FINAL SCORE: Miami OH 38, Eastern Michigan 14
In a prove-it game out of a bye week, EMU stunk up its MAC home opener against the defending MAC champions.
Eastern Michigan looked dry and lifeless against a Miami RedHawks team that came into their road trip with a chip on their shoulders. EMU started the game off behind and continually failed to get past Miami’s defense.
EMU’s offense had three turnovers on downs, its first interception thrown of the year, and punted the ball away five times as it lost 38-14 in Saturday’s home contest.
It was basically the exact opposite of a performance EMU wanted to see from itself after having the week off. Here’s how Saturday’s action unfolded:
SCORING DRIVES
First Quarter
1Q, 14:50; 75-YARD CATCH BY REGGIE VIRGIL, FROM BRETT GABBERT. MIAMI 7, EASTERN MICHIGAN 0.
Miami had about as ideal of an opening drive as any offense could ask for. One shot downfield for the 6’4” receiver Reggie Virgil from Brett Gabbert, and the Miami RedHawks got on the board with the first play of the game.
1Q, 10:04; 1-YARD RUN BY COLE SNYDER. EASTERN MICHIGAN 7, MIAMI 7.
Lots of Cole Snyder calling his own number to move the ball into scoring territory, then a pair of runs called from upstairs helped EMU tie the game up on its opening possession. Snyder had 24 rushing yards on 5 attempts. Some of those were on scrambles, like on his third-and-long conversion to get across midfield, but the drive ended with a QB power run out of shotgun stopping at the goal line, then he got the ball again on a hurry-up QB sneak from the 1-yard line.
Second Quarter
2Q, 10:02; 5-YARD CATCH BY CONNOR BRIGGS, FROM BRETT GABBERT. MIAMI 14, EASTERN MICHIGAN 7.
After Eastern’s offense was stopped into a turnover on downs, Miami’s offense drove 59 yards for seven plays to get in the end zone. Miami converted its first third down of the game (was 0/2 in the first quarter) and let a couple of play action passes look easy.
2Q, 00:38; 19-YARD CATCH BY REGGIE VIRGIL, FROM BRETT GABBERT. MIAMI 21, EASTERN MICHIGAN 7.
Snyder hasn’t made many errors this season, and was clean in the interception department this season until late in the second quarter. Snyder’s pass was intercepted by Miami's stud linebacker Matt Salopek, and the RedHawks needed just four plays to extend its lead before the halftime break.
Virgil was hit hard by Tyrelle Deener on the end of the play to the point his helmet popped off and needed some help walking off the field after he was looked at for some time. The officiating crew reviewed the contact, and concluded there was no targeting penalty against Deener, who was already called for targeting once earlier this year (vs. Jacksonville State).
Third Quarter
3Q, 2:41; 1-YARD RUN BY DELBERT MIMMS III. MIAMI 21, EASTERN MICHIGAN 14.
No being denied the second time. EMU failed to score on its first drive of the second half (14 plays, 57 yards, 7:05 used), but Mimms found his way into the end zone for his sixth rushing score of the season.
Fourth Quarter
4Q, 14:55; 24-YARD CATCH BY COLE WEAVER, FROM BRETT GABBERT. MIAMI 28, EASTERN MICHIGAN 14.
Gabbert may have entered the game with more interceptions than touchdowns thrown on the season, but he flipped that narrative as a fourth passing score got Miami ahead by two scores to begin the fourth quarter. The 24-yard pass to his wide-open tight end finished a 5-play, 80-yard drive.
4Q, 5:01; 44-YARD FIELD GOAL BY DOM DZIOBAN. MIAMI 31, EASTERN MICHIGAN 14
Eastern Michigan’s home stands admittedly never really got loud and rowdy even though the weather was great and the stakes of this MAC home opener were fairly important. Still, EMU’s crowd never really got loud as Miami’s offense cruised with 17 and 34-yard pickups by running back Keyon Mozee flipped the field for his RedHawks. Dom Dzioban came in and made his 44-yard kick, and the RedHawks reached a late, three-possession lead.
