with EMU due to injury, and Yale transfer McCaughey got the start in his place.
McCaughey seemed comfortable enough, but credit to Ohio’s defense for having a good game plan against a banged-up EMU offense. McCaughey was 27 of 39 passing for 197 yards, a TD, an INT, was sacked three times (-28 yards), and finished the day with -5 net rushing yards.
EMU PUNTS FOUR TIMES IN FIRST HALF
With a first-time starter at quarterback and shakiness at the left and right tackle positions, EMU had a tough time moving the ball early. Through its first five drives, EMU had picked up 68 yards on 24 plays, converted on two third-down plays, and punted the ball away four times.
PASS TO LEMASTER BROKEN UP AND TURNED OVER
After McCaughey scrambled and picked up a first down with his feet early in the second quarter, his pass to tight end Lemaster was broken up by one Ohio defender, bobbled in the air, and finally caught by a second, nearby Bobcat defender. The good news, though, is that EMU’s defense was able to finish the scoring efforts with a swipe-score by Kearse.
DEFENSE FORCES TURNOVER ON DOWNS
After a defensive touchdown, EMU’s D stepped up again with an early turnover on downs (7-play, 34-yard drive). Ohio got a couple of first downs on the ensuing drive, but EMU got to running backs Victor Rosa and Duncan Brune to turn things over on EMU’s 31-yard line.
OHIO FUMBLES AWAY PUNT
Three turnovers by Ohio in the second quarter. A fumble, a turnover on downs, and then another fumble. After an EMU punt, Ohio’s James-Hamilton fumbled the ball away as Bryce Eliuk, again, punched the ball free, and it was recovered on Ohio’s 32-yard line.
Last week, Eliuk caused a fourth-quarter fumble against a Toledo running back to put EMU’s offense on the field at a similar spot on the field.
FAKE FG SNIFFED OUT BY EMU
After Tylan Boykin broke up a pass in the end zone on second down, Ohio ended its first drive of the second half with a trick play on special teams. With its field goal team from 4th & 10, Ohio’s long snapper tossed the football to its field goal kicker, who moved out to his left, and Elgin McDuffey got to the kicker and brought him down before he could get a first-down gain.
EMU MISSES ON FINAL OPPORTUNITY
EMU drove the ball deep into Ohio territory and tried to score through the air as time wound down to zero, but McCaughey’s throws were off-mark.
When EMU was in the red zone, Ohio committed a costly defensive pass interference on fourth down to give EMU a new set of downs, but held McCaughey to four straight incompletions. His last throw was overthrown toward Nick Devereaux in the back-right corner of the end zone.
THIRD DOWNS: TOUGH TO COME BY
Both offenses had difficulties from third down.
Ohio entered the game as the MAC’s best team on third downs (51.1%), but was 2 of 15 against EMU’s defense.
EMU came into the game with a 41.9% third-down conversion rate, and was 3 of 11 in yesterday’s road contest.
On fourth downs, Ohio was 0 for 2 while EMU converted 2 of 3.
INJURIES
Ruled out, of note: QB Noah Kim, LB Barry Manning, DB Jaivian Norman, DB TE Armaad Sharp, DB Caleb Coley, RB Decorie Johnson, K Nathan Dibert, DL Javon Thomas, OL Samuel Adjin, OL Cole Powell, WR Dalin Wilkins
Returned to action: WR Nick Deveraux
Questionable, played: WR Devereaux, LB Zach Mowchan, OL Tyler Brumfield,
Questionable, did not play: OL Cole Dellinger, OL Carter Miculka, WR Kozy Isaac
NEXT GAME
Eastern is all done with Saturday games in the regular season. After next week’s short bye week (just a 10-day break), EMU and Central Michigan (3-5, 1-3 MAC) will meet at Ford Field on Wednesday, Nov. 4 for the first time since 2004.
CMU lost at home to Miami (5-3, 3-1 MAC) yesterday in a 28-27 thriller. Central scored 10 straight points to be up by six in the fourth quarter, but Miami responded with a TD drive with less than two minutes left in the game.
