FINAL SCORE: Akron 25, Eastern Michigan 21
EMU pulled off another 18-point comeback until it didn't.
A week after Eastern Michigan dug itself out of an 18-point hole to come back and beat Central Michigan in its rivalry matchup, EMU did it again in the second half.
Then it let go of the comeback.
EMU trailed Akron 18-0 at the half and responded with three straight touchdowns in the second half, but it needed four. EMU took the late lead, but Akron re-took it with 4 minutes left in the game. On EMU’s final possession of the game, an initial 36-yard run to get EMU to the red zone was overturned as officials reviewed and saw that Elijah Jackson-Anderon’s carry actually resulted in a fumble.
EMU falls to 5-3 overall on the year (2-2 MAC) while the Zips improve to a 2-6 record (1-3 MAC).
Here’s how Saturday’s game unfolded at InfoCision Stadium:
SCORING DRIVES
First Quarter
1Q, 2:53, 1-YARD RUN BY AKRON’S TAHJ BULLOCK. AKRON 8, EASTERN MICHIGAN 0.Â
Akron got on the board first with a lot of help given by Eastern Michigan penalties. EMU’s offense punted from its own 3-yard line to the Zips, and the Zips’ return man was hit by Nick Devereaux before he had possession of the ball, so Akron only needed 36 yards to get in the end zone. On a 3rd & 2 conversion in the red zone, Akron got to move the chains with its sweeping run play, but a defensive holding by D-tackle Tyrell Martin got the Zips inside the 5-yard line, then in the end zone two plays later.Â
Second Quarter
2Q, 14:15, 34-YARD FIELD GOAL BY AKRON’S GARRISON SMITH. AKRON 11, EASTERN MICHIGAN 0.Â
Akron got its next scoring drive started with a 43-yard run by Charles Kellom to immediately bring his team in the red zone. Nothing much happened offensively after the drive, but the field position was too good not to score on, and the Zips got their 34-yard field goal from Garrison Smith.Â
2Q, 2:45, 15-YARD RUN BY AKRON’S TAHJ BULLOCK. AKRON 18, EASTERN MICHIGAN 0.
Akron made a 7-play, 71-yard drive look easy, and of course another penalty by the traveling Eagles made things even easier. Bullock had a 20-yard throw to Bobby Golden, then after a Finley rush out of bounds in EMU territory, defensive end Trey Laing hit the quarterback late and well out of bounds to give Akron another 15 yards on the drive. One play later, Bullock ran to his left and muscled his way into the end zone for his second time.Â
Third Quarter
3Q, 6:15, 2-YARD CATCH BY JERE GETZINGER FROM COLE SNYDER. EASTERN MICHIGAN 8, AKRON 18.Â
Akron had the ball first in the second half and was held to a turnover on downs. EMU’s offense took over and grinded for a 65-yard drive in 14 plays, and took 5:24 off the clock. Jere Getzinger, who had the game-winning touchdown catch in overtime last year (his first career score at the time), was the recipient of Snyder’s 3rd & goal pass from the 2-yard line for his first score of the year (second in career).Â
To match Akron’s 2-point play earlier in the ball game and to make it a 10-point game, Max Reese caught Snyder’s shovel pass and muscled into the end zone for the score.
3Q, 0:34, 18-YARD CATCH BY JERE GETZINGER, FROM COLE SNYDER. EASTERN MICHIGAN 14, AKRON 18.
Here’s a first for Getzinger – two touchdown grabs in one day for Getzinger. While Akron was being limited on offense in the third quarter (turnover on downs, punt, 43 yards in 10 plays), EMU got itself on the scoreboard with scoring drives of 65 and 73 yards.Â
After EMU’s second touchdown, Gomez missed his PAT kick wide right. It was his second PAT miss of the season (21/23).
Fourth Quarter
4Q, 7:41, 1-YARD RUN BY DELBERT MIMMS. EASTERN MICHIGAN 21, AKRON 18.
