Photo Gallery.

Coach English Postgame Audio.

L. Thomas Postgame Audio.

Game Highlights.

Re-watch the Game

YPSILANTI, Mich. ­(EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University football team combined a tenacious defense with some timely offense to record a 14-10 win over a visiting Western Michigan University team here Saturday, Oct. 22, in the annual Homecoming Game in Rynearson Stadium.

The win not only helped the Eagles get closer to being bowl eligible at 5-3 overall and 3-1 in MAC action, but it also gave EMU possession of the Michigan MAC Trophy, which is given to the Michigan MAC university that defeats the other two schools in the same sport in the same regular season. This season in the rivalry games, EMU was 2-0, WMU 1-1 and CMU was 0-2.

The win also kept the Eagles in the hunt for a MAC championship with four league games remaining.

Eastern, trailing by a 10-7 count with under 11 minutes left, grabbed the lead on a 50-yard dash to paydirt by sophomore Javonti Greene (West Palm Beach, Fla.-Royal Palm Beach). Sophomore Kody Fulkerson (Zanesville, Ohio-Maysville) added the PAT for a 14-10 EMU lead with just 7:46 left.

The Eagles defense then came up with some magic of its own, stuffing a fourth-and-goal WMU attempt on the EMU one-yard line to regain possession of the ball with just 4:56 left in the fourth quarter. The offense would keep the ball the rest of the way to preserve the victory.

The Eagles kept their ground offense rolling again, with 205 yards gained on 50 rushes. The defense held WMU to just 131 yards rushing on 30 carries, including two great goal-line stops late in the game .

Redshirt junior Dominique Sherrer (Cincinnati, Ohio-Colerain) led the EMU rushing attack with 86 yards on 11 carries.

Sophomore Javonti Greene (West Palm Beach, Fla.-Royal Palm Beach) gained 61 yards on 13 carries, including what would prove to be the game-winning score on that 50-yard run.  Greene also had a 50-yard touchdown reception in the game.

Junior Dominique White (Detroit, Mich.-Orchard Lake St. Mary's) added 30 yards rushing on six carries.

The EMU defense was led by Marlon Pollard (Pamona, Calif.-Cajon), Willie Williams (Los Angeles, Calif.-Dorsey) and Bryan Pali (Kihei, Hawai'i-Kamehameha), each recording 10 tackles apiece.

Western, now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the MAC, was led by Tevin Drake with 48 yards on 10 rushes.  WMU quarterback Alex Carder completed 24-of-34 passes for 181 yards.

The Eagles had a great chance to get on the board first, moving the ball 75 yards all the way to the WMU five-yard line on their first offensive possession of the game.

Facing a fourth-and-one situation at the EMU five, the Eagles chose to run the ball, but a missed handoff between Gillett and White resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Western's Demetrius Pettway with 5:54 left in the first quarter.

The EMU defense followed that turnover with some impressive stops, and the offense rallied to post the game's first points at the 11:13 mark of the second quarter when tailback Greene made a fingertip catch on a pass from Gillett and streaked 50 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Fulkerson added the PAT kick for the 7-0 lead.

That Gillett touchdown pass was his longest of the season, topping a 48-yard touchdown pass against Toledo (Oct. 8). It was also Greene's first career touchdown reception.

Western came out of the locker room at halftime with a scoring drive on its first offensive series of the game with tailback Tevin Drake racing 46 yards on a touchdown run at the 12:25 mark.  John Potter added the PAT kick to knot the game at 7-7.

Potter gave the Broncos a 10-7 lead with 10:59 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 37-yard field goal.

The Eagles' offense came alive with under eight minutes left when Greene raced 50 yards through the WMU defense to take the home squad to a 14-10 lead with 7:46 left after Fulkerson added the PAT.

The EMU defense turned in another great effort with just under five minutes left, stuffing a fourth-and-goal WMU attempt on the EMU one-yard line to regain possession of the ball with just 4:56 left in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles will now have a week off with a bye on Oct. 29.  EMU will return home to Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Nov. 5, when they square off against MAC West Division rival Ball State.  Game time in Rynearson Stadium is noon for the ESPN+ television coverage.