Eastern Michigan University Athletics

Nov. 6, 1976: EMU 30, Central Michigan 27
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Eastern ruined the Chippewas' hopes for a MAC title by storming back from a 24-0 deficit. After suffering through what the Detroit Free Press described as a "hopeless" first half, touchdowns by Bobby Windom, Jimmy Hall and Doug Crisan set up the dramatic finish. Down six, EMU tied the game when Steve Raklovits' lateral to Jerry Mucha, a quarterback lined up at a receiver position, was thrown to Carlos Henderson for a 34-yard touchdown. The Hurons won on Ken Dudal's 38-yard field goal, which boomed through the uprights as the clock expired.

The 1987 season: The ultimate 'Revenge Tour'
There are six wins from 1987 that will forever be remembered among the greatest victories in EMU history. In 1984, just six weeks before the season's first game, the Mid-American Conference's Council of Presidents inexplicably voted EMU out of the Mid-American Conference. Media and public reaction was swift in condemning the vote, and rather than accepting the decision, Eastern fought back, refusing to drop football, and ultimately voting to keep football no matter what happened with the MAC. The NCAA ended the drama by rendering the president's vote moot, confirming Eastern's status as a member of the MAC in good standing. The 1984 Hurons rallied to save the season and the program — even defeating CMU, 16-16 — to start a movement that reached a crescendo in 1987, when EMU defeated six schools that voted for EMU's expulsion en route to that season's MAC championship. It is and remains college football's ultimate revenge tour. The six victories, in order: at Miami, 33-17; at Kent State, 23-21; Ball State, 35-28; at Ohio, 34-16; at Toledo, 38-9; Bowling Green, 38-18.
 
Oct. 17, 1987: EMU 35, Ball State 28
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Trailing 28-27, the Hurons called a simple handoff to Gary Patton from their own 28 with just over four minutes to play. That's when things got complicated. Patton, who tried to bump the run left and to the outside, reserved his direction after encountering a Ball State defender. That's when quarterback Ron Adams threw a textbook cut block in his own backfield, allowing Patton to race 72 yards untouched for the go-ahead score. EMU erased a 14-3 deficit with 32 second-half points. Patton, who ran for four scores and 225 yards on 27 carries, set EMU's career mark for touchdowns.

Nov. 5, 1987: EMU 38, Toledo 9
TOLEDO, Ohio — With 521 yards in total offense, Eastern raced past the Rockets to clinch a share of the 1987 MAC title. Gary Patton's 70 yards gave him 3,287 career rushing yards to set the EMU record, and Brian Clouse recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Perhaps no player on the 1987 "Road Warriors" embodied EMU's spirit more than Clouse, who passed away in 2019 after a fierce fight with cancer. Following his passing, GameAbove, a group of dedicated EMU alumni with various academic and professional backgrounds, made a generous donation in his honor. The main entrance of the new athletic center is called the Clouse Family Atrium, a 1,288-square-foot welcome room that displays the championship success of Eastern Michigan athletics throughout its history, including the 1987 conference championship season and California Bowl win during Brian's final year of college football. The new Center also includes the Brian Clouse Players' Lounge, a space that allows football student-athletes to study, and bond with teammates. Click here to watch the complete game

Nov. 14, 1987: EMU 38, Bowling Green 18
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Over four minutes remained when EMU's students started spilling over barriers and fences in anticipation of EMU clinching the MAC title and an invite to the California Bowl. Before the clock expired, the crowd tore a goalpost down, and had the other one down in record time as EMU earned a postseason bowl invite for the first time in 16 seasons. Charles Gordon picked off a pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown, while quarterback Ron Adams ran for a score. Bobby Foster tacked on a 2-yard touchdown for EMU, which drew 20,205 to Rynearson and set a school record for wins in a season.

Dec. 10, 1987: EMU 30, San Jose State 27
FRESNO, Calif. — The Ypsilanti Press called it one of the greatest upsets in bowl game history, while the Detroit Free Press described it as a fairy tale ending come true. EMU pulled off the biggest upset in school history when Ron Adams' 31-yard touchdown to Craig Ostrander with 3:59 remaining lifted Eastern — 17-point underdogs — to a 30-27 win in the California Bowl. The Hurons very well may have saved the MAC's bowl affiliation, earning the MAC's first win in four years after three consecutive blowout losses. Gary Patton was named MVP after 130 yards rushing and a touchdown. Click here to watch the complete game

Sept. 8, 1990: EMU 27, Western Michigan 24
YPSILANTI, Mich. — After sprinting out to a 20-3 lead, Eastern found themselves staring at a 24-20 deficit late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Shane Jackson guided EMU 73 yards in 15 plays — the Hurons converted four consecutive third downs — before Eddie Nwagbaraocha's 2-yard touchdown put EMU back in front with 2:59 to play. Pat Walsh led Eastern's receivers with six catches for 69 yards, while the defense forced two fumbles and picked off two Western passes in front of 17,732 at Rynearson. Rodney Screen hauled in a 46-yard touchdown and Jim Langeloh booted two field goals.

