EASTERN MICHIGAN vs LIBERTY FLAMES
Hancock Whitney Stadium -- Mobile, AL
ESPN
Eastern Michigan's last eight-win season was back in 1987, when Head Coach John Harkema's EMU squad finished 10-2. However, the Eagles can pick up an eighth win Saturday when they meet Liberty in LendingTree Bowl action.
As one of the few football independent teams left, the Flames (7-5) face a challenging schedule and are currently riding a three-game losing streak. Those losses were to No. 16 Ole Miss (27-14), a 12-1 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns team (42-14) and Army (31-16). It's two other losses were at Syracuse (24-21) and Louisiana Monroe (31-28).
Eastern Michigan, meanwhile, lost two of its last three outings to finish 7-5 (4-4 MAC). Ohio and Central Michigan downed the Eagles, with EMU posting a 22-21 win over Eastern Michigan in between those setbacks.
Here's more on the two teams . . .
LIBERTY FLAMES (7-5, IND)
• The Flames are shooting for their third bowl victory in three years of full FBS bowl eligibility. They would join Appalachian State (2015-20) as the only teams to win bowl games in each of their first three years after transitioning from FCS to FBS. A victory would also make the Flames the first FBS independent team to win a bowl game in three straight seasons since Army (2016-18).
• Liberty will be joining Conference USA for membership effective in 2023-24.
• Liberty Head Coach Hugh Freeze's first win over an FBS team opponent was back in 2019 when the Flames defeated Buffalo, 25-17. The lead changed hands six times, and neither team led by
more than six points the whole night.
Liberty is 3-9 all-time against MAC opponents. It's first two wins over FBS programs were against
MAC schools (Oct. 14, 1989 – W, 25-24 at Eastern Michigan; Sept. 11, 2010 – W, 27-23 at Ball State).
• The Flames have been upping their game in recent years. They went 6-6 in 2018, 7-5 in 2019 and 10-1 in 2020. The only loss last year was a 15-14 loss at North Carolina State. Liberty beat No. 12 Coastal Carolina 37-34 (OT) in last year's FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl.
• Liberty posted a program-record four wins over bowl teams this season (Middle Tennesee, North Texas, Old Dominion and UAB). The Flames are looking to avoid their first fourgame losing streak in four years.
• Most draft projections have current Liberty quarterback Malik Willis projected as a first-rounder. He
could become Liberty's second first-round NFL Draftpick and first since receiver Eric Green (to Pittsburgh Steelers).
Wills continues to be Liberty’s top offensive threat, accounting for 67.0 percent of the Flames’ total offensive yards in 2021 (Team Yards: 5,143/Willis: 3,446 – Rush 820, Pass 2,626).
• Demario Douglas tops LU receivers with 49 catches for 679 yards and five TDs. CJ Daniels has a team-high seven receiving touchdowns among his 36 touchdowns for 590 yards.
• After scoring a season-high 62 points against UMass on Oct. 30, the Flames have been held below 20 points each of their last three games – all losses (L/ 14-27 at Ole Miss; L/ 14-42 vs. Louisiana; L/ 16-31 vs. Army).
• After spending most of the season ranked inside the top 25 in the country in scoring, Liberty enters the bowl game ranked No. 42 in scoring offense (31.8 points per game).
• LU’s offense has shown versatility during first two years under head coach Hugh Freeze. LU set a school record for passing yards in 2019 (3,756) and rushing yards in 2020 (2,776). The Flames have passed for 3,000 yards (3,020) and rushed for 2,000 yards (2,123) this season. This is the first time since 2014 that Liberty passed for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 2,000 yards in the same season.
• Liberty is currently averaging 252.1 passing yards per game, which ranks No. 48 in the country.
• Army intercepted a pair of Liberty passing attempts on Nov. 27, marking the third game in a row and the fifth time this season the Flames have thrown multiple interceptions in a game. Liberty currently ranks No. 114 (out of 130 teams) in the country in passes had intercepted (14 in 12 games).
• LU currently rank No. 37 in the country in third-down conversion percentage (66-of-151/44.5 percent) despite finishing the Army game converting on 5-of-14 third-down plays.
• Liberty continues to struggle protecting its quarterbacks, allowing five sacks against Army and 21 sacks in its last three games (9 vs. Ole Miss; 7 vs. Louisiana; 5 vs. Army. Entering the bowl game, the Flames rank No. 129 in the country out of 130 teams in team sacks allowed (4.17 per game).
• The Flames currently rank No. 30 in the country in scoring defense (21.7 points allowed per game). However, LU has allowed its last two opponents to score a combined 73 points (42 vs. Louisiana and 31 vs. Army).
• Liberty has allowed a combined 944 rushing yards the last four games (North Texas 242 yards; UMass 210 yards; Ole Miss 142; Louisiana 130; Army 220) after allowing an average of 107.1 rushing yards during the first seven games of 2021.
• LU has recorded 31 tackles for a loss in its last four games (13 vs. UMass; 7 vs. Ole Miss; 7 vs. Louisiana; 4 vs. Army) and ranks No. 15 in the country in tackles for a loss (7.2 per game).
