The Eastern Michigan University football team lost 30-17 to the Ohio University Bobcats Saturday at Rynearson Stadium. The loss was the team’s seventeenth consecutive in two years.
The Eagles were led by Sophomore quarterback Alex Gillett who completed 15 of 33 passes for 208 yards, including one touchdown pass. Senior running back Dwayne Priest led EMU’s rushing game with 19 rushes for 117 yards.
Ohio came out and took an early lead when they kicked a field goal after a third-down pass to receiver Levan Brazill in the endzone was incomplete.
The Eagles responded with a fake punt on fourth down that extended an eventual scoring drive. The pass caught by senior tight-end Ben Thayer put the Eagles at the ten-yard line.
“We got the look we wanted,” said EMU coach Ron English of his call on fourth down.
Setting- up a nine-yard touchdown pass from Gillett to Sophomore receiver Kinsman Thomas that put EMU up 7-3 with two-minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Bobcats would take the lead back after a two-yard drive into the endzone by senior tailback Vince Davidson. The touchdown gave the Bobcats a 10-3 edge over the Eagles.
EMU came back with a field goal to tie the game at 10 with seven-minutes remaining in the half. The field goal was the first for sophomore kicker Sean Graham’s collegiate career.
The Eagles’ receivers were led by Thomas who recorded 57-yards on five passes and one touchdown. He was followed by senior tight end Josh LeDuc who finished with three receptions for 41-yards. Sophomore tight end Garrett Hoskins also pitched in with two receptions for 34 yards.
The Bobcats came out for the second half with an early strike, moving 67-yards on seven plays. They would take the first touchdown of the half and a 17-10 lead on a seven-yard run by Davidson.
The Bobcats went on to score 14 more unanswered in the third quarter.
English said that the defense found themselves with guys not covering their man, allowing the Bobcat offense to score those three consecutive touchdowns.
“It takes eleven guys and we had some assignment errors,” English said. “One guy affects everybody, so if you’re that guy you have to do your job.”
The second Bobcat touchdown came on a 61 yard pass from Redshirt-Senior quarterback Boo Jackson to Davidson. Their third and final touchdown would come on an 18-yard run by Redshirt-Junior receiver Riley Dunlop, however, the point after attempt by redshirt sophomore kicker Matt Weller was no good. This put the Bobcats up 30-10 with just twenty-four seconds left in the third quarter.
The Eagles would come back in the fourth quarter and march 91-yards in just nine plays. The push up the field ended with a one-yard push into the endzone by Priest. That cut the lead down to 30-17 with 12:30 left in the game. Sophomore defensive back Marcell Rose gave Eastern another chance at the endzone with an interception that put the Eagles on the 47-yard line. However, the Eagles could not gain the yard needed to extend the Eagles’ drive, after trying to rush for it on third and fourth down.
The Eagles will step out of conference play when they suit up at 7 p.m. next to play Vanderbilt University next Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.