Oct. 19, 1991: EMU 42, Western Michigan 24
YPSILANTI, Mich. — It's a name and a game every EMU fan should know: Richard Palmer's four-interception game. After a first quarter pick, Palmer intercepted two more passes in the third quarter, then snared No. 4 in the fourth quarter, racing down the WMU sideline for a 76-yard touchdown. Palmer was named Player of the Week by the MAC, Sports Illustrated, the Sporting News and every publication imaginable covering college football. The Ann Arbor News, Ypsilanti Press and the Detroit dailies wrote full-length feature articles; interview requests in print and radio came in handfuls. Read more about this game here.

Oct. 16, 1993:  EMU 28, Central Michigan 21
Mt. PLEASANT, Mich. — It was a scene played out hundreds of times, the winners coming off their sideline with helmets raised…but this time, it was EMU's turn to celebrate its first victory in Mt. Pleasant as a MAC and Division I school. Trailing 21-14 in the fourth quarter, EMU tied the game on Melvin Green's 12-yard run, then went ahead on Anthony Cicchelli's 16-yard touchdown pass from Michael Armour. Vashone Adams' interception slowed the Chippewas with 2:11 to play, and Maurice Reed's pick on EMU's 12-yard line with 36 seconds left closed out the upset.

Nov. 19, 1994: EMU 40, Toledo 37
YPSILANTI, Mich. — The game that launched a 15-year NFL career, Charlie Batch came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes, including a 16-yard, game-winning touchdown to Ontario Pryor while falling out of bounds on the game's final play. Eastern had trailed Toledo, 17-0, before Batch entered the game. Batch was an All-MAC 1st team selection in 1995 and EMU's MVP in 1997. He became the first MAC quarterback to be drafted in 12 years when he was selected in the 2nd round by the Detroit Lions. Read more about this game here.

Sept. 16, 1995: EMU 51, UNLV 6
YPSILANTI, Mich. — EMU welcomed the defending Big West champions with a record Rynearson Stadium crowd (25,009), then dismantling the Rebels with a dynamic blitz of running, passing and defense. The Eagles scored on four one-yard runs — two by Rick Granata and one each by Savon Edwards and Jerome Adams — while Mike Scott scored on runs of 8 and 32 yards. Charlie Batch was 15 of 23 for 223 yards, hitting Bristol Greene for a 20-yard score. Avery Brown and Kwesi Ramsey recorded interceptions; Brown's came off Mark Langkos' deflection while Ramsey ran his theft to the UNLV 1-yard line.

Sept. 27, 1997:  EMU 31, Central Michigan 24
Mt. PLEASANT, Mich. — Trailing 17-3 at halftime, Charlie Batch threw three touchdowns as EMU outscored Central, 21-0, in the fourth quarter to stun the Chippewas. Batch, who was 28-of-41 for 309 yards, passed Ron Adams to become EMU's all-time career leader in total offense during the comeback. Rodney Nubin's interception and return to the CMU 14 set up the game-winning touchdown. Terry Reed's interception near the Eagles' 25 yards line with 1:15 to play sealed the victory for Eastern, which held Central scoreless for the game's final 23 minutes.

Nov. 16, 2004: EMU 61, Central Michigan 58 (4 OT)
DETROIT, Mich. — Andrew Wellock's 24-yard field goal in the fourth overtime gave EMU the first sweep of rivals Central and Western Michigan since 1986. Wellock also booted a 50-yarder in the second overtime to keep Eastern's hopes afloat. EMU quarterback Matt Bohnet was 31 of 54 for 367 yards and four touchdowns. Eric Deslauriers hauled in 14 catches for 207 yards, including all four touchdowns. It was a huge homecoming victory for 51 players on the EMU roster from Detroit at Ford Field. Click here to watch highlights from the game.

