Re: Year 6 (2016), Game 8, Michigan State at #7 Eastern Michigan
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidTheGreat20
Great win against MSU. As a U-M homer (this could be an understatement) it brings me joy seeing a fellow OS'er beat them senseless. The defense did a great job containing what looks to be a pretty underwhelming MSU squad. You gave up more yards than you could pick up, but in the end points matter, and you didn't give them a chance to win.
Rough for you to lose your QB, but the hometown hero was there to save the day. They're always the fan favorites, lol.
Good luck against Northwestern!
Thanks David! I figured as a big Wolverines guy you would appreciate the domination we showed over ol' Sparty. It is actually more than a little surprising how far Michigan State has fallen this season. I think it could spell the end for Mark Dantonio who is in the final year of his contract. With their program though, I don't expect them to stay down long. Seems like not long ago that they were pounding us into the turf with Le'Veon Bell.
Definitely some tough times for us at the quarterback position, but I think we should fare at least okay with Tony Richard under center, and like you point out it makes for a nice storyline with the hometown guy getting his shot. I have been pretty underwhelmed by what I saw from Dustin Bryant so if Richard plays well he has the opportunity to hold onto the spot in my mind.
Year 6 (2016), Game 9, Northwestern at #6 Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan redshirt junior and hometown hero Tony Richard came back from injury in the second half to lead the team back from being down 22 points in the fourth quarter. / Freshman wideout Rodney Thomas breaks free on a 67-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
A Comeback for the Ages: Eastern Michigan Rallies in the Fourth Quarter to Win in Double Overtime 44-41
Eastern Michigan completes largest comeback ever under Clayton, scoring 25 unanswered points to force overtime | Ypsilanti native Tony Richard leads Eagles back in second half after injury in the first quarter | Freshman wideout Rodney Thomas has best game of young career with 240 yds, 2 TDs | Eastern Michigan heads into hostile territory next week to meet #15 Nebraska.
Ypsilanti, MI – Eastern Michigan redshirt junior QB Tony Richard must feel as if he is living a dream as he led the Eagles back in the fourth quarter to score 22 unanswered and then win in double overtime Saturday over Northwestern. The Eagles, who were trailing by as much as 25 in the game, would need every second before a 12-yard "walk off" touchdown by HB Anthony Davis Jr. in the second overtime would finally win the game.
Richard, who was making his first collegiate start, following injuries to QB Jason Henderson and QB Dustin Bryant, was forced from the game early in the first quarter after straining his back. The injury would force the Eagles to turn to fourth string QB Robert Frazier, who had never thrown a pass. Richard would return though in the second half and lead the biggest comeback ever under head coach Dan Clayton.
Just Not Ready: Eastern Michigan redshirt freshman quarterback Robert Frazier looked lost in the first half, missing receivers badly and throwing three interceptions.
Things would quickly go south for Eastern Michigan early in the first quarter. After losing Richard, Frazier would be forced to lead the offense. The Northwestern defense quickly exploited the young signal caller as CB Robby Stewart would intercept his very first pass attempt. The Wildcat offense would turn the turnover into points as QB John Robinson connected with WR Chris Thomas for a 52-yard touchdown.
Robinson threw for 344 yards while hitting eight different receivers in the game. Thomas was his favorite target hauling in five catches for 106 yards and two scores.
Frazier would throw another interception on the very next drive, this time to SS Ryan Hooper. Luckily the Eagles defense would negate the turnover as FS Albert McDaniel got his first interception of the game. McDaniel would finish the game with two picks. The two teams combined for seven interceptions in the first half, five coming in the first quarter alone.
The Wildcats would extend their lead late in the second quarter as FB Fred Bonner caught a pass in the flats and rumbled his way in for a four yard touchdown. Trying to respond, things would continue to fall apart for Eastern Michigan, as Frazier threw a third interception. Northwestern would again capitalize as Robinson hooked up with WR Anthony Jones on a 66-yard touchdown with just seconds remaining in the half. The Wildcats would take a commanding 24-6 lead into halftime.
"Robert (Frazier) just wasn't ready and it was abundantly clear. When you get down to your fourth quarterback though, it is going to happen... Originally we hadn't planned to bring Tony (Richard) back into the game, but he begged us at halftime and the trainers cleared him. What a magical game for the young man." -- Eagles head coach Dan Clayton
Receiving the ball after the intermission, the Wildcats would go right back to work this time utilizing their ground game. Reserve HB Sam Matthews would shed two defenders on his way to a 45-yard touchdown, to extend the Northwestern lead to 31-6.
Ball Security: Eastern Michigan halfback Joel Humphrey coughs up the ball just as he crosses the goal line to blow a third quarter scoring opportunity. It was his second redzone fumble in two weeks.
