The Eastern Michigan University football team opened the season with a 41-9 victory against Howard University on Sunday, Sept. 4.
Rain postponed the start time from 7 p.m. on Saturday to noon on Sunday, but that didn’t stop the Eagles from laying a beating on the Bison.
Alex Gillett threw for 115 yards on 21 attempts with two touchdowns and one interception. The running game was dominated by the duo of Dominique Sherrer and Javonti Greene, who combined for 240 of the team’s 326 rushing yards.
Things started poorly for the Eagles. On the first offensive play, Gillett was intercepted by Julian David, who returned the pass 29 yards for a touchdown. The Bison went for the two-point conversion and failed, making the score 6-0.
“I thought we were in fixed in starts on offense, I thought that we didn’t handle their movement very well at times,” coach Ron English said. “We didn’t handle the pressure very well at times. I don’t think we threw the ball very well at all. That has not been what we’ve shown so I think we’ll settle down and throw the ball better.”
The Eagles drove their next possession down and settled for a Kody Fulkerson 45-yard field goal.
Big plays on the Bison’s next drive made it first down on the Eastern Michigan 13-yard line. The Eagle defense stood tall and tackled the ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage to force a field goal attempt from Howard. The attempt succeeded and Howard went up, 9-3, at the end of the first quarter.
“Defensively, a field goal is huge,” junior linebacker Justin Cudworth said. “Before the game coach Snow, the defensive coordinator, told everybody ‘there’s no points on the board when they’re on the 2-yard line, just play defense.”
The offense exploded for the Eagles, as the second quarter had the Eagles outscoring their visitors 24-0.
The scoring began with another Fulkerson field goal. Momentum went to Eastern Michigan’s favor after penalties forced the Bison to punt from its own four yard line. Demarius Reed returned the punt to the Howard 21 yard line.
The short field for the Eagles ended with a 25 yard pass Alex Gillett to tight end Garrett Hoskins to give the Eagles their first touchdown of the new season.
Everything for the Eagles seemed to click after that. They forced the Bison into three-and-outs and the offense make an 80-yard drive near the end of the half that was capped it off by a one-yard score by Greene to put the Eagles up, 20-9.
Bison running back Rodney Tyson fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Eagles recovered and capitalized with a Gillett rushing touchdown to end the first half with a 27-9 lead.
On the second play from scrimmage to start the second half, Sherrer broke a 77-yard touchdown run to put the Eagles up 34-9.
The Eagles added a nine yard pass from Gillett to Joe Fleming in the fourth quarter to finish off the victory.
“It helps them to buy in more, be excited about playing and practicing,” English said in response to the win. “The more that they’ll see if they do the things that we ask them to do they’ll have the chance to have success.
The victory was the Eagles’ first home victory in more than three years. It was English’s third career victory at EMU.
“I’m one of the few guys that have been around here since our last home win,” senior offensive lineman Bridger Buche said about the win. “It’s great to see the young guys that have come and put so much work in and the coaches, this is their first home win too. I’m happy for everybody; it’s going to be a fun year.”
The Eagles’ next game is against Alabama State at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 at Rynearson Stadium.
