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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) --  Following a heartbreaking 23-7 setback at nationally-ranked Michigan State University, Sept. 22, the Eastern Michigan University football team returns to Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Oct. 6, for a homecoming date with Mid-American Conference East Division foe Kent State University.  Saturday's contest is Homecoming, with more than 60 activities planned for on and off campus in a week-long celebration with the festivities culminating with the Eagles hooking up with the Golden Flashes at 1:06 p.m. inside Rynearson Stadium.
The Eagles enter the contest with an 0-4 (0-1 MAC) record. Meanwhile, the Golden Flashes are 3-1 (2-0 MAC) after sneaking past Ball State University, 45-43, in Kent, Ohio, Sept. 29.
The contest will not be televised but it will be video streamed on Eagle All-Access. WEMU (89.1 FM) will provide audio coverage of the game with Matt Shepard and Herman Moore calling the action on the field.

HOMECOMING 2012: The EMU-KSU game Saturday, Oct. 6, will be Homecoming 2012 for the Eagles. The game will be the 85th Homecoming Game in school history. The tradition started in 1926 when then-Michigan Normal College downed Kalamazoo College, 19-0, on Nov. 29. The Green and White are 44-38-2 in homecoming games, including winning four of the last seven contests.
The Eagles beat Western Michigan last season 14-10, Oct. 22, 2012, while also edging the Broncos, 19-2, Oct. 27, 2007. EMU handed Toledo a 17-13 setback, Oct. 21, 2006, and edged Kent State, 27-20, Oct. 1, 2005. The three losses in the last seven Homecomings include a 30-27 setback to Ohio, Oct. 2, 2010, a 24-12 loss to Temple, Oct. 3, 2009, and a 37-0 loss to Northern Illinois, Sept. 27, 2008.

HOSKINS SETS CAREER-HIGHS IN RECEPTIONS AND YARDS AT MSU: Senior tight end Garrett Hoskins turned in a career afternoon against nationally ranked Michigan State, Sept. 22. The Mackey Award candidate caught eight passes for 102 yards for an average of 12.75 yards per catch. The Grand Rapids, Mich. native's previous best was four receptions at Penn State, Sept. 24, 2011, while he finished with 73 yards in the Eagles' 2010 victory at Ball State, Oct. 16.
The last EMU receiver to pass the century mark in a game was Kinsman Thomas with 133 yards via the air against Miami, Sept. 11, 2010.
On the season, Hoskins is already nearing his 2011 totals in just four games. He has 16 catches for 208 yards and two scores, while last season he caught 22 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns.

ALL-TIME AGAINST KENT STATE: Kent State and Eastern Michigan will be meeting for the 30th time in school history. The Golden Flashes hold a 16-13 edge in the series that began in 1973 when KSU recorded a 34-20 victory in Ypsilanti, Oct. 20.
The last time EMU and KSU played was Nov. 19, 2011, when the Golden Flashes posted a 28-22 victory at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio. The setback also spoiled a strong offensive effort by running back Dominique Sherrer who gained 136 yards on 24 carries. Eagles' quarterback Alex Gillett completed 8-of-16 passes for 74 yards. Kent was led by quarterback Spencer Keith who completed 11-of-25 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown.

KARUTZ BOOTS IT DEEP: Senior punter Jay Karutz turned in an outstanding effort at Spartan Stadium against Michigan State, Sept. 22. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound Karutz racked up nine punts for 427 yards and a 47.4 yard average against the Spartans. The 47.4 average ranks 10th best in the EMU record book, and his 427 yards via the punt are also 10th best.
This season, the North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia product is averaging 44.9 yards per kick, which is tops amongst all Mid-American Conference punters.  In total, he has 11 kicks that have been downed inside the 20-yard line and five that have traveled more than 50 yards.

COLEMAN ON THE STOP: Redshirt junior Donald Coleman has proved to be a huge addition to the EMU defense in 2012. Against Michigan State, Sept. 22,  he turned in a team-high 19 tackles (5 solo, 14 assists). The 19 tackles were the most by an Eagle since Daniel Holtzclaw finished with 19 stops against Howard University, Sept. 22, 2007.
While playing at North Carolina State University from 2010-11, Coleman only notched a total of 13 tackles (7 solo, 6 assists) while playing in 21 games a mostly a special teams player.

BENZ NOTCHES FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN STRIKE: Redshirt junior quarterback Tyler Benz found Donald Scott for a 23-yard touchdown pass across the middle to give the Eagles a 7-3 lead over Michigan State, Sept. 22. The scoring strike  with 3:58 showing in the second quarter was the first of Benz's career.
A week earlier against Purdue, Sept. 15, Benz ran for the first touchdown of his young career.

LEADING AT THE BREAK: The Eagles took a 7-3 lead into the Spartan Stadium locker room against Michigan State, Sept. 22. It marked the second-time in 2012 that EMU held the lead at the intermission. The Green and White previously held a 14-10 edge at the break against Illinois State, Sept. 8, after being tied at 13-all on the road at Ball State, Aug. 30.

