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MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University football team dropped its season finale, 31-10, today, Nov. 26, to Central Michigan University.
The Chippewas improved to 8-4 on the year and 6-2 in Mid-American Conference play, while the Eagles fell to 7-5 overall and 4-4 in conference matchups.
Senior quarterback Ben Bryant (La Grange, Ill.-Lyons Twp. (Cincinnati)) led Eastern Michigan's passing attack with 221 yards through the air.
Freshman running back Bryson Moss (Newnan, Ga.-Newman) totaled 26 yards to lead the Eagles' ground attack in the game, picking up 5.2 yards per carry along the way.
Bryant's most prolific target in the ballgame was sophomore wide out Tanner Knue (Mason, Ohio-Mason), who caught seven passes for 70 yards. Junior pass catcher Hassan Beydoun (Dearborn, Mich.-Dearborn) got in on the action in the passing game as well, hauling in eight balls for 69 yards.
Freshman defensive back Robert Daniel Jr. (Oak Park, Mich.-Oak Park) paced the Eastern Michigan defensive effort, totaling six tackles and one interception.
Defensively, Eastern Michigan held up incredibly well against the Central Michigan passing attack, holding the Chippewas to just 130 yards through the air.
How It Happened
After Central Michigan opened a 7-0 lead, Eastern Michigan responded with 7:20 remaining in the second quarter to narrow the margin to 7-3. After Central Michigan scored to expand its lead to 17-3, the Eagles got on the scoreboard again to close the gap and make it a 17-10 game. Eastern Michigan didn't score again in the game and Central Michigan added 14 more points to finish off the scoring.
Game Notes
» Junior linebacker Tariq Speights (Valencia, Calif.-Valencia (College of the Canyons)) led the Eagles with 12 tackles.
» Senior punter Jake Julien (Barrie, Ontario-North Collegiate) punted four times for the Eagles with an average of 48.8 yards per punt while pinning the Chippewas inside their own 20 one time.
» Bryant completed 68.6% of his passes on the day, going 24-for-35 while averaging 6.3 yards per attempt.
» Julien used his last regular-season game as an Eagle to boot the longest ball of his career. The Barrie, Ontario native blasted a 78-yarder with just over 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter. The longest kick of his career, it marked his third overall effort of 70+ yards since his arrival on campus. His previous long, 73 yards, came in a game against Western Michigan, Oct. 6, 2018.
» Ryland's field goal with 7:20 remaining in the second quarter marked his 16th consecutive make. Through today's game, Ryland ranks tied for third in the MAC in total field goals (17), and second overall in points scored (95).
» EMU scored just three points in the first half in the game against Central Michigan. That number ties for the second-lowest halftime score for the Eagles this season. EMU was held to three points at Northern Illinois, Oct. 2, and was held scoreless in the first half at Wisconsin, Sept. 11.
» EMU and CMU combined for 13 total points in the first half of play. That point total is the lowest of the season for any game in which Eastern has played in this season.
» Central Michigan ran back the second half's opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown. The score was the first EMU has given up on a kickoff return since the 2019 season, when Kent State ran for a 96-yard touchdown on an EMU kickoff, Nov. 29.
» Sophomore running back Samson Evans (Cystal Lake, Ill.-Prairie Ridge (Iowa)) ran for his team and MAC-leading 12th touchdown of the game in the third quarter against CMU. That number ranks tied for seventh-most in a single season for Eastern Michigan. It is the most in a season for EMU since 2015, when Darius Jackson set the all-time record with 16 scores.
» Eastern Michigan bested Central through the air, 221-to-130. Today's performance marked the fifth time this season the Eagles have come out on top in the category.
» With 24 completions on 35 attempts, Bryant notched his 10th game of the season completing at least 60% of his passes.
» Daniel recorded an interception in the second quarter as CMU was driving. The pick was the first of the Oak Park, Mich. native's career.
» Senior tight end Bryson Cannon (Columbia, S.C.-Dutch Fork (Independence)) played for the first time since being injured in EMU's game at Bowling Green, Oct. 23. He finished the game with one reception for 19 yards.
» Knue led all Eagle receivers with 70 yards on seven receptions. It was his third game with six-or-more receptions and the second-best overall effort of his season. He had 11 receptions vs. Ohio, Nov. 9
» Beydoun recorded a team high eight grabs, and finished second on the team with 69 yards. Beydoun now has a team-best nine games with five-or-more receptions, and has hit that number in eight consecutive games.
