FB: Eastern Michigan 28, Kent State 20
By EVAN MEYER
KENT, OHIO – Senior RB Ian Eriksen rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns as the Eastern Michigan Eagles came back from a 10-0 first quarter deficit to defeat the Kent State Golden Flashes 28-20 Friday afternoon at Dix Stadium.
The win was the fifth in the last six games for Eastern Michigan (7-5, 5-3 MAC) with the only loss in that stretch coming to Army West Point, who is 10-2 on the season.
“It was a close football game.’ Eagles head coach Chris Creighton said. “I thought we could have played better than we did. We needed every point that we scored today.”
Kent State (2-10, 1-7 MAC) completed its first season under head coach Sean Lewis, who put together a much more competitive team, especially offensively, than in previous seasons. Friday’s setback was the Flashes fourth one-possession loss this season and third at home . They lost by one-point to Ohio, one-point to Akron in overtime, and eight Friday against EMU
“We need to carry the lessons that we learned this year into the offseason. We need to know and understand that” Lewis said.
The Blue and Gold came out strong on sunny, chilly afternoon.
The up-tempo offense that KSU has featured all season initially moved the ball on its first possession. Sophomore quarterback Woody Barrett led the Flashes from their own 25-yard line to the EMU three before the drive stalled. Freshman PK Matthew Trickett made a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
The Flashes defense quickly followed with a big play. On the Eagles first play, senior QB Tyler Wiegers completed pass to WR Anthony Jordan, who fumbled. Sophomore LB Cepeda Phillips picked up the fumble and raced 16 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
Wiegers and the EMU offense, however, bounced back after KSU’s defensive touchdown. In just five plays, he engineered a 69-yard drive with the big play being a 46-yard completion to junior WR Michael Sexton. Eriksen finished the drive with a one-yard run for the score to make it 10-7.
Late in the period, Barrett and the KSU offense had a chance to add to their lead, moving the football to the EMU 11, but Trickett missed a 29-yard field goal attempt wide to the left.
The miss proved to be the turning point in the game. As play moved into the second quarter, the Eagles offense put together an 11-play, 82 yard drive. From the KSU one, backup quarterback Issac Striebeling came in and sneakedl into the end zone for the touchdown and a 14-10 lead.
EMU would remain in front the rest of the way.
Just before halftime, the Eagles posted their third touchdown, with Eriksen again scoring from a yard out to make the score 21-10 at the break.
In the third quarter, KSU took a gamble in an effort to get back in the game. The Flashes were facing a fourth down and two at their own 39 when they decided to go for the first down. Barrett’s pass, however, fell incomplete.
EMU capitalized, scoring their final touchdown on the afternoon when Eriksen completed his hat trick with a third one-yard plunge to make it 28-10.
To their credit, the Flashes kept fighting and got back into the game on the drive after the touchdown.
Barrett, who completed 19-of-34 passes on the afternoon for 209 yards engineered an 11-play 95-yard touchdown drive. It was the Flashes’ longest drive of the season and culminated with junior RB Jo-El Shaw’s one-yard touchdown run.
Shaw carried the ball 31 times for a career best 159 yards and the score. It was the third time in the last four games he has rushed for over 100-yards . He had 128 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Bowling Green and 116 yards with a score in the loss last Thursday against Toledo.
The touchdown engineered KSU’s defense as the Flashes did not allow any more points the rest of the way. On the day, Kent State’s defense registered two sacks, a forced fumble, a recovery (that Cepeda scored a touchdown), an interception, and five pass breakups.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles had a chance to put the game out of reach. However, freshman PK Chad Hyland missed a 35-yard field goal wide to the left.
The Flashes took over and moved form their own 20 to the EMU 17 before WMU’s defense stiffened. Trickett came on for his second field goal -- this a 35-yarder -- to close the deficit to 28-20.
With 4:28 remaining, KSU had momentum but faced a fourth down at the Eagles 35-yard line. Senior WR Kavious Price took the ball on a reverse threw the ball deep and was intercepted by junior DB Vince Calhoun who returned the ball 46 yards ending the comeback hopes of the Flashes.
The Eagles defense produced the interception, along with four sacks, a forced fumble, recovery and six pass breakups. Senior LB Kyle Rachwal had 13 total stops (seven solo) and a pass breakup.
Wiegers and the offense moved the ball to the KSU 11 but just ran out the clock from there, giving the Eagles their first win against the Flashes since 2005.