4Q, 1:30; 44-YARD RUN BY JORDAN BRUNSON. MIAMI 38, EASTERN MICHIGAN 14.
A garbage time score, but no such thing as garbage time when EMU has to live with having the score be run-up against them in the home game. Even more diabolical by Miami to score this way just moments after the 2-minute timeout.
KEY PLAYS, MOMENTS, TURNOVERS
EMU DEFENSE FORCES MIAMI TO PUNT ON ITS SECOND DRIVE
The first drive, or play rather, was a disastrous start as Miami took the 7-0 lead 10 seconds into the game. On the defense’s next drive, it stopped Miami’s rushing attack for a loss two plays in a row, then Gabbert’s third-down scramble was halted by linebacker Luke Murphy. Miami ended up punting from EMU’s 45-yard line.
FUMBLE BY MIAMI ON ENSUING PUNT
Eastern Michigan’s offense was limited to a three-and-out after Miaim’s first punt of the day, and wound up punting from its own end zone back to the RedHawks. Fielded at midfield, Cade McDonald fumbled the ball as he was hit, and EMU recovered the ball to have its offense re-take the field on Miami’s 49.
However, EMU’s offense only moved backward on the turnover-aided drive (-4 yards), and punted away again. McDonald fair caught the ball on Miami’s 12-yard line.
COSTLY PENALTY MAY HAVE FUMBLED SCORING OPPORTUNITY
In a close, low-scoring game, moving backwards for a penalty is the kind of foot-shooting neither offense could really afford. After a Max Reese reception got EMU across the 50 yard-line, offensive lineman Joshua Anderson pushed a Miami defender off of his receiver. The officiating crew didn’t like that, and made the easy 15-yard penalty go against EMU’s offense to set up 2nd & 18. EMU failed to get a first down after the set back, and punted away to Miami yet again.
FIRST INTERCEPTION THROWN BY SNYDER THIS YEAR
Entering this week, Snyder had gone 229 straight pass attempts without throwing an interception, which dated back to Halloween last season when he was with the Buffalo Bulls. Snyder’s last pick of the 2023 season was thrown in that game, then opened up the season with a 5-game streak of not having any interceptions at all. Miami’s defense, though, got the better of him in the first half as he ended up throwing an interception on his 17th pass attempt of the afternoon. Last time, it was Toledo’s Maxen Hook who picked off Snyder. On Saturday, it was Miami’s Salopek, the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Miami took over with the ball on EMU’s 34, and it did not take long for the RedHawks to find the end zone again. A 4-play drive that finished with a touchdown catch by Reggie Virgil to make it a 21-7 score.
GOMEZ MISSES 37-YARDER TO END FIRST HALF
Jesus Gomez missed his lone field goal try of the day. Lined up to try a 37-yarder with two seconds left in the first half, Gomez’s kick missed left of the upright, and the Eagles went to the halftime break down by 14 points.
EMU OFFENSE OPENED SECOND HALF WITH TURNOVER ON DOWNS
After converting on a fourth down and two thirds on EMU’s opening drive of the half, the offense was denied at score as it got inside the 5-yard line. A 4th & 2 handoff to Mimms went for just one yard, and the offense came off the field with a turnover on downs to open the second half.
ANOTHER COSTLY 15-YARD PENALTY, THIS TIME AGAINST EMU’s DEFENSE
Following EMU’s third-quarter touchdown, EMU safety Quentavius Scandrett gave Miami some free yards on the end of a 30-yard completion from Gabbert to receiver Kam Perry. Scandrett hit him late out of bounds (on Miami’s side, no less) to give the RedHawks 15 more yards on the drive. Miami finished the drive with a 24-yard passing score to tight end Cole Weaver, and kept the away team ahead by two scores.
NEXT GAME
Eastern Michigan falls to 2-1 in home game this year after today’s loss. Next week, the Eagles will have a chance to redeem themselves with a homecoming matchup against rivals Central Michigan, who was in the middle of a home game against Ohio as the EMU-Miami contest finished.