• Liberty enters the bowl game ranked No. 5 in the country in fewest passing yards allowed per game (174.2).
• EMU finished the regular season with a 31-10 loss at Central Michigan. The Eagles trailed 17-10 through three quarters, but CMU pulled away with two TDs in the final period.
• Eastern Michigan's offense struggled against the Chippewas, managing just 226 yards of total offense and 10 points. It was particularly grim rushing as EMU ran 27 times for a total of five yards. Quarterback Ben Bryant was credited with 45 yards in losses as Central Michigan registered seven sacks and 11 TFL.
• Bryant still managed to complete 24 of 35 passes for 221 yards. Tanner Knue and Hassan Beydoun led receivers, combining for 15 catches and 139 yards.
• Tariq Speights led all defenders with 11 tackles. However, the Eagles had zero sacks and just one TFL. Robert Daniel Jr. picked off one CMU aerial.
• This is EMU's fourth bowl game in nearly three decades and third in four seasons A victory would be EMU's second bowl win in program history and first since 1987, when it defeated San Jose State in the 1987 California Bowl.
• EMU’s 2021 regular season included games against seven teams that will close out their schedules in the postseason. Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Miami, Ball State, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan will all make Bowl appearances in 2021.
• EMU has played just one previous game in the State of Alabama - the 2018 Camellia Bowl. That game, played Dec. 15, 2018, saw the Eagles fall, 23-21, when Georgia Southern kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired.
• Eastern Michigan has been one of the best teams in the nation when it comes to recovering fumbles in 2021. The Eagles have picked up nine loose balls this season, which ranks third in the MAC and 32nd nationally.
• The Eagles rank first in the nation in: fewest penalties (41), fewest penalties per game (3.42), fewest penalty yards (366), and fewest penalty yards per game (30.5).
• Kicker Chad Ryland is the program’s all-time record holder in PAT attempts (142), PAT makes (138), and longest field goal (t-1; 55 yards) – all set this season, Ryland also notched a program record when he hit five field goals, the most ever in a single game for the program, against Western Michigan, Nov. 16.
After starting the season just 1-for-4, the Lebanon, Pa. native has hit his stride, knocking in his last 16 attempts. Ryland is now 17-for-20 on the season. He is fifth in the MAC in terms of points responsible for, with 96, and points per game, with 8.0.
• Despite struggling on offense in the season finale, Eastern Michigan is averaging 31.0 points per game; EMU has put up 372 total points on 46 touchdowns, 15 field goals, and 45 extra points. In total, 14 different Eagles have found the paydirt in 2021, including five players who have scored multiple touchdowns. Sophomore Samson Evans leads all Eagles and ranks fourth in the league with 12 touchdowns. That number is the seventh-most in a single season by any Eastern player.
• On the defensive end, EMU has been impressive as well. EMU has forced 17 turnovers in 2021, and has scored points off of 14 (10 touchdowns, 4 field goals). EMU has scored 82 points off those turnovers, twice as a direct result of the play, and 11 times in its subsequent offensive possession. Of the three times that EMU did not score off a turnover in the 2021 regular season, one was because the offense was able to enter victory formation (vs. Western Michigan, Nov. 16).
• EMU has scored 48 percent of its total points in the first half this season, and 52 percent in the second half of contests.
• Senior quarterback Ben Bryant ranks first in the MAC and 12th nationally with a 69 percent completion clip in 2021. His 2,921 yards passing ranks second in the league and 29th in the country, while his 243.4 passing yards per contest sits at third in the MAC, and ranks 39th in the NCAA. Bryant’s current completion percentage ranks second best for any Eastern player since the turn of the century. Only Andy Schmitt (72.8%) in 2007 has recorded a season with a better completion percentage since 2000.
• Junior linebacker Tariq Speights finished as the Eagles’ regular-season tackles leader in 2021. The Valencia, Calif. native racked up 85 tackles (18 solo, 67 assisted), including 1.5 tackles for loss. His 7.0 tackles per contest ranks inside the MAC’s top-20 (No. 18). He notched a career-best three games with 12+ tackles, including hitting his personal-best mark of 13 stops against Ball State, Oct. 16.
• Junior defensive back Jarrett Paul, a Rutgers transfer, was tied for fourth on the team in total tackles (45), and led all EMU players in pass break ups, with five. He has been one of the best open-field tacklers for Eastern Michigan -- 60 percent of his stops came in solo fashion.
• EMU has had no shortage of creative scoring in 2021. Four different Eagles have thrown touchdown passes for the Green and White, the most in any year during the modern statistical era (1998-Pres.). Regular signal called Ben Bryant leads the way with 14 TD strikes, while running back Samson Evans has delivered three. Preston Hutchinson and Dylan Drummond have each tossed one.
• EMU’s defense recorded 17 quarterback hurries in the one-point triumph over Miami, Oct. 9. The 17 pressures are tied for the second most in a game during the modern statistical era (since 1999).
• Eastern Michigan ranked fifth among MAC teams in both scoring (31.0 ppg) and scoring defense (27.8 ppg).
• The Eagles ranked 11th among MAC teams in rushing offense (117.5 ypg) but were third in passing (263.6 ypg).