DEFENSIVE GEM: The Eagles' defense dialed up a stellar first half against the No. 21 ranked Spartans, holding Michigan State to 151 yards and just three points in the opening 30 minutes of action. EMU forced the Spartans to punt five times as tailback Le'Veon Bell accounted for 72 percent of the team's total offense in the half with 117 yards on the ground and minus-eight yards receiving.

COTTON CONTINUES TO SHINE: Getting his first career start at Michigan State, Sept. 22, Pudge Cotton continued to impress with his ability to cover the field. The sophomore from Maywood, Ill. finished the afternoon with a personal-best 14 tackles (5 solo, 9 assists) and two tackles-for-loss. It bettered his previous mark of nine tackles just a week earlier set at Purdue, Sept. 15.

BIG SECOND QUARTERS: Eastern Michigan has out-scored its opposition 43-26 in the second quarter, but has yet to score in either the first or third quarters in either of its first four games.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Eastern Michigan has played nine “true” freshman during the 2012 campaign. That amount is tied for 18th most nationally and second most in the Mid-American Conference .  LSU, Ohio State and TCU lead the way with 15 first-year players having seen game action. Meanwhile, Akron is tops in the MAC with 13 freshmen.

NO SLOUCHES ON THE SCHEDULE: Despite not yet having a victory to its credit in 2012, the Eagles have had plenty of opportunities in each of the contests. EMU's first four opponents are a combined 14-5 on the year with losses only to Clemson (Ball State), Notre Dame (Purdue/MSU), Ohio State (MSU) and Kent State (3-1).

MULDER IS ONE OF 16 TRUE FRESHMEN TO KICK: Dylan Mulder became one of just 15 true freshmen to kick in 2012. Mulder connected on a 23- yard field goal and was 1-of-2 on PATs against Purdue, Sept. 15. Other freshmen kickers include:  Devon Bell (Mississippi State), Brad Craddock (Maryland), Ka'imi Fairbairn (UCLA), Kyle Federico (Rutgers), Daniel Grochowski (Army), Nick Jordan (Texas), Austin Lopez (San Jose State), Ross Martin (Duke), Seamus McMorrow (San Diego State), Marshall Morgan (Georgia),  Jaden Oberkrom (TCU), Kaleb Patterson (Miami), Daniel Schwarz (Tulsa), Garrett Schwettman (Western Kentucky) and Nick Sloan (Navy).

ON  THE HORIZON: Following the KSU game, Eastern Michigan stays at home to host the University of Toledo, Oct. 13. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Rynearson Stadium.
Separated by just 50 miles, Toledo and Eastern Michigan will be meeting for the 40th time in school history. The Rockets hold a 28-11 edge in the series, including winning 11 of the last 12 meetings in the series dating back to the 2000 campaign.
The Eagles' last victory over the Rockets occurred Oct. 21, 2006, when EMU escaped with a 17-13 victory. With EMU clinging to a 9-7 lead late in the fourth quarter, Toledo missed a field goal that would have put them ahead by one but a personal foul penalty for roughing the center by the Eagles gave the Rockets a second chance that they would take advantage of with a score. UT quarterback Clint Cochran connected with tight end Josh Powell on a four-yard touchdown strike to give Toledo a 13-9 lead with just 3:11 left in the game. On the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, EMU defensive end Kevin Howe forced a fumble by Cochran which was picked up and returned by Darran Matthews for two points to cut the Rocket lead to 13-11.
Trumaine Riley then returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the EMU 46-yard line. The Eagles then put on a game-winning march, going 54 yards in five plays capped off by an 18-yard touchdown run by Pierre Walker with 36 seconds remaining to give the Eagles the come-from-behind victory.

PUDGE GETS HIS FIRST PICK-SIX AT PURDUE: Sophomore Pudge Cotton intercepted a Caleb TerBush pass on the left sideline and scampered his way to a 28-yard return for a touchdown with 13:04 showing in the second quarter at Purdue, Sept. 15. Cotton's first career INT also marked the first pick-six by an Eagle since Michael Richardson returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown against Buffalo, Nov. 19, 2005.
Since 1967, the EMU defense has returned 29 interceptions for touchdowns.

BENZ COMES ON IN RELIEF IN WEST LAFAYETTE: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tyler Benz came off the bench against Purdue to set personal-bests in nearly every offensive category. Benz completed 5-of-14 pass attempts for 78 yards, including a 36-yard completion to freshman Dustin Creel. Benz also ran a bootleg-left for a two-yard run, the first touchdown of his career.
Previously, Benz had totaled limited snaps in a pair of contests at Michigan, Sept. 17, 2011, and at Toledo, Oct. 8, 2011.

HOLDING ON TO THE PIGSKIN:  The consensus concerning turnovers is that they are bad when you commit them and great when you get them. Through four games, the Eagles have turned the football over 10 times (six interceptions, four fumbles) while getting the ball back six times (two interceptions, four fumbles). In 2011, EMU was minus-four in turnover-ratio (EMU 16, OPP 12) but only had eight miscues through its first four contests en route to a 2-2 record.

Michigan Born and Bred: The Eagles' roster features 34 players from the state of Michigan. This total ranks second among Michigan MAC schools, trailing Central Michigan (65) and in front of Western Michigan (20).