TUESDAY, DEC. 20 -- 3:30 P.M. ET -- ESPN
The Eagles have never finished with . . .
Eastern Michigan is playing its third straight bowl game (not counting Covid 2020). However, it came up short in all three.
San Jose State last played in a bowl game in 2020, when it knocked off Ball State 34-13 in the Offerpad Arizona Bowl. The Spartans are 7-4 all-time in bowl games. That .636 winning percentage is seventh best in the country among teams who have played in 10 or more bowl games.
Here's more on the two teams . . .
>> The Spartans finished third in the Mountain West West Division.
>> DL Viliami "Junior" Fehoko and LB Kyle Harmon earned First Team honors. CB Nehemiah Shelton was named to the Second Team. Third Team honors went to WR Elijay Cooks, OL Tyler Stevens, DL Cade Hall and S Tre Jenkins.
>> Fehoko was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
>> The Spartans own a +12 turnover margin -- best in the Mountain West and fifth best in the nation. This comes after SJSU finished 2021 at -10.
>> San Jose State has committed just six turnovers (4 int, 2 fumbles)
>> Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro (2,885 yards, tops in MW) is looking to be the first SJSU QB to throw for 3,000 yards since Josh Love did in 2019.
>> Cordeiro has only thrown four interceptions and is looking to best the SJSU record of five (437 attempts), by Scott Rislov in 2003. Only four FBS QB's have over 300 passing attempts and less than four interceptions.
>> Wide receiver Elijah Cooks (983 yards) is looking to be the first 1,000 yard wide receiver for the Spartans since Tre Walker in 2019. Cooks (10 touchdowns) has the most touchdowns by any SJSU wide receiver since Chandler Jones had 15 in 2013.
>> The Spartans finished the season with 36 sacks which was good for first in the MW and were fifth in the country averaging 3.27 sacks per game.
>> SJSU averaged 92.5 ypg rushing the ball. That was 11th among MW teams and 124th nationally. However, the passing offense (264.0 ypg) ranked second MW and 34th nationally.
>> The Spartains were 28th nationally against the run and 45th while defending the pass. They ranked 26th in total defense and 22nd in scoring defense.
EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES (8-4, 5-3 MAC)
>> At 5-3, EMU and Toledo shared the best MAC record among MAC West teams. However, UT won the West by virtue of its 27-24 victory over Eastern Michigan back on Oct. 29. That was the Eagles last loss of the season as they finished with three straight wins.
>> With its selection to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Eastern
will make four consecutive bowl appearances (excluding COVID-shortened 2020 season) for the first
time in program history.
>> Senior defensive end Jose Ramirez earned Second Team All-America status through the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He is the 20th Eastern Michigan football player to earn All-America status, and just the second to earn the honor through the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
>> Following a season sweep of its in-state rivals, Western Michigan and Central Michigan, Eastern was able to reclaim the Michigan MAC Trophy for the first time since 2012.
>> Nine Eastern Michigan student-athletes earned slots as All-MidAmerican Conference selections following the 2022 regular season. In addition to his Defensive MVP honors, defensive end Jose Ramirez earned first team honors, along with junior return man Jaylon Jackson, senior offensive lineman Sidy Sow, and sophomore punter Mitchell Tomasek. That group was joined by senior captain and offensive lineman Brian Dooley, and senior running back Samson Evans, who each earned Second Team All-MAC honors. Senior wide receiver Hassan Beydoun, sophomore placekicker Jesus Gomez, and junior wideout Tanner Knue earned third team accolades.
>> Senior quarterback Taylor Powell was impressive in terms of accuracy this season. He finished the 2022 regular season campaign with a 65.3 percent rate of completion (156-of-239). That number ranks third in the MAC this season, and goes as the third-best single-season completion percentage in EMU’s history.
>> One of the most consistent backs in the nation, Samson Evans finished the regular season ranked 24th in the nation with 1,084 rushing yards. He is third in the MAC and 23rd in the country with a 98.5 rushing yards per game average. Additionally, Evans ranks fifth in the MAC in all-purpose yards, where he has averaged 108 per game in 2022.
>> Senior wideout Tanner Knue sits in third place tie in the MAC and 15th nationally for receiving touchdowns.
>> Eastern Michigan has been efficient on third down this season, where it converts 45.1 percent (74-for-161) of its attempts. That number ranks first in the MAC and 29th nationally. The Eagles have converted at 50 percent or better on third down in five contests.
>> Eastern Michigan’s offense has scored 20+ points in 12 of its last 13 games.
>> Eastern has won or tied (32 wins, 7 ties) the turnover battle in 39 of its last 41 victories under head coach Chris Creighton.