Eastern Michigan would still be denied any break on offense as HB Joel Humphrey would cough up the football as he crossed the goal line to deny the Eagles any shot at points near the end of the third quarter. Northwestern would take a seemingly insurmountable 31-9 lead into the final quarter. And that is when the magic would start for the Eagles...
Following a Northwestern punt, Richard would connect with freshman WR Rodney Thomas on a 67-yard touchdown. Rodney, who is the younger brother of former heisman winning HB Robert Thomas, had his best game all season as he hauled in five passes for 240 yards and two scores. Following a successful two point conversion, the Eagles would cut the deficit to 31-17. The Eagles defense would again hold strong, setting up Richard's second touchdown of the game as he connected with TE Jay Phillips with just under two minutes remaining to make it 31-24.
With all three timeouts remaining, Eastern Michigan would elect to kick the ball deep rather than attempt an onside kick. The faith in the defense would pay off as the defense held Northwestern to a three and out and the Eagles would get the ball back with just over a minute remaining. There would be no secret to who Richard was looking for as Thomas again got behind the defense for a long gain. The long completion would set up a dramatic tiptoe catch in the corner of the endzone as Thomas tied the game with just over 23 seconds remaining, completing a 22 point fourth quarter comeback and sending the game into overtime.
After losing the toss, Eastern Michigan would get the ball first on offense in overtime. Humphrey would atone for his previous fumble as he took an 11-yard scamper into the endzone. However, the Wildcats would not go away quietly as on the very first play of their possession, Robinson found Thomas for a 25-yard touchdown. However, the Northwestern offense would sputter in the second overtime period, settling for 37-yard field goal, setting up Davis Jr. for his walkoff touchdown run as the crowd exploded.
The injury bug that has plagued the Eagles in the second half of the season would claim another victim as senior OLB Tony Sharp suffered a torn pectoral muscle, effectively ending his season. Sharp, who was recently named a semi-finalist for several end of season awards, was having the best season of his career with three sacks, four forced fumbles, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns.
Eastern Michigan will be on the road next week as they head into the hostile confines of Memorial Stadium "The Sea of Red" to meet the 15th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2). The two teams have never met before on the football field. The Huskers have only lost to Ohio State and Notre Dame with both losses coming by ten points or less. Memorial Stadium was recently ranked as the tenth toughest place to play with the Huskers currently holding a five game win streak at home. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30pm est and will be nationally broadcast on ESPN.
Eagles Clippings: Despite the heroics of Richard, senior QB Dustin Bryant (returning from concussion) is expected to start against Nebraska. Coach Clayton cited the veteran experience in a hostile environment as one factor in the decision...The Northwestern game maked the second big recruiting weekend for the Eagles who hosted three prospects: FS Avery Brooks (4-star, #1 FS), QB Ryan DeAngelis (4-star, #2 QB), and OT John Williams (3-star)...The Eagles currently sit at #4 in the polls.
(NW) C. Thomas 52 yd pass from J. Robinson (E. Bolden kick)
7
3
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
NW
EMU
7:05
(EMU) L. Taylor 27 yd FG
7
6
1:59
(NW) E. Bolden 28 yd FG
10
6
0:27
(NW) F. Bonner 4 yd pass from J. Robinson (E. Bolden kick)
17
6
0:02
(NW) A. Jones 66 yd pass from J. Robinson (E. Bolden kick)
24
6
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
NW
EMU
5:55
(NW) S. Matthews 45 yd run (E. Bolden kick)
31
6
4:23
(EMU) L. Taylor 31 yd FG
31
9
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
NW
EMU
6:11
(EMU) R. Thomas 67 yd pass from T. Richard (2-pt)
31
17
1:47
(EMU) J. Phillips 13 yd pass from T. Richard (L. Taylor kick)
31
24
0:23
(EMU) R. Thomas 23 yd pass from T. Richard (L. Taylor kick)
31
31
OVERTIME SCORING
NW
EMU
OT1
(EMU) J. Humphrey 11 yd run (L. Taylor kick)
31
38
OT1
(NW) C. Thomas 25 yd pass from J. Robinson (E. Bolden kick)