Nov. 26, 2008: EMU 56, Central Michigan 52
YPSILANTI, Mich. — It's a game any university dreads: a dead man walking game. The season has gone poorly and the head coach isn't returning. Coach Jeff Genyk's final game was a firecracker of a farewell. A pregame shoving incident lit a smoldering fuse. The two rivals raced up and down the field, Eastern holding a 42-35 halftime lead. Ultimately, a defensive stand clinched the win for EMU. Andy Schmitt's 58-of-80 effort broke the Division I record for completions in a game; Tyler Jones tied an NCAA record for single game completions with 23. Read more about this game here.

Sept. 23, 2016: EMU 27, Wyoming 24
YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Cowboys traveled to Ypsilanti determined to avenge a 48-29 setback to EMU the year before, but Eastern gouged the Cowboys for 239 yards rushing, highlighted by Ian Eriksen, who ran for 122 and the game-winning, 15-yard score with 1:35 to play. EMU's defense stood strong in all facets of the game. The unit held Wyoming to just 79 yards rushing on 38 carries, forcing the Cowboys to pass almost exclusively. EMU recovered two fumbles and blocked a 22-yard field goal. Read more about this game here.

Nov. 8, 2016: EMU 48, Ball State 41
Muncie, Ind. — In one of the largest comebacks in program history, Eastern overcame a 21-0 deficit to hand the Cardinals a devastating loss and become bowl-eligible for the first time since 1995. After a Ball State touchdown put the Cardinals up with 1:35 to play, EMU marched 86 yards, culminating with Ian Eriksen's touchdown and Brogan Roback's pass to Sergio Bailey II for a two-point conversion. DaQuan Pace's interception clinched the win. EMU's defense forced five turnovers, four during the second half comeback. Roback threw for 468 yards as EMU racked up 622 yards.
  Read more about this game here.

Nov. 16, 2016: EMU 26, Central Michigan 21
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Trailing with 2:34 to play, quarterback Brogan Roback moved the Eagles 72 yards downfield, including converting  a 4th and 6 to keep the drive alive with 37 seconds remaining. With 19 seconds left, Roback found Sergio Bailey II at the front pylon of the end zone for the game-winning score. Jeremiah Harris' first career interception in the end zone on the final play of the game clinched the victory. A handful of days later, EMU accepted an invitation to play in the Bahamas Bowl, their first bowl bid in 29 seasons.
  Read more about this game here.
 

Sept. 9, 2017: EMU 16, Rutgers 13
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Quite simply, this was as cathartic a victory as EMU ever achieved. The wild rollercoaster of the fourth quarter finally delivered the victory Eastern had been waiting for since 1975. Jeremiah Harris's sack of Rutgers' Kyle Bolin with :05 left clinched the victory . A video review followed, and confirmed the game-winning play. The victory was EMU's first Power 5 win after 58 losses to and the first win over a Big Ten team after 38 previous games. The game also earned EMU an $860,000 payout.
    Read more about this game here.

Sept. 8, 2018: EMU 20, Purdue 19
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Trailing 19-17, a 23-yard pass from Tyler Wiegers to Arthur Jackson on fourth down kept the game-winning drive alive, and a pair of obvious, 15-yard penalties against Purdue aided the drive. After a late hit on Wiegers, a defensive pass interference call put the ball on Purdue's 7 yard line. Enter Chad Ryland, who drilled the game-winner, setting off a wild celebration.
   Blake Banham finished with six receptions for 99 yards and Wiegers was 20 of 28 for 312 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown to Mathew Sexton. The win earned  Eastern a $550,000 payday. Read more about this game here.

Sept. 14, 2019: EMU 34, Illinois 31
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Chad Ryland was the hero again, drilling another 24-yard game-winner as the clock expired, and EMU notched its' third-consecutive win on the road over a Big Ten school in as many seasons. Mike Glass III, who was 23 of 26 for 316 yards and three touchdowns, marched the Eagles 84 yards in 1:44 to position Ryland for the game-winner with a second left.
 Eastern took home a $1 million payout and with the win, extended the MAC's streak of 14 consecutive seasons of defeating a Big 10 member, the longest such streak in league history.  Read more about this game here.

Oct. 16, 2019: EMU 34, Western Michigan 27
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Preston Hutchinson, filling in for Mike Glass III, the Mid-American Conference's leading passer, completed 31 of 36 passes for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winning, 34-yard strike to Mathew Sexton with 36 seconds left. His game-winning drive was nearly perfect, marching EMU 76 yards in 1:15, throwing four completions for 70 yards. It was part of a fourth quarter that saw Hutchinson go 11 of 12 for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran for 29 yards and a score. With 8 seconds left, Jeff Hubbard's interception completed the stirring theater in Eastern's favor.