A week after coming back from 18 points down to beat rival CMU, EMU fought back from being down by 18 to Akron to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Lockett had a key 79-yard reception on 3rd & 10 while EMU’s offense was taking snaps out of its own end zone to flip the field and get into the red zone on the play. EMU did get gifted a new set of downs late in the drive. After a 3rd & goal incompletion to Markus Allen, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Zips let EMU have a new series of downs from the 3-yard line, and finally scored on Mimms’ fourth-down handoff from the 1-yard line.Â
4Q, 3:59, 21-YARD CATCH BY AKRON’S ADRIAN NELSON, FROM BEN FINLEY. AKRON 25, EASTERN MICHIGAN 21.
Akron was limited to 55 yards over 14 plays in its first three possessions of the second half, but manufactured a 75-yard scoring drive that ended in a 21-yard throw and catch from Ben Finley to Adrian Norton.Â
KEY PLAYS, MOMENTS, TURNOVERS
EMU MISSES ON OPENING DRIVE
For as good as Jesus Gomez has been from 50+ yards out for his field goal tries, any long kick that falls short of the crossbar is a little bit of disappointment. He was called on to try and hit a 54-yarder to finish his team’s opening drive, but his kick fell short by a few yards. Sure he kicked into the wind, but it the winds weren’t heavy. Oran Singleton was the source of production on the drive and had a big 17-yard grab to move the chains in Akron territory, but a pass interference penalty against fellow receiver Markus Allen moved EMU back 15 yards to force his team to a 1st & 25 situation. EMU only got nine of those yards back before sending out the field goal unit.Â
THREE STRAIGHT THREE-AND-OUTS BY EMU OFFENSE TO OPEN
After EMU’s missed field goal drive, the offense sputtered on its next three drives: nine plays, only five yards gained and three punts.Â
In the first half, EMU’s offense had 112 yards on 33 plays.Â
In the second half, EMU ran 46 plays for 348 yards.
DEFENSIVE TURNOVER TURNS INTO OFFENSIVE TURNOVER ON DOWNS
What a bummer of a possession for the Eagles after getting the ball back in a big way. Senior safety David Carter Jr. caught an interception off of a deep pass attempt by Akron’s Ben Finley for EMU to start driving from its 23-yard line. For a while, EMU chewed up some yards and was able to convert on a couple of third-and-shorts, but not its third. On a 3rd & 2 handoff, Delbert Mimms was stopped short gaining just one yard, then Cole Snyder’s rush on fourth down was also short of the sticks to end EMU’s 48-yard drive, the longest of the half.Â
EMU came into the game with two interceptions on the books already, but they were both made by linebackers (Luke Murphy, Ali Abdul-Barr). Carter’s interception was a first for the defensive backs.Â
TERRY LOCKETT TIES THIRD-LONGEST CATCH
Third down and 10 and taking snaps out of its own end zone, EMU had its back against the wall to start its third possession of the second half. But Lockett caught Snyder’s short pass, evaded his first tackler, and raced all the way down Akron’s 19-yard line. Lockett’s 79-yard catch is a 4-way tie for third-longest in program history. Earlier in the season against Saint Francis, Zyell Griffin had an 89-yard reception that tied the school record.Â
A 36-YARD RUN FOR NAUGHT
At first, it looked like Elijah Jackson-Anderson would have a game-defining 36-yard run to put EMU in great scoring position. Had the original spot stood, EMU would’ve had the ball at the red zone out of a 2-minute timeout. Officials reviewed the play after Jackson-Anderson was spotted at Akron’s 20-yard line, and said that the running back’s knee was not down before he fumbled the ball away. Akron came away with the recovery, and took a big scoring chance away from EMU.Â
EMU still had one more possession in the game. With one minute left in the game, Snyder was able to get his offense across midfield, but his Hail Mary throw to the end zone would be knocked incomplete to end the game.
NEXT GAME
Eastern Michigan returns home next week for its penultimate Saturday of the regular season. Toledo (which was in the middle of a tight rivalry match with Bowling Green during EMU’s game at Akron) will come to Rynearson Stadium next week for a noon game that’ll be broadcasted on ESPNU. Toledo entered the week with the same record as EMU: 5-2 overall, 2-1 MAC play.