38
38
OT2
(NW) E. Bolden 37 yd FG
41
38
OT2
(EMU) A. Davis Jr. 12 yd run
41
44
Northwestern Wildcats
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
J. Robinson
23/41
344
4
3
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
K. Holley
18
68
3.7
0
J. Robinson
10
7
0.7
0
S. Matthews
4
53
13.2
1
E. King
1
10
10.0
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
A. Jones
5
135
27.0
1
C. Thomas
5
106
21.2
2
B. Lee
4
41
10.2
0
O. Smith
3
11
3.6
0
A. Madison
2
20
10.0
0
F. Bonner
2
11
5.5
1
E. King
1
11
11.0
0
G. Hayes
1
9
9.0
0
BLOCKING
PANCAKE
SACK
M. Thompson
0
2
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
R. Rhodes
7
0.0
2
0
K. Jones
4
1.0
0
0
R. Stewart
2
0.0
1
0
E. Pennington
2
2.0
0
0
A. Hunter
2
1.0
0
0
D. Anderson
2
1.0
0
0
J. White
1
0.0
1
0
R. Hooper
1
0.0
1
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
E. Bolden
2/3
5/5
11
38
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
B. Washington
6
250
41.6
0
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
--
--
--
--
--
PUNT RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
C. Thomas
2
16
8.0
0
Eastern Michigan Eagles
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
T. Richard
8/16
277
3
2
R. Frazier
4/15
46
0
3
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
K. Singleton
26
115
4.4
0
J. Humphrey
11
56
5.0
1
A. Davis Jr.
1
12
12.0
1
T. Richard
3
-36
-12.0
0
R. Frazier
2
-16
-8.0
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
R. Thomas
6
240
40.0
2
J. Phillips
3
29
9.6
1
B. Bates
2
54
27.0
0
J. Humphrey
1
0
0.0
0
BLOCKING
PANCAKE
SACK
L. Miranda
1
0
S. Holley
0
1
J. Jackson
0
2
J. Williams
0
2
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
B. Graham
7
0.0
0
0
W. Dunlap
5
1.0
0
0
A. McDaniel
4
0.0
2
0
D. Gold
4
0.0
1
0
M. Coleman
1
1.0
0
0
D. Jones
1
1.0
0
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
L. Taylor
3/3
3/3
12
31
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
E. Smith
2
90
45.0
0
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
A. Davis Jr.
6
193
32.1
0
PUNT RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
A. Davis Jr.
3
9
3.0
0
2016 Eastern Michigan Schedule/Results
Code:
Opponent (record) Result Record
---------------------------------------------------
vs Central Michigan (4-5) W 46-17 1-0
at Notre Dame (6-4) W 26-24 2-0
vs Pittsburgh (5-3) L 35-38 2-1
at Penn State (7-2) W 48-39 3-1
at Virginia (4-5) W 41-35 4-1
vs Illinois (3-6) W 41-7 5-1
at Iowa (8-2) W 27-24 6-1
vs Michigan State (2-7) W 33-14 7-1
vs Northwestern (4-5) W 44-41 8-1
at Nebraska
vs Michigan
at Minnesota
----------------------------------
Next Game:
Saturday, November 12, 2016 @ 12:30pm
(8-1) #4 at #15 (7-2)
All Time Series Record Verse Opponent (0-0)
Last Meeting N/A
Re: A Rising Storm in the North | Cheese's Eastern Michigan Dynasty
Sorry I been away for a minute man...been a crazy few weeks at the J-O-B and all of a sudden, downtime to read has become very limited.
It seems the injury bug has hit both of our squads at the same time. Your QBs are going down like flies, but it seems you guys are still clicking.
That's some great story-telling there, with Tony Richard getting the opportunity to play in his home town.
It's always fun going back and reading those beatdowns from yester-year while also getting a peak out how your work used to look compared to today (clicked on your NW 44-17 link). It's amazing how these things evolve, reporting style-wise, so much in just a few short months.
Excellent win against Northwestern.
A 25-point comeback to win in overtime on a walk-off touchdown huh? Nah, that one's too easy.
Re: A Rising Storm in the North | Cheese's Eastern Michigan Dynasty
Insane victory over Northwestern. Just insane.
I could never imagine being down 25 (to be fair, my Michigan dynasty team is pretty much OP after 1 year, spoiler alert) but to come back by scoring 25 straight...to force the overtime...is the perfect comeback story. Games where you find yourself down and have to come back are my absolute favorite, and I'm sure the feeling you got when Davis crossed the endzone in 2OT was something else. Plus, it makes for a great write-up as well with the hometown boy Richard heating it up.
Good luck these next three weeks; assuming OSU is as good as they normally are you're lucky to not have to face them. Nebraska's looking like a challenge, but I'm sure you have the guys ready for a bloodbath.
Re: A Rising Storm in the North | Cheese's Eastern Michigan Dynasty
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deegeezy
Sorry I been away for a minute man...been a crazy few weeks at the J-O-B and all of a sudden, downtime to read has become very limited.
It seems the injury bug has hit both of our squads at the same time. Your QBs are going down like flies, but it seems you guys are still clicking.
That's some great story-telling there, with Tony Richard getting the opportunity to play in his home town.
It's always fun going back and reading those beatdowns from yester-year while also getting a peak out how your work used to look compared to today (clicked on your NW 44-17 link). It's amazing how these things evolve, reporting style-wise, so much in just a few short months.
