2021 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
American college football season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2021 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles were led by eighth-year head coach Chris Creighton and played their home games at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They competed as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). For the third time in the past six seasons (2016, 2018), the Eagles clinched a winning record, becoming the sixth Eagle team to reach seven wins.
ConferenceMid-American Conference
West Division
Record7–6 (4–4 MAC)
Headcoach
- Chris Creighton (8th season)
| 2021 Eastern Michigan Eagles football | |
|---|---|
 | |
LendingTree Bowl, L 20–56 vs. Liberty | |
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| West Division | |
| Record | 7–6 (4–4 MAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive scheme | Multiple |
| Defensive coordinator | Neal Neathery (6th season) |
| Base defense | 4–2–5 |
| Home stadium | Rynearson Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State xy | 6 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami (OH) | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling Green | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffalo | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Akron | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois xy$ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Michigan x | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toledo | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ball State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Michigan | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Michigan | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Northern Illinois 41, Kent State 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 3 | 7:00 p.m. | Saint Francis (PA)* | ESPN3 | W 35–15 | 16,461 | |||
| September 11 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 18 Wisconsin* | FS1 | L 7–34 | 70,967 | |||
| September 18 | 3:30 p.m. | at UMass* | NESN+ | W 42–28 | 7,012 | |||
| September 25 | 2:00 p.m. | Texas State* |
| ESPN+ | W 59–21 | 14,253 | ||
| October 2 | 2:00 p.m. | at Northern Illinois | ESPN+ | L 20–27 | 10,034 | |||
| October 9 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH) |
| ESPN+ | W 13–12 | 15,664 | ||
| October 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Ball State |
| ESPN+ | L 31–38 | 15,258 | ||
| October 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Bowling Green | ESPN+ | W 55–24 | 10,875 | |||
| November 2 | 7:30 p.m. | at Toledo | ESPN2 | W 52–49 | 14,997 | |||
| November 9 | 8:00 p.m. | Ohio |
| ESPN2 | L 26–34 | 13,636 | ||
| November 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Western Michigan |
| ESPN2 | W 22–21 | 15,272 | ||
| November 26 | 12:00 p.m. | at Central Michigan | ESPNU | L 10–31 | 7,708 | |||
| December 18 | 5:45 p.m. | vs. Liberty* | ESPN | L 20–56 | 15,186 | |||
| ||||||||
Game summaries
Saint Francis (PA)
at No. 18 (FBS) Wisconsin
Eastern Michigan vs. Wisconsin – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| No. 18 Badgers | 7 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
- Date: September 11, 2021
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C); Sunny; Wind at SW3 MPH
- Game attendance: 70,967
- Referee: Reggie Smith
- TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at UMass
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
| Minutemen | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Statistics | EMU | MASS |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 30 |
| Total yards | 507 | 519 |
| Rushing yards | 184 | 209 |
| Passing yards | 323 | 310 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 29:29 | 30:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | Ben Bryant | 14/21, 298 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Jawon Hamilton | 16 rushes, 122 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Hassan Beydoun | 6 receptions, 101 yards | |
| UMass | Passing | Brady Olson | 22/38, 285 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Ellis Merriweather | 23 rushes, 144 yards | |
| Receiving | Melvin Hill | 4 receptions, 82 yards, TD |
Texas State
Texas State at Eastern Michigan
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobcats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| • Eagles | 14 | 14 | 10 | 21 | 59 |
- Date: September 25, 2021
- Location: Rynearson Stadium
Ypsilanti, MI - Game start: 1:05 p.m. CDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 21 minutes
- Game attendance: 14,253
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 7 MPH
- Referee: Jeremy Valentine
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Anthony Lima (play–by–play) and Marcus Ray (analyst)
| 1 | 08:06 | EMU | Samson Evans 4-yard rush (Chad Ryland kick) (10 plays, 66 yards, 4:47) | EMU 7–0 |
| 03:23 | EMU | Ben Bryant 39-yard rush (Chad Ryland kick) (6 plays, 85 yards, 2:12) | EMU 14–0 | |
| 01:36 | TXST | Javen Banks 5-yard pass from Brady McBride (Seth Keller kick) (5 plays, 38 yards, 1:37) | EMU 14–7 | |
| 2 | 13:30 | EMU | Dylan Drummond 12-yard pass from Ben Bryant (Chad Ryland kick) (8 plays, 74 yards, 2:49) | EMU 21–7 |
| 03:21 | EMU | Thomas Odukoya 13-yard pass from Dylan Drummond (Chad Ryland kick) (7 plays, 55 yards, 2:32) | EMU 28–7 | |
