Eastern Michigan University's football team suffered a hard-fought loss on Saturday, Oct. 12, as Miami University claimed a 38-14 victory in front of 16,903 fans at Rynearson Stadium. While the Eagles struggled on the field, the crowd was uplifted by a halftime performance from Motown legends, The Temptations.
Miami wasted no time asserting their dominance, scoring on the game’s opening play from scrimmage. Eastern Michigan responded with a strong drive led by quarterback Cole Snyder (Lakewood, New York/Southwestern/Rutgers/Buffalo), who guided the Eagles down the field and tied the game with a one-yard quarterback sneak. However, Miami quickly regained control, taking a 21-7 lead before the half.
The Eagles showed resilience late in the third quarter, narrowing the deficit to one score with a one-yard touchdown run by Delbert Mimms III (Indianapolis, Indiana/Ben Davis/NC State). Despite this push, Miami extended their lead with two additional touchdowns in the final quarter, putting the game out of reach for Eastern Michigan.
Head coach Chris Creighton reflected on the game and credited Miami for their effort, saying, "I want to congratulate Miami... I love it when a team is down and fights and plays, you know what I mean? It's awesome... I was disappointed... as our fight and intensity didn't have the feel it needs to have... But I have much respect for Miami and we knew it was going to be a tough game."
Snyder threw for 211 yards and contributed 37 rushing yards with one touchdown. His performance was solid despite throwing his first interception of the season after 245 consecutive pass attempts without one. Mimms led the Eagles' rushing attack on the ground with 78 yards and a touchdown, continuing his consistent scoring streak this season with six touchdowns in six games.
Max Reese (Chicago, Illinois/Fenwick) had a standout performance, hauling in a career-high seven catches for 50 yards, showing his growing importance in Eastern’s passing game. Luke Murphy (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington) led the Eagles with a career-best ten tackles on defense. At the same time, Daniel Warnsman (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) recovered a fumble forced by Mimms on a punt return.
Eastern Michigan’s defense struggled to contain Miami’s high-powered offense, allowing 38 points despite forcing one turnover. The Eagles converted eight of their 18 third-down attempts, but couldn't keep up with Miami’s efficiency when it mattered most.
The loss drops Eastern Michigan to 6-20 all-time against Miami and 3-10 when hosting the RedHawks. Nine EMU players recorded a catch during the game, marking the first time this season such a feat has been accomplished. Additionally, six Eagles players logged 20 or more receiving yards, a milestone last achieved in their win over Central Michigan in 2022.
Creighton remains optimistic about the team’s ability to bounce back.
"For next week, I expect us to respond and rebound," he said.
Eastern Michigan's next game is its annual Homecoming game against Central Michigan University on Saturday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Rynearson Stadium, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+. For more updates on Eastern Michigan football and other sports, follow The Eastern Echo.