Excellent win against Northwestern.
A 25-point comeback to win in overtime on a walk-off touchdown huh? Nah, that one's too easy.
Good to hear from you my friend and no worries at all on the absence. Trust me I understand the busy work life. I hope all is going well for you and the family on that front.
The injury bug is definitely biting us hard this season, especially now with the loss of outside linebacker Tony Sharp, who was on pace for just an incredible season. The injuries always seem to be very hit or miss for me. Some seasons we have hardly any and then other seasons they just pile on. I like the seeming randomness of it to be honest.
Crazy couple of weeks for us and it has been really cool to watch Tony Richard come into his own, especially being a hometown Ypsilanti kid. We will go back to the senior for the road game against Nebraska but it is nice to know we have a capable backup in Richard. Frazier on the other hand was an absolute nightmare...
After your comment, I took the time to really go back and read some of the earlier pages from the report. It really is amazing to watch the evolution. Like you said once of your own report, I really like being able to look back at the lower quality pictures and bulky gear etc and it feels like the earlier years really were in the past compared to now. It ages the storyline nicely.
I can't say enough about the Northwestern game. Easily the biggest comeback I have ever pulled off in a football game probably ever.
Thanks for checking in man!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidTheGreat20
Insane victory over Northwestern. Just insane.
I could never imagine being down 25 (to be fair, my Michigan dynasty team is pretty much OP after 1 year, spoiler alert) but to come back by scoring 25 straight...to force the overtime...is the perfect comeback story. Games where you find yourself down and have to come back are my absolute favorite, and I'm sure the feeling you got when Davis crossed the endzone in 2OT was something else. Plus, it makes for a great write-up as well with the hometown boy Richard heating it up.
Good luck these next three weeks; assuming OSU is as good as they normally are you're lucky to not have to face them. Nebraska's looking like a challenge, but I'm sure you have the guys ready for a bloodbath.
Thank you David! Just an incredible game. These are the moments we all play for. I was literally running around my apartment hands above the head when we completed that comeback. I really did not think we had a prayer heading into the fourth quarter.
We definitely have a tough string of games ahead of us, starting with Nebraska on the road. Michigan looks pretty stacked as well. If all things continue to head in the same direction and we land in the conference championship, we will most likely have to face Ohio State who like you guessed is loaded as ever. It should be an exciting end to the season!
03-27-2017, 05:36 PM
2016 Eastern Michigan Schedule/Results
(7-2)
No Longer Perfect: #2 Texas Stunned by Houston 28-14 in Conference Play
ACC Fight: Behind the Arm of Reid #3 Virginia Tech Tops #8 Miami 38-14
Big 12 Showdown: Sooners Leap into Polls After Downing #14 Texas A&M 37-20
Love to Hate ‘Em: Penn State Tops Ohio State 31-28 in Double Overtime
Still Unbeaten: Alabama Wins Shootout Over LSU 50-40 to Stay Atop Polls
Nevada Surprised: BYU Defeats Previously Unbeaten #7 Nevada 28-21
OC Russell Warner (Tearz49ers): W at #19 USC 31-24, 31 pnts scored, 425 yds of offense, 3 INT, Season Record: 5-4
OC Davis Powell (djp73): L vs Air Force 6-50, 6 pnts scored, 202 yds of offense, 1 INT, Season Record: 1-8
OC Bryan Post (thesportsguru11): W at Tulane 43-15, 36 pnt scored, 465 yds of offense, 1 INT, 1 fum, Season Record: 5-4
OC Scott Wright (SilverBullet19): W vs Marshall 20-14, 20 pnts scored, 375 yds of offense, 1 fum, Season Record: 6-3
OC Johnson (huskerfan101): W vs New Mexico St 31-17, 31 pt scored, 486 yd of offense, 1 INT, 1 fum, Season Record: 3-5
DC Roman Rolle (gsutiger): L at Syracuse 7-28, 21 pnts allowed, 443 yds allowed, 1 INT, Season Record: 2-6
DC Richard Harrison (itsbigmike): L vs ECU 24-27 OT, 27 pnts allowed, 356 yds allowed, 1 INT, Season Record: 5-4
DC Brandon Olsen (BrandonRocket): L vs Ball St 15-23, 23 pnts allowed, 471 yds allowed, 1 INT, 2 FR, Season Record: 2-8
DC Juwan Smart (DavidtheGreat20): L vs UNLV 17-31, 31 pnts allowed, 486 yds allowed, 1 INT, 1 FR, Season Record: 0-8
DC Matt Floyd (matt0424): L vs SMU 15-43, 36 pnts allowed, 465 yds allowed, 1 INT, 1 FR, Season Record: 6-4