| 01:24 | TXST | Trevis Graham Jr. 29-yard pass from Brady McBride (Seth Keller kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 1:50) | EMU 28–14 | |
| 3 | 10:56 | TXST | Javen Banks 29-yard pass from Brady McBride (Seth Keller kick) (6 plays, 77 yards, 2:42) | EMU 28–21 |
| 08:14 | EMU | Jawon Hamilton 22-yard rush (Chad Ryland kick) (6 plays, 57 yards, 2:35) | EMU 35–21 | |
| 02:43 | EMU | Chad Ryland 36-yard field goal (5 plays, 12 yards, 2:32) | EMU 38–21 | |
| 4 | 12:16 | EMU | Latrell Fordham 24-yard pass from Ben Bryant (Chad Ryland kick) (7 plays, 66 yards, 3:01) | EMU 45–21 |
| 08:08 | EMU | Hassan Beydoun 4-yard pass from Ben Bryant (Chad Ryland kick) (5 plays, 27 yards, 2:19) | EMU 52–21 | |
| 01:09 | EMU | Samson Evans 2-yard rush (Chad Ryland kick) (9 plays, 54 yards, 5:44) | EMU 59–21 | |
| Statistics | Texas State | Eastern Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 33 |
| Total yards | 299 | 499 |
| Rushing yards | 112 | 242 |
| Passing yards | 187 | 257 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 25:52 | 34:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State | Passing | Brady McBride | 16/25, 187 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Brock Sturges | 14 carries, 68 yards | |
| Receiving | Trevis Graham Jr. | 4 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD | |
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | Ben Bryant | 20/33, 228 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Darius Boone Jr. | 13 carries, 86 yards | |
| Receiving | Dylan Drummond | 5 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD |
at Northern Illinois
Miami (OH)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RedHawks | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Statistics | MIA | EMU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 16 |
| Total yards | 385 | 257 |
| Rushing yards | 126 | 31 |
| Passing yards | 259 | 206 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 25:52 | 34:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | Passing | A. J. Mayer | 16/39, 259 yards |
| Rushing | Tyre Shelton | 9 rushes, 41 yards | |
| Receiving | Jack Sorenson | 7 receptions, 123 yards | |
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | Ben Bryant | 21/31, 206 yards, TD, INT |
| Rushing | Darius Boone Jr. | 9 rushes, 36 yards | |
| Receiving | Dylan Drummond | 7 receptions, 93 yards |
Ball State
Ball State at Eastern Michigan
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Ball State | 14 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
| Eastern Michigan | 0 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 31 |
- Date: October 16. 2021
- Location: Rynearson Stadium
Ypsilanti, MI - Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 15,258
- Television network: ESPN+
| Statistics | Ball State | Eastern Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 29 | 27 |
| Total yards | 433 | 385 |
| Rushing yards | 200 | 46 |
| Passing yards | 233 | 339 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 32:43 | 27:17 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | Passing | Drew Plitt | 27/35, 207 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Carson Steele | 18 carries, 138 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Justin Hall | 10 receptions, 58 yards | |
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | Ben Bryant | 35/48, 331 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| Rushing | Jawon Hamilton | 8 carries, 40 yards | |
| Receiving | Dylan Drummond | 7 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD | |
at Central Michigan (Michigan MAC Trophy)
Michigan MAC Trophy
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| • Central Michigan | 7 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
- Date: November 26, 2021
- Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium
Mount Pleasant, MI - Game start: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 7,708
- Television network: ESPNU
| Statistics | Eastern Michigan | Central Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 22 |
| Total yards | 226 | 366 |
| Rushing yards | 5 | 236 |
| Passing yards | 221 | 130 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 27:17 | 32:43 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | Ben Bryant | 24/35, 221 yards |
| Rushing | Bryson Moss | 5 carries, 26 yards | |
| Receiving | Tanner Knue | 7 receptions, 70 yards | |
| Central Michigan | Passing | Daniel Richardson | 12/24, 130 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Lew Nichols III | 44 carries, 194 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | JaCorey Sullivan | 4 receptions, 46 yards, 2 TDs | |
vs. Liberty (LendingTree Bowl)
Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. Liberty Flames (2021 LendingTree Bowl) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| Flames | 13 | 20 | 16 | 7 | 56 |
at Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
- Date: December 18
- Game time: 5:45 p.m. EST / 4:45 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: overcast, humid • Wind: N 7 MPH
- Game attendance: 15,186
- Referee: Trennis Livingston
- TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Cotter, Mark Herzlich and Jalyn Johnson
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
