FINAL SCORE: Ohio 35, Eastern Michigan 10
With bowl eligibility still on the line, it was the kind of loss that makes fans look forward to basketball season.
In a season that never got easier, Eastern Michigan (5-5 overall, 2-4 MAC) continually made things more difficult for itself in Wednesday night’s road loss to Ohio (6-3, 4-1 MAC). The main goal of reaching a conference championship was already out of the question for EMU, but the secondary goal of reaching bowl eligibility with a win was still in play.
That sixth win is still up for grabs next week, but these Eagles didn’t look like a team that was actually trying to make it to Selection Sunday.
EMU, lately, has been knocked out of championship contention before and still found ways to play inspired football down the stretch to reach bowl eligibility. This team simply didn’t play good football against Ohio, and is now riding a three-game losing streak for its efforts.
There was nothing immediately redeeming about this game. Three of Ohio’s five touchdown drives on the night were 75, 85, and 95 yards long, and EMU had four turnovers that turned into 21 points for the Bobcats. A challenge flag was wasted not even five minutes into the second half. EMU had a punt from Ohio’s 38-yard line in the first quarter.
No salt, no pepper. Just a bland and bogus night for the Eagles.
Here’s how the Wednesday night MACtion unfolded on ESPN2:
SCORING DRIVES
First Quarter
NO SCORES
Second Quarter
2Q, 12:47, 18-YARD CATCH BY DELBERT MIMMS III, FROM COLE SNYDER. EASTERN MICHIGAN 7, OHIO 0.
The first quarter was a drag, but the second quarter at least, finally, featured some scores. Eastern Michigan punted three times and Ohio punted twice in the first quarter, and it was EMU that ended up getting on the board first on Wednesday evening.
Out of a third and long situation, Snyder’s deep throw to Oran Singleton was complete for 44 yards, then Mimms finished the drive three plays later on a shovel-pass play for an 18-yard touchdown; it was Mimms’ first receiving score of the season.
2Q, 7:11, 3-YARD RUN BY OHIO’S PARKER NAVARRO. OHIO 7, EASTERN MICHIGAN 7.
A slow start for Ohio as it ran 19 plays for 91 yards in its first four possessions, but it revved up the engine in the middle of the second quarter. A quick, 95-yard drive with pickups up 21, 34, 6, and 31 yards put Ohio right at the goal line. Ohio QB Parker Navarro kept the ball himself on a read option play to finish the drive and score from three yards out, and tied the game up.
2Q, 0:13, 1-YARD RUN BY OHIO’S ANTHONY TYUS. OHIO 14, EASTERN MICHIGAN 7.
To take advantage of an interception thrown by EMU’s Cole Snyder, Ohio used just eight plays to march 75 yards downfield to take the lead right with under a minute to halftime. Navarro got 26 yards through the air on a throw to Coleman Owen, got another 15 yards from drawing a defensive pass interference (on Daiquan White), then rushed for 19 and 9 yards before handing it off to Anthony Tyus for a short run on 2nd & goal.
Third Quarter
3Q, 6:04, 25-YARD RUN BY OHIO’S PARKER NAVARRO. OHIO 21, EASTERN MICHIGAN 7
Ohio didn’t need much to get its third touchdown. Snyder threw his third interception in EMU territory, and the Bobcats needed just 25 yards to score. Navarro did just that in one play, as he ran it in himself for the second time of the night.
Fourth Quarter
4Q, 13:13, 29-YARD FIELD GOAL BY JESUS GOMEZ. OHIO 21, EASTERN MICHIGAN 10.
EMU put together a 16-play scoring drive, but not one to build much confidence from. Snyder nearly fumbled the ball away when he tried to rush it in from inside the 5-yard line, then his pass to Terry Lockett in the corner of the end zone was broken up [and nearly picked off again] by Pearson. Ending things at Ohio’s 11-yard line, EMU settled for a Jesus Gomez field goal.
4Q, 7:20, 1-YARD RUN BY OHIO’S PARKER NAVARRO. OHIO 28, EASTERN MICHIGAN 10.
It doesn’t read as a blowout on the scoreboard, but that’s definitely the feeling this game had once Ohio got to a 28-10 lead. Ohio needed only nine plays to move the ball 85 yards – the third touchdown drive of 75+ yards – to finish with a score.
4Q, 2:59, 4-YARD RUN BY OHIO’S PARKER NAVARRO. OHIO 35, EASTERN MICHIGAN 10.
After EMU’s fourth turnover of the night, Navarro made his fourth rushing score of the night. Wasn’t a long drive for Ohio either; the Bobcats needed only 19 yards to get in the end zone.
KEY PLAYS, MOMENTS, TURNOVERS
EMU PUNTED FROM OHIO’S 38-YARD LINE
Nothing says confidence in your offense quite like punting from the +38 yard line on the second drive of the day. The game started out with an exchange of punts, and a short kick by Ohio gave EMU the ball on Ohio’s 45-yard line, and Delbert Mimms III did his part by converting on a 3rd & 3 run, but Terry Lockett was overthrown on EMU’s next third down play (3rd & 13) to wipe the offense of the field. Mitch Tomasek’s punt was fair caught at the 12-yard line.
EARLY BLOCKED FIELD GOAL FOR EMU
Ohio punted to end two of its first three possessions in the first quarter. The one it didn’t punt on, Ohio saw 31-yard field goal attempt get blocked by Joey Zelinsky to slam the door on an 11-play, 74-yard drive.
SNYDER PICKED OFF IN FIRST HALF
After Joey Mattord moved the chains in Ohio territory, a short Snyder pass was tipped by Ohio’s defensive line and intercepted by DE Ben McNaboe. For EMU, that ended a 33-yard drive that was trying to work its way into the red zone for a second time.
Q. SCANDRETT OPENED 2H WITH INT
EMU’s defense began the second half with a turnover as Navarro’s throw to Owen was overthrown and landed in the hands of Quentavius Scandrett. For EMU’s defense, it was the team’s fifth interception of the year, and fourth career INT for Scandrett.
4TH DOWN PICKUP TURNED INTO ANOTHER INT. CREIGHTON WASTES TIMEOUT FOR CHALLENGE
This game was pretty action-packed to open the second half. EMU got the ball after a quick interception thrown by Ohio, but the Eagles didn’t do much with the rock. Instead, EMU threw the ball right back to Ohio five plays later. EMU’s offense immediately faced a 4th & 1 after the turnover, which was converted on by a short run by Mimms. But on the very next play, Snyder’s deep pass to Markus Allen was intercepted by Ohio’s Tank Pearson on the Ohio 22.
Chris Creighton challenged the interception, thinking the Ohio defensive back didn’t have full possession of the ball, but there was little debate from officiating crew as it was reviewed, so EMU effectively burned a timeout just four minutes into the half.
SNYDER REACHED FOUR TURNOVERS
Cold, cold night for Snyder. The quarterback tossed interceptions in back-to-back drives in the third quarter, which Ohio got 7 points off of as it scored after the second interception. Then in the middle of the fourth, Snyder fumbled the ball away as he was sacked for the third time.
Ohio finished the game with 21 of its 35 points scored off turnovers.
NEXT GAME
EMU’s main goals are out of the question, but the secondary goal of reaching a bowl game is still in play. Next Wednesday, EMU hosts Buffalo for its final home game of the year. Last night, Buffalo beat Ball State 51-45 in overtime.
I’ve always wondered when reading these if it’s technically correct as a journalistic practice to refer to a team as “it” as opposed to “them”?